Koncocoo

Best Regional & International Cooking & Wine

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science
How to make homemade mac 'n' cheese that is as satisfyingly gooey and velvety-smooth as the blue box stuff, but far tastier? In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more. “[Kenji] approaches recipe development with monomaniacal zeal, then shares the delicious results with the infectious enthusiasm of the coolest teacher you had in high school.”. - The Globe and Mail.
Reviews
""The Food Lab" by Lopez-Alt is a dense collection of science based tips, explanations, techniques, and recipes for the home cook. I really like the way this book has been laid out: - The introduction is a modest overview of the author and his background followed by some really helpful information on equipment (such as an explanation on techniques for holding knives, how heat transfers through metal for consideration in what type of pan to use, essential equipment to have in your kitchen, and how to store and organize your fridge and pantry). * Cooked Vegetables has a great range of side dishes such as Brussels sprouts, Mexican street corn salad, roasted cauliflower, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and quite a few more recipes. Recipes in this chapter include mac 'n' cheese, risotto, linguine with clams, lasagna, and spaghetti. - The front and back book covers insides have conversion tables to be opened or flipped to quickly as a reference."
"And this book is great, and beautiful, full of photos, his great sense of humor, and excellent instructions. I was just hoping to see more of that type of food, whereas this book is targeted towards beginners (not to say that experienced cooks can't get value out of this book, because it's full of great info) or more specifically, towards people who haven't been reading his column all this time. Though in the meanwhile, there are already recipes I've got bookmarked to try out, like his puttanesca, pot roast, oven fries, THAT MEATLOAF, not to mention his excellent egg salad, which I've previously made from the site…. I'm so glad to be able to pay Kenji back in some form for the years of free content on Serious Eats and I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cooking and improving their skills, in particular beginner cooks."
"Like most cookbooks today, it begins with a background of the author, who is an MIT grad turned culinary scientist. There are some things which go contrary to cooking norms (flip your steak often, and searing does not lock in juice), but there are explanations for the methods behinds the madness. Even if you never bother to make a recipe from this book verbatim, it will greatly increase your cooking skills from practical knowledge of physics, chemistry, taste, and technique."
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The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime - Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-minute Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper
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
"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."
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Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
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
"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!"
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Best African Cooking, Food & Wine

Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed
In Afro-Vegan, renowned chef and food justice activist Bryant Terry reworks and remixes the favorite staples, ingredients, and classic dishes of the African Diaspora to present more than 100 wholly new, creative culinary combinations that will amaze vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. Afro-Vegan shows us how to be proud of our storied, vegetable-rich foodways.”. —Hugh Acheson, chef and author of A New Turn in the South “ Afro-Vegan animates the cuisine of the African diaspora with the detail, reverence, and passion it deserves. He inspires us to celebrate and explore.”. —Dayo Olopade, author of The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa “If A People’s History Of The United States and Joy of Cooking had a baby, Afro-Vegan would be it!”. —Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of Veganomicon and Isa Does It “In this beautiful, casual collection of recipes from across the African diaspora, Bryant Terry brings to life a vegetable, grain, spice-based culinary heritage too often ignored.
Reviews
"In addition to over 100 intriguing recipes (I’ve made about six since getting the book last week, and they were amazing), Chef Terry shares his obvious passion for life and food, for music and art, for high culture and down-home good times, for gourmet appetites and raw-knuckled activism. At one level, this is a cookbook for African Americans, showing the way back to a traditional, healthy, local, seasonal, and plant-centered diet that speaks of community, resilience, innovation, and love. It’s full of appreciation for the heroes - sung and unsung - of the various movements of liberation and exploration whose efforts have paved the way for Mr Terry’s considerable accomplishments. Chef Terry's encyclopedic knowledge of techniques and ingredients from all over the world allow him to synthesize and fuse artistically: North African chermoula sauce meets tempeh (fermented Indonesian soybean cake); Jamaican patty filled with Lousiana maque choux; Brazilian vatapa informed with Southern okra, corn, and tomatoes."
"I feel like vegan cookbooks can sometimes be repetitive, they always contain some type of "cheeze" recipe, and they all contain complex versions of traditional meat-based entrees."
"I'll roll up my sleeves again some day and really give some of the recipes a go."
"bought as a gift...it was well received."
"Purchased for a friend and she LOVED it!"
"Wonderful book , The most beautiful cookbook i ever bought ."
"New look at food and very creative."
"Now this cookbook is very useful and has recipes I love!"
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Best Canadian Cooking, Food & Wine

