2014 Cookbooks We Love

2014 Cookbooks We Love
12/23/2014
Updated:
10/8/2018
(Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)
(Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)

Looking for a last-minute gift? Try these cookbooks:

“Eat: The Little Book of Fast Food” by Nigel Slater is little indeed (though thick). That helps to make it approachable, along with short recipes with exquisite flavors begging to be tried (like beets with sausage and rosemary). For the most part, they take half an hour to conjure up. (Ten Speed Press, $27.99)

Blue Hill chef Dan Barber’s first book “The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food” is not a cookbook, but rather a collection of his reflections on our food system today and implications for tomorrow. A thoughtful look at agriculture, sustainability, our health and our diets, anchored in a ceaseless pursuit of delicious flavors. (Penguin Press, $29.95)

“Salmagundi: A Celebration of Salads From Around the World” is as gorgeously photographed as it is written. Sally Butcher writes with humor and joy, weaving in poems, lore, and history with a seeming effortlessness. You'll never see salads quite the same way again. (Interlink Books, $35)

To research “The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History,” Ana Sofía Peláez traveled through Cuba (where she shunned official escorts), Miami, and New York, talking her way into countless kitchens and seeking out recipes from gifted cooks. A rich, sensitive exploration of Cuban cuisine in Cuba and the diaspora. (St. Martin’s Press, $35)

“Baking Chez Moi” is the culmination of Dorie Greenspan’s discoveries in France, with a focus on the simple desserts enjoyed in daily life. She also creates new versions of French classics as well as Frenchified American favorites. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $40)

“Heritage” is the first and highly anticipated cookbook by Sean Brock, who was a finalist for the James Beard Outstanding Chef award in 2013 and 2014. Recipes range from the accessible, for home cooks, to the restaurant dishes that have made him famous. (Artisan Books, $40)

“A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse” by Mimi Thorisson, with its beautiful photography and gentle voice, sweeps readers off to her rustic small town in Médoc, France. (Clarkson Potter, $40)

Fans of Mexican cuisine will appreciate “Mexico: The Cookbook” by Margarita Carrillo Arronte. This massive tome features more than 700 recipes from across Mexico. (Phaidon Press, $49.95)

A follow-up to the bestselling “Plenty” by Yotam Ottolenghi, “Plenty More” is organized by cooking method and puts vegetables, grains, and legumes in the spotlight. Vibrant and bold. (Ten Speed Press, $35)

“The Slanted Door” by Charles Phan is named after his renowned San Francisco modern Vietnamese restaurant, which won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant this year. It’s full of enticing recipes, like grilled rack of lamb with tamarind sauce. (Ten Speed Press, $40)

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