Cookbooks & Food Writing

It’s hard to express how much I love Molly Wizenberg’s writing. There is an ease and simplicity to her style that is so very appealing, but this Seattle-based blogger (Orangette) also has the ability to surprise readers. For Wizenberg, food, friends, and family are completely intertwined, which is clearly evident in the often humorous, frequently touching, and always charming stories in A Homemade Life. Memories of her father, for example, begin with his cherished formula for potato salad and an attempt to recreate his French toast, but also include a variation on scrambled eggs that spurred a comforting moment as he was dying of cancer. Just as great as Wizenberg’s writing, however, are her recipes. In a word: fantastic! Fans of Ruth Reichl (Tender at the Bone) will love this book. —S.B.

One silver lining to the financial crisis has been the notable increase in folks cooking at home. Likewise, interest in canning and preserving food (whether from your own garden or the farmers’ market) has, happily, experienced a resurgence. If you weren’t lucky enough to learn how to “put food by” from your grandma, let Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It be your guide. Classic in technique yet thoroughly modern, this collection includes recipes for tasty jam and pickles, as well as for homemade cheeses, condiments, smoked meats, noodles, crackers, popsicles, cordials, and more. —S.B.

BabyCakes, a hugely successful alternative (vegan, and wheat, dairy and refined sugar-free) bakery in New York City, provides further evidence that dietary adaptations and limitations are creative culinary assets. Their cupcakes were voted the Best in NYC, which just goes to show how much harder BabyCakes has worked to achieve success. With McKenna’s baking secrets and recipes in your kitchen, your homemade desserts will never disappoint or discriminate against any of your sweet-toothed pals. In fact, proven dessert pushers will be able to push harder and farther than ever before. —Jen Toner

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has teamed up with their nearly 2 million members to collect 250 inexpensive, simple, and healthy recipes for students on a budget who have limited space and cookware. Covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, and dessert, this book will help students resist the lure of the cafeteria and make it easier to become (or stay) vegan at school. Could there be a more perfect book for Santa Cruz?

“The title of the fifth book from Lebovitz, celebrated pastry chef and Chez Panisse alum, is a bit of a misnomer: this feisty memoir-with-recipes is just as tart as it is sweet. Writing with the same cheeky tone that has made his blog one of the most popular food sites on the Internet, Lebovitz presents an eclectic collection of vignettes illustrating his experiences living as an expatriate in Paris,” writes Publishers Weekly. I can’t wait to get my hands on this book and try some of the savory and sweet recipes featured throughout. Lebovitz’s dishes are always divine! —S.B.

A graduate with distinction of the Culinary Institute of America, Adam Perry Lang has worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in the country; but what really fires him up (pardon the pun) is American barbecue. He travels the world preaching the barbecue gospel, and his new book will show you how to ‘cue up some delicious fare—from “Salt and Pepper Dry-Aged Cowboy-Cut Rib Eye” to “‘Get a Book’ Whole Pork Shoulder.” “Lang’s definition of barbecue includes grilling as well as ‘low and slow cooking,’ and he presents a wide variety of tasty recipes here, along with a detailed introduction to barbecue basics and many useful sidebars on techniques and other tips. Highly recommended,” says Library Journal.