Ketogenic Instant Pot Cookbook: 250 Healthy Ketogenic Recipes
Discover 250 Keto 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
"I would recommend this cookbook (Informational guide) to anyone who is hoping to eat better, feel better and look healthier."
"This book deals with all sorts of recipes for pot cooking."
"That’s by far the best book on instant pot cooking I now have, out of the five I recently purchased."
"Simple, easy to follow recipes with ingredients you have on your shelf or pantry."
"I love this book!"
"Not only are the recipes amazingly easy and delicious, the other half of the book is packed with information on how the diet works, tricks and tips for fitting it into your every day life, and lots of encouragement from someone who has been there, done that when it comes to food addiction."
"I thought that the recipes we're good and do able but why switch sweeteners from solid to liquid?"
"SOOO many interesting options and simple recipes and they need only a few simple ingredients!"
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Best Caribbean & West Indian Cooking & Wine

Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed
In Afro-Vegan, renowned chef and food justice activist Bryant Terry reworks and remixes the favorite staples, ingredients, and classic dishes of the African Diaspora to present more than 100 wholly new, creative culinary combinations that will amaze vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. Afro-Vegan shows us how to be proud of our storied, vegetable-rich foodways.”. —Hugh Acheson, chef and author of A New Turn in the South “ Afro-Vegan animates the cuisine of the African diaspora with the detail, reverence, and passion it deserves. He inspires us to celebrate and explore.”. —Dayo Olopade, author of The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa “If A People’s History Of The United States and Joy of Cooking had a baby, Afro-Vegan would be it!”. —Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of Veganomicon and Isa Does It “In this beautiful, casual collection of recipes from across the African diaspora, Bryant Terry brings to life a vegetable, grain, spice-based culinary heritage too often ignored.
Reviews
"In addition to over 100 intriguing recipes (I’ve made about six since getting the book last week, and they were amazing), Chef Terry shares his obvious passion for life and food, for music and art, for high culture and down-home good times, for gourmet appetites and raw-knuckled activism. At one level, this is a cookbook for African Americans, showing the way back to a traditional, healthy, local, seasonal, and plant-centered diet that speaks of community, resilience, innovation, and love. It’s full of appreciation for the heroes - sung and unsung - of the various movements of liberation and exploration whose efforts have paved the way for Mr Terry’s considerable accomplishments. Chef Terry's encyclopedic knowledge of techniques and ingredients from all over the world allow him to synthesize and fuse artistically: North African chermoula sauce meets tempeh (fermented Indonesian soybean cake); Jamaican patty filled with Lousiana maque choux; Brazilian vatapa informed with Southern okra, corn, and tomatoes."
"I feel like vegan cookbooks can sometimes be repetitive, they always contain some type of "cheeze" recipe, and they all contain complex versions of traditional meat-based entrees."
"I'll roll up my sleeves again some day and really give some of the recipes a go."
"bought as a gift...it was well received."
"Purchased for a friend and she LOVED it!"
"Wonderful book , The most beautiful cookbook i ever bought ."
"New look at food and very creative."
"Now this cookbook is very useful and has recipes I love!"
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Best European Cooking, Food & Wine

