Nigella Express: Good Food, Fast


Nigella Lawson - 2007
    Nigella's ratings are through the roof, and she was recently featured in In Style. The cookbook is all of the delicious foods Nigella is known for but the emphasis is on fast, really fast! This is for everyone who loves good food, but just doesn't have time or patience at the end of the day for a long, drawn-out cooking session. More than 130 recipes!

The Fearless Baker: Simple Secrets for Baking Like a Pro


Erin Jeanne McDowell - 2017
    “I’m not a baker,” they tell her. But in fact, expert baking is not at all unattainable, nor is it as inflexible as most people assume. The key to freedom is to understand the principles behind how ingredients interact and how classic methods work. Once these concepts are mastered, favorite recipes can be altered and personalized almost endlessly.   With the assurance born out of years of experience, McDowell shares insider tips and techniques that make desserts taste as good as they look. With recipes from flourless cocoa cookies and strawberry-filled popovers (easy), through apple cider pie and black-bottom crème brûlée (medium), to a statuesque layer cake crowned with caramelized popcorn (difficult), and “Why It Works,” “Pro Tip,” and make-ahead sidebars with each recipe, this exciting, carefully curated collection will appeal to beginning and experienced bakers alike.

My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method


Jim Lahey - 2009
    Witnessing the excitement that Bittman’s initial piece unleashed worldwide among bakers experienced and beginner alike, Jim grew convinced that home cooks were eager for a no-fuss way to make bread, and so now, in this eagerly anticipated collection of recipes, Jim shares his one-of-a-kind method for baking rustic, deep-flavored bread in your own oven.The secret to Jim Lahey’s bread is slow-rise fermentation. As Jim shows in My Bread, with step-by-step instructions followed by step-by-step pictures, the amount of labor you put in amounts to 5 minutes: mix water, flour, yeast, and salt, and then let time work its magic—no kneading necessary. Wait 12 to 18 hours for the bread to rise, developing structure and flavor; then, after another short rise, briefly bake the bread in a covered cast-iron pot.The process couldn’t be more simple, or the results more inspiring. My Bread devotes chapters to Jim’s variations on the basic loaf, including an olive loaf, pecorino cheese bread, pancetta rolls, the classic Italian baguette (stirato), and the stunning bread stick studded with tomatoes, olives, or garlic (stecca). He gets even more creative with loaves like Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread, others that use juice instead of water, and his Irish Brown Bread, which calls for Guinness stout. For any leftover loaves, Jim includes what to do with old bread (try bread soup or a chocolate torte) and how to make truly special sandwiches. And no book by Jim Lahey would be complete without his Sullivan Street Bakery signature, pizza Bianca—light, crispy flatbread with olive oil and rosemary that Jim has made even better than that of Italy’s finest bakeries. Other pizza recipes, like a pomodoro (tomato), only require you to spread the risen dough across a baking sheet and add toppings before baking. Here—finally—Jim Lahey gives us a cookbook that enables us to fit quality bread into our lives at home.

Simple to Spectacular: How to Take One Basic Recipe to Four Levels of Sophistication


