The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation


David Kamp - 2006
    Kamp, a writer and editor for GQ and Vanity Fair, chronicles the amazing transformation from the overcooked vegetables and scary gelatin salads of yore to the current heyday of free-range chickens, extra-virgin olive oil, Whole Foods, Starbucks, and that breed of human known as the foodie.

The Gallery of Regrettable Food: Highlights from Classic American Recipe Books


James Lileks - 2001
    You'll find no tongue-tempting treats within -- unless, of course, you consider Boiled Cow Elbow with Plaid Sauce to be your idea of a tasty meal. No, The Gallery of Regrettable Food is a public service. Learn to identify these dishes. Learn to regard shivering liver molds with suspicion. Learn why curries are a Communist plot to undermine decent, honest American spices. Learn to heed the advice of stern, fictional nutritionists. If you see any of these dishes, please alert the authorities.Now, the good news: laboratory tests prove that The Gallery of Regrettable Food AMUSES as well as informs. Four out of five doctors recommend this book for its GENEROUS PORTIONS OF HILARITY and ghastly pictures from RETRO COOKBOOKS. You too will look at these products of post-war cuisine and ask: "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?" It's an affectionate look at the days when starch ruled, pepper was a dangerous spice, and Stuffed Meat with Meat Sauce was considered health food.Bon appetit!The Gallery of Regrettable Food is a simple introduction to poorly photographed foodstuffs and horrid recipes from the Golden Age of Salt and Starch. It's a wonder anyone in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s gained any weight. It isn't that the food was inedible; it was merely dull. Everything was geared toward a timid palate fearful of spice. It wasn't nonnutritious -- no, between the limp boiled vegetables, fat-choked meat cylinders, and pink whipped Jell-O desserts, you were bound to find a few calories that would drag you into the next day. It's just that the pictures are so hideously unappealing.Author James Lileks has made it his life's work to unearth the worst recipes and food photography from that bygone era and assemble them with hilarious, acerbic commentary: "This is not meat. This is something they scraped out of the air filter from the engines of the Exxon Valdez." It all started when he went home to Fargo and found an ancient recipe book in his mom's cupboard: Specialties of the House, from the North Dakota State Wheat Commission. He never looked back. Now, they're not really recipe books. They're ads for food companies, with every recipe using the company's products, often in unexpected and horrifying ways. There's not a single appetizing dish in the entire collection.The pictures in the book are ghastly -- the Italian dishes look like a surgeon had a sneezing fit during an operation, and the queasy casseroles look like something on which the janitor dumps sawdust. But you have to enjoy the spirit behind the books -- cheerful postwar perfect housewifery, and folks with the guts to undertake such culinary experiments as stuffing cabbage with hamburger, creating the perfect tongue mousse when you have the fellas over for a pregame nosh, or, best of all, baking peppers with a creamy marshmallow sauce. Alas, too many of these dishes bring back scary childhood memories.

Guerrilla Tacos: Recipes from the Streets of L.A.: A Cookbook


Wesley Avila - 2017
    Avila's approach stands out in a crowded field because it's unique: the 50 base recipes in this book are grounded in authenticity but never tied down to tradition. Wes uses ingredients like kurobata sausage and sea urchin, but his bestselling taco is made from the humble sweet potato. From basic building blocks to how to balance flavor and texture, with comic-inspired illustrations and stories throughout, Guerrilla Tacos is the final word on tacos from the streets of L.A.

First Bite: How We Learn to Eat


Bee Wilson - 2015
    From childhood onward, we learn how big a "portion" is and how sweet is too sweet. We learn to enjoy green vegetables -- or not. But how does this education happen? What are the origins of taste? In First Bite, award-winning food writer Bee Wilson draws on the latest research from food psychologists, neuroscientists, and nutritionists to reveal that our food habits are shaped by a whole host of factors: family and culture, memory and gender, hunger and love. Taking the reader on a journey across the globe, Wilson introduces us to people who can only eat foods of a certain color; prisoners of war whose deepest yearning is for Mom's apple pie; a nine year old anosmia sufferer who has no memory of the flavor of her mother's cooking; toddlers who will eat nothing but hotdogs and grilled cheese sandwiches; and researchers and doctors who have pioneered new and effective ways to persuade children to try new vegetables. Wilson examines why the Japanese eat so healthily, whereas the vast majority of teenage boys in Kuwait have a weight problem -- and what these facts can tell Americans about how to eat better. The way we learn to eat holds the key to why food has gone so disastrously wrong for so many people. But Wilson also shows that both adults and children have immense potential for learning new, healthy eating habits. An exploration of the extraordinary and surprising origins of our tastes and eating habits, First Bite also shows us how we can change our palates to lead healthier, happier lives.

Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering


Joanna Gaines - 2018
    Magnolia Table includes 125 classic recipes—from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to small plates, snacks, and desserts—presenting a modern selection of American classics and personal family favorites. Complemented by her love for her garden, these dishes also incorporate homegrown, seasonal produce at the peak of its flavor.Full of personal stories and beautiful photos, Magnolia Table is an invitation to share a seat at the table with Joanna Gaines and her family.

Bangkok: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of Thailand [A Cookbook]


Leela Punyaratabandhu - 2017
    Every year, more than 16 million visitors flock to Thailand s capital city, and leave transfixed by the vibrant culture and unforgettable food they encounter along the way. Thai cuisine is more popular today than ever, yet there is no book that chronicles the real food that Thai people eat every day until now.In Bangkok, award-winning author Leela Punyaratabandhu offers 120 recipes that capture the true spirit of the city from heirloom family dishes to restaurant classics to everyday street eats to modern cosmopolitan fare. Beautiful food and location photography will make this a must-have keepsake for any reader who has fallen under Bangkok s spell."

Rosie's Bakery All-Butter, Fresh Cream, Sugar-Packed, No-Holds-Barred Baking Book


Judy Rosenberg - 1991
    But the cakes, cookies, pies, and goodies assembled in Rosie's Bakery are hands-down the best you'll ever taste. And aren't you worth the treat? A nationally celebrated baker from Boston, Judy Rosenberg shares 200 of her recipes, including Pieces of Cakes: Rosie's Famous Sour Cream Chocolate Layer Cake, The Queen Raspberry, The Velvet Underground. The Smart Cookies: Orange-Pecan-Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gingersnappers, Sunken Kisses, Very Short Shortbread Cookies. The Harvard Squares: Extra Extra Fudgy Brownies, Chunky Chocolate Bars, Honeypots, Linzer Bars. The Cutie Pies: All-American Apple Pie, Blueberry-Plum Crumb Pie, Nectarine Synergie, Raspberry Chiffon Pie. And The Old Smoothies: Bourbon Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Caramel Custard, Truffle SoufflS. Along the way, the author proves to be a trusted and knowledgeable guide who reveals almost all the hard-won secrets of her baking success. She lists her five basic rules of baking, and gives instructions on how to mix, bake, remove, serve, and store every different kind of baked good-from angel food cakes to filled pastry cookies. Winner of a 1991 IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award. 181,000 copies in print.

The Garden of Vegan: How It All Vegan Again!


Tanya Barnard - 2003
    How It All Vegan! was a Book Sense 76 selection and has sold 50,000 copies to date.The Garden of Vegan: How It All Vegan Again! picks up where the first book left off. Tanya and Sarah, vegan chefs extraordinaire, have created truly delectable, truly original new recipes that manage to leave the animal products (including butter, milk, cheese and honey) where they belong, with their natural owners. Where How It All Vegan! was, in many ways, a bible for the uninitiated vegan, The Garden of Vegan goes one step further, offering recipes for a more sophisticated palate that add funky twists to familiar dishes bursting with color and flavor. At the same time, they are fun and easy to prepare, even for those of us who find boiling water a challenge.Whether you’re a full-time vegan or just interested in creating fabulous animal-free meals, The Garden of -Vegan will lead you into temptation with its inspiring -array of vegan goodies. So skip that steak and forget that fish. It’s time to discover how it all vegan, again!Two-color throughout, including numerous pictures.Praise for How It All Vegan!:"Written with sass, style, and a sense of humor . . . more than just a cookbook."—Bust"One of the most inviting cookbooks to come along in years."—Vegan.comTanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer appear to be mild mannered vegans, but when the two of them get together, they become mighty Vegan Warriors, writing cookbooks and kicking vegan ass! They live in Victoria, Canada.

The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches to Go


Makiko Itoh - 2011
    Let Makiko Itoh, the Net's leading bento blogger, get you started on your bento journey!25 bento menus and over 150 delicious recipes, both Japanese and Western: Sukiyaki-style Beef Donburi Bento, Egg-wrapped Sushi Bento, Spanish Omelette Bento, Bunny Sandwich Bento, and moreEvery bento photographed in full colorComprehensive practical bento-making guidelines: choosing a box, menu-planning, speed and safety tips, staple ingredientsTimelines help streamline your morning preparationGlossary of Japanese ingredientsAn invaluable resource for bento beginners and aficionados alike

