Best Cooking, Food & Wine Reference
Readers will learn to work more intuitively and effectively with ingredients; experiment with temperature and texture; excite the nose and palate with herbs, spices, and other seasonings; and balance the sensual, emotional, and spiritual elements of an extraordinary meal. An alphabetical index of flavors and ingredients, the book allows readers to search complimentary combinations for a particular ingredient (over 70 flavors go well with chickpeas; over 100 are listed for oranges), emphasizing the classics (chives with eggs, nutmeg with cream, sardines and olive oil, etc.).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs. Amazing book, always fun to experiment with different ingredients."
"Indispensable book for me as a food writer and recipe developer."
"It's really the Bible of cooking I like this book."
"I don't know why I didn't buy this book before."
"If you know how to cook, this may be the best cookbook out there."
"As someone who fell in love with cooking rather late in life, this book is a fabulous reference!"
"If you dig cooking and/or baking and love working with interesting flavor pairings, get this book!"
New York Times Bestseller. Named one of the Best Books of 2017 by NPR, Buzzfeed, The. Atlantic , The. Washington Post , Chicago Tribune , Rachel Ray Every Day , San Francisco Chronicle , Vice Munchies, Elle.com, Glamour , Eater, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune , The Seattle Times , Tampa Bay Times , Tasting Table, Modern Farmer , Publishers Weekly, and more. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes—and dozens of variations—to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs. "Just reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will make you a better cook, adept at seasoning, balancing, understanding what it really is you’re doing and why... Make room on the bedside table—and the countertop." "My favorite metacookbook...[Nosrat] offers a beautifully simple checklist for ensuring a dish ends up in a good place...This is the book of cooking grammar that so many novices would benefit from... Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is written smoothly and casually, and kept breezy via charming watercolors by the perceptive Bay Area artist Wendy MacNaughton...Nosrat’s book would be of value both to people who don’t consider themselves cooks and to people actively striving to become better ones." "A cookbook that will make you a better cook...with helpful, charming illustrations from artist Wendy MacNaughton." Samin Nosrat just published “Salt Fat Acid Heat — Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking” and I daresay this one is essential...That’s the fabulous thing about this book — it teaches readers about cooking, how to employ various techniques, and how to grasp that any subtle variations in technique can have significant impacts upon our end results. It is possible to learn how to cook great food...This book is bound to become an indispensable addition to cookbook shelves throughout America." "Nosrat’s beautiful, approachable book demonstrates how these four are the only elements necessary to make delicious meals anywhere, any time."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Best text about cooking I've ever read."
"I've always loved the "why" in cooking and baking (like the Cooks Illustrated approach and The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science) - but I love that she narrows it down to four basic elements. But this books and others, like Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking are important because they give you the tools to innovate and recipes become starting points. I wish I had this book 20 years ago when I started seriously cooking."
"I love the fold out on p. 193 "what should I cook" that advises to go back and read the book through before you practice...a brilliant observation that the book is about "the journey, not the destination" as are so many things we pursue and experience."
"Not a collection of recipes, though the book does contain recipes, but a clear, thoughtful and good humored explanation of the major elements of cooking -- salt, fat, acid and heat."
"Colorful doodles keep you engaged and having fun while learning, as well as a helpful guide on what to always have stocked in terms of spices and bare necessity kitchen utensils."