Jerusalem: A Cookbook
With five bustling restaurants in London and two stellar cookbooks, Ottolenghi is one of the most respected chefs in the world; in Jerusalem, he and Tamimi have collaborated to produce their most personal cookbook yet. The book’s leisurely pace picks up with the introduction of dishes, some familiar but many not, that include fattoush, latkes, mejadra, clear chicken soup with knaidlach, pan-fried mackerel with golden beetroot and orange salsa, and helbeh (fenugreek cake).
Reviews
"This cookbook is approachable and the recipes are actually something you will make...and then make again. ****Edit****I would just like to say, that one of the reasons, I think, that this is so doable for a Middle Eastern cookbook, is these are the recipes that regular people make."
"This cookbook offers both; the recipes work (I should note I have the UK edition without US conversions)--many of the techniques are new to me and they work well--and the flavors are amazing. The first recipes I made from this book were the roasted cauliflower salad with celery, hazelnuts and pomegranate and the sofrito chicken. I am adding this cookbook to my top 10 list because a) it's a beautiful, well-written book, b) the recipes work very well when followed to the letter, but there's lots of room for improvisation, c) the flavor and texture combinations are complex, subtle and well-balanced, and d) the dishes are delicious."
"The recipes are well described so you can successfully create a great diverse table full of beautiful plated food."
"This is a wonderful cookbook to read - lots of content, stories, reminiscences, with pictures that are worth a thousand words, all in addition to some great recipes."
"Such a wonderful cookbook!"
"Some of these recipes were more beautiful on the pages of this book than in reality...some odd preparations but a good creative source for cooks looking to expand their usual fare."
"I thought my mom had plenty of cookbooks already."
"This book is a classic."
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Best International Cooking, Food & Wine

The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook: 500 Vibrant, Kitchen-Tested Recipes for Living and Eating Well Every Day
This impressive go-to kitchen resource also includes helpful tips for cooking success including: How to integrate the Mediterranean diet into your diet; “Why This Recipe Works” educational notes from our chefs on why a particular ingredient or technique worked best; Recipe variations for creative inspiration; Nutritional Information; Helpful conversion charts for both volume and weight; A detailed index to quickly find the recipe you’re looking for. The highly reputable and recognizable brands of America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, and Cook’s Science are the work of over 60 passionate chefs based in Boston, Massachusetts who put ingredients, cookware, equipment and recipes through objective, rigorous testing to identify the very best.
Reviews
"Second, this is much more than a book of recipes."
"It's helped us shift our eating habits away from meat, potatoes and pasta - although all three are included here - to healthier options."
"The table of contents in each section lists special indicators (little colored squares) after dishes which are either fast (45 minutes or less) or vegetarian. And then there are little "notes" inserted every few pages which go into a specific ingredient, what to look for, how it's used...things like sardines, pancetta, bay leaves...or else methods, like how to properly wash and dry a salad, or how to salt-soak beans. Many of the recipes also list further variations, such as pan roasted cauliflower...which then shows how to add capers and pine nuts, or spices and pistachios."
"It's a good cookbook, but if you're looking for manageable weeknight recipes and cook alone (no help in the kitchen) or work for a living, you may want to consider a different book...although I'm not sure what book that would be."
"I love to grill, love vegetables, grains and pasta, and this book will keep me busy for some time."
"Excelent book!"
"So far I have made the vegetable gratin, roasted artichokes, chicken kabobs, and a baked lemon fish potato dish. The potato lemon cod/hake dish was really good and it was very quick to make. The artichokes didn't come out as anticipated but this was also the first time I'd ever touched a fresh artichoke much less cooked one so I will take the blame on that."
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Best Latin American Cooking, Food & Wine

