Articles and Explorations

Cookbook Stores: Best Cookbooks of 2011

Dec 15th, 2011 by Andrew

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 »

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The Best Cookbooks of 2011: a Roundup

Nov 28th, 2011 by Andrew

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.

To save you all that tedious Google searching, Cookbooker has gathered together this roundup of the best cookbooks of 2011 from some of our favorite sources online. And we’ll keep it updated as new reviews come in.

Going Shopping?

Prices are publisher’s list price only; some stores will sell for less. To find an excellent independent cookbook store near you and get some expert personal recommendations, use our comprehensive bookstore list.

If you prefer to shop at Amazon, we’d appreciate it if you click through using one of the following links; we’ll get a small tip which will help support Cookbooker.

Amazon US

Amazon Canada

Amazon UK

This article will be updated as more top-cookbook lists come in, with new items added. To prevent this page from becoming a mile long, I’ll provide links only for most new sources.

Updated: December 20, 2011 (adding Telegraph Christmas Cookery)

Best of the Best

These are the books picked most often as the best cookbooks of 2011, so if your eyes are too fatigued to go through all of these lovely lists here’s our distillation of the books which have shown up regularly on multiple lists, suggesting they gained a lot of fans this year.

Top Pick: Cookbooks of the Year

Based on the lists we’ve added so far, there’s a 3-way tie for best cookbook of the year. And the winners (with six appearances each) are:  Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi,  American Flavor, by Andrew Carmellini and Gwen Hyman and Essential Pepin, by Jacques Pépin.

Continue Reading »

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Fall Cookbooks 2011

Oct 22nd, 2011 by Andrew

As we did this spring, we’re having a look through some of the enormous variety of cookbooks being published for the fall season 2011. With 413 listed (in the US), it’s impossible to fairly and fully explore them all, so instead I’m presenting a totally subjective look at some of the titles which caught my eye as I perused the list.

How did I choose these titles? I’m interested in authors and chefs who’ve done interesting things in the past, sometimes in interesting restaurants, though I’m wary of too many restaurant cookbooks, as they’re not always friendly to the home cook. I’m also captivated by cuisines I’ve not yet explored, and always by desserts and baking, though not run of the mill cake and cupcake books. My sweet tooth is looking for something a little different.

What does Fall 2011 look like?

Trends from spring continue, with more local eating and cooking, and attempts to coast on the popularity of cupcakes, cake pops and whoopie pies, as well as discover a new trend – will it be the Gob (a Pennsylvania bakesale staple)? The name alone probably dooms this one, though I thought the same about whoopie pies (I couldn’t help flashing back to the Newlywed Game every time I heard the name), and look how well they’ve done. I’ve also noted a rise in gluten-free cookbooks, and a maturing of the type of books in this category – now that it’s more mainstream we’re getting some interesting explorations of what can be done gluten-free, including Asian cooking and soul food. And there are more Korean books popping up, suggesting this is the next ‘hot’ Asian cuisine.

Note: if any of the text below appears in quotes, it is straight from the book catalog, and not my eloquent (or clumsy) phrasing.

Publisher’s Weekly Picks

Publisher’s Weekly has picked 8 titles from the fall list, so we’ll highlight them at the top before moving to our own picks of interest. Note: all blurbs are straight from the book catalog for these titles.

Continue Reading »

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5 Questions: Clotilde Dusoulier

Oct 19th, 2011 by Andrew

Clotilde Dusoulier is the Parisian proprietor of the renowned food blog Chocolate & Zucchini. Since 2003 she has shared her passion for all things food-related, with recipe ideas and cooking inspiration, as well as musings on quirky ingredients, cookbook acquisitions, nifty tools, and restaurant experiences.

Her articles and recipes have appeared in numerous publications including Bon Appétit, Martha Stewart Living, New York Times Magazine, Saveur, Elle (France) and Delicious (UK).

Clotilde is also the author of two books, Chocolate & Zucchini, and Clotilde’s Edible Adventure in Paris. She has also served as the consulting editor for two classic French cookbooks published by Phaidon, I Know How To Cook, and the upcoming The Art of French Baking, both by Ginette Mathiot.

1. Do you remember the first cookbook you owned?

I believe the first cookbook I owned was a French cookbook by Andrée Zana-Murat called “Ils arrivent dans une heure!” meaning “They’ll be here in an hour!” It is full of quick and easy recipe ideas you can pull together in a short time before your friends arrive, even if you’re not a very experienced cook, with lots of advice on the kinds of things to keep in the pantry for such situations.

