This delicious new volume of Ruth Reichl's acclaimed memoirs recounts her "adventures in deception," as she goes undercover in the world's finest restaurants. Reichl knows that "to be a good restaurant critic, you have to be anonymous," but when she signs up to be the...  more

This delicious new volume of Ruth Reichl's acclaimed memoirs recounts her "adventures in deception," as she goes undercover in the world's finest restaurants. Reichl knows that "to be a good restaurant critic, you have to be anonymous," but when she signs up to be the most important restaurant critic in the country, at The New York Times, her picture is posted in every four-star, low-star, and no-star kitchen in town. Managers offer cash bonuses for advance notice of her visits. They roll out the red carpet whether she likes it or not. What's a critic in search of the truth to do? Reichl dons a frumpy blond wig and an off-season beige Armani suit. Then on the advice of a friend, an acting coach with a Pygmalion complex, she begins assembling her new character's backstory. She takes to the assignment with astonishing ardor - and thus Molly Hollis, the retired high school teacher from Birmingham, Michigan, nouveau riche from her husband's real estate speculation, is born. And duly ignored, mishandled, and condescended to by the high-power staff at Le Cirque. The result: Reichl's famous double review, first as she ate there as Molly and then as she was coddled and pampered on her visit there as Ruth, The New York Times food critic. When restaurateurs learn to watch for Molly, Reichl buys another wig and becomes someone else, and then someone else again, from a chic interior decorator to an eccentric redhead on whom her husband -both disconcertingly and reassuringly- develops a terrible crush. As she puts on her disguises, she finds herself changed not just superficially, but in character. She becomes Molly the schoolmarm, Chloe the seductress, and Brenda the downtown earth mother - and imagine the complexities when she dines out as Miriam, her own mother. As Reichl metes out her critical stars, she gives a remarkable account of how one's outer appearance can influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites. Reichl writes, "Every restaurant is a theater...even the modest restaurants offer the opportunity to become someone else, at least for a little while."

In this delightful sequel to her bestseller Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl returns with more tales of love, life, and marvelous meals. Comfort Me with Apples picks up Reichl’s story in 1978, when she puts down her chef’s toque and embarks on a career as a restaurant critic. Her...  more

In this delightful sequel to her bestseller Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl returns with more tales of love, life, and marvelous meals. Comfort Me with Apples picks up Reichl’s story in 1978, when she puts down her chef’s toque and embarks on a career as a restaurant critic. Her pursuit of good food and good company leads her to New York and China, France and Los Angeles, and her stories of cooking and dining with world-famous chefs range from the madcap to the sublime. Throughout it all, Reichl makes each and every course a hilarious and instructive occasion for novices and experts alike. She shares some of her favorite recipes, while also sharing the intimacies of her personal life in a style so honest and warm that readers will feel they are enjoying a conversation over a meal with a friend.

For better or worse, almost all of us grow up at the table. It is in this setting that Ruth Reichl's brilliantly written memoir takes its form. For, at a very early age, Reichl discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world . . . if you watched people as they ate, you could...  more

For better or worse, almost all of us grow up at the table. It is in this setting that Ruth Reichl's brilliantly written memoir takes its form. For, at a very early age, Reichl discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world . . . if you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were." Tender at the Bone is the story of a life determined, enhanced, and defined in equal measure by unforgettable people, the love of tales well told, and a passion for food. In other words, the stuff of the best literature. The journey begins with Reichl's mother, the notorious food-poisoner known for-evermore as the Queen of Mold, and moves on to the fabled Mrs. Peavey, onetime Baltimore socialite millionaress, who, for a brief but poignant moment, was retained as the Reichls' maid. Then we are introduced to Monsieur du Croix, the gourmand, who so understood and yet was awed by this prodigious child at his dinner table that when he introduced Ruth to the soufflé, he could only exclaim, "What a pleasure to watch a child eat her first soufflé!" Then, fast-forward to the politically correct table set in Berkeley in the 1970s, and the food revolution that Ruth watched and participated in as organic became the norm. But this sampling doesn't do this character-rich book justice. After all, this is just a taste.Tender at the Bone is a remembrance of Ruth Reichl's childhood into young adulthood, redolent with the atmosphere, good humor, and angst of a sensualist coming-of-age.

A highly acclaimed writer and editor, Bill Buford left his job at The New Yorker for a most unlikely destination: the kitchen at Babbo, the revolutionary Italian restaurant created and ruled by superstar chef Mario Batali. Finally realizing a long-held desire to learn first-hand the...  more

A highly acclaimed writer and editor, Bill Buford left his job at The New Yorker for a most unlikely destination: the kitchen at Babbo, the revolutionary Italian restaurant created and ruled by superstar chef Mario Batali. Finally realizing a long-held desire to learn first-hand the experience of restaurant cooking, Buford soon finds himself drowning in improperly cubed carrots and scalding pasta water on his quest to learn the tricks of the trade. His love of Italian food then propels him on journeys further afield: to Italy, to discover the secrets of pasta-making and, finally, how to properly slaughter a pig. Throughout, Buford stunningly details the complex aspects of Italian cooking and its long history, creating an engrossing and visceral narrative stuffed with insight and humor.