Jean-Georges Vongerichten - 2000
    Simple to Spectacular introduces a unique concept developed by one of the world's top chefs, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything and the New York Times's hugely popular column "The Minimalist." Ever since their award-winning collaboration on Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef, the acclaimed duo has been cooking up a repertoire of new dishes that can be prepared in any of five progressively sophisticated ways.Simple to Spectacular features a total of 250 recipes in 50 groups. Each group begins with a simple, elegant recipe--a few ingredients combined for maximum effect--followed by fully detailed, increasingly elaborate variations. For example, a recipe for Grilled Shrimp with Thyme and Lemon leads to Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini on Rosemary Skewers, Grilled Shrimp with Apple Ketchup, Thai-style Grilled Shrimp on Lemongrass Skewers, and Grilled Shrimp Balls with Cucumber and Yogurt.Every aspect of the meal is covered, from superb soups and salads to unforgettable side dishes, entrees, and desserts. In Simple to Spectacular, everything--from the basics to innovations by a four-star chef--is tailored for a quick Tuesday night dinner or an elegant weekend party.  And in the now-classic Vongerichten-Bittman style, all of the recipes can be made in the kitchen of any home cook. With 80 full-color photographs giving a mouthwatering view of the Simple-to-Spectacular transformations, readers and cooks will eagerly explore the possibilities.Jean-Georges Vongerichten (right) won the 1998 James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef and Best New Restaurant. His Manhattan restaurants include Vong, Jo Jo, The Mercer Kitchen, and Jean Georges, which earned a rare four-star rating from the New York Times.  In Simple to Spectacular, two titans of the food world have created a truly groundbreaking cookbook.  Here are 250 superb recipes arranged in a uniquely useful way: a basic recipe and four increasingly sophisticated variations, with each group (there are 50 groups in all) based on a given technique.  This ingenious organization enables cooks of all levels of expertise to understand how a recipe is created and to re-create the brilliantly simple recipes and dazzling variations from one of our best food writers and home cooks teamed with one of America's greatest chefs.

Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen: Cookin' for Trouble


Nadia Giosia - 2011
    Now this Julia Child of the Net generation and host of the wildly popular Bitchin’ Kitchen TV show on the Cooking Channel brings her savvy chef know-how and rock star ’tude to glam up your dining experience. Trained at the culinary institute of Hard Wooden Spoon Whacks, Nadia says that her passion for food started in her Italian family’s kitchen, where meals became moments. In Cookin’ for Trouble, she shares recipes and cooking tips for beginner and seasoned home cooks to liven any occasion. • Back-of-the-Fridge Bachelor Brunches: Sometimes what lurks in the back of our fridge isn’t that inspiring, unless it’s been there long enough to strike up a conversation. No groceries, no problem! With just a few leftovers, whip up a scrumptious Sartu di Patate, or a Pasta Frittata that tastes like you’d planned it for days. • (Dysfunctional) Family Pizza Night: Bring your family and thighs closer together with the Giosia familia recipe for Rustica Pan Pizza, Puttanesca Panzerotti, and Traditional Italian Frittelle smothered in a creamy chocolate-nougat fondue. • Makeover Meals: We all get stuck in a rut sometimes, whether it’s the same boring dish, hairstyle, or boyfriend. It’s time for an upgrade! Turn ordinary dishes on their head with inspired crispy Tuna Sliders, smoky Chicken Risotto, and juicy Meatloaf Kebabs. • Plus Nadia’s creative menus for Hi-Speed Suppers, Girl’s Night In, Veg-Head Specials, Student Shkoff-fest, and a special chapter devoted to everyone’s favorite food group: Bacon!  I know—we had you at “Bacon.” But there’s more! Loaded with gorgeous photos, more than fifty original recipes, sanity-saving “Nadvice,” a Bitchin’ Party Guide, and a hunky team of food correspondents—Panos, the Spice Agent, and Hans—Cookin’ for Trouble will take your meals from square to sassy faster than you can say “Tsaketa.”* *and for newbies, there’s an Italian Slang Dictionary!From the Trade Paperback edition.

Kitchen Confidence: Essential Recipes and Tips That Will Help You Cook Anything


Kelsey Nixon - 2014
    Her recipes, which are broken down into simple steps, teach readers how to cook, highlighting key tools and basic techniques everyone should know. And yet her flavors are anything but basic; Kelsey gives everyone the confidence to start with the 2.0 version of a recipe instead of the boring standards. For example, she makes her house pilaf with quinoa instead of rice, and her addictive fruit salad is a savory first course instead of a lackluster dessert.      With 100 recipes and 60 color photographs, Kitchen Confidence brings home all of the energy and spirit of the Cooking Channel show of the same name, making it an excellent handbook for newlyweds, recent college graduates, and those discovering their kitchens for the first time.

