Bistro Cooking at Home

Gordon Hamersley and Joanne McAllister Smart

Bistro cooking—bold and full-flavored—is more like the best home cooking than restaurant fare, featuring slow-cooked stews, exquisitely roasted chickens, perfectly seared steaks, vibrant salads, fresh fruit tarts, and comforting custards. Now Gordon Hamersley of acclaimed Hamersley’s Bistro in Boston helps home cooks bring these classic dishes into their own kitchens.

(Buy Now on Amazon)

Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager

Langdon Cook

Foraging is not just a throwback to our hunter-gatherer past; it's a way to reconnect with the landscape. And Langdon Cook is not just your typical grocery cart-toting dad. For him, gourmet delicacies abound, free for the taking if we just open our eyes. As a result, he finds himself free-diving in icy Puget Sound in hopes of spearing a snaggletooth lingcod, armed with nothing more than a "Hawaiian sling." He bushwhacks through rugged mountain forests in search of edible mushrooms. He strings up a fly rod to chase after sea-run trout.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western

David Leite and Nuno Correia

Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Spain, Portugal is today’s hot-spot vacation destination, and world travelers are enthralled by the unique yet familiar cuisine of this country. The New Portuguese Table takes you on a culinary journey into the soul of this fascinating nation and looks at its 11 surprisingly different historical regions, as well as the island of Madeira and the Azores, and their food culture, typical dishes, and wines.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More

Andrea Nguyen

Pot stickers, gyoza, spring rolls, samosas--whether wrapped or rolled, steamed or fried, Asian dumplings are surprisingly easy to prepare, as Andrea Nguyen demonstrates in Asian Dumplings. Her crystal-clear recipes for more than 75 of Asia's most popular savory and sweet parcels, pockets, packages, and pastries range from Spicy Potato Samosas to Shanghai Wonton Soup.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology

Randall Grahm and Hugh Johnson

This eclectic collection at last brings to a wide audience the irreverent, zany voice of Randall Grahm, visionary California winemaker and founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard. An iconoclastic send-up of the wine industry and a celebration of unsung grape varieties, the book features, among other things, Grahm's hilarious literary parodies--Joyce, Kafka, Pynchon, Salinger, and others--together with song lyrics, other snarky satires, poems, lectures, and more.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Parker's Wine Bargains: The World's Best Wine Values Under $25

Robert M. Parker Jr. & Contributors to Wine Advocate

Robert M. Parker, Jr., earned his international reputation and unprecedented influence as a dedicated consumer advocate -- if a wine isn't worth the money, he says so, regardless of the wine's pedigree. In Parker's Wine Bargains, for the first time he and his Wine Advocate team offer budget-minded wine buyers a handy guide to low-priced wines for both everyday drinking and special occasions.  Organized by country, the book lists more than 1,500 quality wine producers, as well as abbreviated tasting notes for more than 3,000 of the best value wines. Chapters include an overview of each country's wine-producing regions, highlight up-and-coming or underappreciated regions, and detail when wines can be consumed.


(Buy Now on Amazon)

Pierre Gagnaire: Reinventing French Cuisine

Peter Lippmann

Pierre Gagnaire is considered one of the most innovative and artistic chefs working today, renowned for his dazzling combinations of flavors, textures, and ingredients. The owner of restaurants in Paris, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, Gagnaire has become synonymous with adventurous and iconoclastic cooking.  Now, in Pierre Gagnaire: Reinventing French Cuisine, the legendary chef tells the story of his 40-year journey to culinary superstardom. Featuring reflections on Gagnaire’s life and work, along with 40 of his favorite recipes, this is less a cookbook than an inside look at the making of a great chef.

(Buy Now on Amazon)

Vegetable Harvest: Vegetables at the Center of the Plate

Patricia Wells

No one has done more than Patricia to bring the art and techniques of French cooking into American kitchens. Now, in her tenth cookbook, she covers every kind of produce favored by French cooks from north to south. In addition, there are charming profiles of French farmers, home gardeners, and cooks, with sixty-five stunning color photographs.  From arugula to zucchini, Patricia offers up a wealth of dishes that incorporate vegetables, herbs, nuts, legumes, and fruits fresh from the garden. And her recipes aren't limited to summer's bounty—there are plenty for fall squash and winter potatoes, too.


