El Bulli 2003-2004

Ferran Adria, Juli Soler, and Albert Adria

Ferran Adria is widely considered to be the most innovative, most influential, and indeed the greatest chef in the world today. Culinary giants like Thomas Keller venerate him. El Bulli, the restaurant where he creates his masterpieces, has become a pilgrimage site of sorts; food connoisseurs from around the world journey down a dizzying coastal road to Roses, Spain to experience his unconventional tasting menu -- often consisting of 25 or more courses. But if you want a reservation, get in line.
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Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food

Evan Goldstein

As thousands of wines from around the globe enter the marketplace and the American palate continues to adopt flavors from a range of cultures, the task of pairing wine and food becomes increasingly complicated. No longer is the choice simply red or white, or wines from California, France, or Italy. The typical shopper today has access to wines from those regions plus South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia. If that isn't confusing enough, Asian, Latin American, and Creole dishes might find their way onto the same table. Perfect Pairings, by well-known Master Sommelier and respected restaurant industry veteran Evan Goldstein, provides straightforward, practical advice for choosing the right bottle for each meal.
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Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide

Thomas Keller and Harold McGee

The secret to sous vide is in discovering the precise amount of heat required to achieve the most sublime results. Through years of trial and error, Keller and his chefs de cuisine have blazed the trail to perfection—and they show the way in this collection of never-before-published recipes from his landmark restaurants—The French Laundry in Napa Valley and per se in New York. With an introduction by the eminent food-science writer Harold McGee, and artful photography by Deborah Jones, who photographed Keller's best-selling The French Laundry Cookbook, this book will be a must for every culinary professional and anyone who wants to up the ante and experience food at the highest level.
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The Complete Keller: The French Laundry Cookbook & Bouchon

Thomas Keller

First there was French Laundry in Napa Valley, setting a new standard for American fine dining. Then there was The French Laundry Cookbook, setting a new standard for American cookbooks. In 1998, Chef Keller opened Bouchon, “so that I’d have a place to eat after cooking all night at the French Laundry,” and that restaurant, too, gave birth to a groundbreaking cookbook. Now, fifteen years after Thomas Keller first set foot in what would become a landmark restaurant, these two extraordinary books are offered in a striking new slipcased edition.
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The Big Fat Duck Cookbook

Heston Blumenthal

This lavishly illustrated, stunningly designed, and gorgeously photographed masterpiece takes you inside the head of maverick restaurateur, Heston Blumenthal. Separated into three sections (History; Recipes; Science), Blumenthal chronicles his improbable background and unorthodox rise to fame and, for the first time ever, offers a mouth-watering and eyes-widening selection of recipes from his award-winning restaurant. He also explains the science behind his culinary masterpieces, the technology and implements that make his alchemic dishes come to life.
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In Search of Perfection

Heston Blumenthal

Egg & Bacon Ice Cream at his internationally acclaimed restaurant, The Fat Duck. Heston decided, though, that it was time to go back to both his and our roots and to focus his creative talent on reinventing some of our most well-known and abused dishes. In order to do this he travelled around the world in search of 'perfect' versions of eight dishes which represent the essence of our culinary heritage: Roast Chicken & Roast Potatoes Pizza Bangers & Mash Steak Spaghetti Bolognese Fish & Chips Black Forest Gateau Treacle Tart & Ice Cream Everybody's idea of 'perfection' is different, and so Heston, drawing on interviews with experts and cooks as well as using his own culinary and scientific research, sets out to discover what makes these standards so great.
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Further Adventures in Search of Perfection: Reinventing Kitchen Classics

Heston Blumenthal

In this intriguing volume, Heston investigates every aspect of eight classic dishes: Trifle, Baked Alaska, Fish Pie, Hamburgers, Peking Duck, Chicken Tikka Masala, Risotto, and Chilli Con Carne. Along with helpful tips on how to select ingredients and cook each meal to perfection, information on the cultural traditions and history surrounding them is also provided. Lavishly illustrated and filled with insightful information from both in and out of the kitchen, this is a unique and tasty treat for aspiring culinary perfectionists.
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Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

Professor Hervé This and Professor Malcolm DeBevoise

Molecular Gastronomy, This's first work to appear in English, is filled with practical tips, provocative suggestions, and penetrating insights. This begins by reexamining and debunking a variety of time-honored rules and dictums about cooking and presents new and improved ways of preparing a variety of dishes from quiches and quenelles to steak and hard-boiled eggs. He goes on to discuss the physiology of flavor and explores how the brain perceives tastes, how chewing affects food, and how the tongue reacts to various stimuli. Examining the molecular properties of bread, ham, foie gras, and champagne, the book analyzes what happens as they are baked, cured, cooked, and chilled.
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Building a Meal: From Molecular Gastronomy to Culinary Constructivism (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