2. What cookbook would you say has made the biggest impression on you? English and/or French?

It’s hard to name just one because I feel I’ve drawn inspiration from every single cookbook I’ve ever owned, but I really enjoy Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries. It documents a year of his cooking, from the simplest no-recipe plates he assembles to (slightly) more elaborate dishes, and the sense of intimacy and coziness that emanates from the book is wonderful. It’s probably no surprise I like it so much when you stop to consider that the format of the book is, in fact, very similar to that of a food blog. Continue Reading »

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A Summery Summary

Jun 30th, 2011 by Andrew

It’s summertime, now, and thoughts of grilling fill the heads of many of us. I’m not immune to this, and recently gave into the temptation to upgrade my barbecue (to this  little beauty, which I’m very pleased with) and made a pledge to do more, and more interesting grilling this summer.

The fates must have been listening, as Latin Grilling, by Lourdes Castro arrived in my mailbox shortly afterwards, followed by The Japanese Grill, by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat and The One Block Feast, by Margue True and the staff of Sunset Magazine. All three books have something new and intriguing to offer the summertime cook, and I’m going to enjoy exploring them over the next couple of months.

Latin Grilling
10 Speed Press: $22

I’ve been interested in Latin grilling since I saw a couple of travel shows on the cooking of the region, including Anthony Bourdain’s entertaining No Reservations, in which he and his brother travelled to Uruguay and had various adventures involving large amounts of grilled meat. This book is an excellent introduction to the regional cuisine, and I am impressed both by its breadth and layout.

Continue Reading »

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James Beard Foundation Awards 2011

May 6th, 2011 by Andrew

The James Beard Awards were handed out tonight (May 6) and although the full info is on their website, I thought we’d quickly highlight the winners in the Books Category.

Cookbook Hall of Fame

Harold McGee

American Cooking

Winner: Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas (John Wiley & Sons)

Shortlisted: The Food, Folklore, and Art of Lowcountry Cooking by Joseph E. Dabney
The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual by Frank Castronovo, Frank Falcinelli, and Peter Meehan

Baking and Dessert

Winner: Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)

Shortlisted: My Sweet Mexico: Recipes for Authentic Pastries, Breads, Candies, Beverages, and Frozen Treats by Fany Gerson
Sarabeth’s Bakery: From My Hands to Yours by Sarabeth Levine with Rick Rodgers

Continue Reading »

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5 Questions: Deb Perelman

Apr 25th, 2011 by Andrew

Deb Perelman is a self-taught home cook, photographer and the creator of the Smitten Kitchen website, a blog with a focus on stepped-up home cooking through unfussy ingredients. In previous iterations of her so-called career, she’s been a record store shift supervisor, a scrawler of “happy birthday” on bakery cakes, an art therapist and a technology reporter. She likes her current gig – the one where she wakes up and cooks whatever she feels like that day – the best. Her first cookbook, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, will be published by Knopf in 2012. Deb lives in New York City with her husband and delicious baby son.

Deb’s bio above doesn’t mention her lovely food photography, but you should definitely check it out – it’s another reason that Smitten Kitchen is such a great website.

Smitten Kitchen is the focus of our April/May 2011 Cookbooker Challenge. Cookbooker members cook from the website and we offer some funky prizes.

1. Do you remember the first cookbook you owned?

It was spiral bound and appeared to be handwritten with cute pictures; intended for kids. It introduced me to zucchini bread, which is still a favorite. Of course, I cannot remember the name but I’m sure it was just printed in a small batch.

2. What cookbook would you say had the greatest impression on you?

Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I used to think this was too obvious a choice, but I’ve realized recently that a lot of people who cook today don’t own it. For me, it is essential, full of so much information on the basic preparation of foods in a simple manner, and it doesn’t assume that you have access to the best beef or asparagus or butter. It accommodates for this, and even offers suggestions of what to do if you can only, say, get canned peas and want to improve their flavor. This is such an incredible thing. Also, my mother taught herself to cook by following the book. To this day, her go-to entertaining meal is Julia Child’s beef bourguignon and onion soup.

Continue Reading »

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Cookbook Review: Super Natural Every Day

Apr 12th, 2011 by Andrew

We all have our favorite recipes, ones we whip up regularly: our defaults, go-tos. There has been a trend of late where cookbook authors are publishing collections of their own everyday recipes, and it’s a trend I approve of. Everyday recipes are usually time-tested, fairly quick and straightforward, comforting. From a writer you trust, an everyday cookbook can be a treasure trove of recipes you’ll actually cook from regularly.