(Buy Now on Amazon)

Michael Mina: The Cookbook

Michael Mina, JoAnn Cianciulli, Andre Agassi, and Karl Petzke

Mina knows that cooks like to master one recipe but then try different flavors with the main ingredient. MICHAEL MINA reveals how to recreate his trio concept, where a master recipe is followed by three flavor variations, each with its own variations and accompanied by side dishes created just for that version. A crispy loin of pork can be served with an orange/carrot, apple/sage, or tomato/corn combination of accompaniments. Although the flavor combinations create a sense of complexity, the recipes themselves are simple.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

II Viaggio Di Vetri: A Culinary Journey

Journey by Marc Vetri, David Joachim, and Douglas Takeshi Wolfe

Philadelphia enjoys one of the country's most dynamic food scenes, and Marc Vetri is its top culinary talent. Mario Batali called Vetri Ristorante "possibly the best Italian restaurant on the East Coast." Vetri's refined rustic-Italian cuisine is on brilliant display in IL VIAGGIO DI VETRI. The recipes showcase the chef's soulful renditions of Italian classics, and accompanying notes by sommelier Jeff Benjamin offer lively lessons on the classic and lesser-known wines of the region. Throughout, Vetri shares tales of his cooking apprenticeship in northern Italy and shows how to bring the lessons he learned there into the home kitchen.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Rick Stein's Complete Seafood: A Step-by-Step Reference

Rick Stein

Fish is the ultimate sophisticated weeknight or company dinner, but it can intimidate even the most nimble home cooks. RICK STEIN'S COMPLETE SEAFOOD offers an almost limitless repertoire, with detailed instructions and extensive charts. Hundreds of photographs and illustrations show how to scale and gut fish for the grill, bake whole fish in a salt or pastry casing, hot-smoke fish, prepare live crabs, and clean and stuff squid, along with other essential techniques.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Cucina of Le Marche: A Chef's Treasury of Recipes from Italy's Last Culinary Frontier

Fabio Trabocchi

Every chef is a product of a place and a tradition. Fabio Trabocchi's soul is in the Italian province of Le Marche. Equidistant from Rome and Florence, Le Marche is on the Adriatic coast, bordered to the north by Emilia-Romagna, to the west by Tuscany and Umbria, and to the south by Lazio and Abruzzo. This geography accounts for the rich variety of Le Marche's food traditions. The first chefs of Le Marche assimilated recipes, ingredients, and techniques from visiting mariners from Greece and North Africa. In his debut cookbook, Trabocchi showcases his signature style of cooking—called "soulful and passionate—not pretentious" by Food & Wine—combining traditional elements of Italian cuisine with a contemporary European sensibility that draws on the many flavors he's experienced throughout his extensive travels and techniques honed at restaurants around the world.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

The Country Cooking of France

Anne Willan and France Ruffenach

Renowned for her cooking school in France and her many best-selling cookbooks, Anne Willan combines years of hands-on experience with extensive research to create a brand new classic. More than 250 recipes range from the time-honored La Truffade, with its crispy potatoes and melted cheese, to the Languedoc specialty Cassoulet de Toulouse, a bean casserole of duck confit, sausage, and lamb. And the desserts! Cr pes au Caramel et Beurre Sal (cr pes with a luscious caramel filling) and Galette Landaise (a rustic apple tart) are magnifique. Sprinkled with intriguing historical tidbits and filled with more than 270 enchanting photos of food markets, villages, harbors, fields, and country kitchens, this cookbook is an irresistible celebration of French culinary culture.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

The New Spanish Table

Anya von Bremzen

Amazing things are happening at the new Spanish table. The sweet-hot pequillos of Navarra turn up in a classic potato tortilla (the beloved omelet found in every tapas bar). Purple-veined Cabrales butter melts across a thick grilled T-bone. Honey is drizzled over eggplant "fries." Chocolate meets olive oil, strawberries meet fennel, vanilla meets salmon. Mysteriously delicious savory ice creams—balsamic vinegar, thyme, saffron—garnish soups and seafoods.

