Reviews
“A Cook’s Guide was a porthole into the strange and wonderful world of Chicago’s ethnic markets, where funky smells and killer flavors collide. Pocius recently updated her culinary adventures in an expanded second edition.”
—Heather Shouse, TimeOut Chicago, “The hunter-gatherer: An ethnic grocery guru shares shopping tips for adventurous eaters,” March 30–April 6, 2006
“A great gift idea for aspiring chefs or for anyone who loves a good hunt. . . . like a treasure map with street names. . . . a step above a typical travel or cooking theme.”
—Suzanne Boothby, The New York Times, “Chicago Life,” November 2002
“Marilyn Pocius leaves few baking stones unturned in A Cook’s Guide to Chicago. . . . Cook’s Guide will have considerable staying power as a resource for cooks. . .”
—Chicago Tribune, “Good Eating,” August 7, 2002
“‘Food is a pathway to understanding, and it’s a delicious place to start,’ said Marilyn Pocius, whose A Cook’s Guide to Chicago is a virtual tour of ethnic markets and produce vendors.”
—Robin Mather Jenkins, Chicago Tribune, Good Eating Section, “Passport to Chicago’s Immigrant Tables,” May 18, 2005
“Essential, essential, essential! This, the hands-down best guide to the Chicagoland area’s ethnic markets, unique shops and primer for all things epicurean is a “must own” reference book for any restaurateur. Cook's Guide finds great deals, exotic meals and stuff to make every dinner better. Marilyn’s dug out damn-near everything and even added definitions, recipes and a lot more pages than the last edition: what a treat! Locate any food item by country of origin, food type and neighborhood. When half of the fun of a culinary adventure is in the exploration, even Lara Croft bows down to Marilyn Pocius: Chitown’s best culinary treasure hunter.”
—Mark Braun, Food Industry News, April 2006
“A Cook’s Guide to Chicago . . . tells what it is, where to get it and how to use it.”
—Carol Mueller, Pioneer Press, July 31, 2002
“First, a warning: The information in A Cook’s Guide to Chicago: Where to Find Everything You Need and Lots of Things You Didn’t Know You Did by Marilyn Pocius . . . was gathered by a professional. Cricket cannot be held responsible if you try this trick on your own, without the same training, energy, and enthusiasm the author displays unflaggingly in every chapter. The fact that you don’t have to is precisely the point of this unique cook’s book (not cookbook — pay attention). . . . Now she’s done it. I’ve got a taste for something enticing, adventurous, gourmet . . .”
—Jean Kozlowski, Cricket in the Corner, “Spring Reads: Cooking,” May 6, 2003
“For anyone interested in cooking or eating—And who does that leave out?—the second edition of ‘A Cook’s Guide to Chicago’ is an informative little book.”
—Terri Colby, Chicago Tribune, Books, April 16, 2006
“From abalone to the spiced palm oil known as zomi, this zesty compendium of local sources for international cuisine provides a valuable resource for those in search of ethnic supermarkets, gourmet shops, chef’s equipment stores, food clubs and organizations and even bookstores . . .”
—Dan Pearson, Daily Southtown, September 26, 2002
“Pocius is a chef and food writer who obviously shares my penchant for the hunt. Thanks to her legwork, finding the essential (and unusual) tools of our trade has been made much easier. . . . There are store listings for everything that you could imagine in the world of cooking. . . . This is one gift that never fails to surprise and delight, and it’s always a winner.”
—Frank Chlumsky, Wednesday Journal, “Frank on Food,” December 4, 2002
“‘It’s not a cookbook, it’s a book for cooks.’ That’s one of the first things Marilyn Pocius will tell you about her newly published book, A Cook’s Guide to Chicago. Yes, there are recipes in it, but the subtitle sums up the content: ‘Where to find everything you need and lots of things you didn’t know you did.’ . . .
Pocius set out on a two-year odyssey to find sources for ingredients and equipment; to seek out specialty stores, cooking schools, cooking clubs and ethnic markets . . . Pocius learned early on that Chicago is a rich stew of ethnic neighborhoods and diverse cuisines. Her book reflects that, listing and describing ingredients and markets and providing recipes for foods from Latin American to Eastern Europe, from Italy to Africa, Asia and more.
Written in a conversational, user-friendly tone . . . “
—Carol Mueller, Pioneer Press, August 1, 2002
“[N]icely detailed . . . A Cook’s Guide to Chicago . . . points cooks in the right direction for supplies in and around the city.”
—Chicago Sun Times, “Food,” July 24, 2002
“Let me tell you how good the latest, expanded & updated edition of this rockin' reference is . . . Pocius is such a fun-seeking, spirited guide, her delight in exploring Chicago's ethnic markets rubs off like powdered sugar from a beignet. Utterly irresistible, this lively catalog of the city's sources for basic and exotic international cuisine, ingredients, groceries, tools, and other necessities is every bit as scrumptious a read as it is a tantalizing road map. Come to Chicago for the food. Stay for everything at your fingertips for learning to cook it yourself, and take home as much multicultural bounty as you can embrace. Be forewarned: There's no sating the appetite this book whets. A must-have and a Great Gift Idea.”
