100 Techniques: Master a Lifetime of Cooking Skills, from Basic to Bucket List (ATK 100 Series)


America's Test Kitchen - 2020
    From making the most tender burger patties to grill-roasting a leg of lamb, from making pan sauces for cutlets to simmering homemade duck confit, from griddling the fluffiest pancakes to tempering chocolate, making caramel, and baking French pastry, the test cooks of ATK shine their spotlight on simpler, smarter, foolproof strategies. The first section, Essentials Every Home Cook Should Know, covers core techniques. Learn why it's crucial to season with salt properly before and during cooking for the best Roasted Bone-In Chicken Breasts and Crispy Salt and Pepper Shrimp. Cook any piece of salmon to silky perfection through our high-low roasting technique. The middle section, Techniques You Didn't Know You Couldn't Live Without, includes techniques we developed from an unexpected angle of discovery. Bake crusty, golden, bubbly-topped pizza by using a skillet. Fry easy, restaurant-quality homemade French fries by starting the potatoes in room-temperature oil. The final section, The Bucket List, gives you the know-how to make dreamed-about projects come true. Barbecue true Texas beef ribs in a standard kettle grill. Cure your own bacon or gravlax in your refrigerator. Bake, assemble, and decorate a show-stopping layer cake for any special occasion.

Ruhlman's Twenty: The Ideas and Techniques that Will Make You a Better Cook


Michael Ruhlman - 2011
    And rare is the author who can do so with the ease and expertise of acclaimed writer and culinary authority Michael Ruhlman. Twenty distills Ruhlman s decades of cooking, writing, and working with the world s greatest chefs into twenty essential ideas from ingredients to processes to attitude that are guaranteed to make every cook more accomplished. Whether cooking a multi-course meal, the juiciest roast chicken, or just some really good scrambled eggs, Ruhlman reveals how a cook s success boils down to the same twenty concepts. With the illuminating expertise that has made him one of the most esteemed food journalists, Ruhlman explains the hows and whys of each concept and reinforces those discoveries through 100 recipes for everything from soups to desserts, all detailed in over 300 photographs. Cooks of all levels will revel in Ruhlman s game-changing Twenty.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking


Samin Nosrat - 2017
    Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time. Echoing Samin’s own journey from culinary novice to award-winning chef, Salt, Fat Acid, Heat immediately bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes—and dozens of variations—to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs. Featuring 150 illustrations and infographics that reveal an atlas to the world of flavor by renowned illustrator Wendy MacNaughton, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will be your compass in the kitchen. Destined to be a classic, it just might be the last cookbook you’ll ever need. With a foreword by Michael Pollan.

Cooking with Mary Berry


Mary Berry - 2016
    Many, like her French Onion Soup, Steak Diane, and Cinnamon Rolls, are familiar classics, but all have been adapted to follow Mary's prescription for dishes that are no-fuss, practical, and foolproof. Step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks make following in the footsteps of Britain's favorite chef easy, and full-color photographs of finished dishes provide inspiration along the way.Perfect for cooks who are just starting out-and anyone who loves Mary Berry-the straightforward yet special recipes in Cooking with Mary Berry will prove, as one reviewer has said of her recipes, "if you can read, you can cook."

Duck, Duck, Goose: Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Ducks and Geese, both Wild and Domesticated


Hank Shaw - 2013
    Many cooks—and even hunters—have a fear of cooking fowl. Duck, Duck, Goose shows you how to cook duck and goose like a pro: perfectly crisp skin crackling with each bite, succulent confit, impeccable prosciutto, and more. Hank Shaw, an award-winning food writer, hunter, and cook on the forefront of the marsh-to-table revolution, provides all you need to know about obtaining, cleaning, and cooking these flavorful birds. Duck, Duck, Goose includes detailed guides on species and breeds, selecting a duck in the market, and plucking and hanging a wild bird. Shaw’s delicious and doable recipes include basics such as Grilled Duck Breast and Slow-Roasted Duck; international favorites like Duck Pho, Sichuan Fragrant Duck, Mexican Duck with Green Mole, and Cassoulet; and celebration-worthy fare such as Perfect Roast Goose. It also features an array of duck and goose confit and charcuterie, from fresh sausages to dry-cured salami.   The most comprehensive guide to preparing and cooking both domestic and wild ducks and geese, Duck, Duck, Goose will be a treasured companion for anyone who wants to free themselves from the tyranny of chicken and enjoy perfectly cooked waterfowl.