(Buy Now on Amazon)

The Gourmet Cookbook: More than 1000 recipes

Ruth Reichl, John Willoughby, and Zanne Early Stewart

For the past six decades, Gourmet magazine has shaped the tastes of America, publishing the best work of the foremost names in the world of food. To create this landmark cookbook, editor in chief and celebrated authority Ruth Reichl and her staff sifted through more than 50,000 recipes. Many were developed exclusively in Gourmet's test kitchens. Others came from renowned food writers and chefs and from the magazine's far-flung readers. Then the editors embarked on an extraordinary series of cook-offs, testing and retesting each dish to ensure impeccable results.
This collection, the only one of its kind, spans a vast range of cultures and cuisines. With it, you can go back to the time when Beef Wellington ruled the table or prepare something as contemporary as Crispy Artichoke "Flowers" with Salsa Verde.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference: 500 Recipes, 275 Photographs

Elizabeth Schneider

In this timely reference, Elizabeth Schneider divulges the secrets of the vegetable kingdom, sharing a lifetime of scholarly sleuthing and culinary experience. In her capable hands, unfamiliar vegetables such as amaranth become as familiar as zucchini -- while zucchini turns out to be more intriguing than you ever imagined. Each encyclopedic entry includes a full-color identification photo, common and botanical names, and an engaging vegetable "biography" that distills the knowledge of hundreds of authorities in dozens of fields -- scientists, growers, produce distributors, and chefs among them.


(Buy Now on Amazon)

Larousse Gastronomique

Prosper Montagne and Larousse Gastronomique

Since its first publication in 1938, Larousse Gastronomique has been an unparalleled resource. In one volume, it presents the history of foods, eating, and restaurants; cooking terms; techniques from elementary to advanced; a review of basic ingredients with advice on recognizing, buying, storing, and using them; biographies of important culinary figures; and recommendations for cooking nearly everything.
The new edition, the first since 1988, expands the book’s scope from classic continental cuisine to include the contemporary global table, appealing to a whole new audience of internationally conscious cooks. Larousse Gastronomique is still the last word on béchamel and béarnaise, Brillat-Savarin and Bordeaux, but now it is also the go-to source on biryani and bok choy, bruschetta and Bhutan rice.

(Buy Now on Amazon)

Inspired by Ingredients: Market Menus and Family Favorites from a Three-Star Chef

Bill Telepan, Andrew Friedman, and Quentin Bacon

Asked what they want of a chef's cookbook, most readers would reply, good contemporary recipes I can actually make at home. This seemingly simple requirement can sometimes be lost in the rush to deliver signature dishes that serve to support or further reputation. Fortunately, that isn't the case with Inspired by Ingredients by Bill Telepan, formerly chef at Manhattan's Judson Grill, now at his own place Telepan. Noted for his fresh, direct cooking, Telepan gives readers 80-plus recipes for a wide range of year-round dishes.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Inspired by Ingredients: Market Menus and Family Favorites from a Three-Star Chef

Bill Telepan, Andrew Friedman, and Quentin Bacon

Asked what they want of a chef's cookbook, most readers would reply, good contemporary recipes I can actually make at home. This seemingly simple requirement can sometimes be lost in the rush to deliver signature dishes that serve to support or further reputation. Fortunately, that isn't the case with Inspired by Ingredients by Bill Telepan, formerly chef at Manhattan's Judson Grill, now at his own place Telepan. Noted for his fresh, direct cooking, Telepan gives readers 80-plus recipes for a wide range of year-round dishes.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Rover's: Recipes from Seattle's Chef in the Hat