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life


Ruth Reichl - 2015
    No one was more stunned by this unexpected turn of events than its beloved editor in chief, Ruth Reichl, who suddenly faced an uncertain professional future. As she struggled to process what had seemed unthinkable, Reichl turned to the one place that had always provided sanctuary. “I did what I always do when I’m confused, lonely, or frightened,” she writes. “I disappeared into the kitchen.”My Kitchen Year follows the change of seasons—and Reichl’s emotions—as she slowly heals through the simple pleasures of cooking. While working 24/7, Reichl would “throw quick meals together” for her family and friends. Now she has the time to rediscover what cooking meant to her. Imagine kale, leaves dark and inviting, sautéed with chiles and garlic; summer peaches baked into a simple cobbler; fresh oysters chilling in a box of snow; plump chickens and earthy mushrooms, fricasseed with cream. Over the course of this challenging year, each dish Reichl prepares becomes a kind of stepping stone to finding joy again in ordinary things. The 136 recipes collected here represent a life’s passion for food: a blistering ma po tofu that shakes Reichl out of the blues; a decadent grilled cheese sandwich that accompanies a rare sighting in the woods around her home; a rhubarb sundae that signals the arrival of spring. Here, too, is Reichl’s enlivening dialogue with her Twitter followers, who become her culinary supporters and lively confidants. Part cookbook, part memoir, part paean to the household gods, My Kitchen Year may be Ruth Reichl’s most stirring book yet—one that reveals a refreshingly vulnerable side of the world's most famous food editor as she shares treasured recipes to be returned to again and again and again.

Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide


David Zinczenko - 2008
    All you need is the insider's guide to smart, healthy, low-cost food choices. And now, the right choices are simple!From the produce section to the frozen-food aisle, the modern supermarket is loaded with 50,000 food choices, all vying for your hard-earned money. N wonder it's hard to know what to buy. But with Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide, the smart answers are right in your hands. No more fake "healthy" foods. No more rip-off supermarket "bargains." No more disappointing meals. And most important of all, no more extra pounds!Did you know:- A cup of Quaker 100% Natural Granola Oats, Honey, and Raisins contains more calories than 8 chicken wings? (Save 280 calories a day by switching to our preferred choice)- Choosing Rice Krispies Treats over Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars will cut your sugar and calorie intake nearly in half? (With this switch, you could lose a pound every 7 weeks!)- Regular bacon is actually better for you than turkey bacon? (Find other deceptive "healthy" foods and the delicious ones you should be eating instead.With this simple illustrated guide to thousands of foods-along with the nutrition secrets that lead to fast and permanent weight loss-you'll make the smartest choice for you and your family, every time!Additional features in Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide include:- 6 Supermarket Shopping Strategies- 11 Secrets the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know - The 20 Worst Packaged Foods in America - Master the Produce Aisle: Your Guide to Greens (and other colors) - Your Organic Primer - The Pantry Label Decoder - And more!

The DASH Diet Cookbook: Quick and Delicious Recipes for Losing Weight, Preventing Diabetes, and Lowering Blood Pressure


Mariza Snyder - 2012
    The 140 easy-to-make recipes provide a mouthwatering way to eat great, lose weight, lower blood pressure and prevent diabetes without feeling deprived.QUICK AND HEARTY BREAKFASTS• Berry Banana Green Smoothie• Veggie Frittata with Caramelized OnionsENERGY-BOOSTING LUNCHES• Mexican Summer Salad• Chicken Fajita WrapsFAST AND FABULOUS SNACKS• Roasted Zucchini Crostini Dip• Grilled Sweet Potato Steak FriesSATISFYINGLY DELICIOUS DINNERS• Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce• Ginger-Apricot Chicken SkewersTASTY AND WHOLESOME DESSERTS• Grilled Peaches with Ricotta Stuffing and Balsamic Glaze• Mini Cheesecakes with Vanilla Wafer Almond CrustNamed the number-one diet in terms of weight loss, nutrition and prevention of diabetes and heart disease, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is the best diet for a fit lifestyle. Including a 28-day meal plan, easy-to-follow exercise advice and tips for keeping to the diet when on the go, this cookbook is the ultimate guide to living healthy.

Platters and Boards: Beautiful, Casual Spreads for Every Occasion


Shelly Westerhausen - 2018
    This visual cornucopia of a cookbook is the guide to entertaining with effortless style.Platters and Boards is an inspiring resource for throwing unforgettable get-togethers: Organized by time of day, 40 contemporary arrangements are presented with gorgeous photography, easy-to-prepare recipes, suggested meat and drink pairings, and notes on preparation and presentation.Helpful advice includes:Tips on portioningGuides to picking surfaces and vesselsRecommendations for pairing complementary textures and flavorsA handy chart featuring board suggestions for a variety of occasions (from holiday parties to baby showers)Fans of Cook Beautiful, The Art of the Cheese Plate, InStyle Parties, Magnolia Table, and Cravings will love Platters and Boards.

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.

Fresh Food Fast: Delicious, Seasonal Vegetarian Meals in Under an Hour


Peter Berley - 2004
    You’ll find recipes for appetizers, mains, side dishes, and desserts, as well as shopping lists, lavish color photos, and game plans that take you step-by-step through each menu.“Fast” food does not have to be prepackaged and bland. Peter Berley teaches us how we can live without compromise, enjoying fresh, wholesome meals any day of the week.