We recently published our best of 2011 roundup, gathering best-of lists from the pundits of the web and print media. Now it’s the turn of the bookstore owners.
These are the people who love cookbooks, who live and breathe them. They see all the new books, they talk to their customers, they meet the authors and chefs who make the books, they taste the food. They see which books are selling, which books delight people and are destined to become stained and tattered kitchen companions. Take their word for it! And please support your independent bookstores by buying some books from them. Bookselling is a tough business. This is the time of year where they make most of their money, and cookbooks are excellent gifts.
I find it interesting that there are some strong divergences between the newspaper/blog lists and the cookbook store lists. With the cookbook store lists there are often titles which may not have received as much publicity or food community buzz, but are being hand-sold by store owners – hidden gems, if you will.
Note: all prices are publisher’s list price. Some stores may sell for less.
Omnivore Books on Food – San Francisco, CA
3885a Cesar Chavez Street
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 415-282-4712
info@omnivorebooks.com
www.omnivorebooks.com
Celia Sack:
I’m getting ready for the Christmas onslaught, and thinking about which cookbooks to recommend to customers this season. There are so many to love this year, so I thought I’d discuss some of the cookbooks that actually made it into my kitchen.
The Mozza Cookbook by Nancy Silverton and Matt Molina($35) has quickly become dog-eared and splattered in our house. Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge by Grace Young ($35). Grace’s talk at Omnivore finally motivated me to go down to Chinatown and buy a wok. Easy and fun, and lightning-fast. The Fearless Baker by Emily Luchetti & Lisa Weiss ($30). Emily invited me and Paula to be live testers for some of the recipes in this fabulous baking book, because we are admittedly terrified of baking. Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi ($35). After spending our summer vacation in London and visiting Mr. Ottolenghi’s eponymous restaurant in Notting Hill, we couldn’t wait to jump into the cookbook, despite the fact that we rarely cook vegetarian. Canal House Cooking, Vol. 7 (La Dolce Vita) by Melissa Hamilton & Christopher Hirsheimer ($20) is not on shelves yet, but the authors handed us a preview copy, and let me tell you, you will want this when it comes out. And finally, Turkey by Leanne Kitchen (import – price varies). Okay, in all honesty, I haven’t made anything from this cookbook yet. But after my trip to Turkey last fall, I fell in love with this gorgeous Australian import, and I really do plan to tackle the Slow-roasted Lamb with Apples Poached in Pomegranate on a cold San Francisco night soon. It’s just too beautiful to spatter quite yet. Continue Reading »


It’s that time of year again. The holiday shopping season is upon us, as is the best-of list season (can’t have one without the other…). I know you’re going to buy some cookbooks this year – they make excellent gifts, and if you’re lucky the recipient might just cook you a fabulous meal in the new year.







Deb Perelman is a self-taught home cook, photographer and the creator of the 











