From ethnic adventures to lavish sweets, to time-saving tricks, there is something for all types of cooks in the crop of cookbooks published in 2010. This roundup shares the top cookbooks published in 2010.
PriceGrabberMore than 1,400 recipes fill this weighty volume, chronicling the New York Time's food coverage from the 1850s through the present. Recipes include the dates of publication and are credited with their creator, which makes for a culinary history of America as well as of the notable restaurants and personalities who have contributed to the Times over the decades. Most recipes also include notes and serving suggestions of other recipes throughout the book. The book is edited by Amanda Hesser, a longtime food writer and former restaurant review for the Times. This book makes for a timeless and essential addition to a well-outfitted culinary library.
PriceGrabberAs a companion to his book, Food Matters, Bittman has developed this volume of 500 recipes that enable fans of his food philosophy to practice what he preaches. Bittman's approach to cooking is designed to improve health by focusing on unprocessed foods and by limiting the consumption of meat, and will also benefit the environment by eating in season and focusing on plant-based foods. Recipe indexes include listings for the recipes that are good for quick meals, those that can be made ahead, and those that use pantry staples. Pantry sections and a substitution chart also help make this book a handy reference for better eating.
PriceGrabberThe owner of San Francisco's bakery/restaurant Tartine shares his bread-making expertise in what he calls a "baker's guidebook." Detailed instructions and step-by-step photos will help home bakers master the technique, which involves cultivating a natural leavener and baking in cast iron. The sections include Basic Country Bread, Semolina and Whole-Wheat Breads, Baguettes and Enriched Bread and Day-Old Bread (including recipes that use bread, such as croutons, bruschetta and breadcrumbs).
Cooking.comBaker and writer Dorie Greenspan has a second life in Paris, and in this cookbook, we're lucky enough to come for a visit. Her engaging writing style comes through in the recipe notes and the recipes themselves, and the 300 recipes she's chosen to share reflect the types of homey, rustic dishes that the French cook at home. Recipes are simple and relatively easy to prepare - you'll find lots of braises, roast chicken recipes and cozy baked goods - and her numerous sidebars tackle practical culinary questions and issues.
PriceGrabberMost people know we should eat less meat. Why, then, a cookbook devoted to animal protein? James Peterson is in agreement with the limitations on meat, and devotes his cookbook to preaching the consumption of better-quality meat, prepared as well as possible. His book is an excellent primer on the best ways to cook meat, whether sauteeing, braising, roasting, poaching or grilling. And he includes instruction and recipes for nearly every type and cut of meat imaginable; you'll even learn how to make sausages and pates.
Cooking.comMelissa Clark long has collaborated on the cookbooks of other well-known chefs and food personalities (Paula Deen and David Bouley, to name two), it's only fitting that she gets to take center stage with her own beautifully designed book. Her recipes are easy, but full of unexpected, bold flavors, and introduced with often lengthy, but witty commentary.
PriceGrabberVivacious television host Giada de Laurentiis draws from both her Italian and California identities for the recipes in her latest book. The recipes are slightly more ambitious than her previous efforts, but just as appealing. And plenty of suggested variations will allow home cooks to feel like they can adapt the dishes to their own tastes and needs.
PriceGrabberIf you are a fan of one of the many food blogs out there, you'll love Foodista, a compilation of some of the best recipes created by bloggers from around the world. The recipes in the book were culled from more than 1,500 recipes submitted in a contest held for a spot within the book. The winners were selected through a voting process, and the result is a wonderfully varied selection of culinary creations. Each recipe includes a link to the creator's blog and a little bio of the blogger, as well an introduction written by the blogger that gives you a nice sample of his or her blogging style.
PriceGrabberThis book celebrates not only some of the country's most renowned chefs (Restaurants represented include Craft and Blue Hill in New York, August in New Orleans, Charlie Trotter's in Chicago and Fearing's in Dallas), but also the farmers and producers who supply them with the raw materials with which they work their magic. Each recipe pairs a well-known chef or restaurateur with a farmer, cheesemaker or other food producer. The recipes and ingredient lists are probably best suited for an experienced cook who has access to a well-stocked supermarket and/or a good greenmarket, although the index of producers and farmers in the back includes contact information and might help with obtaining some of the more unusual or specialized ingredients.
PriceGrabberThe queen of shortcut cooking offers up this 1,000-recipe book of some of her most popular dishes, including 200 new recipes. The chapters categorize the recipes into sections like International Fare, Slow Cooker & One-Pot Wonders, 20 Minute Meals and Sandra's Cooking Basics. Fans of Sandra will appreciate the photographs of the food, shot at her new Bedford Fall, NY home, and the tour of her kitchen, eating areas and pantry. In keeping with Lee's cooking philosophy, the recipes use roughly 70 percent ready-made products and 30 percent fresh ingredients, and recommended brands are even included in the ingredients lists to make shopping easy.