With Super Natural Every Day, a companion volume to her first cookbook, Super Natural Cooking, Heidi Swanson has produced an excellent example of the form. As she writes in the introduction, “I resisted the urge to include over-the-top, special-occasion productions… I kept a simple notebook over the past couple years of my favorite everyday preparations – ones I revisit often.”

It’s a lovely cookbook. From the dust jacket (on a paperback, which I’ve not seen before) to the beautiful photos, all taken by Heidi and her partner, Wayne, this is a well designed and laid-out book that’s a pleasure to look through and easy to cook from. I particularly like the organization – it’s laid out, as befits the title, as a day of food: breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, drinks, treats, accompaniments. Each section’s table of contents also summarizes the main ingredients of the recipe, so you can scan them quickly – for example, Farro Soup: curry powder, lentils, salted lemon yogurt.

And (hurrah!) she lists all her ingredients in cups, ounces and grams, for those of us who really would prefer our cookbooks to be a little more precise, as well as for the rest of the world, who uses more sensible forms of measurement…

Continue Reading »

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6 Questions: Mollie Katzen

Feb 18th, 2011 by Andrew

Mollie Katzen, with over 6 million books in print, is listed by the New York Times as one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all time. A 2007 inductee into the prestigious James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, and largely credited with moving healthful vegetarian food from the “fringe” to the center of the American dinner plate, Ms. Katzen has been named by Health Magazine as one of “The Five Women Who Changed the Way We Eat.”

In addition she is a charter member of the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Roundtable and an inaugural honoree of the Natural Health Hall of Fame. An award-winning illustrator and designer as well as best-selling cookbook author and popular public speaker, Mollie Katzen is best known as the creator of the groundbreaking classics Moosewood Cookbook, and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. Her other books include the award-winning children’s cookbook trilogy, Pretend Soup, Honest Pretzels, and Salad People; Vegetable Heaven (winner of the International Cookbook Reveu Best in Category award); Sunlight Café; Eat, Drink, & Weigh Less (with Walter Willett, MD of Harvard), and the best-selling The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without.

Her most recent book is Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen. She can be found online at www.molliekatzen.com.

1. Do you remember the first cookbook you owned?

Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls.  I adored it! Made practically every dish. I was about 8. [Editor's note: this is the same cookbook David Leite mentioned in his interview]

What cookbook would you say had the greatest impression on you?

Probably that one.

Could you talk a little about any recent cookbooks you’ve found particularly interesting or inspiring?

I must admit, I almost never look at cookbooks. I just cook from the food itself, without recipes (unless I’m writing one). I don’t watch cooking on TV either. Have never seen a single Food Network show in its entirety. But I digress. Let’s see – recent books…. Oh – just realized there’s one I’m flat-out in love with. Make it two, because it’s in two volumes: Nigel Slater’s “Tender.” Passionate, brilliant, inspiring, contagious. He’s the real deal. A gardener and an alchemist, as well as a great food poet and enthusiast.
Continue Reading »

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Upcoming Cookbooks: Spring, 2011

Feb 10th, 2011 by Andrew

Publisher’s Weekly has a great online tool which allows publishers to submit their upcoming books each season. I’ve had a wander through the 311 cookbook listings for Spring, 2011 (in the US) and I’m presenting a totally subjective look at some of the titles which caught my eye.

How did I choose these titles? I’m interested in books that stand out – whether it’s the author or the subject, I’m looking for something a little different, something which will teach me, entertain me, open my eyes and palate to something new. And if not new, then I’ll also be satisfied with some classics from someone I trust.  I will also happily take anything published by Ten Speed Press on faith, as they have published so many simply superb cookbooks over the years.

I am not interested in the following: any cookbook with a number in the title (100 ways to cook/grill X); any cookbook with low fat or low anything in the title; cookbooks with celebrities on the covers; cookbooks for newlyweds (there are several this year: do they  assume that once you get married you suddenly think – “okay, now that’s out of the way, I’m going to learn how to cook”?). I’m also wary of publishers who publish too many cookbooks a season; I can’t help but think there’s some serious recycling of content going on if you are pumping out twenty cookbooks, four times a year.

What does Spring 2011 look like?

Well, there are some clear trends. Local eating and cooking is one, keeping chickens (and doing things with their eggs) another. Verging on overkill are several continuing dessert trends for which I saw a lot of similar titles: Macarons, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies.

My vote for Trendy title of the year (who knows, it may be a great book): Artisanal, Gluten Free Cupcakes. Really? Artisinal cupcakes?
Continue Reading »

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