The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World


Lynn Alley - 2003
    With fresh ingredients and imaginative recipes, you can create delicious meals to serve with pride to your guests. Drawn from slow cooking traditions from around the world, the recipes include Lamb Shanks in Tomato Sauce from Greece; Apricot Chicken from India; Chicken Mole from Mexico; White Truffle Risotto from Italy; Proven?ßal Chicken Stew from France; and Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Soup from the United States. In keeping with the sophistication of the food, each recipe is accompanied by wine or beer suggestions. The slow cooker can be so much more than a repository for nacho cheese dip. Paired with THE GOURMET SLOW COOKER, your everyday dining will be elevated from the mundane to the gourmet, while freeing you from hours of hard work in the kitchen.A slow cooker book for discriminating cooks, with 16 full-color recipe photographs. Includes chapter introductions to each region, focusing on the slow-cooking traditions and techniques from that country, and local wine or beer suggestions for all 60 recipes.According to a study by the Betty Crocker Kitchens, 80 percent of U.S. households have a slow cooker. Reviews‚ÄúGo ahead and sneer. I love my slow cooker. . . . Even food snobs like me are realizing their potential, albeit a little later than the more than perhaps 100 million Americans who already own one.‚Äù‚ÄîMark Bittman, New York Times

The Family Cooks: 100+ Recipes Guaranteed to Get Your Family Craving Food That's Simple, Fresh, and Incredibly Good for You


Laurie David - 2014
    Cultural messages convince us that we no longer have time to cook, and food marketers spend billions persuading us that packaged, processed food is convenient, satisfying—and the key to happiness. Half of all our meals are now eaten outside the home. The result? Skyrocketing rates of heart disease and diabetes and unprecedented levels of childhood obesity. This crisis is movingly portrayed in author and activist Laurie David's new documentary (co-executive produced with Katie Couric), Fed Up!Luckily, we have a solution: Studies have clearly shown that eating home-cooked meals reduces obesity and develops lifelong healthy eating habits. There is an exciting movement afoot that involves a skillet, a few good knives, and some fresh ingredients: Home cooking is making a comeback.In The Family Cooks, David inspires parents and kids to take control of what they eat by making it themselves. With her long-time collaborator, Kirstin Uhrenholdt, David worked up more than 100 recipes that are simple, fast, "low in the bad stuff and high in the good stuff," and designed to bring kids into the cooking process. The authors also demystify cooking terms and break down basic prep techniques, creating stress-free meals that foster health, togetherness, and happy palates. The Family Cooks is the ideal companion for unseasoned chefs of all stripes, whether they're parenting or being parented.

Wintersweet: Seasonal Desserts to Warm the Home


Tammy Donroe Inman - 2013
    Wintersweet encourages readers to make use of fresh, local ingredients for warming seasonal desserts. While summer farmers' markets are always overflowing with ripe produce, there's plenty to be had from November to March: squashes and pumpkins, parsnips and carrots, apples, pears, citrus of all types, and feel-good ingredients like nuts, cheese, and chocolate.The fresh and rustic recipes in Wintersweet push the envelope of traditional winter desserts like pumpkin or apple pies with such delicacies as Pear Cranberry Clafouti, Spicy Prune Cake with Penuche Frosting, Tangelo Sorbet, and Goat Cheese Cake with Dried Cherry Compote. Each chapter is devoted to different ingredients, ranging from Persimmons, Pomegranates, and Cranberries to Citrus, Cheese, and Dried Fruits, allowing readers to experiment with new and exciting ingredients for complex and delicious flavors. They taste even better when they can be found near your own backyard; Donroe provides resources for finding the best local farmers' markets and agricultural centers near you. Perfect for holiday gatherings or to warm the belly on a cold night, Wintersweet is the perfect dessert companion to make the year's coldest season a bit more festive.

