Best of
Cuisine

2008

Alinea


Grant Achatz - 2008
    ALINEA showcases Achatz's cuisine with more than 100 dishes (totaling 600 recipes) and 600 photographs presented in a deluxe volume. Three feature pieces frame the book: Michael Ruhlman considers Alinea's role in the global dining scene, Jeffrey Steingarten offers his distinctive take on dining at the restaurant, and Mark McClusky explores the role of technology in the Alinea kitchen. Buyers of the book will receive access to a website featuring video demonstrations, interviews, and an online forum that allows readers to interact with Achatz and his team. "Achatz is something new on the national culinary landscape: a chef as ambitious as Thomas Keller who wants to make his mark not with perfection but with constant innovation . . . Get close enough to sit down and allow yourself to be teased, challenged, and coddled by Achatz's version of this kind of cooking, and you can have one of the most enjoyable culinary adventures of your life." --Corby Kummer, senior editor of Atlantic Monthly"Someone new has entered the arena. His name is Grant Achatz, and he is redefining the American restaurant once again for an entirely new generation . . . Alinea is in perpetual motion; having eaten here once, you can't wait to come back, to see what Achatz will come up with next." --GourmetReviews & AwardsJames Beard Foundation Cookbook Award Finalist: Cooking from a professional Point of View Category  James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef Award! "Even if your kitchen isn't equipped with a paint-stripping heat gun, thermocirculator, or refractometer, and you're only vaguely aware that chefs use siphons and foams in contemporary cooking, you can enjoy this daring cookbook from Grant Achatz of the Chicago restaurant Alinea.. . . While the recipes can hardly become part of your everday cooking, this book is far too interesting to be left on the coffee table. As you read, a question emerges: Is Alinea's food art? . . . I go a little further, describing Achatz with a word that he would probably never use to describe himself: avant-garde, as it defined art movements at the beginning of the last century--planned, self-concious, and structured attempts to provoke and shake the status quo. Just as with those artists, the results are not necessarily as interesting as the intentions and concepts behind them. In this sense, this volume constitutes a full-blown although not threatening manifesto."—Art of Eating

Macarons


Pierre Hermé - 2008
    He is the best, and has even been described as a couturier of pastry. This is a man at the top of his art and there is no question his macarons are in a league of its own. Macarons are the aristocrats of pastry; these brightly colored, mini meringues, daintily sandwiched together with gooey fillings, have become a holy grail for cookery fanatics and there are even food blogs dedicated to them. Now for the first time, all the macaron recipes from this most celebrated French patissier are published in English. The French language edition has been one of the most sought after cookbooks of recent years. And just like Pierre Herme s famous macarons, it would be difficult for any macaron book to surpass this one. There are 200 pages of recipes and beautiful food photography, and because making macarons is mostly about technique, rather than just a standard recipe, readers will appreciate the 32-step-by-step photo-illustrated instructions for making shells and fillings. All the classics are here like dark chocolate, praline, coffee, and pistachio, but others feature the more unusual macarons that Herme is justly famous for: Isfahan is one, with lychee, rose and raspberry, Arabesque with apricot and pistachio, Satine with passion fruit, orange and cream cheese, Mandarin and pink pepper, black truffles, balsamic vinegar as well as a bright-green macaron filled with fresh mint. Anyone interested in making macarons will find Pierre Herme s the best book in print.REVIEWS All my high hopes and expectations for this book have been exceeded. This book, this one, is the macaron bible that we have all waited for filled with imagination, creativity and wonder. Cooking by the Book.com"

Jacques Pépin More Fast Food My Way


Jacques Pépin - 2008
    Only Jacques could have come up with dishes so innovative and uncomplicated.“Minute recipes”: Nearly no-cook recipes fit for company: Cured Salmon Morsels, Glazed Sausage BitsSmashing appetizers: Scallop Pancakes, zipped together in a blender (10 minutes)Almost instant soups: Creamy Leek and Mushroom Soup (7 minutes)Fast, festive dinners: Stuffed Pork Fillet on Grape Tomatoes (18 minutes)Stunning desserts: Mini Almond Cakes in Raspberry Sauce (15 minutes)

Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals


Jamie Oliver - 2008
    What I've tried to do in this book is pick a whole load of meals that we all love to eat and break them down to make them as simple as possible. There are plenty of clear instructions and step-by-step pictures, so whether you're an accomplished cook or a complete beginner, you'll be able to enjoy cooking and achieve great results in the kitchen.This book is inspired by all the people I've met who thought they could never and would never learn how to cook. I believe that good home cooking is one of the most essential, fundamental skills that every single person on this planet should have in order to look after themselves, their families, and their friends. This food revolution is all about people learning how to make a recipe, then teaching that recipe to their friends and family . . . if enough people do this, pretty soon everyone will be cooking. So cook something today, then PASS IT ON!

Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes


Jennifer McLagan - 2008
    When scientists theorized a link between saturated fat and heart disease, industry, media, and government joined forces to label fat a greasy killer, best avoided. But according to Jennifer McLagan, not only is our fat phobia overwrought, it also hasn’t benefited us in any way. Instead it has driven us into the arms of trans fats and refined carbohydrates, and fostered punitive, dreary attitudes toward food–that wellspring of life and pleasure. In Fat, McLagan sets out with equal parts passion, scholarship, and appetite to win us back to a healthy relationship with animal fats. She starts by defusing fat’s bad rap, both reminding us of what we already know–that fat is fundamental to the flavor of our food–and enlightening us with the many ways fat (yes, even animal fat) is indispensable to our health. Mostly, though, Fat is about pleasures–the satisfactions of handling good ingredients skillfully, learning the cultural associations of these primal foodstuffs, recollecting and creating personal memories of beloved dishes, and gratifying the palate and the soul with fat’s irreplaceable savor. Fat lavishes the reader with more than 100 recipes from simple to intricate, classic to contemporary, including:• Butter-Poached Scallops• Homemade Butter• Carnitas• Duck Confit• Sautéed Foie Gras with Gingered Vanilla Quince • Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Sage Butter• Steak and Kidney Pie• Lamb Fat and Spinach Chapati• Bacon Spice • Cookies• Salted Butter TartObserving that though we now know everything about olive oil, we may not know what to do with lard or bone marrow, McLagan offers extensive guidance on sourcing, rendering, flavoring, using, and storing animal fats, whether butter or bacon, schmaltz or suet. Stories, lore, quotations, and tips touching on fat’s place in the kitchen and in the larger culture round out this rich and unapologetic celebration of food at its very best.

Leon: Ingredients and Recipes


Allegra McEvedy - 2008
    Here, Allegra McEvedy shares the Leon principles of giving people a way to eat better, be happier and live longer.

Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook: More Than 100 Classic Italian Dishes to Make at Home


Michael Ronis - 2008
    Carmine's flavors are the tastes Americans love to cook and eat at home--fresh garlic, bubbling tomato sauce, and pasta boiled just to the perfect al dente. Try any of the recipes in Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook and bring home that classic Italian flavor to your family.

Au Pied de Cochon: The Album


Martin Picard - 2008
    There's no calorie counting here — Picard leads readers into shameless gastronomic indulgence with such hearty dishes as Foie Gras Pizza, Venison "Chinese Pie," and, per the restaurant's name, oven-braised Pigs' Feet. Six hundred color photos and 50 illustrations complement the lively text.

The Professional Barista's Handbook


Scott Rao - 2008
    After reading all of those books, however, I felt as if I hadn't learned much about how to make great coffee. My coffee library was chock-full of colorful descriptions of brewing styles, growing regions, and recipes, with a few almost-unreadable scientific books mixed in. I would have traded in all of those books for one serious, practical book with relevant instruction about making great coffee in a café. After being in the coffee business for 15 years, I decided someone needed to write that book, so I wrote The Professional Barista’s Handbook."