"And it wasn't until I opened Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat that I started to believe that culinary magic is a skill that is taught and learned -- anyone can be a great cook. She then spent time and traveled the world learning more about cooking techniques, met Michael Pollan (who she took classes and learned a great deal from), and took over two decades writing this book. Part reference guide, part traditional recipe book, Salt Fat Acid Heat works to teach people how to become truly great cooks by understanding the basic underlying elements of cooking (which of course are salt -- flavour enhancer, fat -- carries flavour/builds texture, acid -- balances flavours, and heat -- the way to create textures). In some ways this photo-less book reminds me of The Joy of Cooking or Mastering the Art of French Cooking but Nosrat and her artful illustrator, Wendy MacNaughton, have created playful and useful info-graphics to help pictorialize techniques, ingredients, and dishes. It's also fair to point out, since many of you visit my site expecting vegetarian or vegan cookbooks, Salt Fat Acid Heat is really neither of those (there are sections on cooking meat) but I feel that this book looks to teach general elements of cooking which can be applied to any dietary preferences. For people who know me I’m a fairly talented cook and I think I had gotten to a point that I thought I knew what there was to know about cooking because my food looked and tasted okay. The element I've really taken away from this incredible book is that part of becoming a truly great and skilled cook is to become more thoughtful. I am (almost) exclusively a cook-from-recipe home cook and from Nosrat I learned how to explore new techniques, trust my instincts and really enjoy the time I spend in the kitchen. So I boiled up the cobs to make the stock, then heated the butter to cook the onions (which I cooked until blond). But thought is needed with knowing how to cook/when to apply which technique and she left me feeling released from the notion that there is only one way to cook an onion -- as she says, [Y]ou don't need to caramelize every onion you cook. In my opinion this is a book you need to take your time with, try recipes, practice techniques, and find joy in the simple art of cooking."
"Great sketches that are humorous and informative."
"Excellent Cook Book, Worthy of being in your best CookBook Library!"
Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine will help you make sense of it all in a unique infographic wine book. Designed by the creators of WineFolly.com, which has won Wine Blogger of the Year from the International Wine & Spirits Competition, this book combines sleek, modern information design with data visualization and gives readers pragmatic answers to all their wine questions, including: Court of Masters, Certified Sommelier (Level 2) 40 Under 40, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2015-2016 Wine Blogger of the Year, International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2013-14 Top Wine Writer, Quora, 2012.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The page that explains how to write useful personal wine notes, for example, instantly organizes the way you do your evaluations of wine."
"Wine Folly does not only provide data about several kinds of wines but also explanes the art of wine tasting and evaluation."
"It talks about how to taste wine how to “eye” the wine, how to compare it, and, really breaks down the wine experience for anybody who aspires to be a wine connoisseur."
"VERY NICE coffee table book !"
"Great book and I've learned a lot about wines so far."
"This wine book is phenomenal!"
"Having the book in hand now allows me to provide visuals for every aspect of wine discussion."
"Perfect if you need a basic overview of wine."
Best French Cooking, Food & Wine
This boxed set brings together Mastering the Art of French Cooking, first published in 1961, and its sequel, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume Two, published in 1970. Mastering the Art of French Cooking is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food and long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. Out of their discoveries they made, for Volume Two, a brilliant selection of precisely those recipes that not only add to the repertory but, above all, bring the reader to a new level of mastery of the art of French cooking. Praise for Julia Child and Mastering the Art of French Cooking “Julia Child paved the way for Chez Panisse and so many others by demystifying French food and by reconnecting pleasure and delight with cooking and eating at the table. the grande dame of cooking, who has touched all of our lives with her immense respect and appreciation of cuisine.” —Emeril Lagasse, Emeril’s Restaurant. She has taken the fear out of the term ‘haute cuisine.’ She has increased gastronomic awareness a thousandfold by stressing the importance of good foundation and technique, and she has elevated our consciousness to the refined pleasures of dining. By doing so, she greatly expanded the audience for all serious food writers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Beautiful set, books are great, they looked great and worth the money."
"My daughter is a young culinary student, and she asked for these."
"Fine quality set of books, I would buy again in an instant."
"great reading."
"Beautiful books!"
"who doesn't like Julia Child !"
"A gift for my daughter, very nice."
"Have my own gave this as a gift, then bought one for our other home."
