My Favorites: Cookbooks
Truth be told, I’m not a recipe follower. Well, that’s not entirely true. I like to follow recipes about 80% but somewhere around that mark I veer off track and put my own spin on the dish. I'm also not a book reader either, but I absolutely adore reading cookbooks. I can sit and read a cookbook from front cover to back cover in an hour, but if you put me in front of a chapter book it would take me about 6 years to complete it. Maybe there’s a theme here - I beat to my own drum…? Or I’m just terrible at following directions!
To me, when you read a cookbook it’s as if you’re looking into someone’s life. I’ve rarely read a cookbook that doesn’t discuss the author’s grandparents or parents and recipes that have been passed from generation to generation. I’ve never really read one that doesn’t mention friends and gatherings around food. I find that recipes are parallels to how people live. Think about it, you wouldn’t write a gluten free cookbook if you aren’t gluten free, right? Or you wouldn’t write a book about meat if you’re a vegetarian. Cookbooks are a true reflection of who a person is, how they live, and what they like.
Here’s some of the cookbooks that I go back to time and time again. These are the books I proudly display in my apartment as if I’m friends with the authors - Hey @Inagarten, lunch this weekend?! - I wish…
Any and I mean ANY Ina Garten cookbook - To me, Back to Basics and How Easy is That?! keep me coming back again and again. Every single recipe Ina includes in her books comes out perfectly every time. Must try recipe: Beatty’s Chocolate Cake
Claudia Roden - The Food of Italy - I discovered this book when I was studying in Florence. The book is broken into sections based on the regions of Italy so you get a great scope of what true Italians love to eat.
Einat Admony - Balaboosta - If you find yourself in NYC you *must* eat at Balaboosta. The cookbook is so lovely and such a love note to family. Must try recipe: Harissa Paste and Preserved Lemons which you can use in so many dishes.
Somin Nostrat - Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - If you’re at all unfamiliar with Samin Nosrat you must watch her series on Netflix titled the same. This book breaks down the essential elements of cooking in such a smart way. Must try recipe: Homemade Caesar Salad with from-scratch made Caesar dressing.
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt - The Food Lab - This is an amazing cookbook that breaks down the science behind cooking. If you want to know why you should do certain things when cooking, this is your go to book!
Yotam Ottolenghi - Plenty - The king of making vegetables taste great! Ottolenghi is a pro when it comes to inventive ways to make average ingredients interestingly delicious and interesting. No worries if you have any dietary restrictions there’s something for everyone in this book and almost all the recipes can be made into an entree or side dish, so there’s something for every dinner party!