Bagels Schmears and a Nice Piece of Fish - by Cathy Barrow (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In this thorough-yet-accessible cookbook, Pie Squared author Cathy Barrow demystifies bagel-making with just 5 ingredients and a straightforward technique. Recipes include variations on the classic New York bagel, with different doughs and traditional and innovative flavors that range from standbys such as Sesame, Poppy, and Everything, to bagels your bubbe wouldn't recognize like Blueberry, Hatch Chile Jack, and Rainbow. There is an entire chapter dedicated to homemade spreads and schmears; another on pickles and other delightful bagel spread noshes such as home-smoked Nova Lox, whitefish, and chicken salad; and yet another on creative bagel sandwiches. With menus for fun brunches and gatherings, playful sidebars, and approximately 75 photos, this is both a comprehensive baking resource and a playful guide to making one of America's best-loved foods"--

Book Synopsis

A playful-yet-comprehensive cookbook that lets anyone create bagels, schmears, and other deli favorites at home.

"To quote Seinfeld, Barrow's classic New York bagels are real, and they're spectacular."--Publishers Weekly

Named a Booklist Top Ten Cookbook of 2022!

Bagel lovers rejoice! This delightful bagel cookbook makes it easy to bake fresh bagels in your own kitchen with just five base ingredients and simple techniques. With advice on mixing the dough, shaping the bagels, proofing, boiling, baking, slicing, and storing, you will be a master bagel-maker in no time.

Recipes include two dozen variations on the New York bagel, with classic and innovative flavors ranging from Sesame to Blueberry to Hatch Chile Jack. You'll also find recipes for homemade sweet and savory spreads, schmears, pickles, and other deli mainstays like Home-Cured Lox and Chicken Salad.

With suggested menus for fun brunches and gatherings, photos of finished food and step-by-step techniques, and a charming deli aesthetic, this is both a comprehensive baking resource and a playful guide to making one of America's best-loved foods.

BAGELS ARE EASY BAKING: This book brings bagels to the home baker with step-by-step recipes for making classic New York bagels, even in the smallest kitchen. And it's not about the water! It's about just five ingredients and straightforward technique.

BRUNCH RECIPE BOOK: For anyone who loves to bake, host, and eat, this cookbook will evoke the urge to entertain with bagel-centric menu inspiration. It is packed with vivid photography, straightforward directions, and winning recipes, including a chapter on chapter on bagel sandwiches and brunch spreads.

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR: Cathy Barrow is an award-winning cookbook author. She's been recognized by IACP and the James Beard Foundation for her work on Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry and Pie Squared, respectively.

Perfect for:

• Home bakers and cooks who love bagels
• Bread enthusiasts looking for a new project
• New Yorkers who live elsewhere and want to make a classic NY bagel at home
• Fans of cookbooks like Bubby's Brunch Cookbook, Balaboosta, Josey Baker Bread, and The Whole Fish Cookbook

Review Quotes

"An information-packed delight. This is a book to give as a housewarming gift, treasure in one's kitchen where it will quickly become flour and lox stained, and to make sure is in every library collection." --Library Journal, starred review

"Cathy Barrow shares the ins and outs of perfecting any deli brunch at home."--Salon

"Delivering the goods with intriguing sidebars and undeniable expertise, award-winning cookbook author Barrow envelops 50-plus recipes with stories to remember, techniques to master, and food photographs that home cooks can attempt to emulate in real life."--Booklist, starred review

"This is the bagel book we didn't know we needed, a must-have for bagel and cooking enthusiasts everywhere, especially outside of major cities where good bagels are hard to find." --The Forward

"To quote Seinfeld, Barrow's classic New York bagels are real, and they're spectacular. [...] Barrow's helpful guidance, flexibility, and humor combine to make this a kvell-inducing joy."--Publishers Weekly

"16 bagel (and bagel-adjacent) recipes [...] form the foundation of this, Barrow's fourth cookbook. They are buttressed by many eminently useful tips and generous guidance: This is a book with a two-page section dedicated to the (very important) matter of getting the seeds to stick."--Eater

About the Author

Cathy Barrow is an award-winning author and cook. She has written three cookbooks, Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry, Pie Squared, and When Pies Fly. Cathy won an IACP award for best single subject cookbook Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry and was nominated for a James Beard Award in the Baking category for Pie Squared. She writes a monthly food column for the Washington Post Food section, and has been published by the New York Times, Serious Eats, FOOD52, The Local Palate, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, NPR, and National Geographic.