The Science of Good Food: The Ultimate Reference on How Cooking Works


David Joachim - 2008
    From Ferran Adria of El Bulli restaurant in Spain to Homaro Cantu of Moto in Chicago, great chefs combine unexpected textures and flavors with secrets of new cooking techniques in great dishes.This is the first reference to bring the science of food to home cooks and professional chefs alike. Organized from A to Z, this highly readable book has more than 1,800 entries that clearly explain the physical and chemical transformations which govern all food preparation and cooking. Entries vary from agriculture and food safety to animal husbandry and flavor science.Each entry begins with an explanation of the science behind the food, equipment or cooking method. Extensive cross-references encourage the reader to delve more deeply into topics of interest.More than 200 illustrations and photographs help home cooks visualize the basic principles of food science. Also included are 100 recipes that demonstrate those principles, from how deep-frying works to how to keep red cabbage from turning blue.The Science of Good Food provides straightforward explanations of the what, the how and the why of food and cooking, encouraging cooks at all levels to be more confident and creative.

Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook: Rock Your Kitchen--And Let The Boys Clean Up The Mess


Nadia Giosia - 2008
    Hilarious, informative, delicious, and just a little bit naughty, The Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook is a guide for the next generation of lifestyle aficionados. Screw stuffing the turkey! Nadia G offers recipes for real-life scenarios: What do you make for breakfast after a one-night stand? What do you serve up to say you're sorry for the PMS rampage? Need to impress the in-laws? Well, Lord knows you may never be good enough, but at least the meal will be!

Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen


José Andrés - 2008
    In this irresistible companion volume to his public television show Made in Spain, José reminds us—in the most alluring and delicious way—that the food of his native Spain is as varied and inventive as any of the world’s great cuisines. To prove it, José takes us on a flavorful tour of his beloved homeland, from Andalucía to Aragón. Along the way, he shares recipes that reflect not just local traditions but also the heart and soul of Spain’s distinctive cooking.In the Basque Country, we discover great fish dishes and the haute cuisine of some of the finest restaurants in the world. In Cantabria, famous for its dairy products, we find wonderful artisanal cheeses. In Valencia, we learn why the secret to unforgettable paella is all in the rice. And in Castilla La Mancha, José shows us the land of the great Don Quixote, where a magical flower produces precious saffron.The dishes of Made in Spain show the diversity of Spanish cooking today as it is prepared in homes and restaurants from north to south—from casual soups and sandwiches to soul-warming dishes of long-simmered beans and artfully composed salads. Many dishes showcase the fine Spanish products that are now widely available across America. Many more are prepared with the regular ingredients available in any good supermarket.With more than one hundred simple, straightforward recipes that beautifully capture the flavors and essence of Spanish cooking, Made in Spain is an indispensable addition to any cookbook collection.

The Cheesecake Bible: Includes 200 Recipes


George Geary - 2008
    But isn't a really good one available only in a bakery or restaurant? George Geary proves that home-made can be better than bakery-made, with 200 delectable cheesecakes that can easily be made in the home kitchen.This decadent and delicious collection of prime cheesecake recipes written by baker extraordinaire Geary provides baking inspiration, from plain cheesecakes to others that are intensely rich.This delightfully creamy dessert is actually easier to make than other traditional cakes, and it is incredibly impressive for family or guests. These recipes provide everything needed for a perfect cheesecake every time. And the wonderful array of flavors from classic vanilla to chocolate, citrus and nutty will delight all.Among the easy-to-follow recipes:A World of CheesecakesNew York-Style Cheesecake, English Toffee Cheesecake, Tiramisu Cheesecake Chocolate CheesecakesAztec Cheesecake, Rocky Road Cheesecake, White Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake Fresh Fruit CheesecakesFrench Apple Cheesecake, Butterscotch Peach Cheesecake, Apricot Hazelnut Cheesecake No-Bake CheesecakesBerry Berry Berry Cheesecake, Chocolate Mocha Chunk Cheesecake, Mint Cheesecake Savory CheesecakesMini Blue Cheesecakes, Creamy Crab Seafood Cheesecake, Triple-Pepper Cheesecake. This comprehensive guide to baking the best cheesecakes, with its extensive how-to instructions, tips and techniques is ideal for the home cook.

Yummy Cookies: Baking with Kids (Sesame Street)


Publications International - 2008
    20 easy-to-bake recipes include drop cookies, shaped cookies, brownies and bars, adding nutritious and wholesome ingredients whenever possible. Special art indicates steps where children can help, and the recipes also include funny facts, creative learning games and healthy eating tips. A fabulous photo accompanies each recipe, along with Sesame Street artwork on every page.