Mallmann on Fire: 100 Inspired Recipes to Grill Anytime, Anywhere
“Elemental, fundamental, and delicious” is how Anthony Bourdain describes the trailblazing live-fire cooking of Francis Mallmann. Francis Mallmann is the reigning star of food television in the Spanish-speaking world, and the most famous and popular chef in South America.
Reviews
"I want to eat every page in this book."
"His rustic and unfussy, but uncompromising and deeply considered, approach to live-fire cooking shows that grilling can be sophisticated and gourmet, and I've fallen in love, as he has, with the bittersweet, rich flavors of food charred over live fire. He elaborates on the incredibly strong foundation established in Seven Fires, incorporating the regional ingredients and influences of the locations he visits throughout the book while making the approach a bit more practical. Mallmann explicitly rejects elaborate grills and excessively fussy prep and technique here - the whole message is to resist the urge to overthink and overdo, and simply to get outside in beautiful surroundings and cook good food over fire. Some may feel that this is a compromise, but I think it's more a nod to the reality that a towering hardwood bonfire is not an everyday undertaking - whether you're a revered Argentine asador or a tired new dad making dinner after work - and that the perfect is often the enemy of the good. It's a little bit disappointing not to see recipes for lamb on iron crosses and salmon cooked in the infiernillo (a double-decker bonfire that forms the oven from hell) - simply because those approaches are so heroic and awesome."
"Did Mallmann meet my expectations?"
"Beautiful photography and easy to follow recipes."
"We cook a lot over our outdoor fire pit and when we go camping."
"The illustrations are inspiring."
"Beautiful photos and stories."
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Best Mexican Cooking, Food & Wine

Pati's Mexican Table: The Secrets of Real Mexican Home Cooking
Your friends and family will enjoy Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Pickled Ancho Chile Vinaigrette; Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Aioli; and Chicken Tinga — (you can use rotisserie chicken), which makes a tasty filling for tortas and tostadas. Pati also shares exciting dishes for the holidays and other special occasions, including Mexican Thanksgiving Turkey with Chorizo, Pecan, Apple, and Corn Bread Stuffing; Spiral-Cut Beef Tenderloin; and Red Pozole (“a Mexican party in a bowl”), which she served on her wedding day. Your friends and family will enjoy Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Pickled Ancho Chile Vinaigrette; Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Aioli; and Chicken Tinga — (you can use rotisserie chicken), which makes a tasty filling for tortas and tostadas. Pati also shares exciting dishes for the holidays and other special occasions, including Mexican Thanksgiving Turkey with Chorizo, Pecan, Apple, and Corn Bread Stuffing; Spiral-Cut Beef Tenderloin; and Red Pozole (“a Mexican party in a bowl”), which she served on her wedding day.Desserts like Triple Orange Mexican Wedding Cookies, Scribble Cookies. (sandwich cookies filled with chocolate), and little Apricot-Lime Glazed Mini Pound Cakes are sophisticated yet simple to make.
Reviews
"I preordered this book the day Amazon offered it, expecting a collection of recipes from Pati's PBS programs. There are about 60 green-highlighted sidebars, most of which describe a Mexican ingredient and how it is prepared and enjoyed: tamarind, corn versus flour tortillas, several varieties of chiles, hibiscus flowers, cinnamon, and buying avocados. The recipes are flexible and you can substitute pork for beef or adjust the chiles and other flavors to taste. One tip: It's efficient to prepare meals from the book over consecutive nights so you can re-purpose the food as Pati does -- salsas, beans, meats, tortillas. If you want to cook Mexican for your family, order this book and buy an avocado and a few chiles."
"Very easy to follow delicious Mexican recipes with ingredients you can easily find in any super market in the US."
"She is great!"
"Can't wait to use these recipes."
"Love Pati and her book is great."
"great , simple recipes that taste great!"
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Best Middle Eastern Cooking, Food & Wine