Professor Hervé This and Professor Malcolm DeBevoise

An internationally renowned chemist, popular television personality, and bestselling author, Herve This heads the first laboratory devoted to molecular gastronomy& the scientific exploration of cooking and eating. By the testing recipes that have guided cooks for centuries, and the various dictums and maxims on which they depend, Herve This unites the head with the hand in order to defend and transform culinary practice.With this new book, Herve This's scientific project enters an exciting new phase. Considering the preparation of six bistro favorites; hard-boiled egg with mayonnaise, simple consomme, leg of lamb with green beans, steak with French fries, lemon meringue pie, and chocolate mousse; he isolates the exact chemical properties that tickle our senses and stimulate our appetites. More important, he connects the mind and the stomach, identifying methods of culinary construction that appeal to our memories, intelligence, and creativity.
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World Atlas of Wine

Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson

Hailed by critics worldwide as "extraordinary" and "irreplaceable," there are few volumes that have had as monumental an impact in their field as Hugh Johnson's The World Atlas of Wine: sales have exceeded four million copies, and it is now published in thirteen languages.World-renowned authors Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson once again combine their unrivalled talents to enhance this masterpiece of wine knowledge.
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Eating Animals

Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer spent much of his teenage and college years oscillating between omnivore and vegetarian. But on the brink of fatherhood-facing the prospect of having to make dietary choices on a child's behalf-his casual questioning took on an urgency His quest for answers ultimately required him to visit factory farms in the middle of the night, dissect the emotional ingredients of meals from his childhood, and probe some of his most primal instincts about right and wrong.
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Gourmet Game Night: Bite-Sized, Mess-Free Eating for Board-Game Parties, Bridge Clubs, Poker Nights, Book Groups, and More

Cynthia Nims

Have you ever accompanied an evening of game-playing with a bowl of salty chips or slabs of pizza? If so, you know that greasy fingers can be a distraction, with players interrupting the game to grab napkins or even lick their fingers—immediately before grabbing the communal spinner. Gourmet Game Night has the solution: instead of relying on conventional convenience snacks and standbys, you’ve got imaginative, homemade options; instead of greasy hands and game pieces, you’ve got mess-free, bite-sized snacks.

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Secrets of a Skinny Chef: 100 Decadent, Guilt-Free Recipes

Jennifer Iserloh

With recipes that deliver great taste without adding inches to the hips, Secrets of a Skinny Chef shows you how to indulge your comfort-food cravings without the guilt. In this collection of 100 recipes, America’s favorites get the "Skinny" treatment with scrumptious offerings such as Maple Apple Waffles for breakfast and 7-Minute Salmon and Scalloped Sweet Potatoes for dinner. Even for those who are dieting, desserts such as Tiramisu Parfait and Crustless Apple Pie stay on the menu.
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Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas

Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas

Two mothers in London wanted to produce cupcakes from natural ingredients, using no preservatives and no artificial colors, ingredients, or flavors. And, equally important, they wanted them to look amazing and totally distinctive. They went to the US, to Italy, to Australia, and to the Philippines in search of original and appealing decorations, flowers, sprinkles, animals, butterflies. These simple recipes are for every possible occasion and public holiday, from Valentine's Day to Halloween, from weddings to birthdays.
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The Butcher and the Vegetarian: One Woman's Romp Through a World of Men, Meat, and Moral Crisis

Tara Austen Weaver

Growing up in a family that kept jars of bean sprouts on its windowsill before such things were desirable or hip, Tara Austen Weaver never thought she'd stray from vegetarianism. But as an adult, she found herself in poor health, and, having tried cures of every kind, a doctor finally ordered her to eat meat. Warily, she ventured into the butcher shop, and as the man behind the counter wrapped up her first-ever chicken, she found herself charmed. Eventually, he dared her to cook her way through his meat counter.
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Food Styling

Delores Custer

Behind every mouthwatering image of food is a dedicated food stylist whose job it is to consider, plan, and perfect every detail from the curve of an apple stem to the fan of a shrimp tail. In Food Styling, master stylist Delores Custer presents the definitive reference in the field—complete with detailed information on essential tools and useful equipment, step-by-step guidance on achieving the perfect shot, and a wealth of tried-and-true techniques for everything from voluminous frostings to mile-high sandwiches. Based on her thirty years of experience styling for advertising, magazines, books, television, and film, Custer shares her expert guidance on how to achieve stunning visual perfection for all media.
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Food Lovers' Guide to Brooklyn: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants, and Events

Sherri Eisenberg

The ultimate guide to the food scene in Brooklyn; Food Lovers' Guide to Brooklyn provides the inside scoop on the best places to find, enjoy, and celebrate local culinary offerings.  Engagingly written by local author Sherri Eisenberg; this new title is written for residents and visitors alike to find producers and purveyors of tasty local specialties, as well as a rich array of other, indispensable food-related information.


