Read, cook, travel, read, bake. Repeat.
It’s February, it’s still freezing. Maybe it’s time to stay home and to learn to cook, or bake, something you’ve never made before. Luckily there are various foodie books (with links to order them) to guide you down this Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole that you’re about to jump down.
These were all of course travel inspired - heading to Columbus, Ohio, and meeting Cara Mangini who focuses on vegetables, eating my body weight through Italy again and again, spending time in Japan to learn about ancient techniques that I had never heard of, going to the opening of the latest Eataly outpost, wanting to eat healthy in LA, going to western China and discovering food that blew my mind, …and more.
Have you wondered about the magic of vegetables? Well Columbus based Cara Mangini has a whole lot of wonder to show you. With step by step instructions on how to break down a butternut, handle a tomato properly and even turn your cauliflower into steaks, she knows how to make vegetables sexy again. Check out her winter favorite, a Celery Root Pot Pie, that is perfect for a “rainy, snowy, or just a nagging cold winter day.”
With multiple James Beard awards, Patric Kuh is the most serious restaurant critic for Los Angeles. But instead of just plunging forth with all things new, Kuh leans right back to share some entertaining stories of “countercultural radicals” who taught themselves the forgotten crafts of bread, beer, sausages, cheese as a reaction to mass produced food that he calls bland. And this is who inspired the movement of all things good that’s spread through the food world.
Italian Street Food: Recipes From Italy's Bars and Hidden Laneways (Phaidon) by Paula Bacchia
With 85 recipes you could end up spending a lot of time with this book. The best part of this book is how it inspires you to take yet another trip to Italy and to work even harder at finding everything behind the tourist restaurants and usual markets. The locals won’t show you these, they want to keep them secret of course. With this book you might even learn to make your very own arancini (if Sicily could see you now) and cannolis that you’d proudly serve this weekend.
The man really is giving us food for thought when it comes to all things vegan. Gone are the dream catchers and strange mushroom-like fungi weirdness that was supposed to be food, even the strange powders are gone. Ronnen has a vision for veganism that is more delicious than you’d ever imagine. Be inspired to hit the farmers market with a whole new vision after studying this masterpiece.
Eataly: Contemporary Italian Cooking (Phaidon) collaborated with Oscar Farinetti (creator of Eataly)
The country of eating. There really is nowhere else in the world where peasant dining and the most sophisticated flavors can all fit into the borders. Here, with yet another look at the refresh of Italian cuisine, many classics are redone with a modern cook in mind. No matter how many times Italian cuisine gets revamped it always relies on its insistence on fresh, time sensitive ingredients. What a glorious reminder. And besides for that, the book is gloriously visual and the helpful tips will get you kudos this winter.
China: The Cookbook (Phaidon) by Kei Lum and Diora Fong Chan
Some may argue that Chinese cuisine is the oldest on the planet, and so it makes sense that with 650 recipes you will embark on a journey that will inspire you for the next decade of cooking - and eating. The book has some recipes from the country’s star chefs but also visits some classics like Kung Pao in order for you to make that perfectly; once and for all. Dim sum never looked, or tasted this good - luckily you can now serve that for your next party.
Freemans (Harper Collins) by Taavo Somer
It’s only the creative genius behind Freemans world in New York that could deliver a gorgeous book like this and leave you captivated plus ready to start your own empire. From his iconic Lower East Side restaurant, to the barber and menswear store and bespoke tailor plus his home upstate in Ulster County, Somer has a taste level you can appreciate and even emulate. Some may even call it rustic-luxe - this is a rare behind the scenes into that creative process.
The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act (Random House) by Alex Prud'homme
That voice. Julia Child played by Meryl Streep will forever be in the ears of chefs as they also try to master the art of French cooking. Now her great nephew explores Child’s life after the publication of her famed book and how she became the “First Lady of French food.” It’s entertaining and will make sure you watch “Julie & Julia” one more time. And really there is no time like the present to learn to master a souffle, Julia would instruct you.
Cooking School: Modern Methods and Techniques for Classic and Contemporary French Recipes (Rizzoli) by Alain Ducasse
This is what you should see as a gourmet short course - from the masters of epicurean everything. Ducasse’s famed Paris cooking school basically just landed in your kitchen and you’re about to master some of the biggest delights you could put on a table. If you spend next year with this book you could probably open your own little bistro by year end. The pastry section in particular will be appreciated by all your friends and family for decades to come.
Butter & Scotch: Recipes from Brooklyn's Favorite Bar and Bakery (Harry N. Abrams) by Allison Kave
From Brooklyn’s only bakery plus bar this book is a celebration of all things right now: the still Brooklynification of the world and its recipes. Kave taught pie making at the French Culinary Institute and the James Beard Foundation, and so be prepared to make all things pie. If you’re looking to challenge yourself, making Magic Buns with a romantic love interest is an excellent plan for a snow day (if we get one). Add the boozy shakes too, of course.
Everything I want to Eat: Sqirl and the New California Cooking (Abrams) - Jessica Koslow
This was the first book from the chef (and owner) at Sqirl in Los Angeles. What makes her, and her food, compelling is that she doesn’t limit herself - ingredients, philosophies and ideas from all over the world. And now if you don’t like to be too beholden to a certain way of cooking this book adds a soothing balm. Nothing is trite or pretentious, as a whole everything feels just about right for any mood you’re in. She’s the antithesis of so much food writing out there, and it comes as a refreshing frosting to a already long year.
The Short Catch Cookbook: Ingredients That Speak Volumes (Abrams) - Nick Fauchald and Kaitlyn Goalen
The ethos behind Short Stack Editions is simple: Pair honest, common ingredients with trusted voices in the culinary world for inspired recipes home cooks can actually use. And this is no exception. It’s all useful and homemade and it creates the type of atmosphere that any home could benefit from. Invite over some friends and indulge in everything from page to page. Butter poached scallops with a grapefruit (plus more butter) sauce is a crowd pleaser - and involves everyone’s hands.
Appetites: A Cookbook (Ecco) by Anthony Bourdain
This time Bourdain goes at it a little more rough than usual and it feels wondrous. This will make you miss Bourdain, just warning you. What works well is to read Bourdain’s biographical masterpiece “Kitchen Confidential” and then to satisfy yourself with this one. The visuals feel inspirational (everyone who loves to cook should have a fridge resembling Bourdain’s) and the food itself is unlike anything you’ve had this month. Deliver this winter season (if you’re somewhere hot and sunny, don’t tell me) solidly with some Bourdain, and a drink.
Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking (Ecco) by Masaharu Morimoto
We know that Japanese cooking is first of all the finest in the world (right!) and secondly harder to do extremely well without some guidance. A reminder that Japan is so much more than sushi and so Morimoto (from his name sake restaurant fame) shows you exactly how to showcase that. Nitsuke (fish simmered with sake, soy sauce, and sugar) is idyllic, but so is miso soup when you do it exactly right.
Pornburger (Harper Collins) By Matthew Ramsey
With this book it's all about the gluttonous excess that food can be. Follow Ramsey as he leads you down a naughty path of superabundance. The bombshell burger pinups will be equally perfect for your entertainment. As simple as you think a burger is, once you have Ramsey’s flair you will forever more be dubbed the burger supremo.
This can be your inspiration for the whole year. As much as people think Jewish food stops after breakfast, they are so wrong that they have missed out on all the good stuff. Nathan can help and she will actively challenge the bubbe in you to start serving all things smoked, pickled and braised. The diaspora doesn’t let Nathan down as she ventures around the world, with some incredible results worth reproducing. Shalom.