The Healthy Juicer’s Bible: Lose Weight, Detoxify, Fight Disease, and Live Long by Farnoosh Brock (Skyhorse Books, $16.95)
Farnoosh Brock has been an expert green juicer for more than five years and her new book is a comprehensive guide that shares her knowledge, discoveries, tips, and lessons she learned from her personal experiences. By sensible juicing, Brock is convinced the body can be healed and returned to harmony through the use of healthy plants which can be obtained from the local farmer’s market, the backyard garden, or even the grocery store produce aisle.
This book explains the irresistible benefits of juicing, what juicing is and what it is not, the bare essentials of juicing, the various ingredients, the equipment needed, how to improvise and create new recipes, and, perhaps most importantly, her recommended recipes and the power each contains.
If you are wondering how your body will react to green juicing or how to stay motivated even after the initial excitement of this plan wears off, the answers are to be found in this nifty guide. Whatever your fitness, health goals, or daily routine, “The Healthy Juicer’s Bible” could be the extra help you need to lead a healthier life through the world of juicing.
Armed with a blender, I tested three recipes: The Tart and Sweet Cooler which had a terrific cranberry kick, the Popeye Infusion laced with four cups of baby spinach, and the Hawaiian Rainbow, a tasty combination of such ingredients as carrots, beets, spinach and oranges.
THE HAWAIIAN RAINBOW
Ingredients
4-5 small carrots
2 small or one large beet
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup arugula
1 handful of parsley
2 small oranges, peeled (I used Arizona sweet oranges)
I added several ice cubes to the blender and then combined the ingredients into a frothy drink.
This was a perfect treat for a hot afternoon.

Mme. Begue’s Recipes of Old New Orleans Creole Cookery by Elizabeth Kettenring Dutrey Begue with a foreword and revised recipes by Poppy Tooker (Pelican Publishing, $16.95
Mme. Begue operated a celebrated restaurant at Decatur and Madison Streets in New Orleans during the Victorian-era. It was opposite the fabled French Market and the cafe quickly became one of the most prominent culinary destinations in the city. While navigating through several husbands, she operated her business serving only one meal per day, between breakfast and lunch, a time what would later become known as brunch. When she died in 1906, food lovers throughout the country mourned her death which was even announced in the New York Times.
After six years before her death, her handwritten recipes triggered one of the first cookbooks that reflected true Creole cuisine. This legendary collection was revised and updated in 1937 and has once again been dusted off for modern cooks with the help of Poppy Tooker, a classically trained chef and cooking teacher. Tooker, who is passionate about the importance of reviving and preserving recipes pivotal to the cultures of New Orleans and Louisiana, is to be commended for her contributions to this project.
The first half of the cook is devoted to the cookery of Mme. Begue, the second recipes from other famous New Orleans chefs including Victor Bero, a chef who arrived in the Crescent City during the 1830s and helped define its cuisine. His Victor’s Resturant became Galatoire’s in 1905.
Simply put, this cookbook is an absolute treasure. In addition to Creole Gumbo, there are authentic recipes for Turtle Soup, Jambalaya of Chicken, Blanquette de Veau, and that most classic of Southern desserts, Chess Pie.

CHESS PIE
Yolks of 7 eggs
Whole of 1 egg
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sweet cream
Dash of nutmeg
++++
Beat egg yolks and sugar until thoroughly mixed; add butter, cream and stiffly beaten egg white and a dash of nutmeg; mix thoroughly and place in pie tin lined with rich crust and bake in moderately oven until nicely browned on top and before the pie loses jelly-like consistency.

Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors by Robin Donovan (Quirk, $15.95)
With the warmer weather, many of us are beginning to think about the bracing fun of camping out in the fresh air of the great outdoors. The main message in this nifty little cookbook is that campfire fare can be much more than hot dogs and marshmallows. Would you believe that armed with quality ingredients and a good base of how to buy and store meat, the experienced camper can serve up such unexpected culinary delights as Bananas Foster French Toast, Endive and Apple Salad with Blue Cheese, Soy-Glazed Chicken Breasts and even Mustard and Rosemary Lamb Chops.
Robin Donovan, an experienced camper, author, blogger and editor specializing in food, cooking and travel, provides recipes for meals and snacks for the entire day. In addition to the recipes, there are tips on how to travel, store, and pack meats and nonperishable goods in addition to shopping lists, meal planning, and information about fire safety and grilling techniques. This is important because nothing can put a damper on a camping trip quite like a dose of food poisoning.
This is a fun collection. As Donovan explains, her collection also provides hearty, healthy fare that can make a camping trip an even more satisfying experience.
Despite the fact I did not have a campfire in my kitchen, I tested two recipes from this cookbook, namely the Soy-Glazed Chicken Breasts and a dessert of Rum-Baked Peaches. Both recipes were fun to prepare and tasty. The sweet, tasty glaze of the chicken made it a real crowd pleaser. The soy glaze took a little time to prepare but it was worth it.
SOY-GLAZED CHICKEN BREASTS
Serves 4
4 chicken breast halves, with skin and bones
Honey-Soy Marinade
Place the chicken breasts with the marinade in a large ziplock bag. Marinade for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and place on a grill over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes per side, basting regularly with the marinade until cooked through.
While the chicken is cooking, bring the extra marinade to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for at least 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Serve the chicken hot with the extra sauce.
HONEY-SOY MARINADE
¾ c soy sauce
6 green onions, thinly sliced
½ c rice vinegar
½ c honey or packed brown sugar
2 Tbs peeled and chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs sesame oil
Mix all ingredients until well combined