You know how there are people who are hard to buy presents for? Not me. I’m super easy. Buy me a good cookbook. In fact, don’t buy me flowers. Ever. Buy me a cookbook.
My perpetually filled but not-oft checked out Amazon cart is teeming with cookbooks and food books. I’m so bad that I often relegate fiction to “save for later” to bump a cookbook up the pipeline. I know! :( I seek for better balance in 2015!
Thinking of getting a present a foodie friend will love? Get one of these cookbooks on my wishlist.
Nope. This is not a hint at all.
In no particular order:
Bar Tartine: Techniques & Recipes
I once ate at Bar Tartine and went to heaven. Everyone who knows me knows that I am completely biased toward food that incoporates cured, pickled and fermented food. I think it just adds fantastic depth and dimension (not to mention age-old proven probiotic benefits) Bar Tartine does this so well. As this art moves back into our modern cuisine, this book is a must for those who want to learn how to make it an organic (and utterly delicious) part of their cooking.
I’ve read so much about Puglisi’s food that it made want to go back to Copenhagen. I’ll let the Amazon description speak for this one. “Chef Christian F. Puglisi opened restaurant Relæ in 2010 on a rough, run-down stretch of one of Copenhagen’s most crime-ridden streets. His goal was simple: to serve impeccable, intelligent, sustainable, and plant-centric food of the highest quality—in a setting that was devoid of the pretention and frills of conventional high-end restaurant dining. Relæ was an immediate hit, and Puglisi’s “to the bone” ethos—which emphasized innovative, substantive cooking over crisp white tablecloths or legions of water-pouring, napkin-folding waiters—became a rallying cry for chefs around the world.Today the Jægersborggade—where Relæ and its more casual sister restaurant, Manfreds, are located—is one of Copenhagen’s most vibrant and exciting streets. And Puglisi continues to excite and surprise diners with his genre-defying, wildly inventive cooking.”
Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi
I know, this isn’t unexpected but really, Ottolenghi does vegetables so very well. Plenty is such a great cookbook–I want the sequel.
Again, as many of you know, I am not the most seasoned salad maker. But I do love a well-made salad (that someone else made for me.) I’m hoping this book will, um, “teach me how to fish.”
The Fat Radish Kitchen Diaries
My most favorite cookbooks aren’t necessarily the exclusively vegan ones (except for a few) but omni ones that have a big plant-centric focus. At the core of it all, I believe this is the most accessible way to eat. PLUS. I do believe that often, vegan cookbooks preach to the converted. I once ate at The Fat Radish and loved it. The chefs are self-taught and their food is completely this: “uncomplicated, slightly British, vegetable-focused cooking was also a hit, with its perfect combinations of fresh, seasonal, good-for-you ingredients and unfussy, crowd-pleasing dishes.” LOVE.
I guess, this list is very New York restaurant-centric. The Candle Cafe Cookbook is one of the cookbooks I truly enjoyed this year (see below for others on that list). And to be honest, the holidays sometimes stump me when I am trying to please omnivores, I want to make plant-centric meals that don’t always feel like a bunch of sides. I want this for that!
Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts
I am obsessed with Mediterranean cuisine. Aside from Indian food, it is my go-to for weeknight meals. The flavors are just simply vibrant. I can’t wait to dig into this book.
And here are the cookbooks I loved this year:
The Vegetarian Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity with Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Legumes, Nuts, Seeds, and More, Based on the Wisdom of Leading American Chefs
I love the Flavor Bible–it is the best resource for “winging it” in the kitchen. The volume gives you flavor profiles that go with particular ingredients. So when this book came out, Karen Page granted one of my cookbook wishes.
Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi
You either have this book already or you’ve heard about it. If you have this book, you know why this is one of my favorites this year. If you don’t have this book, get it now!
Vegetarian Curry Easy
I’ve always loved Madhur Jaffrey–this book is so dense and has great recipes from homestyle curries to more traditional ones. I’ve loved all the dishes I’ve prepared from this book.
Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 Plant-Empowered Recipes to Ignite a Mouthwatering Revolution
If there is one beginning vegan book to get–this is it. Chad Sarno of Sarno Brothers always posts great food on Facebook!
Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed
As is classic Bryant Terry — this book is fantastic. Soulful, flavorful plant-based food that sacrifices nothing but the meat.
Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York’s Premier Sustainable Restaurant
After Vedge, this is the best Vegan restaurant in the East Coast. All my meals at Candle 79 have been memorable. While this is not necessarily an everyday cookbook, it will give you endless inspiration.
PLUS some of my all-time favorites
Get the deets here.