Best of
Gastronomy

2012

Modernist Cuisine at Home


Nathan Myhrvold - 2012
    The Cooking Lab, publisher of the encyclopedic six-volume set Modernist Cuisine, which immediately became the definitive reference for this revolution, has now produced a lavishly illustrated guide for home cooks, complete with all-new recipes tailored for cooking enthusiasts of all skill levels.Modernist Cuisine at Home, by Nathan Myhrvold with Maxime Bilet, is destined to set a new standard for home cookbooks. The authors have collected in this 456-page volume all the essential information that any cook needs to stock a modern kitchen, to master Modernist techniques, and to make hundreds of stunning recipes. The book includes a spiral-bound Kitchen Manual that reprints all of the recipes and reference tables on waterproof, tear-resistant paper. Drawing on the same commitment to perfection that produced Modernist Cuisine, Modernist Cuisine at Home applies innovations pioneered by The Cooking Lab to refine classic home dishes, from hamburgers and wings to macaroni and cheese. More than 400 new recipes are included, most with step-by-step photos that make it easy to bring dining of the highest quality to your own dinner table.Among the amazing techniques you’ll find are:how to cook fish and steak perfectly every time, whether you’re in the kitchen, the backyard, or tailgating in a parking lot;how to use a pressure cooker to make stocks in a fraction of the usual time while capturing more of the flavor;the secret to making quick, sumptuous caramelized vegetable soups and purees;how to outfit your home oven to make pizzas as crispy as you would get from a wood-fired brick ovenalong with recipes for:perfect eggs and breathtaking omelets that remove the guesswork for stress-free breakfasts, even for a crowd;gravies and a hollandaise sauce that are wonderfully rich, perfectly smooth, and never separate;a flawless cheeseburger and an ultrafrothy milk shake;chicken wings made better with Modernist techniques, plus seven great sauces and coatings for them;macaroni and cheese, including stove-top, baked, and fat-free versions, that can be made with any cheese blend you like, from gouda and cheddar to jack and Stilton.Cooking like a Modernist chef at home requires the right set of tools, but they’re less expensive and easier to find than you might think. You’ll also learn how to get the best out of the kitchen appliances you already own. Learn how to use your microwave oven to steam fish and vegetables to perfection, make exceptional beef jerky, and fry delicate herbs.The first 100 pages of the book are a trove of useful information, such as:how to test the accuracy of a thermometer, and why it’s time to switch to digital;how to use (and not to use) a blowtorch to sear food fast and beautifully;how to marinate meats more quickly evenly by injecting the brine;the myriad uses for a whipping siphon beyond whipped cream;why those expensive copper pans may not be worth the price;how to deep-fry without a deep fryer;how to stop worrying and get the most out of your pressure cooker;how to cook sous vide at home with improvised equipment, a special-purpose water bath, or a home combi oven.Modernist Cuisine at Home is an indispensable guide for anyone who is passionate about food and cooking.

Salt, Sugar, Smoke: The Definitive Guide to Conserving


Diana Henry - 2012
    It covers everything from jams to cures, and shows you that you don't have to have lots of kit and produce to make delicious preserves - or wait forever before eating them. There are sections filled with expert advice on choosing ingredients and cooking every type of preserve, from marmalades to jellies to relishes to foods preserved in oil. All the classic recipes are included and Diana often gives tips for how to make a version of a classic that suits your palette. For example, she includes a sweet and sticky strawberry jam, a more-fruity and less sweet version, and a Swedish 'nearly' strawberry jam (which is more like a conserve and keeps in the fridge for only a couple of weeks). But this is also a treasure trove of recipes taken from the world's store cupboards. And most of them are luxuries that can be made from cheap ingredients - such as Thai spiced rhubarb relish, Alsace pear and Riesling jam and tea-smoked trout. Many recipes will also offer alternative ingredients - for example, make sloe gin with cranberries or plums.

The Elements of Dessert


Francisco J. Migoya - 2012
    He begins with the fundamental elements--such as mousses, doughs, and ganaches-- revealing in each recipe how to incorporate these building blocks into inventive, unforgettable delicacies. Chef Migoya then explores basic pastry methods and dessert and menu composition principles in 200 recipes and variations in the essential groups of pre-desserts, plated desserts, dessert buffets, passed-around desserts, and cakes and petits fours. Inspirational and instructive photographs display steps, techniques, and finished desserts.

