By now, all your Christmas presents are unwrapped, and your gift certificate to the bookstore is probably spent by now, and you've made that vow as you do every year to stop buying cookbooks.
With the flow of new books into the kitchen stopped, for now, it's safe to talk about your very favorite new cookbooks of the last year or so. (Don't worry; we'll get into old favorites and downright classics later.)
What is your favorite new cookbook?
Submit your nominations, whether they be no-brainers, or completely obscure, in the comments below.
I got Jacques Pepin's "Fast Food My Way," and I like it. I only tried the recipe that was the inspiration for getting it when I saw him on PBS (Pressure Cooker lamb stew), but what I like is that the instructions are really detailed in a way that makes them easier to follow and know that what you are doing is what you're meant to be doing. Also, the recipes are elegant but, again, easy/quick to prepare...so they aren't intimidating as some can be to me! I like not feeling as if I'll have be in the kitchen all day to get a good meal.
I have not cooked much from either of these yet, but December brought....
the new Gourmet tome
(loving the book, although not so interested in the mag)
and
"Washoku: Recipes From The Japanese Home Kitchen"
by Elizabeth Andoh
(gorgeous - hope I go through with it. I got a little side tracked in the aesthetics/balance explanatory)
I love Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Dinners". Its a great recipe book but it's also a great book for ideas.
Some criticize Jamie's style of not providing exact measurements at times, i.e. a "glug" of olive oil. I think it just makes you trust your gut and develop a more intutive cooking style.
I haven't gotten a new cookbook in awhile, but my most favorite book that I got for Christmas a few years ago is The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook by Jack Bishop (he's the tasting lab guy from America's Test Kitchen).
We are always making new dishes from there and consulting it on basics, like roasting tomatoes or making pesto and other sauces. I highly recommend it to anyone, vegetarian or not!
Im not sure about favorite, but the following are Christmas presents that Im still assessing. For Christmas I received The New Spanish Table by Anya Von Bremzen. So far Ive only tackled a very easy gambas al ajillo.
From my sister in England I got New Scottish Cookery (cant recall the author off hand) and The Momo Cookbook. Both look interesting, but I havent had a chance to do more than skim them.
I've been really digging on Grace Young's "Breath of a Wok". It's making me dig out my turkey fryer burner, set it up on the patio, piss off the landlord and throw together a great meal.
And the guilty pleasure of the cookbooks would be "Great Grilled Cheese" by Lauren Werlin. Sue me, I'm a sucker for a grilled cheese sandwich and it's kinda fun to see what she throws together in there.
The Ethnic Vegetarian : Traditional and Modern Recipes from Africa, America, and the Caribbean is a new fav of mine. I love that there's a book about vegetarian soul food. As a seafood only eater it's nice to be able to make the favs. I like trying to make African food from around the world. Though in media the overuse of "ethnic" and "urban" drives me up the wall. But that's another issue all together.
The Silver Spoon. Not actually a new cookbook, but it's just been translated to English from Italian for the first time.
I got the Boulevard cookbook by Nancy Oakes and Pamela Mazzola as a present. I haven't used it yet, but it has been lots of fun to look at/read.
I've been cooking lots from an old favorite lately, Marcella Hazan.
I second the Gourmet cookbook--have been reading it like a novel, it's so engrossing. Got my boyfriend the Silver Spoon and keep stealing it to drool over the photos.
Notice how little mention I'm making of actually cooking...
ooooooo... i just ordered the silver spoon, and le bonne cuisine from amazon to accompany my next trip inspiration book "black lamb and gray falcon"
inspire by both r.w. apple and my friends, my next trip is to CROATIA!
New (or new to me) cookbooks.
How to Cook Everything. The stewed chickpeas with chicken has been a staple around here. And this week I'm making braised pork in vinegar & bay.
Beans. After all that holiday food, it's nice to make something as basic as beans.
America's Test Kitchen. Christopher Kimball aside, I love ATK. I think I'll be making their beef stew next week.
I totally agree with you Ian. I also got my husband "Simply Ming," one of Ming Tsai's books for Christmas, and I have been enjoying the rewards ever since. He has made several of the dishes, and so far they have all been wonderful.
Living in Ithaca, I have to thow the "Moosewood Restaurant" cookbooks in there as some of my favorites. Tonight I I made Cajun Skillet Beans from "The Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home." After the meatcentric holidays, I've been craving good vegetarian food.
I didn't recieve any cookbooks but I have to second the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I love this book and have made a bunch of stuff from it. I gave it as a gift for someone who cooks, but doesn't like too many steps. Too many steps, too funny since I make things that required 2 up to 100 steps.
I received Jose Andres' (WashDC restauranteur) new cookbook TAPAS.
I've made several recipes already and they've turned out great - almost as good as eating at Jaleo.
I'm also a fan of America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated. I subscribe to the magazine and I have "The Easy Recipe" cookbook. Good for picking up good techniques/processes that are applicable for all cooking adventures.
The cinnamon rolls in EASY RECIPE are excellent.
I would like to second the nomination of "Jamie's Dinners". I used to loath him because his TV show drove me crazy, but the I got to work with him a couple of times and he is a doll and a great cook.... AND this cookbook is exceptional. It's more about the ideas of the foods and the flavors than the actual recipes and I really appreciate that kind of cooking.
His tip for tomato soup is worth buying the book for.
And it's got great pictures.
You'd have to pry my Moosewood cookbook from my cold dead hands.
Those who are voting for Moosewood - which book? The new Simple Suppers?
Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites : Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals is the one I have. Love it.
DrewB, "Breath of a Wok" is a great book. If you haven't yet, try the salt and pepper shrimp recipe.
This isn't precisely a cookbook, but I received Harold McGee's classic On Food and Cooking for Christmas. I am looking forward to reading it cover to cover. Chemistry has never looked so fascinating...
Also, I bought myself the Gourmet tome at Half Price Books while I was on my Christmas trip. It was 70% off and I couldn't pass it up. Bittman's book is still my basic go-to, and I don't think Gourmet will replace that. But it's been fun to look through. Also, the recipes I've made from there so far are also on Epicurious, so I can check the reviews there too, which is nice.
The original Moosewood is also a classic.
The Silver Spoon is AMAZING!