“Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking” is a large, recipe and photo-filled blend of upscale creativity and down-home familiarity. An interesting and informative collection of recipes, cooking information, techniques, equipment and helpful hints from Chef Naomi Pomeroy, this is a both a cookbook and a tutorial. Each recipe has its own little back story, and many of the recipes offer seasonal suggestions. While the food is definitely the product of an accomplished cook’s kitchen, the photography is gloriously unglamorous, making it the perfect showcase for the magnificently messy “Classic French Onion Soup”, the colorfully rustic “Fresh Corn and Summer Vegetable Succotash”, and the vibrant “Orange-Caraway Glazed Carrots”. Other recipes with great appeal include: “Spring Pea Risotto”; “Parmesan Straws”; “Caramelized Delicata Squash”; “Pan-Seared Pork Chops”; “Potato Dumplings”; “Balsamic Braised Short Ribs”; “Apricot-Brown Butter Tart”; “Buckwheat Crepes with Sautéed Apples and Toffee Sauce”; “Malt Ice Cream”; and “White Chocolate Mousse”. The enjoyable introduction from Chef Pomeroy is both personal and factual, and will be appreciated by faithful foodies. Naomi Pomeroy won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific Northwest in 2014, was named a Best New Chef 
in Food & Wine in 2009, and has been featured in Bon Appétit, Elle, and O magazine, along with appearances on Top Chef Masters and Knife Fight. After launching Family Supper, clarklewis, and Gotham Tavern, she opened Beast in 2007 and her bar Expatriate in 2013. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Book Copy Gratis Ten Speed Press via Blogging for Books ( )

Naomi Pomeroy is a bit of a celebrity chef. I have never been to her restaurant (on the other side of the county from me), but I have read about her for a long time. She has gotten loads of good reviews from food magazines and food writers, and plenty of awards, including a James Beard. This is the first book by her that I have read, and it may be her only book as yet.

The recipes in Taste & Technique reflect a high skill level. They appear a bit challenging for my skill level as a home cook, but they are also inspiring. Having 'Technique' in the title says a fair bit about what to expect inside.

The way that the recipes are written, and the photographs of the results, really make me want to attempt Burrata with Dandelion, Golden Raisin and Pistachio Pistou, even though I had no idea what Pistou was before reading her explanation. I must try to cook Smoky Tomato Veloute with Parmesan Straws before I am much older, as it looks and sounds amazing.

For all the fine dining feel of the recipes, there is no pretentious attitude present. The overall feel is of an honest chef who enjoys creating with food, and wants to share techniques that have been successful for her. As the book looks now, I would recommend it for a confident home chef, who would like to introduce a fine dining feel to their home meals.


**eARC Netgalley**

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A culinary journey!

Obviously Naomi Pomeroy has led a life dedicated to food and cooking.
A cook's cook if you will.
This is not just a simple cookbook, it's an explanation of the balance of ingredients that bring forth the best in each other. In this way it's fantastic. This was the part I enjoyed the most.
Her narrative of her journey into all things culinary is amazing. Her story is an inspiration. The idea of meal 'happenings' where the first eight to answer are invited, where people jostle for a coveted entree into the dinner prepared for that night is crazy wonderful. It's like crowd sourcing and flash happenings all rolled into one. Exciting times!
I found the explanations of recipes throughout the book balanced and well presented. I will also admit to the fact that I do not devote the time to dishes that Pomeroy does and that's where I might hesitate. There are however recipes that I found exciting and lavish in their simplicity.
For those who are through and through foodies this is a book to enjoy and savour.
For those like me who mostly exist on the quick grilled something and salad, this is a book to add to the shelves and dabble in from time to time as the moment takes.

A NetGalley ARC ( )