'The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook'
Recipes by Allysa Torey and Jennifer Appel
Photographs by Rita Maas and Zeva Oelbaum Simon & Schuster -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
While we can admit that we're not the biggest fans of the extremely popular sugary concoctions (cupcakes) that Magnolia Bakery puts out, we are on the other hand, fans of their bars and squares. Yes, the cupcake movement has taken over New York City, but there's no doubt that this establishment still holds the market share with the longest lines.
"The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook" consists of recipes for muffins, quick breads, coffee and Bundt cakes, cookies, brownies and bars, cupcakes and layer cakes, icings, cheesecakes, pies, tarts and ice creams. Whew. Chances are if you've ever seen it in the front window of the bakery, the secret to that recipe lies in this book, along with some new recipes from Allysa Torey's home kitchen.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
"The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon"
By Ann Lee
Photography by Julie Fay Insiders' Guide -- 2006 Buy it on Amazon
Though exotic cuisines may be daunting endeavors for many cooks due to foreign and sometimes costly ingredients, "The Little Saigon Cookbook" is a clear, straightforward cookbook that sheds light on the culture while making its cuisine approachable and delectable.
Interspersed with interesting stories about Vietnamese culture and traditions, the book is a well-thought out tribute to Vietnamese foodways -- with delicious recipes to boot, ranging from the obvious dishes to lesser-known exciting ones like the Shaking Beef Salad with Watercress and Tomatoes or Pork Braised in Caramel Sauce.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'Grillin' with Gas: 150 Mouthwatering Recipes for Great Grilled Food'
by Fred Thompson
Photographs by Ben Fink The Taunton Press -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
"Barbecue Nation" author Fred Thompson goes through the hows and whys of gas grilling in his latest book. Here you'll learn what to look for in a gas grill, how to use it and how to turn it into a meat-smoking machine.
Along the way, you'll find some solid recipes to keep you grilling all year long.
See what we tested and whether it's worth buying after the jump.
'Quick From Scratch Italian Cookbook'
Recipes from Food & Wine Magazine
Photographs by Melanie Acevedo Food & Wine Books -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
Whether you're an avid subscriber to Food & Wine or you visit the website once in a while for a recipe, this is the book to add to your kitchen shelves. "Quick from Scratch Italian Cookbook" provides cooks of all levels with satisfying and healthy recipes. Classics are translated into practical weeknight meals with basic step-by-step instructions and there are recipes for every season.
And what would an Italian meal be without wine? There's a no-fuss wine-pairing recommendation for each and every recipe to take pressure off the cook.
Boasting everything from antipasti, soup and pasta, to fish, poultry and steak, recipes like linguine with cauliflower, garlic and bread crumbs and baked rigatoni with spinach, ricotta and Fontina will keep everyone at the table content. Finish the meal off with one of many tantalizing desserts such as honey-baked figs with ice cream or espresso granita with whipped cream.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'Long Nights and Log Fires: Warming Comfort Food for Family and Friends'
Commissioning Editor Julia Charles
Photography by Ryland Peters & Small Ryland Peters & Small -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
"When the cold wind blows and the snow piles up outside, where better to be than at the heart of a warm kitchen, enjoying the aromas of good home cooking wafting from the oven?" ponders the intro to the supremely satisfying "Long Nights and Log Fires" cookbook.
Crafting a comprehensive repertoire to all things comfort food, the gratifying collection dishes up everything from "soups and snacks," "sides and salads" to "one-pot wonders," "bakes and desserts" and even heart-warming drinks, including Mocha Maple Coffee and Mexican Chocolate with Vanilla Cream. Using a bevy of autumnal ingredients -- relying on fresh produce, flavorful herbs and spices and a comforting dairy element -- this cookbook features everything sweet, spicy and savory to satisfy palates on cold nights.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'Savory Baking: Warm and Inspiring Recipes for Crisp, Crumbly, Flaky Pastries'
by Mary Cech
Photography by Noel Barnhurst Chronicle Books -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
Baking doesn't have to be a sweet thing, as Mary Cech proves in her new cookbook "Savory Baking." The veteran pastry chef turns traditional pastries upside down with recipes for seafood strudel, Yukon gold brown betty and caprese-salad-filled profiteroles in this mouthwatering book.
You don't have to throw out everything you know about baking to feel at home in Cech's kitchen. Instead, you'll use your skills to whip up creative twists to the classics.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'Top Chef - The Quickfire Cookbook'
by Emily Miller with foreword by Padma Lakshmi Chronicle Books -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
It's Padma's world. The rest of us just cook in it -- just mostly without a gigantic LED countdown clock, a dozen cleaver-wielding competitors jockeying for prep space and a mandate to make haute nibbles from the contents of a 7-Eleven's snack aisle. But if that's what cremes your brulee and you haven't the tats, 'tude and temerity to audition for competitive reality TV, you can live vicariously through this book.
'A Beautiful Bowl of Soup: The Best Vegetarian Recipes'
by Paulette Mitchell
Photos by William Meppem Chronicle Books-- 2004 Buy it on Amazon
A good bowl of soup is a wondrous thing, providing a warmth and satisfaction that only well-executed comfort food can supply. And "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup: The Best Vegetarian Recipes" does just that, dishing up a variety of recipes for slurps that are endlessly appealing on both visual and taste levels.