Edible Selby


Todd Selby - 2012
    He takes us behind the scenes with Noma chef René Redzepi in Copenhagen; to Tokyo to have a slice with pizza maker Susumu Kakinuma; and up a hilltop to dine at an inn without an innkeeper in Valdobbiadene. Each profile is accompanied by watercolor illustrations and a handwritten questionnaire, which includes a signature recipe. Reveling in the pleasures of a taco at the beach, foraging for wild herbs, and the art of the perfectly cured olive, Selby captures the food we love to eat and the people who passionately grow, cook, pour, and serve these incredible edibles every day.Praise for Edible Selby:“Todd Selby has turned his curious eye to the kitchens of some of the world’s most imaginative cooks, artisans, and foragers. Far too often, food and the people who produce it are hidden behind closed doors or lost in an industrial food system, so it’s heartening to see this book champion those who have nothing to hide. With Todd’s trademark good humor and disarmingly quirky style, Edible Selby is a pure celebration of the creativity and authenticity of the wonderful individuals who are bringing real food to the table.”- Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse Restaurant“Todd Selby’s foray into the world of food is every bit as intriguing as his eccentric take on the world of interiors. Long live Signor Selby!”- Simon Doonan, Barneys New York creative ambassador“Edible Selby captures the energy and excitement of today's food world. This book is pure Selby.”- Thomas Keller, The French Laundry“Books On My Gifts List…Photographer Todd Selby’s scrapbook reportage on passionate cooks and famous chefs around the world. Messy, magnificent, inspiring.”—Food & Wine magazine“Exploring the world for food, that’s what Edible Selby is all about…and hopefully, you get really hungry when you read it.” —New York Daily News“Photographer Todd Selby has an uncanny eye for the beauty of the unconventional kitchen; in his second book, he features cooks, chefs, and other culinary creative types in their workspaces—complete with recipes and witty hand-drawn illustrations.” —Saveur“This is a book to read on the couch and leave there. Next you’ll want to go to the kitchen and get crazy and make a mess. You will let your hair down, and the meal will be infused with life.” —TheKitchn.com

Mugaritz: A Natural Science of Cooking


Andoni Luis Aduriz - 2012
    Mugaritz was recently voted number three in the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards. Aduriz has been called a "genius" by 'Food and Wine Magazine', and "a cult figure among Europe's young avant-garde Chefs." In 'Mugaritz', his first major cookbook, Aduriz reveals for the first time the creative process behind his dishes, wile featuring 70 recipes sure to inspire chefs and food lovers around the world. Anduriz is well known for his interest and knowledge of nature, his embracing of new techniques, and his collaborations; all visible in this beautiful, richly illustrated cookbook. 'Mugaritz' is organized into thematic chapters about the history of the restaurant, it's relationship with nature, the new culinary language that Aduriz has developed, the techniques behind the dishes, and the experience of the guest. Each chapter is illustrated with exclusive Mugaritz archive material, and atmospheric recipe photographs. This is a must have book for anybody interested in fine dining, avant garde cusine, creativity and food culture. 'Mugaritz' will be one of the most talked about cookbooks of the season.

Ripe: A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables


Cheryl Sternman Rule - 2012
    Because they are beautiful. And satisfying. And you desire their freshness, flavor, and simplicity. That’s why Ripe is arranged by color, not season. Author and food writer Cheryl Sternman Rule, who is also the voice behind the popular blog 5 Second Rule, and award-winning food photographer Paulette Phlipot, have teamed up to bring inspiration to hungry home cooks. Their goal is not to deliver another lecture on eating for the sake of nutrition or environmental stewardship (though they affirm that both are important), but to tempt others to “embrace the vegetable, behold the fruit” because these foods are versatile, gorgeous, and taste terrific. Starting with red and progressing towards a calmer white, Ripe is arranged by color to showcase the lush, natural beauty of the following fruits and vegetables: RED: beets, blood oranges, cherries, cranberries, grapefruit, pomegranate, radicchio, radish, raspberries, red apples, red bell peppers, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelon ORANGE: apricot, butternut squash, carrots, clementines, kumquats, mangoes, nectarines, papaya, peaches, persimmon, pumpkin, and yams YELLOW: banana, corn, lemon, pineapple, pomelo, squash blossoms, and yellow onions GREEN: green apples, artichokes, asparagus, avocado, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, cucumber, edamame, fava beans, fennel, green beans, honeydew, kale, kiwi, leeks, lime, peas, spinach, swiss chard, watercress, and zucchini PURPLE and Blue: blackberries, blueberries, eggplant, figs, plums, purple cabbage, purple grapes, red leaf lettuce, and red onion WHITE: bosc pears, cauliflower, coconut, endive, garlic, jicama, mushrooms, parsnips, potatoes, and turnip Each fruit and vegetable is accompanied by a lighthearted essay, breathtaking photography, and one showcase recipe, along with three “quick-hit” recipe ideas. With 150 photos and 75 recipes, this unique cookbook will quicken your pulse and leave you very, very hungry. For more information, visit RipeCookbook.com

