Big Small Plates

`Big Small Plates' by northern California restauranteur / chef / cookbook writer, Cindy Pawlcyn, assisted by her restaurant co-owners and co-chefs, brothers Pablo Jacinto and Erasto Jacinto needs just a little explanation on its title and contents. The contradiction in the `Big Small' is explained by substituting `seriously delicious' for `Big' and `appetizers' or `hors `d'ourves' for `Small'. `Plates' obviously doesn't mean crockery, it meats a dish of food.On reading the introduction, I was looking forward to a book on the Mexican analogues to the Mediterranean `little dishes' or tapas from Spain, `hors'd'ourves' and `amuse bouche' from France, anti-pasto from Italy, and Meze from Greece and Turkey. It turns out that over half of the dishes in this book are from this very same Mediterranean `appetizer central', augmented by a number of dishes from south Asia (India), southeast Asia, (Thailand and Vietnam), and east Asia (China and Japan). When the dust settles, the Mexican dishes are in a distinct minority.This does not mean this is a weak book! It only means that if your bookshelves are already creaking under the weight of cookbooks from the Mediterranean and the Pacific rim, there may be less new material here than you may expect. On balance, I suggest that no matter how many Italian, French, Spanish, Indian, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese cookbooks you already have, if you do not have a `go to' book on appetizers, this volume may be your answer.Another thing is that this is definitely a foodie book. There is not even the pretense of `fast' or `easy' or `cheap' cooking here. Since these are `starters', few of the dishes are difficult, but virtually all of them, except for some of the desserts, require some definitely serious culinary skills with techniques such as grilling, deep-frying and dough making. A second symptom that this is a foodie book is the number of unusual ingredients called for in many of the recipes. Over half of the recipes will require a trip to the Latin American, East Indian, or Chinese grocery store or a very well stocked megamart. Most of these unusual ingredients such as lemongrass are becoming more familiar, but others such as Kaffir Lime leaves are still very hard to find. I was just a bit disappointed with the list of sources, as almost all of them are in or around Napa Valley. Of course, all do Internet or Mail Order business, but still, the author could have been just a bit less Napa-centric.Very important is the fact that this book has that ephemeral quality so eloquently described in `Cook What You Love' by Bob and Melinda Blanchard. The authors are totally in love with what they are doing, and they succeed in passing that enthusiasm on to the reader. That means the book is simply fun to read, which makes it that much more fun to look for interesting recipes.Since the book is all about appetizer recipes, the organization is a bit unusual, dividing the dishes up into the means by which these little bites would be eaten. The chapter headings are:Chapter 1. Sticks, Picks, and with Fingers (obvious enough)Chapter 2. Dressed, Not Naked (Salads and dressings)Chapter 3. Bowls and Spoons (Soups, nicht wahr)Chapter 4. On a Raft (Crostini, Bruschetta, Biscuits, and other bready platforms)Chapter 5. Knife and Fork (or things needing end-user cutting)Chapter 6. Something Sweet (largely `assembled' quick desserts).The book has one of my favorite features for a 200-recipe book. That is, it's table of contents gives all the titles of all the recipes right up there in the beginning of the book. That, combined with the organization, makes a perfect way of picking three dishes with the right combination of eating techniques.One does need to know, however, that hidden among these `main' recipes are quite a few supplementary recipes for things such as aioli, tartar sauce, and miscellaneous other condiments. A separate chapter for these is the usual way to go, but that can be annoying too. Good compromise may have been a supplementary listing of supporting recipes.This book also has the distinction of being the very first one I have found which uses corn mold as a recipe ingredient. I became aware of this while watching the very first `Iron Chef America' match between Bobby Flay and Rick Bayless, when Bayless pulled it out of his wrapping of day-old `Chicago Tribune' pages. The authors say one can find this stuff in Mexican groceries. I leave it to you, fair reader, to try this one out and report back!As `restaurant books' go, this one is superior to most as both a good read and a good source of very well-written recipes for entertaining, although you will not, as in a Thomas Keller book, be treated to a lot of teaching on new techniques. Rather, it will be up to you to know your way around the kitchen and a well-stocked pantry.Highly Recommended.

I worked at several of her restaurant's and all were amazing. I feel blessed to have been able a part of her FOH team as a busser and server.

The book is very well put together. Just too much seafood and rabbit recipes. I wish I had known that before purchasing. I don’t care for either one. If you do, this book is for you.

I'm a cooking student and I bought this book with the idea of getting some inspiration about amuse bouche or appetizers. I had a different idea about this book and I must admit I was a bit disappointed when I got it. After I red it I change a bit my mind, but I'm still not very convinced about it. It's a nice book, good recipes, there are some nice photo as well, but I think they should include some more photos of the dishes (many of the recipes have no photos, so you can't have an idea of how it looks like) and not so many of the writer, utensils and ingredients. It's not my favorite book. I think if I would have had the chance of seeing this book before buying it, I wouldn't have bought it. I'm convinced that cooking books should be like food, they first have to "caught your eye" so then you can enjoy them.

We ate in Napa at Cindy's backstreet kitchen and loved it. As a chef, I am eager to make some of our favorites! Book came earlier than expected and in new condition! Thank you!

Cindy Pawlcyn and her colaberators have done it again. Their latest book is a gem. The recipes are approachable by all and share ingrediants you can find easily even if you don't live in produce rich Napa California. The flavors are as luxurious as Laurie Smiths photos.Cindy and team always manage to pull you in to the culture, the feeling and the way of life that the cooking conveys. Many authors publish books of their recipes but this book takes you on the journey and doesn't dissapoint. The food is great, the recipes are rock solid and you can't go wrong with this one. If you love "Mustard's" or if you were a fan of Miramonte you will love it.

What's not to love about this book? I'm a fan of Cindy's Napa restaurants and have made at least 10 recipes from this book in just two months and every one has been a winner! Her recipes are just complex enough to make you look like a star in the kitchen without actually working that hard, and some are easy enough to do for weeknight dinners. Most of the ingredients she uses are easily accessible, at least in California, and are bold or surprising enough to make the dish really stand out. This book is truly about an experience of food, from gathering fresh ingredients, to working with bringing the flavors together, and sharing them with friends and family. Love this book!

This book doesn't just give recipes and great pictures, it gave me insight into Cindy, what she's going for, and how a non-professional can cook to impress w/o making yourself crazy. I haven't tried many, but liked what I did. She gives a lot of substitution suggestions in case you either don't have access to some of the less known/available ingredients so you don't feel like you wasted your money. For me, it was well worth the money. Actually met Cindy last year and she is just as sweet, helpful and caring as she seems on TV.

Big Small Plates Another excellent book from the owner of Mustards in California. It is great to read, with the most mouthwatering recipes - can't wait to start Big Small Plates