AMERICANWAY

ITINERARY top left: peter phillips 3 6 n ov e m b e r 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY { b o o k s } A Literary Feast long after the thanksgiving meal has been devoured and the good dishes have been put away, you can keep the celebration of food, family and gratitude going with these three exceptional new cookbooks. The Big Book of SideS: More Than 450 recipeS for The BeST VegeTaBleS, grainS, SaladS, BreadS, SauceS, and More By Rick Rodgers (Ballantine Books, $30) Go ahead: Loosen your belt a few notches now. You'll need some breathing room after sampling from this encyclopedia of en- ticing side dishes. The author of more t h a n 4 0 co ok b o ok s, Rodgers leaves no cook behind, of fering dishes for beg inners ( basic mashed caulif lower) to top chefs (potato gratin squares with Roquefort and herbs) and everyone in between (noodles Romanoff ). Each recipe comes w it h sug gestions for pa ir ing with popular main courses, as well as ideal occasions on which to serve them. A calendar lists 18 special-occasion menus, from New Year's Eve open house to a summer alfresco meal to three — three! — variations on Thanks- giving dinner. unichef: Top chefS uniTe in SupporT of The World'S children By Hilary Gumbel with Kate Meyers and Scott Mowbray (Glitterati Incorporated, $35) During this holiday of plent y, Unichef rem i nd s u s of t hose who h ave so l it t le. For t y c e - lebrity chefs from around the globe eagerly answered the call to contribute to this conscien- tious cookbook, which benefits the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Re- vered chefs from José A ndrés to Alice Waters not only share their mouth-watering recipes (huevos a la Cubana and grilled corn on the cob, respectively) but a lso ref lect on cherished memories of family time in the kitchen and discuss their own outreach ef for ts to help f ight hunger in the neighborhoods just outside their rest aura nt doors. in her kiTchen: STorieS and recipeS froM grandMaS around The World By Gabriele Galimberti (Clarkson Potter, $30) After his "nonna," Marisa, feared how well he would eat on his 18-month trip around the world, photographer Gabriele Galim- berti sought out grandmothers throughout his journey to chat, to cook and to pose for a portrait. Nearly 60 matriarchs welcomed him into their kitchens, shar- ing their life stories as well as the recipes for their trademark dishes. There's chicken tagine from Morocco, award-winning egg-and-beef arepas from Co- lombia , a s wel l a s t he Sw iss chard-and-ricotta ravioli with meat sauce prepared by Galim- berti's nonna. This cookbook is a poignant album and a tender reminder that sharing tradition and love through food is univer- sal, as is the grand motherly ad- monition to "Eat! Eat!" — K r i s t i n ba i r d r at t i n i In Short The universal Tone: Bringing My Story to light By Carlos Santana (Little, Brown and Company, $30) Since his band's acclaimed Woodstock performance in 1969, Grammy Award-winning guitarist Carlos Santana has conversed with the world through his music. From his earliest hits like "Black Magic Woman" to his collaboration on this year's World Cup anthem, "We Will Find a Way," Santana and his unmistakable sound have struck a chord across generations, genres and borders. In his new memoir, this influential artist earnestly shares both his life story and his lifelong belief that music and soul are intrinsically interconnected. Like his songs, Santana's passionate storytelling will likely reverberate with readers long after they've closed the book. — K . b . r . diary of a Wimpy kid: The long haul By Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books, $14) T.S. Eliot once posited that "April is the cruellest month," but if you're Greg Heffley, who has spent eight best-selling books trapped in the punishing purgatory of seventh grade, debating which calendar day is most unkind is not too useful. In this ninth book, Greg braves a summer road trip with his quirky family, enduring car troubles and a mischievous pig. It's pitch-perfect stuff for readers of all ages, punctuated with the indelible stick-figure illustrations of Kinney, one of Time's Most Influential People in the World. With apologies to Greg, who has dubbed middle school "the dumbest idea ever invented," we hope graduation day never comes. —J. rentilly

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