MY FAVORITE COOKBOOKS
Every December, the lists of best cookbooks of the year come out from people who know best. The New York Times, the UK's Guardian, the San Francisco Chronicle, innumerable bloggers, they all have their favorites. And I usually agree, if only because the pictures are pretty or the author well known. I wonder if the editors have actually cooked out of all the books they've selected - I know I haven't. So this year, I'm giving you a list of my favorite cookbooks that I use, and I'll even tell you my favorite recipes from them. Some were published this year, others in years past, and all are on my kitchen shelves, stained, splattered and loved. I highly recommend them all.
Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters. I once asked Alice why this volume gets so much less love than her matching Vegetables book, and she winced in frustration, admitting that she prefers the fruit one, and thinks maybe people are afraid of using fruits in cooking. I agree, and I love Chez Panisse Fruit because it is so versatile, with recipes both sweet and savory. My favorite recipe: Crab salad with Meyer lemon, endive, and watercress.
Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook by Bruce & Eric Bromberg, and Melissa Clark. This cookbook is so wonderful because the recipes are so intensely flavorful. This owes to the fact that the Bromberg brothers, who own all the Blue Ribbon restaurants in New York (there are 9, and they're about to open an outpost in S.F.) love to make spice mixes, rubs, and seasonings. In the rear of the book are all their secret mixes; in fact, the kosher salt mixed with a little dried thyme is now a staple on my counter. My favorite recipe: Northern Fried Chicken (the secret is matzoh meal). You and your friends will freak out over how good this is.
The Sunset Cookbook by Margo True. Of all the wonderful, massive cooking tomes that came out this fall, I found this one to be the most approachable. In other words, it had the most recipes I'd want to make per flip-through-perusal. I also like that it has a fair share of Mexican and Asian recipes, since the focus is on California food. So far I'm one for one in a making a successful, delicious recipe: Green Chile Pork Stew.
Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn. Admittedly, there are relatively few men in my life that I cook for, but my manager, Samantha, insisted my girlfriend and I take this cookbook home anyway. There are many days I thank her for that. We've cooked our way through numerous recipes, and there hasn't been a dud among them. Especially the vegetables; I'm sorrowfully averse to eating them, but they'e been made delectable enough for me to really enjoy. My favorite recipes (it's a tie): Ginger Garlic Glazed Green Beans and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. This catch-all cookbook has everything from how to poach an egg to how to roast a Thanksgiving turkey. If I need a reminder of how to make a frittata on a lazy Sunday morning, the recipe is here, with 4 variations. The index is fantastic (more of a rarity than you might think). My favorite recipe (which I've never made but always gulp down when Paula makes it for dinner parties): Creamy Pumpkin or Winter Squash Soup, Version II (Paula adds some ginger for a nice touch of spice).
Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin. These recipes are not for the weeknights, and they're not for making in the country where the only store for miles stocks only the basics. However, if you have a long, slow weekend ahead and time to shop properly, you'll be richly rewarded. Goin's restaurant in L.A. is known for its short ribs, but come summer, my favorite recipe is: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Torn Croutons, Opal Basil, and Burrata.
At Home with Madhur Jaffrey by Madhur Jaffrey. I was completely smitten with the elegant Ms. Jaffrey when she came to speak at Omnivore last month, and while I often try to avoid taking home every cookbook an author is promoting, I just couldn't help myself this time. Her descriptions of the spices and flavors of the subcontinent were riveting; she said she can close her eyes, smell Indian cooking, and know exactly which region it's from, often just by the type of oil they're using. My favorite recipe: Salmon in a Bengali Mustard Sauce.
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers. This cookbook is the perfect example of the best kind of cookbook: one that teaches you why you're doing what you're doing. The explanation about salting short ribs gave me a great understanding of using salt to bring out flavor and moisture. It's no wonder one of Judy's favorite books is Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking. Her restaurant is about the only place left where I can still feel hip ordering a Cosmopolitan, and know it'll be really good. My favorite recipe: Chicken Braised with Figs, Honey, and Vinegar. (I use a mixture of chicken thighs as well as legs). The sweet/tart/tang of this dish will drive you mad, in a good way.
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten. I know, I know, a TV chef. But listen, this book is great, the recipes work, and you shouldn't feel embarrassed to ask for it! In fact, I'm even going to list three favorites, since they're all so good - and great to make on a weeknight or for company: Pappa al Pomodora (halve the chicken stock to two cups), Mustard-roasted fish, and Pan-roasted Root Vegetables.
Happy Holidays! Events are below, we'd love you to join us, as always,
Best,
Celia Sack, Owner
Omnivore Books on Food
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Upcoming Events at Omnivore Books
Sat. December 4 • Alice Medrich. Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies • 3-4 p.m. • Free
From new spins on classic recipes including chocolate-chip cookies and brownies, to delectable cookies to make with kids, this master conjurer of sweets will bring bliss to every dessert table.
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Wed. December 8 • Joan Nathan • Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France • Book-signing only • 4 p.m.
In her latest collection of recipes, Joan Nathan shows that she is an anthropologist of the first order as she explores the point of intersection between French and Jewish food traditions and chronicles how it has come to form a culture all its own. Nathan, the James Beard Award–winning doyenne of Jewish cooking (Jewish Cooking in America), applies her culinary detective skills to sniffing out the Jewish influence on French cuisine, and vice versa.
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Thurs. December 9 • Edible Holiday Gift Workshop! • 6-7 p.m. • $15 per person
Join liqueur-maker Sean Timberlake, cheese-maker Nicole Kramer, and mustard master (and author of D.I.Y. Delicious), Vanessa Barrington, for a hands-on workshop on making your own edible and drinkable holiday treats. 25-person limit, Reservations required; please call 415-282-4712 to reserve a spot.
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Sat. December 11 • Jessica Theroux • Cooking with Italian Grandmothers • 3-4 p.m.• Free
Grandmothers across Italy invited Theroux into their kitchens, allowing her to record a smart selection of unique and utterly appealing dishes that will leave readers of all backgrounds yearning for an Italian grandmother in the family lineage.
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