Ivan Ramen: Love, Obsession, and Recipes from Tokyo's Most Unlikely Noodle Joint


Ivan Orkin - 2013
    In the food-zealous, insular megalopolis of Tokyo, Ivan opened a ramen shop. He was a gaijin (foreigner), trying to make his name in a place that is fiercely opinionated about ramen. At first, customers came because they were curious, but word spread quickly about Ivan’s handmade noodles, clean and complex broth, and thoughtfully prepared toppings. Soon enough, Ivan became a celebrity—a fixture of Japanese TV programs and the face of his own best-selling brand of instant ramen. Ivan opened a second location in Tokyo, and has now returned to New York City to open his first US branch. Ivan Ramen is essentially two books in one: a memoir and a cookbook. In these pages, Ivan tells the story of his ascent from wayward youth to a star of the Tokyo restaurant scene. He also shares more than forty recipes, including the complete, detailed recipe for his signature Shio Ramen; creative ways to use extra ramen components; and some of his most popular ramen variations. Written with equal parts candor, humor, gratitude, and irreverence, Ivan Ramen is the only English-language book that offers a look inside the cultish world of ramen making in Japan. It will inspire you to forge your own path, give you insight into Japanese culture, and leave you with a deep appreciation for what goes into a seemingly simple bowl of noodles.

The Silver Spoon


Clelia D'Onofrio - 1950
    Originally published in 1950, it became an instant classic. Considered to be essential in every household, it is still one of the most popular wedding presents today. The Silver Spoon was conceived and published by Domus, the design and architectural magazine famously directed by Giò Ponti from the 1920's to the 1970's. A group of cooking experts was commissioned to collect hundreds of traditional recipes from the different Italian regions and make them available for the first time to a wider audience. In the process, they updated ingredients, quantities and methods to suit contemporary tastes and customs, at the same time preserving the memory of ancient recipes for future generations. They also included modern recipes from some of the most famous Italian chefs, resulting in a style of cooking that appeals to the gourmet as well as the occasional cook A comprehensive and lively book, its simple and user-friendly format makes it both accessible and a pleasure to read. It provides an introduction to every course, and an explanation of the main type of ingredients. Never translated before, The Silver Spoon has now been adapted to an international market, with every recipe checked for suitability, measurements converted and methods rewritten to accommodate cultural differences, yet maintaining the authenticity of real Italian cooking. The new layout emphasizes its contemporary appeal and the colour coding of each section simplifies the process of cross-referencing ingredients and methods. A section with original menus from the 15 most famous Italian chefs of the last 50 years has been expanded to include original menus from Italian celebrity chefs working outside Italy. This is a substantial and prestigious cookbook that will share the bookshelves with other titles such as The Joy of Cooking and Larousse Gastronomique, another classic of national cuisine. With over 2,000 recipes illustrated with specially commissioned artwork and photography, the book is destined to become a classic in the Italian cooking booklist for the international market.

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones: 90 Recipes for Making Your Own Ice Cream and Frozen Treats from Bi-Rite Creamery


Kris Hoogerhyde - 2012
    Guests young and old flock to the destination ice cream shop, craving a toasty banana split, a jewel-toned ice pop, a scoop of cooling sorbet, a mouthwatering ice cream sandwich, or one of the best ice cream cakes around.   Lucky for ice cream lovers, Bi-Rite Creamery’s secret is in plain sight: their irresistible goods are all made using top quality, farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients—locally sourced, whenever possible—and now you can bring their legendary creations into your home. This essential guide to making your own delicious ice cream and treats covers all the classic flavors and delectable variations, plus creative combinations like Orange-Cardamom, Chai-Spiced Milk Chocolate, Balsamic Strawberry, Malted Vanilla with Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate, and Honey Lavender.   Driven by the Creamery’s most popular flavors, each chapter in Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones serves as a meditation on a particular ingredient. Featuring recipes for Bi-Rite’s famed cakes, frostings, pie crusts, and cookies, you can easily mix and match to create an infinite array of delicious custom frozen treats. Filled with step-by-step techniques and insider’s secrets, this lavishly illustrated cookbook will turn your kitchen into a personal Bi-Rite Creamery (without the long line).