Thierry Rautureau and Cynthia C. Nims

Sporting his trademark fedora, Thierry Rautureau prepares for another night at Rover’s, his four-star restaurant; he is about to create culinary magic. Anyone who has dined at the charming 50-seat Seattle restaurant can testify to the French-born chef ’s exquisite dishes, artful presentations, and attention to creating a warm inviting atmosphere that makes you feel like you’ve stopped by a good friend ’s home for an elegant home-cooked meal. In ROVER ’S, chef Rautureau and Northwest food writer Cynthia Nims present more than 100 recipes, including signature dishes such as Scrambled Eggs with Lime Crème Fraîche and Caviar; Whole Roasted Striped Sea Bass with Fennel, Moroccan Olives, and Thyme Vinegar; Venison Medallions with P Parsnip Ragout, Apricots, and Mustard Sauce; and Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Cake. ROVER’S is truly a celebration of fine ingredients, dedication, perseverance, and delicious creations —all served with a tip of the hat and a French accent.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine

John D. Folse

Chef Folse's seventh cookbook is the authoritative collection on Louisiana's culture and cuisine. The book features more than 850 full-color pages, dynamic historical Louisiana photographs and more than 700 recipes. You will not only find step-by-step directions to preparing everything from a roux to a cochon de lait, but you will also learn about the history behind these recipes. Cajun and Creole cuisine was influenced by seven nations that settled Louisiana, from the Native Americans to the Italian immigrants of the 1800s. Learn about the significant contributions each culture made-okra seeds carried here by African slaves, classic French recipes recalled by the Creoles, the sausage-making skills of the Germans and more.


(Buy Now on Amazon)

After the Hunt: Louisiana's Authoritative Collection of Wild Game & Game Fish Cookery

John D. Folse

After the Hunt explores man's hunting history from cave man through American colonization. Travel through time as ancient man learns to create tools, nets and traps for hunting then, cultivates a gluttonous taste for wild game delicacies and grand game banquets that continue for days. From China to Egypt from Greece to Rome, the hunt was a revered sport that prepared men for war. Visit game parks of the noblemen and review the hunting privileges that were reserved for the aristocracy alone. Through Medieval Europe to the Renaissance the hunt was immortalized in paintings, tapestries, china, furniture, symphonies and song.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

The Country Cooking of France

Anne Willan and France Ruffenach

Renowned for her cooking school in France and her many best-selling cookbooks, Anne Willan combines years of hands-on experience with extensive research to create a brand new classic. More than 250 recipes range from the time-honored La Truffade, with its crispy potatoes and melted cheese, to the Languedoc specialty Cassoulet de Toulouse, a bean casserole of duck confit, sausage, and lamb. And the desserts! Cr pes au Caramel et Beurre Sal (cr pes with a luscious caramel filling) and Galette Landaise (a rustic apple tart) are magnifique. Sprinkled with intriguing historical tidbits and filled with more than 270 enchanting photos of food markets, villages, harbors, fields, and country kitchens, this cookbook is an irresistible celebration of French culinary culture.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

Wine Secrets: Advice from Winemakers, Sommeliers & Connoisseurs

Marnie Old

In Wine Secrets, forty of the world's top wine experts share the tricks, techniques, and wisdom they've learned through decades of experience. Celebrity chef Jacques Pépin shares the best uses for leftover wine in the kitchen. Sommelier Oliver Boru proves that you sometimes can judge a wine by its label. Restaurateur Piero Selvaggio tells diners the best way to send back an unacceptable bottle. Plus tips on tasting, drinking, ordering, storing, and more.
(Buy Now on Amazon)

The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook: A Guide to the World's Best Teas

Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss

In this authoritative guide, veteran tea professionals Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss provide decades of expertise on understanding tea and its origins, the many ways to buy tea, and how to explore and enjoy the six classes of tea (green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and Pu-erh). Additional advice on steeping the perfect cup and storing tea at home, alongside a gallery of more than thirty-fi ve individual teas with tasting notes and descriptions make The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook a singular source of both practical information and rich detail about this fascinating beverage.
(Buy Now on Amazon)