Culinary Artistry


Andrew Dornenburg - 1996
    This is the first book to examine the creative process of culinary composition as it explores the intersection of food, imagination, and taste. Through interviews with more than 30 of America's leading chefsa including Rick Bayless, Daniel Boulud, Gray Kunz, Jean-Louis Palladin, Jeremiah Tower, and Alice Watersa the authors reveal what defines culinary artists, how and where they find their inspiration, and how they translate that vision to the plate. Through recipes and reminiscences, chefs discuss how they select and pair ingredients, and how flavors are combined into dishes, dishes into menus, and menus into bodies of work that eventually comprise their cuisines.

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World


Madhur Jaffrey - 1998
    Dishes from five continents touch on virtually all the world's best loved flavors, for a unsurpassed selection of vegetarian fare.        More than 650 recipes exemplify Madhur's unsurpassed ability to create simple, flavorful homecooking that is well within the reach of every cook. Extensive sections on Beans, Vegetables, Grains, and Dairy explore the myriad ways these staples are enjoyed worldwide. Each section opens with a detailed introduction; Madhur describes methods for preparation and storage, as well as different cooking techniques and their cultural origins. Throughout she balances appealing, uncomplicated dishes such as sumptuous omelets and rich polentas with less familiar ingredients such as green mangoes, pigeon peas, and spelt. Madhur demystifies the latter with clear-cut explanations so that incorporating new combinations and interesting flavors into everyday cooking becomes second nature. She also offers substantial sections on Soups, Salads, and Drinks, as well as Sauces and Other Flavorings, to help round out a meatless meal and add exciting new flavors to even the most easily prepared dishes. Finally, a complete glossary of ingredients and techniques clarifies some of the little-known elements of the world's cuisines so that even the uninitiated can bring the flavors of Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and more to their tables.        Throughout this extensive collection, Madhur includes personal anecdotes and historical contexts that bring her recipes to life, whether she's remembering field of leeks she saw in the mountains of northern Greece or describing how corn-based dishes arrived in Indonesia through colonial trade. Committed vegetarians will rejoice at the wide variety of meatless fare she offers, and nonvegetarians will enjoy experimenting with Madhur's global flavorings. This highly readable resource promises to be a valuable addition to any cook's library, helping everyone make healthful ethnic foods a part of everyday cooking.

Confections of a Closet Master Baker: One Woman's Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Baker


Gesine Bullock-Prado - 2009
    The only solace she found was in her secret hobby: baking. With every sugary, buttery confection to emerge from her oven, Gesine took one step away from her glittery, empty existence—and one step closer to her true destiny. Before long, she and her husband left the trappings of their Hollywood lifestyle behind, ending up in Vermont, where they started the gem known as Gesine Confectionary. And they never looked back. Confections of a Closet Master Baker follows Gesine's journey from sugar-obsessed child to miserable, awkward Hollywood insider to reluctant master baker. Chock-full of eccentric characters, beautifully detailed descriptions of her baking process, ceaselessly funny renditions of Hollywood nonsense, and recipes, the ingredients of her story will appeal to anyone who has ever considered leaving the life they know and completely starting over.

Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft


Lauren Braun Costello - 2009
    The books 217 notes deliver indispensable culinary truths, the highest standards of conduct, and timeless gems of cooking wisdom that have been taught and passed down by top chefs for generations. Whether the advice is philosophical (216. Food never lies, 10. Your soul is in the food, 20. Please, PLEASE slow down) or practical (67. Taste as you go, 111. Always let rice rest, 170. Cook bacon in a cold pan), "Notes on Cooking" offers a unique and invaluable apprenticeship. It is for the everyday cook wanting to improve, the seasoned expert looking to review the highest culinary standards, and the food lover seeking a fascinating glimpse into the pursuit of epicurean excellence. Until now, such enduring good advice especially this quick, efficient, and easy has rarely been found outside a professional kitchen. Includes an afterword by Dorothy Hamilton, founder & CEO of The French Culinary Institute, a recommended equipment list, an annotated reading list, and an index.

