Everyday Cooking

America’s Test Kitchen. The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 recipes from 20 years of America’s most trusted cooking magazine. (2011) ISBN 9781933615899 $25.96
Perfect for fans of the PBS show or subscribers to Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Covers everything from pancakes to pizza to pastry and all that falls in between. As the title implies, there are no photos, only hand drawn illustrations. A valuable reference book.

Oliver, Jamie. Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals. (2009) ISBN 9781401310479 $12.88 pbk.
Designed to help everyone from beginners to accomplished cooks make simple, affordable, nutritious meals. Full color, step-by-step photos. Especially popular with novice cooks.

Waters, Alice. The Art of Simple Food. (2007) ISBN 9780307336798 $19.98
Truly a classic and indispensible resource. Recipes are timeless and approachable. No photos, but an elegant book which explains not only the ‘how’ in cooking, but the ‘why’ so home cooks gain a better understanding of certain techniques.

Waters, Alice. In the Green Kitchen: techniques to learn by heart. (2010) ISBN 9780307336804 $17.92
An excellent reference. Great for beginners who want to learn the basics; recipes are generally short and to the point. Simple, elegant photos and a variety of well-known contributors.

Deen, Paula and Melissa Clark. Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible: the New Classic Guide to Delicious Dishes with more than 300 Recipes. (2011) ISBN 9781416564072 $16.71
Comfort food abounds in this popular TV chef’s most recent book. Covers “from Cajun to Low-Country and beyond”, lovers of Southern food should enjoy this mix of new and traditional recipes. Helpful tips and explanations throughout.

French Cooking

Child, Julia. Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (1961) ISBN 9780375413407 $21.71
The timeless and seminal work on French cooking. Something every home cook should own, even if only for the novelty. May look intimidating to the novice but is truly workable and highly instructive. Accompanied by beautifully drawn illustrations.

Pepin, Jacques. Essential Pepin: more than 700 all-time favorites from my life in food. (2011) ISBN 9780547232799 $26.40
A comprehensive (and huge!) collection of recipes from the famous chef’s six-decade career. Chock full of tips and tidbits of wisdom, this magnum opus is accompanied by a DVD which helps demonstrate the many techniques covered throughout the book.

Greenspan, Dorie. Around My French Table. (2010) ISBN 9780618875535 $26.40
Classic French cooking with a modern twist. A beautiful book-gorgeous photographs illustrate simple, accessible recipes. A relaxed approach to an often intimidating cuisine. Helpful sidebars include suggested accompaniments, make-ahead potential and storability.

Galmiche, Daniel. French Brasserie Cookbook : the heart of French home cooking. (2011) ISBN 9781844839971 $22.08 Easy to make traditional French recipes with a bit of modern flair. Great for lovers of French cuisine who think it might be hard to cook. The author uses easy to find ingredients and provides clear directions.

Italian Cooking

Hazan, Marcella. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. (1992) ISBN 9780394584041 $20.98
Truly essential. Perfect for seasoned home cooks and novices alike as recipes range in complexity from three ingredient sauces to multi-step homemade pastas. No photos but very precise instructions.

Esposito, Mary Ann. Ciao Italia Family Classics : more than 200 treasured recipes from three generations of Italian cooks. (2011) ISBN 9780312571214 $23.95
The latest from the popular PBS chef, with plenty of new recipes and mouth-watering photos. Includes essays about Italian cooking and family traditions throughout.

Baking

Mathiot, Ginette. The Art of French Baking. (2011) ISBN 9780714862576 $29.40
Definitive collection of authentic French pastry and dessert recipes. From Tarte Tatin and Hazelnut Petit Fours to Cherry Tartlets and Choux Buns, it contains more than 350 simple recipes that anyone can follow at home.

Lahey, Jim. My Bread: the Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. (2009) ISBN 9780393066302 $15.69
Great for novice bakers as Lahey provides step-by-step instructions alongside step-by-step full color photographs. Ingredient measurements are given in both volume and weight to minimize errors.

Chang, Joanne. Flour : spectacular recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe. (2010) ISBN 9780811869447 $18.84
A local favorite. Over 150 recipes plus essential baking tips from the shelf. Everything from breakfast treats to desserts, including homemade versions of popular American treats such as Pop-Tarts and Oreos.

Haedrich, Ken. Pie : 300 tried-and-true recipes for delicious homemade pie. (2004) ISBN 9781558322547 $15.74 Everything you need to know about making the perfect pie crust, plus 300 ways to fill it. Intrepid pie makers will be pleased with the recommendations throughout for other cookbooks and magazines, and the list of resources includes useful information on baker’s catalogues, fruit farms and nut growers.

Coffee Table Cookbooks

Keller, Thomas. Bouchon. (2004) ISBN 9781579652395 $30.56
Too big and beautiful to hide away. Named after Keller’s Napa Valley French bistro, Bouchon is his successful attempt to bring the restaurant recipes home. Not for the novice or busy weeknights, this is the book to turn to when company is coming. Stunning photographs.

Keller, Thomas. Ad Hoc at Home. (2009) ISBN 9781579653774 $27.89
Named for another of Keller’s Napa Valley restaurants, Ad Hoc is his nod to casual dining. Recipes include fried chicken and burgers and, like everything Keller does, very specific instructions. More approachable than Bouchon, but still may be intimidating to beginners. Vibrant color photographs and frequent explanations of technique.

Men / Meat and Potatoes

Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh. The River Cottage Meat Book. (2007) ISBN 9781580088435 $25.60
An authoritative ode to good meat is “one part manifesto on high-quality, local, and sustainable meat production; two parts guide to choosing and storing meats and fowl; and three parts techniques and recipes for roasting, cooking, barbecuing, preserving, and processing meats and getting the most out of leftovers.” Includes more than 100 recipes and more than 200 full-color photographs.

Guggiana, Marissa. Primal Cuts: Cooking with America’s Best Butchers. (2010) ISBN 9781599620886 $24.75 Includes 50 profiles and portraits of America’s best butchers (including some from the greater Boston area), 100 meat recipes for the home cook, practical advice on techniques and tools, hundreds of diagrams, illustrations, and photos as well as home butchering how-to. Not for the faint of heart.

Health-Focused Cooking

Madison, Deborah. Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets. (2002) ISBN 9780767929493 $16.58 pbk
Covering markets around the country from Vermont to Hawaii, Madison emphasizes seasonal, regional ingredients found in farmers’ markets and roadside farm stands. While some recipes contain meat or poultry, the focus is on vegetables. Lovely color photographs.

Henry, Diana. Plenty: Good, Uncomplicated Food for the Sustainable Kitchen. (2010) ISBN 9781845335731 $19.79
Over 300 recipes ranging from deceptively simple to delightfully complex. Contains tips on how to spend less, waste less, and eat better. Unusual ingredient pairings. Emphasis on healthy cooking.

Ottolenghi, Yotam. Plenty : vibrant recipes from London’s Ottolenghi. (2011) ISBN 9781452101248 $21.02
All vegetarian recipes with enticing photos, inspired by Mediterranean traditions. 120 recipes featuring exciting flavors and fresh combinations. Thoughtful and helpful commentary throughout.

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