Jerusalem: A Cookbook
With five bustling restaurants in London and two stellar cookbooks, Ottolenghi is one of the most respected chefs in the world; in Jerusalem, he and Tamimi have collaborated to produce their most personal cookbook yet. The book’s leisurely pace picks up with the introduction of dishes, some familiar but many not, that include fattoush, latkes, mejadra, clear chicken soup with knaidlach, pan-fried mackerel with golden beetroot and orange salsa, and helbeh (fenugreek cake).
Reviews
"This cookbook is approachable and the recipes are actually something you will make...and then make again. ****Edit****I would just like to say, that one of the reasons, I think, that this is so doable for a Middle Eastern cookbook, is these are the recipes that regular people make."
"We ended up getting it for my father in law for Christmas and I think he read the whole thing cover to cover on Christmas Day."
"This cookbook offers both; the recipes work (I should note I have the UK edition without US conversions)--many of the techniques are new to me and they work well--and the flavors are amazing. The first recipes I made from this book were the roasted cauliflower salad with celery, hazelnuts and pomegranate and the sofrito chicken. I am adding this cookbook to my top 10 list because a) it's a beautiful, well-written book, b) the recipes work very well when followed to the letter, but there's lots of room for improvisation, c) the flavor and texture combinations are complex, subtle and well-balanced, and d) the dishes are delicious."
"Bought this book for my sister's birthday and my husband had me order one for him to take to work."
"The recipes are well described so you can successfully create a great diverse table full of beautiful plated food."
"I have it both as a book and on Kindle -- I usually don't buy cookbooks like this one on Kindle because I love the real book -- but I knew I would want to show off some of these recipes when I am visiting family and friends so I have them portable, too."
"Such a wonderful cookbook!"
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Best Native American Cooking, Food & Wine

The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen
In his breakout book, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen , Sherman shares his approach to creating boldly seasoned foods that are vibrant, healthful, at once elegant and easy. Chef Sean Sherman was born in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and has been cooking in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Montana for the past twenty-seven years.
Reviews
"I recently cooked a whole dinner, from the book and everyone (including my kids) ate every bite and we had in depth conversations about Native American history and how life was like before the Europeans arrived."
"It would take some dedication and access to ingredients to make some of the actual recipes, but it's definitely one of the most exciting cookbooks (and the only non-digital) that I have bought in the past few years."
"Great text, excellent recipes."
"A great resource full of both functional instructions and detailed explanations to provide additional cultural context to a given ingredient or preparation method."
"Some of the most interesting dishes and so yummy!"
"Tasty recipes and good information."
"This was a gift and it has been well received on its content."
"I love the book, and it arrived on time!"
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Best U.S. Regional Cooking, Food & Wine

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science
How to make homemade mac 'n' cheese that is as satisfyingly gooey and velvety-smooth as the blue box stuff, but far tastier? In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more. “[Kenji] approaches recipe development with monomaniacal zeal, then shares the delicious results with the infectious enthusiasm of the coolest teacher you had in high school.”. - The Globe and Mail.
Reviews
""The Food Lab" by Lopez-Alt is a dense collection of science based tips, explanations, techniques, and recipes for the home cook. I really like the way this book has been laid out: - The introduction is a modest overview of the author and his background followed by some really helpful information on equipment (such as an explanation on techniques for holding knives, how heat transfers through metal for consideration in what type of pan to use, essential equipment to have in your kitchen, and how to store and organize your fridge and pantry). * Cooked Vegetables has a great range of side dishes such as Brussels sprouts, Mexican street corn salad, roasted cauliflower, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and quite a few more recipes. Recipes in this chapter include mac 'n' cheese, risotto, linguine with clams, lasagna, and spaghetti. - The front and back book covers insides have conversion tables to be opened or flipped to quickly as a reference."
"And this book is great, and beautiful, full of photos, his great sense of humor, and excellent instructions. I was just hoping to see more of that type of food, whereas this book is targeted towards beginners (not to say that experienced cooks can't get value out of this book, because it's full of great info) or more specifically, towards people who haven't been reading his column all this time. Though in the meanwhile, there are already recipes I've got bookmarked to try out, like his puttanesca, pot roast, oven fries, THAT MEATLOAF, not to mention his excellent egg salad, which I've previously made from the site…. I'm so glad to be able to pay Kenji back in some form for the years of free content on Serious Eats and I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cooking and improving their skills, in particular beginner cooks."
"Like most cookbooks today, it begins with a background of the author, who is an MIT grad turned culinary scientist. There are some things which go contrary to cooking norms (flip your steak often, and searing does not lock in juice), but there are explanations for the methods behinds the madness. Even if you never bother to make a recipe from this book verbatim, it will greatly increase your cooking skills from practical knowledge of physics, chemistry, taste, and technique."
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Best Japanese Cooking, Food & Wine