The Devil in the Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness and the Making of a Great Chef


Marco Pierre White - 2006
    In the UK, White's brilliant cooking and high-wattage antics have made him a legend: the first British chef (and the youngest chef anywhere) to win three Michelin stars, a chain-smoking, pot-throwing, multiply married culinary genius whose fierce devotion to food and restaurants has been the only constant in a life of tabloid-ready turmoil. In The Devil in the Kitchen, he tells the story of his life in food, spanning his apprenticeship with Albert and Michel Roux, his wild years in the bacchanal of 1980s Chelsea, his ferocious pursuit of the highest Michelin rating, and his "retirement career" as a hugely successful restaurateur. With cameos from the likes of Michael Caine, Madonna, and Damien Hirst, The Devil in the Kitchen leaves no dish unserved, relating the backroom antics, the blood feuds, and the passion for great food that have driven London's greatest restaurants for decades.

Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook


Beth Hensperger - 2004
    For more than thirty years, its unbeatable convenience and practicality have made it a staple of busy families, enabling anyone to return to a home-cooked meal at the end of a hectic day. Many slow cooker recipes, however, have relied on less-than-healthy convenience products. Now, Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann's Not Your Mother'sr Slow Cooker Cookbook takes a completely fresh look at cooking with this popular appliance. This comprehensive collection of 350 recipes combines the ease of slow cooking with the fresh, wholesome ingredients and exciting flavors of today's kitchen. For days when there's just no time for prep, there's Orange and Honey Chicken Drumsticks or Country Ribs with Onions, Apples, and Sauerkraut. For (slightly!) less hectic days there's Tangy Tomato Brisket or Lentil and Red Pepper Soup. Stay out of the kitchen when guests arrive with Duck Breasts with Port Wine Sauce or wake up to breakfast with Hot Apple Granola Oatmeal. Hensperger and Kaufmann offer dishes for every time frame, without compromising on taste, quality, or variety. And Not Your Mother'sr Slow Cooker Cookbook showcases the best of home cooking while taking advantage of a global melting pot of flavors - so cooks can serve Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya one day and Japanese Beef Curry Rice another. All the classic slow cooker recipes are here, plus many more adventuresome and innovative dishes. There is also practical information on the different types of slow cookers, their latest accessories, and what sizes are best for what purposes.

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.

Fix, Freeze, Feast: Prepare in Bulk and Enjoy by the Serving, More Than 125 Recipes


Kati Neville - 2007
    This is the winning system of "Fix, Freeze, Feast," a cookbook that has already attracted an enthusiastic following among busy families. Millions of shoppers save money by buying groceries in bulk - trays of boneless chicken breasts, pairs of flank steaks, flats of ripe tomatoes. But savings can quickly turn to losses if those bulk quantities spoil in the refrigerator or lie forgotten - unlabeled and unrecognizable under lays of ice crystals - in the back of the freezer. In the new paperback edition of "Fix, Freeze, Feast," authors Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik offer a complete system for taking full advantage of bulk purchasing and advance preparation to ensure no food is ever wasted. They show how easy it is to get organized, prepare ahead, and be ready to put healthful, satisfying meals on the dinner table (or breakfast table, or even brunch table!) at a moment's notice. Theirs is a cookbook price-conscious shoppers will love and warehouse club members shouldn't be without. Cooks will find 125 delicious, healthful recipes to choose from Each one includes directions for dividing, preparing, and storing raw ingredients; a second set of simple direction is included for thawing, cooking, and enjoying the food. Designed for the way people cook today, "Fix, Freeze, Feast" meals are lighter and fresher than traditional bulk-cooking recipes, with a focus on simple stews and stir-fries, quick grilled or broiled main courses, and popular ethnic meals such as Beef Fajitas and Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry. "Fix, Freeze, Feast," also includes ready-to-bake cookie doughs, soups, side dishes, smoothies, and snacks. With these innovative techniques and recipes, dinner is always in the freezer!

A History of Food in 100 Recipes


William Sitwell - 2012
    But do we know where these everyday recipes came from, who invented them, and using what techniques? This book provides a colourful and entertaining journey through the history of cuisine, celebrating the world's greatest dishes.

Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally


Alisa Smith - 2007
    Stranded in their off-the-grid summer cottage in the Canadian wilderness with unexpected guests, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon turned to the land around them. They caught a trout, picked mushrooms, and mulled apples from an abandoned orchard with rose hips in wine. The meal was truly satisfying; every ingredient had a story, a direct line they could trace from the soil to their forks. The experience raised a question: Was it possible to eat this way in their everyday lives?Back in the city, they began to research the origins of the items that stocked the shelves of their local supermarket. They were shocked to discover that a typical ingredient in a North American meal travels roughly the distance between Boulder, Colorado, and New York City before it reaches the plate. Like so many people, Smith and MacKinnon were trying to live more lightly on the planet; meanwhile, their “SUV diet” was producing greenhouse gases and smog at an unparalleled rate. So they decided on an experiment: For one year they would eat only food produced within 100 miles of their Vancouver home.It wouldn’t be easy. Stepping outside the industrial food system, Smith and MacKinnon found themselves relying on World War II–era cookbooks and maverick farmers who refused to play by the rules of a global economy. What began as a struggle slowly transformed into one of the deepest pleasures of their lives. For the first time they felt connected to the people and the places that sustain them.For Smith and MacKinnon, the 100-mile diet became a journey whose destination was, simply, home. From the satisfaction of pulling their own crop of garlic out of the earth to pitched battles over canning tomatoes, Plenty is about eating locally and thinking globally. The authors’ food-focused experiment questions globalization, monoculture, the oil economy, environmental collapse, and the tattering threads of community. Thought-provoking and inspiring, Plenty offers more than a way of eating. In the end, it’s a new way of looking at the world.From the Hardcover edition.

Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen


Rick Bayless - 1996
    Until now, American home cooks have had few authorities to translate the heart of this world-class cuisine to everyday cooking.In this book of more than 150 recipes, award-winning chef, author and teacher Rick bayless provides the inspiration and guidance that home cooks have needed. With a blend of passion, patience, clarity and humor, he unerringly finds his way into the very soul of Mexican cuisine, from essential recipes and explorations of Mexico's many chiles to quick-to-prepare everyday dishes and pull-out-the-stops celebration fare. Bayless begins the journey by introducing us to the building blocks of Mexican cooking. With infectious enthusiasm and an entertaining voice, he outlines 16 essential preparations-deeply flavored tomato sauces and tangy tomatillo salsas, rich chile pastes and indispensable handmade tortillas. Fascinating cultural background and practical cooking tips help readers to understand these preparations and make them their own. Each recipe explains which steps can be completed in advance to make final preparation easier, and each provides a list of the dishes in later chapters that are built around these basics. And with each essential recipe, Bayless includes several “Simple Ideas from My American Home”—quick, familiar recipes with innovative Mexican accents, such as Baked Ham with Yucatecan Flavors, Spicy Chicken Salad, Ancho-Broiled Salmon and Very, Very Good Chili. Throughout, the intrepid Bayless brings chiles into focus, revealing that Mexican cooks use these pods for flavor, richness, color and, yes, sometimes for heat. He details the simple techniques for getting the best out of every chile-from the rich, smoky chipotle to the incendiary but fruity habanero. Then, in more than 135 recipes that follow, Bayless guides us through a wide range of richly flavored regional Mexican dishes, combining down-home appeal and convivial informality with simple culinary elegance. It's all here: starters like Classic Seviche Tostadas or Chorizo-Stuffed Ancho Chiles; soups like Slow-Simmered Fava Bean Soup or Rustic Ranch-Style Soup; casual tortilla-based preparations like Achiote-Roasted Pork Tacos or Street-Style Red Chile Enchiladas; vegetable delights like Smoky Braised Mexican Pumpkin, or Green Poblano Rice; even a whole chapter on classic fiesta food (from Oaxacan Black Mole with Braised Chicken, Smoky Peanut Mole with Grilled Quail and Great Big Tamal Roll with Chard with the incomparable Juchitan-Style Black Bean Tamales); and ending with a selection of luscious desserts like Modern Mexican Chocolate Flan with KahIua and Yucatecan-Style Fresh Coconut Pie. To quickly expand your Mexican repertoire even further, each of these recipes is accompanied by suggestions for variations and improvisations. There is no greater authority on Mexican cooking than Rick Bayless, and no one can teach it better. In his skillful hands, the wonderful flavors of Mexico will enter your kitchen and your daily cooking routine without losing any of their depth or timeless appeal.