Bon Appetit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful


Barbara Fairchild - 2010
    From quick homestyle cookies to unforgettable special-occasion finales such as spiced chocolate torte wrapped in chocolate ribbons, Bon Appetit showcases meticulously tested recipes that turn out perfectly--every time. Now, culled from Bon Appetit's extensive archives and including never-before-published recipes, Bon Appetit Desserts promises to be the comprehensive guide to all things sweet and wonderful.   Authored by Bon Appetit editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appetit Desserts features more than 600 recipes--from layer cakes to coffee cakes, tortes and cupcakes to pies, tarts, candies, puddings, souffles, ice cream, cookies, holiday desserts, and much, much more. Certain to inspire both experienced home cooks and those just starting out in the kitchen, each recipe is designed to ensure the dessert preparation process is as enjoyable as the finished result.Bon Appetit Desserts is destined to be the definitive, comprehensive, invaluable dessert resource.  "This is a gorgeous book that makes me want to make everything--no, taste everything--inside! This is a must-have for every baker, cook, and sweet freak in your life." --Elizabeth Falkner, chef and owner of Citizen Cake and Orson  "At last, a collection of Bon Appetit's most treasured dessert recipes, thoroughly tested as always, beautifully illustrated, and, of course, wonderfully delicious. You'll reach for this book each time sweets are on your menu, but you'll come back to it just as often for its myriad tips; great chapters on ingredients, equipment, and techniques; and the many detailed and easy-to-grasp how-tos.  It's truly a one-stop book for all of us who love baking." --Dorie Greenspan, author of Baking: From My Home to Yours and Around My French Table  "Bon Appetit Desserts is filled with exactly the kind of sweets I like to make: inviting, unpretentious, and easy to love, but also innovative enough to turn a few heads. And the best part is, Bon Appetit Desserts is not only about recipes. With chapters on ingredients, equipment, and techniques, plus a slew of tips from the Bon Appetit test kitchens, it's also a mini-education. Oh, in case you aren't sold yet, I have ten words for you: Banana Layer Cake with Caramel Cream and Sea Salt-Roasted Pecans." --Molly Wizenberg, author of A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table

Emeril's Potluck: Comfort Food with a Kicked-Up Attitude


Emeril Lagasse - 2004
    Parties and celebrations mean food. Lots of food: tureens of soup, platters of chicken, bowls of salad, casseroles of baked pasta. From family reunions to holiday buffets, summer barbecues to tailgate parties, and weekend brunches to bridal showers, Emeril's Potluck offers crowd-pleasing dishes perfect for gatherings with friends and family.Emeril's Potluck brings together everything Emeril loves most about cooking and eating. The food is simple, flavorful, and perfect for sharing at any get-together. Each recipe serves a whopping 8 to 10 people, but don't assume you're making too much -- everyone will be heading back for seconds and thirds of these Emerilized starters, entrees, drinks, sides, and desserts.Start by toasting the occasion with a glass of Champagne Punch, a Watermelon Daiquiri, or an Orange Emeril. Then let the feast begin! Classic Blue Cheese Dip, Alain's Sweet and Spicy Asian Wings, or Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms will get your party started right! Main courses range from Olive-Stuffed Leg of Lamb and Creole Mustard and Herb-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin to homey favorites such as Charlotte's Lasagna Bolognese, Penne à la Vodka Casserole, and Tuna Tetrazzini. Of course, it wouldn't be a party without dessert, so save room for Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Emeril's Tiramisu.The recipes are quick, easy, and portable. Enjoy these dishes at home or take them on the road. Emeril's Potluck -- so foolproof, so easy, so crowd pleasing that luck has nothing to do with it.

The Little Paris Kitchen


Rachel Khoo - 2012
    Six years later, she still lives and works in Paris, cooking up a selection of classic French dishes from all over the country and giving them a fresh makeover with her own modern twists. From a Croque Madame muffin and the classic Boeuf bourguignon, to a deliciously fragrant Provencal lavender and lemon roast chicken, Rachel celebrates the culinary landscape of France as it is today and shows how simple these dishes are.The 120 recipes in the book range from easy, everyday dishes like Omelette Pipérade, to summer picnics by the Seine and afternoon 'goûter' (snacks), to meals with friends and delicious desserts including classics like Crème brulee and Tarte tatin. It's a book that celebrates the very best of French home-cooking in a modern and accessible way. Real French food is no longer something only served in fancy restaurants; Rachel will show how you can add a little French culinary touch to your everyday life at home, no matter where you are in the world, or how big your kitchen is!

