What's the difference? Recreational culinary reference for the curious and confused

Culinary terms can confuse cooks, leaving them wondering in the middle of a recipe just what that word might mean. Noted for her newsletter that shares this book's title, Warshaw (who describes herself as a "professional figure-outer" on Twitter) has devoted herself to clearing up all manner of terminological confusions, so she's used to making distinctions. Some terms she defines here are straightforward such as the difference between liquor and liqueur or evaporated and condensed milk. Others involve more subjective categorization: crispy and crunchy. Even those who think they know a lot of culinary terms may be forced to take advantage of Warshaw's expertise to distinguish a Brussels waffle from a Liège waffle. Warshaw presents all her definitions in amiable prose, avoiding overly technical argot, and recognizes that regional differences add to many confusions. Warshaw organizes her text topically, which makes this handbook good for simply browsing. This little guide may be a handy desk reference for public library collections to offer patron-friendly answers to confused eaters. Includes drawings by Sophia Foster-Dimino and a bibliography.

Warshaw, founder of the What's the Difference? newsletter (which explains the difference between things that are "often confused for one another"), debuts with a superbly fun collection of ingenious elucidations on various types of food and drink. She writes that broth and stock, often used interchangeably, are actually different--stock is made primarily from bones, while broth is meat-based. She also demystifies the often-perplexing egg labels that plague supermarket fridges, including cage-free, free-range, hormone-free, and pasture-raised (spoiler: cage-free doesn't always mean happy chickens). Many will be surprised to discover that green tea and matcha are not the same--though matcha is a type of green tea--and that broccoli rabe isn't broccoli at all but "is instead more closely related to the turnip." Lest anyone feel secure in their food knowledge, Warshaw throws in a few curveballs--scallions, for instance, are indistinguishable, taste-wise, from young spring onions. Those interested in learning the differences between coriander and cilantro (which come from the same plant), clementines and tangerines, and prawns and shrimp need not look any further. Concise, informative, and a pleasure to dip into, this is an endlessly entertaining way to brush up on one's food groups. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (June)