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks


Kathleen Flinn - 2011
    Flinn's "chefternal" instinct kicked in: she persuaded the stranger to reload with fresh foods, offering her simple recipes for healthy, easy meals. The Kitchen Counter Cooking School includes practical, healthy tips that boost readers' culinary self-confidence, and strategies to get the most from their grocery dollar, and simple recipes that get readers cooking.From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook: A Master Baker's 300 Favorite Recipes for Perfect-Every-Time Bread-From Every Kind of Machine


Beth Hensperger - 2000
    A fresh loaf any time you want! Can the incomparable taste, texture, and aroma of handcrafted bread from a neighborhood bakery be reproduced in a bread machine? When Beth Hensperger, one of America’s most respected authorities on bread, first set out to try, she had doubts. Then she spent hundreds of hours testing all kinds of breads in a bread machine, and her answer turned out to be a resounding “Yes!” In this big and bountiful book full of more than 300 recipes, she reveals all the simple secrets for perfect bread every time. No matter how you slice it, Beth’s brilliant recipes add up to a lifetime of fun with your bread machine!Recipes include:White BreadsEgg BreadsWhole Wheat BreadsRye BreadsGluten-Free BreadsMultigrain BreadsCountry BreadsSourdough BreadsHerb BreadsNut BreadsVegetable and Fruit BreadsCheese BreadsPizza and FocacciaBreakfast BreadsCoffee Cakes and Sweet RollsChocolate BreadsJams and ChutneysCroutons and CrostiniFlavored Butters and Other Toppings

SAVEUR: The New Classics Cookbook: 1,000 Recipes + Expert Advice, Tips, and Tales


Saveur Magazine - 2014
    This masterful selection celebrates the brand’s authority, heritage, and depth of worldwide culinary knowledge in what will become an indispensable and treasured guide for everyone who relishes authentic cooking and SAVEUR’s standard of excellence.Offering authentic, from-the-source recipes for virtually every type of dish (from tapas and cocktails to salads, dumplings, one pot meals, and more), essential techniques, and practical advice, this thorough collection of recipes from the pages of SAVEUR represents a comprehensive foundation for any home cook looking for a go-to guide—and daily inspiration—from a trusted source. Also includes suggested menus for holidays and occasions; illustrative sidebars that showcase groups of ingredients (such as the Mexican pantry, different varieties of tomatoes, what makes a good tagine) or provide easy-to-follow instructions for techniques (like how to crimp a dumpling or fold an empanada); and two sections of gorgeous full-color photographs that bring the cuisine to life. The 16 chapters are organized by course and food type. A robust selection of pantry basics (DIY condiments, stocks and sauces, spice blends and rubs, and more) is also included. Each recipe includes a headnote (explaining the origin of the dish, offering suggestions for perfecting the method, or a serving suggestion) and there are illustrations and cook’s notes, imparting helpful tips (wear gloves when working with hot chiles, use young ginger for the best flavor) scattered throughout the book. Icons call out vegetarian dishes and other helpful information at a glance. Multiple indexes make it easy to find recipes for any occasion.Since its founding in 1994, SAVEUR magazine has provided vivid and unprecedented access to the world's cuisines, telling the stories of authentic meals and the cooks behind them through impeccable photography, faithfully reproduced recipes, and expertly crafted articles from the world's most celebrated food writers. SAVEUR's editors are passionate about the stories behind the meals, be they classic dishes known to all, or obscure traditions worth sharing with the world. They understand each ingredient, each person, each meal, has undergone a special journey and this knowledge is at the root of every article and image in SAVEUR. Cherished by travel enthusiasts, home cooks, and professional chefs, and culinary adventurers alike, SAVEUR is the magazine of choice for people who experience the world food-first, whether they're slurping noodles from a street cart in Vietnam, or savoring the pleasures of a three-star meal in Paris. Honoring both the humble and the elevated, spontaneous meals and those that take days to prepare, every issue of SAVEUR is a celebration of real food made by real people.

52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust


William Alexander - 2010
    He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. Now, on the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to bake peasant bread every week until he gets it right. He bakes his loaf from scratch. And because Alexander is nothing if not thorough, he really means from scratch: growing, harvesting, winnowing, threshing, and milling his own wheat.   An original take on the six-thousand-year-old staple of life, 52 Loaves explores the nature of obsession, the meditative quality of ritual, the futility of trying to re-create something perfect, our deep connection to the earth, and the mysterious instinct that makes all of us respond to the aroma of baking bread.