Satisfying Slow Cooker Meals and More


Maria Holmes - 2013
      PLEASE NOTE:  The goal of these recipes, especially the bonus chapters for QUICK salads, breads, and desserts is to prepare something delicious yet fast.  To accomplish this, reliance on some prepared foods is required.  If you prefer not to use prepared food items, then you can replace with fresh ingredients or consider purchasing a cookbook that is more to your culinary liking.  However, if you want to be in and out of the kitchen fast, then you will appreciate these recipes that are quick without sacrificing on taste.As calendars fill up, it gets harder and harder to find the time to enjoy family meals together. The recipes in this cookbook can help you ease that dinnertime crunch. All it takes is a slow cooker and this versatile collection of recipes, and you're on the way to preparing delicious meals that simmer for hours and are ready to serve in minutes at the end of the day. Each one of these 80 exceptional ideas has personally been tested to guarantee that it works perfectly and is practical for your family.You will find main dishes for every taste - from beef, pork, and lamb entrées to poultry, fish, and meatless recipes. Plus there are slow-simmering side dishes and appetizers to tote to potlucks or serve at parties. And to make meal planning easy, you can take advantage of the three bonus chapters that showcase quick salads, breads, and desserts to round out slow-cooker meals. If you have questions about slow cooking, check the slow cooker basics chapter for helpful information.With the creative ideas in Satisfying Slow Cooker Meals and More, you will always have the help and inspiration you need to fit satisfying home-cooked meals into your busy family's routine.

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence


Amy Sedaris - 2006
    Take a cue from entertaining expert Amy Sedaris and host an unforgettable fete that will have your guests raving. No matter the style or size of the gathering-from the straightforward to the bizarre-I Like You provides jackpot recipes and solid advice laced with Amy's blisteringly funny take on entertaining, plus four-color photos and enlightening sidebars on everything it takes to pull off a party with extraordinary flair. You don't even need to be a host or hostess to benefit-Amy offers tips for guests, too!  (Number one: don't be fifteen minutes early.) Readers will discover unique dishes to serve alcoholics (Broiled Frozen Chicken Wings with Applesauce), the secret to a successful children's party (a half-hour time limit, games included), plus a whole appendix chock-full of arts and crafts ideas (from a mini-pantyhose plant-hanger to a do-it-yourself calf stretcher), and much, much more!

Binging with Babish: 100 Recipes Recreated from Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows


Andrew Rea - 2019
    For each video, Andrew Rea, a self-proclaimed movie and TV buff, teaches a recipe based on a favorite TV show or film, such as the babka from the classic Seinfeld episode, the beef bourguignon from Julie & Julia, or the timpano from Big Night. This cookbook includes these and other fan-favorite recipes. Some are so delicious that you’ll want to make them for dinner right away, like Bubba's shrimp from Forrest Gump, while others can be saved for impressing a loved one—like the chocolate lava cake from Jon Favreau’s Chef, which the actor/director asked to make during a guest appearance on Rea’s show. Complete with behind-the-scenes stories and answers to frequently asked fan questions, Binging with Babish is a must-have companion to the wildly popular YouTube show.

The Food Lover's Companion (Barron's Cooking Guide)


Sharon Tyler Herbst - 1990
    Hailed by Bon App(c)tit magazine as "one of the best reference books we've seen, a must for every cook's library," it's the ultimate kitchen tool. Here are answers to questions about cooking techniques, meat cuts, kitchen utensils, food, wine, cocktail terms, and much more. Readers will also find a completely revised and expanded appendix containing a pasta glossary, a pan substitution chart, consumer information contacts, ingredient equivalents and substitutions, and more. A million readers can't be wrong--and they've found previous editions of this book invaluable. For anybody who cooks--or who simply loves food--here's a terrific reference source and an outstanding cookbook supplement.