Best Professional Cooking
Now, the ninth edition features an all-new, user-friendly design that guides readers through each cooking technique, starting with a basic formula, outlining the method at-a-glance, offering expert tips, covering each method with beautiful step-by-step photography, and finishing with recipes that use the basic techniques. "Well-researched and documented, The Culinary Institute of America's latest offering includes the essential tools to become a successful modern chef. " The Professional Chef continues to be an incredibly valuable reference guide that we keep handy in all our restaurant kitchens." "This important book is a classic resource, an indispensable reference for both the professional and serious home cook."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Despite learning much on my own over the years, I wanted slightly more information on technique and skill than can often be seen in cooking videos and TV shows. It is filled with pages of incredibly useful information, such as various cooking methods, different proteins and their cuts, how to identify grains and spices, how to cook what, and so much more - really, everything you need to know. If you don't need to cook for more than yourself and one other person, be prepared to learn how to scale down (learning is never a bad thing)."
"As Monsieur Paul says, it's the Bible for all chefs including amateurs (me :))."
"A must-have if you're serious about cooking."
"Got this for my boyfriend and he loved it!"
"This was a gift for my boyfriend who was graduating from culinary school.....He absolutely loves this book."
"This was a gift."
"Bought this book for my husband."
"Great book for pros."
Best Portuguese Cooking
Discover 250 Paleo and 250 Ketogenic Recipe for Instant Pot Recipes for breakfast, dinner, lunch, snacks, desserts Save you time, money and energy: all recipes are easy to cook Improve your health: all recipes are healthy and well balanced Increase your happiness: happiness and food are highly connected.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book has a good variety of recipes."
"Good book!"
"This is one of the best instant pot cookbooks on the market."
"With the step by step procedure, you will know how to make all the recipes, even if you are a newer of cooking recipes, you can complete a very good flavored dish!"
"One of the best purchases we ever made.Great book for preparing food in instant pot."
"It has many recipes and most of them are very useful for me. I liked that recipes are easy to cook, well balanced and healthy."
"The recipes & tips are great.Very good book for people who are new to cooking in the instant pot."
"I have been having my instant pot around for quite some time already but never owned a cookbook for it."
Best Culinary Arts & Techniques
The #1 bestselling author and Food Network personality at last answers that age-old question—“What's for Dinner?”—bringing together more than 125 simple, scrumptious, step-by-step recipes for delicious dinners the whole family will love.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl for straight comfort food. Ree’s books have photos of both the finished dish and photos of the process making the dish, which makes her books terrific to empower teenagers to get going independently, and feel really proud bringing those yummy dishes to smiling people at the table. Pictured below: 1) Huevos Rancheros – p6, with Enchilada Sauce – p8, and Pico De Gallo – p23. She has you make them in those cute little disposable tins if you’re going to freeze them. One is to add a red bell pepper, and my husband had just brought one in from the garden, so that went in, too. I am embarrassed to say that I was wondering what sort of bowls Ree had that these 4 servings could fit in. It's a make ahead and just needs 40 minutes in the oven when you're ready."
"There is also several sections on different types of side dishes and even desserts so readers can mix and match main dishes with the sides and desserts they like to make a complete meal. I was especially pleased with the section on freezer meals. While basic and certainly not an attempt to be a treatise on the subject, this section gives readers the opportunity to prepare staples to keep frozen and then provides several different ways that those frozen staples can be used to make different meals."
"The purpose of the cookbook is tactile: Some of us just like holding a book of lovely recipes in our hands, flipping the pages and attaching sticky notes all over it.. Well, I've flipped the pages of this book and I give it five stars."
"So I have been a stay at home mom for 15 years, and I have been working full time now for 5 months. (cook, bake, take care of kids, grocery shopping, etc) Now that I'm working, I don't want my family eating the crap from fast food or pre made food from the stores (too many add ins that aren't good for you). I have bought cook books before (none of hers) and was disappointed because the ingredients were either too expensive or there was only a couple of recipes that my family would actually eat."