Indian Instant Pot® Cookbook: Traditional Indian Dishes Made Easy and Fast


Urvashi Pitre - 2017
    “[Indian Instant Pot Cookbook] has been very popular and for good reason. Whether you're giving an Instant Pot or receiving one, this is the book for you."–Seira Wilson, Amazon.com Senior Books EditorIt’s tempting to dine out when you think about the intricacies involved in making traditional dals and curries. But Indian Instant Pot Cookbook combines the technique of pressure-cooking with classic Indian foods to give families an easier (and healthier) way of preparing authentic Indian meals. Join Urvashi Pitre, who is best known as the “Butter Chicken Lady,” as she shares the how-to’s of creating delicious Indian dishes of all types in Indian Instant Pot Cookbook.Indian Instant Pot Cookbook offers: 50 Easy, Authentic Recipes that are ready in 60 min or less and require minimal ingredients Tried and Tested Guidance from Indian cuisine experts and Instant Pot pros alike Useful Tips for substituting ingredients and stocking your kitchen with the right tools and spices “The recipes [in Indian Instant Pot Cookbook] are simple to prepare and average about 10-15 minutes prep time. Who doesn’t love saving time in the kitchen?!.”—Amee’s Savory Dish blog“[Indian Instant Pot Cookbook] is filled with recipes that will help me expand my love of Indian cooking.”—Pressure Cooking Today blog

Dinner Solved! 100 Ingenious Recipes That Make the Whole Family Happy, Including You!


Katie Workman - 2015
    Her Mom 100 Cookbook was named one of the Five Best Weeknight Cookbooks of the past 25 years by Cooking Light and earned praise from chefs like Ina Garten (“I love the recipes!”) and Bobby Flay (“Perfect . . . to help moms everywhere get delicious meals on the table.”). Now Katie turns her attention to the biggest problem that every family cook faces: how to make everyone at the table happy without turning into a short-order cook. Expanding on one of the most popular features of the first cookbook, her ingenious “Fork in the Road” recipe solution, which makes it so easy to turn one dish into two or more, Katie shows you how Asian Spareribs can start mild and sweet for less adventurous eaters—and then, in no time, become a zesty second version for spice lovers. She shakes up the usual chicken for dinner with Chicken Tikka Masala-ish—and feeds vegetarians, too, by offering a fork where cauliflower is used in place of the chicken. Fettuccine with Shrimp and Asparagus is a blueprint for seven other easy mix-and-match pasta dinner combinations. Crostini for breakfast—truly an aha! idea—can go sweet or savory, pleasing both types of morning eaters. Have all the ingredients on hand? Make the insanely delicious Chocolate Carrot Cake. Missing chocolate? Don’t run out to the store—the basic Carrot Cake is just as satisfying. Katie’s voice is funny and wry, and completely reassuring. Stunning full-color photographs show every dish. The result: no more cranky eaters, no more dinner table strife, no more unsure or stressed-out cook.

Hello, Cupcake


Alan Richardson - 2008
    Spotting the familiar items in the hundreds of brilliant photos is at least half the fun.  America's favorite food photography team shows how to create funny, scary, and sophisticated masterpieces using a ziplock bag and common candies and snack items. With these easy-to-follow techniques, even the most kitchen-challenged cooks can:• raise a big-top circus cupcake tier for a kid's birthday• plant candy vegetables on Oreo earth cupcakes for a garden party• trot out a line of confectionery "pup cakes" for a dog fancier• serve spaghetti and meatball cupcakes for April Fool's Day• bewitch trick-or-treaters with eerie alien cupcakes• create holidays on icing with a white Christmas cupcake wreath, turkey cupcake place cards, and Easter egg cupcakes