Momofuku
With 200,000+ copies in print, this New York Times bestseller shares the story and the recipes behind the chef and cuisine that changed the modern-day culinary landscape. Our ginger scallion noodles are an homage to/out-and-out rip-off of one of the greatest dishes in New York City: the $4.95 plate of ginger scallion noodles at Great New York Noodletown down on the Bowery in Chinatown. At Noodle Bar, we add a few vegetables to the Noodletown dish to appease the vegetarians, add a little sherry vinegar to the sauce to cut the fat, and leave off the squirt of hoisin sauce that Noodletown finishes the noodles with. The dish goes something like this: boil 6 ounces of ramen noodles, drain, toss with 6 tablespoons Ginger Scallion Sauce (below); top the bowl with 1/4 cup each of Bamboo Shoots (page 54 of Momofuku ); Quick-Pickled Cucumbers (page 65 of Momofuku ); pan-roasted cauliflower (a little oil in a hot wide pan, 8 or so minutes over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the florets are dotted with brown and tender all the way through; season with salt); a pile of sliced scallions; and a sheet of toasted nori. 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites; from 1 to 2 large bunches) 1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger 1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil 1 1/2 teaspoons usukuchi (light soy sauce) 3/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste. Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar, and salt in a bowl.
Reviews
"Pictured below: 1) Ginger Scallion Noodles with Pan Roasted Cauliflower, Bamboo Shoots, Quick Cucumber Pickles, and Nori – p57. 2) Roasted Mushroom Salad over Braised Pistachios with Pickled Sunchokes and Radishes - – p57-58. There are seven sub-recipes to pull it together: Ramen broth – p40, Tare – p42, Pork belly – p50, Pork shoulder – p51, Bamboo shoots, Seasonal vegetable (collard greens) – p54, and Slow poached egg – p52. If you see ingredients listed that you don't recognize, it'll save you time shopping to look them up online so you'll have a better idea what it is and what section of the store you might be looking in."
"Its not just a recipe book but describes his insecurities of starting a restaurant as well as journey to building an empire. But generally the recipes are written very well and usually helps you understand why a particular process or ingredient is used. I'm guessing its due to the saltiness of the soy sauce and/or the color. I had a hard time finding the soy sauce he uses (usukuchi). But the recipe calls for outrageous amounts of ginger and scallions. This book is great if you are wanting experience some of Momofuku without going to NYC."
"The pork bun recipe should be another great reason you should buy this book."
"One of the best books on cooking modern Asian cuisine ever written."
"My son could not put this cookbook down... came on time."
"Beautiful book for the foodie chef."
"I love Dave Chang and this high quality hardcover."
"Somethings can be skipped or done differently but I understand it's his way or making his dishes."
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Best Vietnamese Cooking, Food & Wine