Best Gastronomy History
George R. R. Martin’s bestselling saga A Song of Ice and Fire and the runaway hit HBO series Game of Thrones are renowned for bringing Westeros’s sights and sounds to vivid life. A passion project from superfans and amateur chefs Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer—and endorsed by George R. R. Martin himself— A Feast of Ice and Fire lovingly replicates a stunning range of cuisines from across the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. In all, A Feast of Ice and Fire contains more than 100 recipes, divided by region: • The Wall: Rack of Lamb and Herbs; Pork Pie; Mutton in Onion-Ale Broth; Mulled Wine; Pease Porridge • The North: Beef and Bacon Pie; Honeyed Chicken; Aurochs with Roasted Leeks; Baked Apples • The South: Cream Swans; Trout Wrapped in Bacon; Stewed Rabbit; Sister’s Stew; Blueberry Tarts • King’s Landing: Lemon Cakes; Quails Drowned in Butter; Almond Crusted Trout; Bowls of Brown; Iced Milk with Honey • Dorne: Stuffed Grape Leaves; Duck with Lemons; Chickpea Paste • Across the Narrow Sea: Biscuits and Bacon; Tyroshi Honeyfingers; Wintercakes; Honey-Spiced Locusts. There’s even a guide to dining and entertaining in the style of the Seven Kingdoms. Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer co-run Inn at the Crossroads, a popular food blog based on A Song of Ice and Fire.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I unfortunately ordered The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook: From Direwolf Ale to Auroch Stew - More Than 150 Recipes from Westeros and Beyond before this one (my incessant need to buy anything asoiaf-related), and it was a disappointent. There's the Wall, the north, the south, King's Landing, Dorne, and across the Narrow Sea. They do this for a LOT of recipes and I think it's a really neat idea, since medieval dishes can be too unusual for some people's palates or too complex to make. With its beautiful, glossy pictures and pages, varieties of recipes, and best of all - GRRM's stamp of approval, you can't go wrong with this."
"Big fan of the show, not only is it a perfect addition to my cookbook collection, but now I'm ready to make EPIC FEASTS!"
"Beautiful pictures, delicious recipes, fantastic tidbits of information, and this cookbook is easy to read - what's not to love?"
"This is an awesome book for someone interested in the series and makes for a really fun gift that is outside of the norm."
"I tried the Oat cakes with black berries and used the 10 suggested and it turned that half of the recipe into black berry soup."
"The book as common replacements for the medieval ingredients that would normally need to be used."
"I like that they have the old recipe followed by an updated version."
"Lots of interesting recipes to follow."
Best Gastronomy Essays
This new classic of American country cooking proves that the food of Deep Run, North Carolina--Vivian's home--is as rich as any culinary tradition in the world. Organized by ingredient with dishes suited to every skill level--from beginners to confident cooks--DEEP RUN ROOTS features time-honored simple preparations alongside extraordinary meals from her acclaimed restaurant Chef and the Farmer. Recipes include: Family favorites like Blueberry BBQ Chicken, Creamed Collard-Stuffed Potatoes, Fried Yams with Five-Spice Maple Bacon Candy, Chicken and Rice, and Country-Style Pork Ribs in Red Curry-Braised Watermelon, Crowd-pleasers like Butterbean Hummus, Tempura-Fried Okra with Ranch Ice Cream, Pimiento Cheese Grits with Salsa and Pork Rinds, Cool Cucumber Crab Dip, and Oyster Pie, Show-stopping desserts like Warm Banana Pudding, Peaches and Cream Cake, Spreadable Cheesecake, and Pecan-Chewy Pie, And 200 more quick breakfasts, weeknight dinners, holiday centerpieces, seasonal preserves, and traditional preparations for all kinds of cooks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I opened it half an hour ago and devoured the first 65 pages immediately and had a hard time putting it down. Some recipes (Stewed Fresh Butterbeans, Watermelon Rind Pickles) are an homage to tradition but of course Vivian has also gifted us with many recipes that have her distinctive modern twist (think Fried Green Tomatoes with Curried Peach Preserves & Whipped Feta or Boiler Room Butterbean Burger) this book is an incredible gift to the food obsessed and