The Year of Cozy: 125 Recipes, Crafts, and Other Homemade Adventures


Adrianna Adarme - 2015
    You’ll love Adrianna Adarme’s easy-to-follow instructions and will enjoy getting lost in her warm and comforting photographs. Organized by the months of the year and by categories as “Live,” “Do,” and “Make, ” this book offers ideas for activities, recipes, and DIY projects that make the little moments in life just as exciting as the big. Adarme gives us special (but totally doable) things we can do for others and ourselves. From quick recipes to easy crafts, she focuses on simple, inexpensive undertakings that have a big reward: happiness. The Year of Cozy will surely inspire you to march into your kitchen and craft closet to make something you can truly be proud of.

Vegetable Love


Barbara Kafka - 2005
    She’s doing it again. With her customary originality, thoroughness, and passion for great cooking, Barbara Kafka has created the cook’s ultimate vegetable resource: 750 original recipes showcasing everything she adores about the vegetable world, from the lowly green bean to the exotic chrysanthemum leaf—even stretching the definition to include potatoes, mushrooms, and avocados just because she’s crazy mad for them. Her love of vegetables shows in every dish, each impeccably researched, consistently foolproof, and put to the Kafka taste test. Among these delectable dishes are dozens of essays, including personal reflections on the garden and migrations in the vegetable world, for example; all are erudite and unfailingly entertaining. Kafka’s book within a book—an at-a-glance, we’ve-done-all-the-work-for-you Cook’s Guide—provides practical, encyclopedic information on how to buy, measure, substitute, and prepare every food that ever called itself a vegetable.

The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets


Colleen Patrick-Goudreau - 2007
    A seasoned cooking instructor and self-described "joyful vegan," author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau puts to rest the myth that vegan baking is an inferior alternative to non-vegan baking, putting it in its rightful place as a legitimate contender in the baking arena. More than just a collection of recipes, this informative cookbook is a valuable resource for any baker -- novice or seasoned.Learn just how easy it is to enjoy your favorite homespun goodies without compromising your health or values:Chocolate Chip Scones  Cranberry Nut Bread  Lemon Cheesecake  Dessert Crepes  Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Chunks  Cinnamon Coffee Cake  Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes  Raspberry Sorbet  Oatmeal Raisin Cookies  Soft Pretzels  Blueberry Cobbler  Chocolate Almond BrittleFree of saturated fat, cholesterol, and lactose, but full of flavor, flair, and familiarity, each and every recipe will have you declaring I can't believe it's vegan!Complete with luscious color photos, this book will be an essential reference for every vegan.

Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet Savory Slab Pies


Cathy Barrow - 2018
    Baked on sheet pans, slab pies can easily serve a crowd of people dinner or dessert. Pie Squared includes seventy-five foolproof recipes, along with inventive decoration tips that will appeal to baking nerds and occasional bakers alike. And this fresh, uncomplicated take on pie will surely pique the interest of those who have previously been reluctant to take out their rolling pin. Barrow didn't invent slab pie, but she definitely thinks outside of the crust. In addition to traditional pie dough, she offers more than a dozen crust recipes-from cracker crusts and cornbread crusts to cookie crusts and cheddar cheese crusts. Using these as a base, Barrow then entices readers with both savory and sweet slab pie creations, with recipes like Spinach, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Slab Pie and Curried Chicken Slab Pie to Sour Cream Peach Melba Slab Pie and Grande Mocha Cappuccino Slab Pie. The first book of its kind, this will appeal to lovers of easy food trends like sheet pan suppers and dump cakes. Don't be surprised when you start spying slab pies at your next potluck!