Asian Noodles: Deliciously Simple Dishes to Twirl, Slurp, and Savor, by Nina Simonds (1997) Why I've kept it: How often have you picked up a cookbook, and wanted to make Every. Single. Recipe. in it? That's what happened to me when I first purchased Nina Simonds' Asian Noodles. I've confessed many times to being a noodle-holic. This book introduced me to new types of noodles, and new condiments and sauces for flavoring them. The gorgeous color photos of each recipe made my mouth water, and convinced me that I could make the recipes with confidence. There's a great introductory chapter about noodle basics, listing dozens of types of Asian noodles and the correct cooking methods, uses, and substitutes for each. There are photos of each... Read more →
Inspiralized, by Ali Maffucci (2015) Why I've kept it: Did you buy a Spiralizer when it was all the rage a couple of years ago? Do you make zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of spaghetti? Did you know you can turn other vegetables into noodles, like celeriac and rutabaga and beets and chayote? Until I picked up this book, I never made noodles out of anything except zucchini. Inspiralized opened my eyes. The recipes are imaginative, healthy, and visually beautiful, combining colors, textures and the interesting shapes that spiralized vegetables add to the plate. And the notes in the front section provide invaluable tips and techniques for processing different types of vegetables. If you're finally tackling your holiday gift list in earnest, consider this cookbook paired... Read more →
The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy, Authentic Recipes, by Anupy Singla (2010) Why I've kept it: Recipes for Indian food, which I love to eat, scare me. There, I've said it. Mixing, toasting, grinding, and layering all of the spices makes me feel completely fumble-fingered, and I've always preferred to enjoy Indian dishes in a restaurant rather than tackle them in my own kitchen. Until I discovered this little book. The Indian Slow Cooker opened my eyes to how much simpler Indian cooking can be. All of those complicated spices? Just toss them into the slow cooker with beans or lentils, or chicken or beef, and out comes a delicious curry, or dal, or even butter chicken. The author, a working mom, translates some... Read more →
Julia Child & Company, by Julia Child (1978) Why I've kept it: Who better to see us through the holidays -- through every day -- than Julia? And who better to teach us how to entertain all year long, without getting tied up in knots? My husband Ted and I have tackled some ambitious entertaining dishes in our kitchen over the years. One of the fanciest was a recipe from this book, a chicken melon (boned and stuffed chicken in its own skin, filled with chicken paté, forced into the shape of a melon with a judicious application of cheesecloth and twine. It took two of us to accomplish what Julia made look so easy, but without her gentle voice and encouragement throughout the recipe,... Read more →
When we moved from log house to city apartment, I downsized my large cookbook collection, and kept fewer than 100 cookbooks. What made the cut, and why? The Soup Peddler's Slow & Difficult Soups: Recipes and Reveries, by David Ansel (2005) Why I've kept it: When my spirit is in need of lifting, I make soup, and when I'm feeling particularly low, I open The Soup Peddler's Slow & Difficult Soups and read a random chapter while my soup burbles in the pot. And I feel restored. And because I want you to feel restored, too, please indulge while I share this passage from the book's introduction: This book is about...how the mundane aspects of life, such as food and work, can be utterly consuming... Read more →
When we moved from log house to city apartment, I downsized my large cookbook collection, and kept fewer than 100 cookbooks. What made the cut, and why? The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore, by Grace Young and Alan Richardson (2004) Why I've kept it: To understand why I will never, ever, ever let this book go, you need to read the backstory about the wok on the cover, and the wok maker, and the search by my friend Marcia through the alleys of Shanghai for my wok, made by the same wok maker. I fell in love with The Breath of a Wok at first sight, and I promise that you will, too. Read about... Read more →
When we moved from log house to city apartment, I downsized my large cookbook collection, and kept fewer than 100 cookbooks. What made the cut, and why? Venice & Food, written and illustrated by Sally Spector (1998) Why I've kept it: Some books are meant for cooking, and others for cuddling. Venice & Food, which I purchased in Italy on my first visit to Venice, is a cuddling book. Hand-written and illustrated, this book is almost too gorgeous to use, too precious to disturb by ruffling its pages. If you have ever had the good fortune to visit Venice, you will no doubt have found a favorite square, a favorite sotoportego, a favorite ponte over a favorite canal, and perhaps a favorite wine bar or... Read more →