The Physiology of Taste: Or, Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy


Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin - 1825
    Brillat-Savarin (1783-1833) made famous the aphorism, "Tell me what you eat, and I'll tell you who you are." He believed that food defines a nation.

Hungarian Cookbook: Old World Recipes for New World Cooks, Expanded Edition


Yolanda Nagy Fintor - 2000
    The author also explores the seasonal and ceremonial observances still practised by Hungarian Americans: bacon cookouts, fall grape festivals, weddings, Christmas, New Year's, and Easter.

Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone


Jenni Ferrari-Adler - 2007
     If, sooner or later, we all face the prospect of eating alone, then Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant provides the perfect set of instructions. In this unique collection, twenty-six writers and foodies invite readers into their kitchens to reflect on the secret meals they make for themselves when no one else is looking: the indulgent truffled egg sandwich, the comforting bowl of black beans, the bracing anchovy fillet on buttered toast. From Italy to New York to Cape Cod to Thailand, from M. F. K. Fisher to Steve Almond to Nora Ephron, the experiences collected in this book are as diverse, moving, hilarious, and uplifting as the meals they describe. Haruki Murakami finds solace in spaghetti. Ephron mends a broken heart with mashed potatoes in bed. Ann Patchett trades the gourmet food she cooks for others for endless snacks involving saltines. Marcella Hazan, responsible for bringing sophisticated Italian cuisine into American homes, craves a simple grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich. Courtney Eldridge, divorced from a fancy chef, reconnects with the salsa she learned to cook from her cash-strapped mother. Rosa Jurjevics reflects on the influence of her mother, Laurie Colwin, as she stocks her home with salty treats. Almost all of the essays include recipes, making this book the perfect companion for a happy, lonely-or just hungry-evening home alone. Part solace, part celebration, part handbook, Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant offers a wealth of company, inspiration, and humor-and, finally, recipes that require no division or subtraction.

What It Means to Be Moral: Why Religion Is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life


Phil Zuckerman - 2019
    In What It Means to Be Moral: Why Religion Is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life, Phil Zuckerman argues that morality does not come from God. Rather, it comes from us: our brains, our evolutionary past, our ongoing cultural development, our social experiences, and our ability to reason, reflect, and be sensitive to the suffering of others. By deconstructing religious arguments for God-based morality and guiding listeners through the premises and promises of secular morality, Zuckerman argues that the major challenges facing the world today-from global warming and growing inequality to religious support for unethical political policies to gun violence and terrorism-are best approached from a nonreligious ethical framework. In short, we need to look to our fellow humans and within ourselves for moral progress and ethical action.

Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations


Nancie McDermott - 2007
    Here are 65 recipes for some of the most delicious ever. Jam cakes and jelly rolls; humble pear bread and peanut cake; whole chapters on both chocolate and coconut cakeseach moist and delicious forkful represents the spirit of the South. A Baking 101 section offers the cake basics, some finishing touches (that means frosting and lots of it!), and the how-to's of storing each lovely concoction so that the last slice tastes as fresh and delightful as the first.

Asian Tofu: Discover the Best, Make Your Own, and Cook It at Home


Andrea Nguyen - 2012
    Andrea’s tofu tutorial clearly outlines technique and guides home cooks through creating many varieties of tofu, and the flavor forward recipes explore the full range of traditional and modern tofu uses—from silken tofu pudding and a spicy “noodle” dish made with tender tofu skin to preparations using baked, smoked, marinated, or crumbled tofu as the star. A few recipes require homemade tofu but most are terrific with purchased tofu products and dishes are predominantly meatless or low-meat, making this cookbook ideal for vegetarians, vegans, those trying to reduce their meat intake, and DIY cooking enthusiasts. About The Author: Andrea Nguyen  is a celebrated teacher and food writer for the Los Angeles Times and Saveur magazine, where she is also a contributing editor. Her previous books were highly acclaimed and nominated for James Beard and IACP cookbook awards. Andrea has loyal readership and strong online presence through her two blogs (vietworldkitchen.com and asiandumplingtips.com), Twitter (@aqnguyen), and Facebook.