COOK THE BOOKS
THE YEAR’S BEST BOILED DOWN
Innumerable cookbooks landed on my desk this year, ending up stacked in teetering piles of culinary instruction.
Looking over the collection, it’s clear there were themes to many of those shipped out this year by publishers.
Vegetarian and vegan books arrived by the boxful, as did those from popular authors and hot restaurants. Books advocating a return to basics — in the form of homemade charcuterie or dishes that have graced tables for decades — could almost make a pile of their own.
Even though only a few end up making it into my reviews, many had me poring over them, marking recipes to try to photos to admire.
But only a handful rose to the top — after being reviewed in my column or enjoyed at home — to become favourites for the year.
Alice Eats by Julie Van Rosendaal and Pierre Lamielle
Whitecap Books
The peculiar story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland get a cookbook makeover complete with luscious and playful pictures from chef and illustrator Pierre Lamielle and solid recipes and helpful stepby-step photographs from food writer and popular blogger Julie Van Rosendaal.
The pairing of these two has resulted in a whimsical and gorgeous book that gives the entire fantastical story of Alice as she tumbles down the rabbit hole with recipes that match the luscious foods Lewis Carroll described.
Pok Pok by Andy Ricker with J.J. Goode Ten Speed Press One of several books to come from the chefs behind celebrated and critically acclaimed restaurants, Pok Pok shares recipes from James Beard award-winning Andy Ricker, whose Portland-based restaurant of the same name is wildly popular. Ricker travelled extensively around Thailand over the course of several years, obsessively eating and learning to make the authentic dishes that would eventually make up most of the menu at the hot spot restaurant. Through the cookbook, Ricker demystifies Thai cuisine, while sharing stories of his travels.
I bookmarked numerous recipes before finally realizing it made no sense to be marking every other page. I will readily admit, though, the first thing I looked to find was a recipe for his Ike’s Vietnamese Fishsauce Wings that I crave still today, almost two years after eating them.
Rick Stein’s India: In Search of the Perfect Curry BBC Books This book is a visual feast, what with its brightly coloured photos of dishes featured in its pages, as well as travel shots of people, places and ingredients from across India.
Written as a companion to Stein’s BBC show that aired this year on that network, this cookbook is an extensive collection of curries, sweets, street food and vegetable dishes that goes far beyond Butter Chicken with mouthwatering pictures to match.
River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Appetite by Random House This book was among the plethora of vegetarian cookbooks that arrived, but one of the only ones not intended solely for those who eschew meat. The book covers the basics with pastas and salads, but also more interesting takes on quiches, galettes and soups I wouldn’t have come up with. There are no unfamiliar ingredients, just regular vegetables cooked creatively with Fearnley-Whittingstall offering conversational instructions along the way.
Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison Random House of Canada Considering my love of steak and burgers, I’m sure most people would describe me as a carnivore, so I’m surprised to find two vegetarian books on my list for the year.
But this book from Madison is as much a vegetable encyclopedia and gardening guide as it is cookbook.
There’s extensive information about plant families, the connections between vegetables, which ones pair well with them and, of course, recipes — more than 300 of them.
In the Charcuterie by Taylor Boetticher and Toponia Miller Ten Speed Press The complete opposite of a vegetarian cookbook, this one from the husband-and-wife team behind the Fatted Calf Charcuterie instead is a guide to all things meat: sausage, salami, confit, pates and more.
Yes, admittedly, it’s unlikely I’m going to start making charcuterie in my tiny apartment kitchen, but I liked this book’s ability to make me feel like I could if I so desired.
Besides plenty of tempting recipes, there are extensive play- by-play photos to take all the guesswork out of complicated tasks (like butchering a whole lamb or goat) and Boetticher and Miller have included information about everything from pig breeds to what cuts of beef are best for which dishes.
There are charts and diagrams, lists of key tools and tips on what to look for when buying meat. And, of course, there are recipes that would tempt any meat lover.
Fresh and Light by Donna Hay HarperCollins Canada There are a handful of cookbook authors I will seek out time and again; Donna Hay is one of those. Her simple recipes and clean esthetic really appeal to me, so I was pleased to see the latest from her, particularly since the focus is on lighter fare.
There’s no point in marking recipes that interest me since it would basically leave no page untouched, from a Toasted Spiced Chickpea Salad to Chili, Pepper and Basil Tofu Stir Fry.
Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson Random House of Canada Despite the current reports swirling around Nigella Lawson and her recent court-related confessions, no one can say this woman doesn’t put out a good cookbook.
Nigellissima, which documents her love for authentic and her personal versions of Italian dishes and the country they come from, is no different.
I made two recipes from it in the first week, including one only a few hours after I received the book in the mail.
Her warm and chatty instructions, along with the simplicity of most of the dishes, make for an appealing and approachable book.