to the A Chefs Life obsessed! I have previously made her Blueberry BBQ sauce and (although the smell is well, lets say, rather distinctive as it's cooking) it is wonderful! Vivian has imbued this book with her signature honest, down to earth, relatable "best foodie friend that I don't actually know" storytelling style that fans of her show are familiar with, and like me were no doubt hoping would carry over into her first book. As you read it (if you are anything like me) you will hear every word in Vivians voice :). Each chapter is dedicated to an ingredient. Ground Corn - Moms Cornpone, Charred Spring Vegetables wtih Creamy Scallion Dressing and Hushpuppy Croutons. Oysters - Roasted Oysters with Brown Butter Hot Sauce and Bacon, Oyster and Clam Pan Roast wtih Bacon Fat Toast. Pecans - Butter Baked Turkey with Pecan Cranberry Relish adn Warm Sorghum Viniagrette, Speice Pecan and Pumpkin Seed Crumble. Beans and Peas - SHrimp Succotash Salad, Refried Field Peas with Cheesy Grit Fritters and Celery Cilantro Salad. Figs - Fig & Honey Bourban Slush, Baked Figs & Goat Cheese with Carmelized Onions and Pecans, Whole Fruit Fig & Lemon Preserves. Rice - Scarletts Chicken and Rice, Sprouted Hoppin' John Sald with Hot Bacon Viniagrette, Cast Iron Cooked Red Rice and Softshell Scampi. Sweet Potatoes - Grandma Hills Candied Yams, Sweet Potato and Turkey Shepherds Pie, Sweet Potato Pie. Summer Squash - Assorted Squash Pickle Salad, Squash and Fontina Casserole Pudding, Squash and Cilantro Crumble. Sausage - Air-Dried Sausage Biscuits, Baked Pimento Cheese and Sausage, Stuffed Butternut Bottoms. Peanuts - Boiled Peanuts, Fried Mullet with Peanut Romesco, Big Bone-In Pork Chops with Pickled Peanut Salad. Okra - Fried Okra Hash, Shrimp and Grits with Gumbo Sauce, A Pickle Plate for Everyone. Peaches - Perfect Peaches with Almond Pesto, Canned Peaches, Jalapeno Peach Chicken, Peaches and Cream Cake. Rutabagas - Riutabaga Relish, Rutabaga with Black Eyed Pea Samosas with Cilantro Buttermilk, Stewed Rutabagas. Apples - B&S Applejacks, Apple Pie Moonshine, Lentil Apple Soup with Bacon, Charred Carrots with Apple Brown Butter Viniagrette. Beets - Pickled Beets, Hot Pink Lemonade, Chocolate Orange Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Walnut Icing. UPDATE: Since I first posted my review I have made the following: - Turnip Roots and Greens Gratin. I am not a huge fan of bitter greens myself, but the creaminess of this two cheese + cream gratin won me over. Vivianne didn't state which type to use but next time I make this I will use yellow mustard seeds. It resulted in an extremely tender, pink in the middle tenderloin just like the picture and the sage honey with cider vinegar added a floral-tart bite which was perfect with the pork. But the end result was delicious and jammy with an acid bite from the vinegar and not at all socky! Refreshing with the crunch of the apples, tartness of the Pomegranate seeds, and the mint and lemon added freshness which was rounded-off by the creamy blue cheese dressing. It was terrific and I can't wait till summer so I can make this with the Peach Preserves."
"She also found her husband and they moved back to Deep Run to open their own restaurant. This is all documented in this cookbook interspersed with recipes and Vivian's Rules and Words of Wisdom in each chapter. If you watch her television show, you will note that her family, hometown farmers and people who populate the land lend the flavor that has become her trademark. Vivian elevates the traditional southern NC recipes to make them her own, and that is the measure of her success. Rex Miller the photographer has incorporated an amazing visual field with each recipe and with many of Vivian's stories. It has taken me three days just to turn each page, devour the photographs, and skim the stories. There is a list of contents, and then an alphabetical recipe guide from Basics to Sweets."
"This is a great cookbook, the stories leading up to the recipes are homey and nice."
"She loves watching a Chef's Life, and was excited to receive Vivian's cookbook as a gift."
"It's a big book but I love!"
"Vivian Howard's vegetable recipe are new (to me), and absolutely full of flavor, a quiet flavor that is warm and comforting and original and never shocks or jars the tastebuds."
"A lot of great recipes from a Southern girl who found her roots."