Carnivores, fret not: With soups this flavorful you won't be missing anything. These are soups for all occasions, from a refreshing Chunky Gazpacho for lazy summer suppers, to a Cream of Tomato Soup with Puff Pastry Crowns to end a long, cold day, or even the light Gingered Pear Soup to conclude a rich meal. And, perhaps more notable yet, each and every one boasts flavors so strong and textures so rich that the soups can serve as full meals on their own.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'New American Table'
by Marcus Samuelsson Wiley - 2009 Buy it on Amazon
The youngest chef ever to receive two three-star ratings from the New York Times, Marcus Samuelsson is known for his diversified cuisine. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden by adoptive parents, Samuelsson -- drawing on his own unique upbringing -- has created an homage to the cultural origins of American cooking.
Samuelsson shares more than 300 recipes in his half-cookbook, half-travelogue that showcases the ethnic influences on American cuisine, from Pickled Herring Hot Dogs to down-home Boiled Peanuts; Jerk-Spiced Catfish with Green Papaya Salad to Latkes with Apple-Horseradish Sauce. It's quickly apparent his take on American cuisine isn't the stereotypical apple pie and bacon cheeseburger.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals'
by Jamie Oliver Hyperion -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
The revolution will not be supersized. Jamie Oliver is a man on a mission to reclaim traditional home cooking from the fast and processed food purveyors of the world via simple, inexpensive, appealing recipes.
The book kicks off with a rah-rah manifesto that dovetails with Oliver's televised travelingroadshows geared toward getting the least healthy eaters in the UK and the USA to back out of the drive-thru and drive home healthier eating habits, centered around the debatably lost art of home cooking. He presents a compelling argument with solid, satisfying building-block recipes and oddly heartstring-plucking photo profiles of plain ol' folks cooking at home.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'My New Orleans - The Cookbook: 200 of My Favorite Recipes from My Hometown'
By John Besh
Photographs by Ditte Isager Andrews McMeel -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
Chef John Besh's magnum opus on the food of his hometown could easily be mistaken for a coffee table-style photography book edited by someone with one heck of a food fetish. That'd be only partially correct.
Besh celebrates and contextualizes New Orleans cuisine within a reverent, passionate travelogue and memoir based around the ingredients and food rituals of a full year in the Big Easy. In this 374-page volume, the chef, restaurateur (including August, Lüke, Besh Steak, Domenica, La Provence and the upcoming the American Sector at the National WWII Museum), "Next Iron Chef" contender, former Marine and father of four weaves an intimate, illustrated narrative of a life lived deliciously in one of the world's most important food cities.
Through touching vignettes from his childhood, emergence into chefhood and post-Katrina rebuilding efforts, as well as informative sidebars about key Creole and Cajun ingredients and paens to his favorite food haunts, Besh stokes and slakes a multitude of hungers for lovers of this city on the mend.
It's also one hell of a cookbook.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'The Yellow Door: Our Story, Our Recipes'
By Simon Dougan
Photographs by Cliona O'Flaherty Blackstaff Press -- 2008 Buy it on Amazon
After four years in London, "hungry young chef" Simon Dougan returned to his hometown of Gilford, Northern Ireland, and took what he considered a temporary position at pub-fare restaurant Sarah's Moon. At a time when local cuisine prized prawn cocktails as "one of the smartest dishes on any menu," and boiled eggs were a regular staple, Dougan preceded the gastropubs of today, seeking to serve more polished dishes, with an emphasis on heightened flavors, fresh ingredients and a cooked-to-order standard.
"The one thing we always remembered was only to use the freshest and best ingredients," Dougan writes. "This is still at the core of the business, and just as important now as it ever was." This notably warm cookbook imparts Dougan's heartfelt approach to refined home cooking with a fabulous collection of recipes.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts'
by Pichet Ong and Genevieve Ko
Photographs by Pate Eng
William Morrow -- 2007 Buy it on Amazon
Pichet Ong is a self-taught pastry chef whose talent landed him in some of the world's most esteemed kitchens, including Jean Georges.
In his first cookbook, "The Sweet Spot," Ong and co-writer Genevieve Ko explore the world of Asian desserts, many of which Ong says are slight tweaks on Western sweets.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
'Cooking the Cowboy Way: Recipes Inspired by Campfires, Chuck Wagons, and Ranch Kitchens'
By Grady Spears with June Naylor
Photos by David Manning
Andrews McMeel Universal -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
Saddle up, hit the trail and light that campfire. In "Cooking the Cowboy Way," Grady Spears lassos hearty recipes from cowboy cooks and ranchers who know what cow folks really want to eat after a long day on the ranch. (And it's not ceviche, as "Top Chef Vegas" contestants quickly learned).
Spears is a native Texan who owns Grady's Restaurant in Fort Worth -- a true cowboy-turned-chef known for creating authentic frontier food and bringing the spirit of the cowboy to the masses.
'Sips and Apps: Classic and Contemporary Recipes for Cocktails and Appetizers' By Kathy Casey Photos by Angie Norwood Browne Chronicle Books -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
Kathy Casey isn't a mixologist, she's a "bar chef" -- a trained chef with mad cocktail skills. In "Sips and Apps," she ventures off the well-trod path of standard cocktail guides to explore cocktails with such seductive names as Black Feather and Clear Conscience.
But it's her appetizers that are sure to offer a new trick or two for your next cocktail soiree.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
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