—Jean Kozlowski, Cricket in the Corner, “Rich Legacies” June 1, 2006
“Chicago is a really big city with food products from all over the world. Sure they have a phone book and a great public library, and that is how I would ordinarily do research to find exotic ingredients to make exotic vinegars. But A Cook's Guide to Chicago saved me weeks worth of research and hundreds of dollars in cab fares. It was a passport to adventure in food . . . I heartily recommend A Cook's Guide to Chicago for anyone interested in food.”
—Lawrence Diggs, aka The Vinegar Man (www.vinegarman.com), May 6, 2006
“Trouble finding that smoked paprika? Interested in Eastern European beer? Looking for maltose-sesame candy but don’t know where to turn? You’re in luck. The second edition of chef Marilyn Pocius’ A Cook’s Guide to Chicago will help you locate these unusual items—and about 2,000 more—without leaving the Chicagoland area. . . . [I]t’s a comprehensive listing of the best bakeries, butcheries and bodegas around Chicago, conveniently organized by the type of food they carry. . . . And, for those unsure what to do after they purchase their Asian eggplant and eddo, recipes and tips are included.”
—Today’s Chicago Woman, “An Epicurean’s Delight,” May 2006
“ . . . looking for a certain spice or ethnic store, this book has it all and more.”
—Diane Adam, Greek Star, December 21, 2006
Marilyn Pocius
Winner
2006 Chicago Tribune Good Eating Award
Awarded to experts in the Chicago food and beverage world who are making a difference through their passion, vision and commitment to quality.
Also in Print
Chicago Tribune, “Insiders’ Food Guide to Chicago,” April 11, 2007
Daily Southtown, “Homegrown authors, local topics vie for attention,” by Karen Sorensen, April 2, 2006
Chicago Sun-Times, “World chow right now,” by Maureen Jenkins, September 6, 2006
The Oakland Press, “The Cook’s Shelf,” April 17, 2006
The Courier News, “Cooks flock to city and ‘burbs to spice up their kitchens,” April 26, 2006
The Capital Times, December 1, 2006
Chicago Reader, April 14, 2006
Chicago Reader, June 14, 2002
Orange Menuzine, Issue 3, 2004
La Crosse Tribune, March 21, 2004
Footnotes, Oak Park Library, January 2003
FoodLines (www.foodlines.com), September 30, 2002
Lerner newspapers, August 7, 2002
On the Air
WTTW–Channel 11, Chicago Public Television, “Chicago Tonight”
WLS–Channel 7, ABC News, “On the Shelf,” Interview with Janet Davies
WFLD–Channel 32, Chicago, Fox News with Tamryn Hall
WBEZ–91.5 FM, Chicago Public Radio, “Eight Forty-Eight,” Interview with Steve Dolinsky
WXRT–93.1 FM, Chicago, Interview with Terri Hemmert
WGN–720 AM, Chicago, “Dean Richards’ Sunday Morning,” Interview with Dean Richards
“KNLS Bookwatch,” with Jim Cox
Reader Reviews from Amazon.com
The Joy of Grocery Shopping. (5 of 5 stars)
As a frequent visitor to Chicago, I love to take advantage of a big city’s resources. I found A Cook’s Guide to Chicago to be an invaluable culinary guidebook. Written in a humorous and easy to read style, the book demystifies those strange foods I can’t identify, and lists stores that carry the exotic foods I love but can’t find in my own neighborhood. Better yet, the author offers tips and recipes that feature them. With this book, I’m armed with a resource that enables me to search out foods I didn’t even know existed!
Each chapter is filled with interesting facts that make identifying and locating groceries and cooking utensils fun. (The description of South Water Market made me want to shop there just to see the area.) The book’s layout makes it simple to use, and it is thoroughly indexed. The graphic design is a visual treat.
But the best part about this book, for me, is not the facts, but the feeling it gave me while reading it. I fell in love with food and spices and cooking all over again. Suddenly, just going down the same aisle at my usual supermaket to make the same predictable meal just didn’t cut it. With these newly defined foods and locations of ethnic grocery stores, I was ready for a culinary adventure. The author’s skill in writing, her sense of humor and love of food all combine to portray cooking as a sensual and exotic world. The Cook’s Guide is the perfect companion to explore that world—I highly recommend it.
—July 2, 2002
A foodie’s guide to my heart. (4 of 5 stars)
I was delighted to have come across this book. While I’m not much of a cook, I like to think that I could be. This book makes it sound easy and, more importantly, FUN. I recommend it to anyone interested in eating, shopping, or cooking or for an “off the beaten track” cultural/culinary tour of our great city of Chicago. Hats off to the author; she probably weighs a ton by now but it must have been an interesting journey. (Great cover, too!)
—June 28, 2002
A Great Resource for Cooks, or those who would like to be. (5 of 5 stars)
As a resident of Chicago, I am grateful to the author for writing this book. Now, I know where to have my knives sharpened, buy fresh ginger, and find the best teas.
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