Vietnamese Home Cooking
In his eagerly awaited first cookbook, award-winning chef Charles Phan from San Francisco's Slanted Door restaurant introduces traditional Vietnamese cooking to home cooks by focusing on fundamental techniques and ingredients. But the ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and sambal oelek—a prepared red chile paste that is readily available at most grocery stores—make them different than the standard cucumber pickle. 1 pound English cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut on the diagonal into -inch-thick slices 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned 1 to 2 fresh Thai chiles, stemmed, seeded, and julienned 4 cups rice vinegar 1¼ cups sugar 1½ teaspoons sambal chile paste, also known as sambal oelek ½ cup toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns ¼ cup whole dried red chiles, such as árbol. Transfer to a bowl, add the ginger and fresh Thai chiles, and toss to mix.
Reviews
"Interesting book....recipes are easy to follow but cooking Vietnamese food can be complicated."
"Any competent 8 year-old could make it, it keeps for months, and the combination might well stun you: toss it with some shrimp and scallions, and dinner is READY. If you take the time to make the utterly porkalicious stock first, and find really fresh coconuts, jaws will drop. Uniquely for an Asian cookbook, it specifies good-quality, sustainable (pastured, grass-fed, etc) ingredients, even when making stock, and clearly explains why."
"Recently moved to southern Florida from orange county calif."
"great book particularly if you are a novice when it comes to Vietnamese cooking."
"excellent recipes and very good instructions."
"I love that the author shares that he makes his chicken broth for his wife and family and love that he shares about his family."
"This is absolutely the best Vietnamese cookbook and if you follow the recipes it is mich better than eating at The Slanted Door in SAN Francisco which has dumbed down his recipes for the public."
"He made me feel the streets of Vietnam, its rhythms, its soul .I have been reading this like a novel, a history, a love story."
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Best Cooking, Food & Wine Reference

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs
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
"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!"
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Best Culinary Arts & Techniques

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime - Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-minute Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper
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
"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."
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Best Food Processor Recipes

Making Artisan Pasta: How to Make a World of Handmade Noodles, Stuffed Pasta, Dumplings, and More
Learn how to use the best ingredients and simple, classic techniques to make fresh, homemade pasta in your own kitchen with Making Artisan Pasta . Through author and chef Aliza Green’s pasta expertise and encyclopedic knowledge of all things culinary, plus hundreds of gorgeous photos by acclaimed food photographer Steve Legato, you’ll never look at the supermarket pasta aisle the same way again. He resides just outside of Philadelphia, PA. Visit his website at http://www.stevelegato.com.Aliza Green is an award-winning Philadelphia-based author, journalist, and influential chef whose books include The Butcher's Apprentice and Making Artisan Pasta(Quarry Books, 2012),The Fishmonger's Apprentice(Quarry Books, 2010), Starting with Ingredients: Baking (Running Press, 2008) and Starting with Ingredients (Running Press, 2006), four perennially popular Field Guides to food (Quirk, 2004-2007), Beans: More than 200 Delicious, Wholesome Recipes from Around the World (Running Press, 2004) and successful collaborations with renowned chefs Guillermo Pernot and Georges Perrier.ÿA former food columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Cooking Light Magazine, Green is known for her encyclopedic knowledge of every possible ingredient, its history, culture, and use in the kitchen and bakery and for her lively story-telling. For more information about Aliza's books and tours or to send her a message, visit her website at http://www.alizagreen.com.Steve Legato is a freelance photographer specializing in food, restaurant industry, cookbooks and advertising.
Reviews
"I have other pasta books, such as the joy of pasta, and usually they are maybe 25% actual pasta recipes, and the rest is sauce or soup or casseroles using the pasta. There is nothing wrong with that, but Making Artisan Pasta is a book about the pasta, about what ingredients to use, how to use them, how to make the pasta, form the pasta, and tons and tons of ideas and tips on making amazing pasta. There are some pastas that simply call for special gadgets to make them, it's the nature of the pasta, but if you don't want to spend a penny on new fun equipment there are still plenty of pasta recipes you can easily make."
"If you're a pasta lever in years past a lot this is a good book to have because make your own pasta is much better than what you buy in the store."
"all kinds of great recipes....already gained 2 pounds."
"I love the fact it gives you various instructions whether making or cutting it by hand or with a machine."
"There are recipes for white or red wines pasta dough; porcini mushroom dough; CHOCOLATE pasta dough; matzo balls, ravioli gnudi, spaetzle, passatelli, laminated pastas, Siberian pelmeni, pot stickers, and numerous others."
"The instructions are simple and clear-there are photos of each recipe, and they are unique...something you would actually use."
"Illustrations are very helpful and photos of finished dishes always make a cookbook enjoyable."
"This book wasn't at my local library, I had to special-order it from a more distant library, twice."
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