Hamburger Gourmet


David Japy - 2012
    Reflecting the recent trend for burgers of every type and description, Hamburger Gourmet takes you from the beautiful simplicity of a classic beef burger to burgers made of everything from chicken to quinoa, along with blendies, delicious American sweets with a French twist. With separate instructions on buns, sauces and accompaniments, these 58 recipes will give even the biggest burger-lover new ideas for surprising twists on old favourites.

NOT A BOOK: The Everyday Gourmet: Rediscovering The Lost Art Of Cooking


NOT A BOOK - 2012
    Great photographs and helpful tips.

Prospero's Kitchen: Island Cooking of Greece


Diana Farr Louis - 2012
    The stomping ground of Captain Corelli and Lawrence Durrell, the Ionians have always held a particular, almost mystical, fascination for visitors, and, for many of the thousands who travel to the region each year, it is the special nature of Ionian cooking that forms an essential and unforgettable part of their experience. Together, the recipes in this book provide a unique and tantalizing taste of the variety of Ionian cuisine—from starters and snacks including the ever-popular meat and vegetable pies (pittes) and stuffed artichokes; to main courses such as Kythera-style fish and a unique chicken recipe from the village of Agalá in Zakynthos; and to desserts and sweets including Ithacan chocolate cake and Corfiot sweet potatoes.

Dinner Chez Moi


Laura Calder - 2012
    Laura’s passion for cooking and writing about food shines through in her elegant cookbooks. Dinner Chez Moi is menu-based and seasonal, offering multiple options and mix-and-match menus, which gives cooks as many ideas for meals as there are days in the year. Dinner parties, Laura says, are not stuffy and difficult ordeals; rather, as she puts it, “In my world, -dinner party’ just means eating with others. It can be as simple as an omelette or a baked potato, but if I’m not stuck eating it alone, that’s party enough for me!” Dinner Chez Moi is a book for anyone who wants to cook for people they love. Detailed plans and menus deliver thoughtful advice and guidance, with a light touch. Photography is as lovely as in French Taste, with a fresh and elegant design.

Coming Home to Sicily: Seasonal Harvests and Cooking from Case Vecchie


Fabrizia Lanza - 2012
    And this delectable cookbook from owner Fabrizia Lanza is the definitive source of authentic seasonal Sicilian foods. Co-authored with former Gourmet magazine editor Kate Winslow, it tells Fabrizia's story of coming home to the family estate, Regaleali, to assist her aging mother with the cooking school that she founded in 1989. Fabrizia writes eloquently and in detail about the seasonal harvests, the foods produced--cheeses, jams, olive oil, vin cotto, estratto, and more--and the loyal and talented staff who make it all possible. Along the way, she offers more than 100 family recipes that she shares with her students. Guy Ambrosino's stunning color photographs bring the beauty of Case Vecchie to life.

Taste Buds and Molecules: The Art and Science of Food, Wine, and Flavor


François Chartier - 2012
    Chartier is his counterpart with a corkscrew."—Globe and Mail This award-winning book, now available for the first time in English in the U.S., presents a cutting-edge approach to food and wine pairing. Sommelier Francois Chartier has spent the better part of two decades collaborating with top scientists and chefs to map out the aromatic molecules that give foods and wines their flavor. Armed with the results of his extensive research, Chartier has been able to identify why certain foods and wines work well together at a molecular level. In this book, he has gathered his findings into a simple set of principles that explain how to create ideal harmonies in food and wine pairings. This new approach to the art and science of food and wine pairing will be an invaluable resource for sommeliers, chefs, and wine enthusiasts, as well as a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in the principles of modernist or "molecular" cuisine. The Canadian edition of Taste Buds and Molecules was a 2011 IACP Award nominee, and the original French-language edition, Papilles et Molecules, was named the Best Cookbook in the World in the category of Innovation at the 2010 Paris World Cookbook Awards, and also won the 2010 Gourmand Award for Canada for Best Design. The book includes a foreword by Juli Soler and Ferran Adria of El Bulli, who worked closely with Chartier in planning the menus at their renowned restaurant.