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Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens

Jennifer Schaertl

In her debut cookbook, Jennifer Schaertl tackles the myths about gourmet cooking (you don't need expensive cutlery and a gazillion ingredients!) and shows you how to make delectable meals despite the lack of counter space. Everything from appetizers and salads to soups and one-pot wonders to side dishes and entrees, and of course, dessert is included along with Jennifer's tried-and-true advice for working with limited space, appliances, cookware, and ingredients all on a limited budget.


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Falling Off the Bone

Jean Anderson

Falling Off the Bone dishes up quintessential comfort food—recipes that are ideal for virtually any tough cut of beef, pork, lamb, or veal. Anderson shows you how to use slow cooking methods like braising, pot- roasting, and simmering to coax amazing flavors out of the most common and affordable cuts.

   
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Nonna Tell Me a Story: Lidia's Christmas Kitchen

Lidia Bastianich and Laura Logan

America’s favorite Italian-American cook, Lidia Bastianich, shares the story of the Christmases she used to celebrate in Italy with her five grandchildren.

When Lidia was a child, she spent Christmas with her grandparents, where she learned to cook with her Nonna Rosa by preparing food in their smokehouse and kitchen. Lidia and her brother would also find a big beautiful juniper bush to cut down for their holiday tree. And they made their own holiday decorations with nuts, berries, and herbs they collected for their meals.


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How to Squeeze a Lemon: 1,023 Kitchen Tips, Food Fixes, and Handy Techniques

Fine Cooking Magazine

Ever wonder how to cut lemon wedges so they won’t squirt you in the eye? Or what to do with those overgrown zucchinis from the garden? How to save that bread that just won’t rise? In How to Squeeze a Lemon, home cooks and chefs alike will find a delightful and nearly endless source of cooking information reference. The follow-up to the IACP-award winning, How to Break an Egg, the wonderfully informative and entertaining How to Squeeze a Lemon is chock full of more than 1,000 fresh tips, kitchen-tested techniques, and smart substitutions that bedevil cooks every day.
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The Juice 2010-11: The Easy Guide To The Best Wine

Matt Skinner

Well-known as one of the world's funkiest sommeliers, Skinner includes 100 inimitable selections for 2010 in this breezy and accessible volume written especially for the US market.
Recognizing that what we want to drink depends on the occasion, Matt divides his selections into five sections: Drink, Give, Dine, Splurge and Stash. Add to this Matt's Juice Awards for his best wines and producers of the year, lots of juicy wine tips, plus a guide to grape varieties and you have today's freshest and most appealing wine guide.
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Shinin' Times at The Fort, stories,recipes and celebrations at the landmark Colorado restaurant

Holly Arnold Kinney, Mary Goodbody, and Lois Ellen Frank photography

Part memoire, part cookbook with beautiful photography from Award winning photographer, Lois Ellen Frank, author Holly Kinney lovingly tells the stories behind the recipes that have long been favorites at the world renowned restaurant, The Fort, which was also her family's home. Historic recipes with a modern twist from rattlenake to how to cook buffalo and game, to lucious desserts is a must for gift giving! Reviews for the book include: Mimi Sheraton, Contributor to the New York Times, Vanity Fair and Time magazine: "This georgeous book with its tempting, do-able recipes and almost edible photographs is a fitting tribute to The Fort, an American treasure. It amply reflects the high quality and festivities guests enjoy at this truly unique restaurant that celebrates our historic Western Kitchen with lusty, delectable and underrepresenteded fare." Steve Raichlen, Author of Planet BBQ and host of Primal Grill on PBS: "The Fort is a living legend , not to mention an important piece of Americana and one of the best places to experience authentic Western cooking. The roasted buffalo marrow bones alone are worth the journey." Barbara Kafka, Author of Vegetable Love: "It is with great pleasure that I recommend the new cookbook, Shinin Times at The Fort.
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Mr. Sunday's Soups

Lorraine Wallace and Chris Wallace

Known to millions as the anchor of Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace-"Mr. Sunday"-is one of the most popular news show hosts in the country. After a long day on air, Chris would often arrive home hungry and delight at the sight of a big pot of his wife Lorraine's soup on the burner. Lorraine may not be a professional cook, but you wouldn't know it from her soups!  In fact, her soups were so good that Chris couldn't help but rave about them on-air. Before long, the show's fans were begging him to share his wife's wonderful recipes. Now, in Mr. Sunday's Soups, Lorraine Wallace shares a wide variety of soups that are sure to please the whole family.


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