A lesson in cake-making leads to reflections on a marriage; tortillas teach a girl to believe in herself. A man learns about love while creating tiramisu. The School of Essential Ingredients follows the lives of eight cooking students and their teacher in a class that meets in Lillian's...  more

A lesson in cake-making leads to reflections on a marriage; tortillas teach a girl to believe in herself. A man learns about love while creating tiramisu. The School of Essential Ingredients follows the lives of eight cooking students and their teacher in a class that meets in Lillian's restaurant kitchen. Over the course of eight months, the lives of the characters mingle and intertwine, brought together by the revealing, sensual, and comforting nature of what can be created in the kitchen.

A delightful true story of food, Paris, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream In 2003, Kathleen Flinn, a thirty-six-year-old American living and working in London, returned from vacation to find that her corporate job had been eliminated. Ignoring her mother's advice that she get another job...  more

A delightful true story of food, Paris, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream In 2003, Kathleen Flinn, a thirty-six-year-old American living and working in London, returned from vacation to find that her corporate job had been eliminated. Ignoring her mother's advice that she get another job immediately or “never get hired anywhere ever again,” Flinn instead cleared out her savings and moved to Paris to pursue a dream—a diploma from the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is the touching and remarkably funny account of Flinn's transformation as she moves through the school's intense program and falls deeply in love along the way. Flinn interweaves more than two dozen recipes with a unique look inside Le Cordon Bleu amid battles with demanding chefs, competitive classmates, and her “wretchedly inadequate” French. Flinn offers a vibrant portrait of Paris, one in which the sights and sounds of the city's street markets and purveyors come alive in rich detail. The ultimate wish fulfillment book, her story is a true testament to pursuing a dream. Fans of Julie & Julia, Almost French, and Eat, Pray, Love will be amused, inspired, and richly rewarded by this seductive tale of romance, Paris, and French food.

In the tradition of Kitchen Confidential, a revealing and entertaining insider?s tour through top restaurant kitchens, told from the unique perspective of a critically acclaimed pastry chef. Spiced is Dalia Jurgensen?s memoir of leaving her office job and pursuing her dream of becoming a chef....  more

In the tradition of Kitchen Confidential, a revealing and entertaining insider?s tour through top restaurant kitchens, told from the unique perspective of a critically acclaimed pastry chef. Spiced is Dalia Jurgensen?s memoir of leaving her office job and pursuing her dream of becoming a chef. Eventually landing the job of pastry chef for a three-star New York restaurant, she recounts with endearing candor the dry cakes and burned pots of her early internships, and the sweat, sheer determination, and finely tuned taste buds?as well as resilient ego and sense of humor?that won her spots in world-class restaurant kitchens. With wit and an appreciation for raunchy insults, she reveals the secrets to holding your own in male-dominated kitchens, surviving after-hours staff parties, and turning out perfect plates when you know you?re cooking for a poorly disguised restaurant critic. She even confesses to a clandestine romance with her chef and boss?not to mention what it?s like to work in Martha Stewart?s TV kitchen?and the ugly truth behind the much-mythologized ?family meal.? Following Dalia?s personal trajectory from nervous newbie to unflappable professional, Spiced is a clever, surprisingly frank, and affectionate glimpse at the sweet and sour of following your passion.

Sizzling sauté pans. Screaming spectators. Television cameras. A ticking clock. Fasten your seatbelt for the Bocuse d'Or, the world's most challenging and prestigious cooking competition, where the pressure and the stakes could not be higher. At this real-life Top Chef,...  more

Sizzling sauté pans. Screaming spectators. Television cameras. A ticking clock. Fasten your seatbelt for the Bocuse d'Or, the world's most challenging and prestigious cooking competition, where the pressure and the stakes could not be higher. At this real-life Top Chef, twenty-four culinary teams, each representing its home nation, cook for five and a half grueling hours. There are no elimination rounds, no time to ease into the rigors of competition. The teams have just one precious chance to cook and present two spectacular platters of food, then plate them for tasting by a jury of chefs -- the ultimate test of their ability to execute their craft, with prize money, international acclaim, and national pride on the line. Surprisingly, although American cuisine now rates among the best in the world, a U.S. team has never finished among the top three at this "Olympics of Food." In 2008, a triumvirate of culinary figures -- Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Jérôme Bocuse -- raised unprecedented support and awareness for the American effort. This is their story, and the story of the team that competed for the United States at the 2009 Bocuse d'Or -- what they did, how they did it, and what they learned. Knives at Dawn chronicles the formation and training of the 2009 American team. Chef Timothy Hollingsworth and his assistant, or commis, Adina Guest, both from The French Laundry in Yountville, California, are the stars of this chefs-as-athletes story. After winning a national team selection event, the pair trained in a specially outfitted facility, while twenty-three competitors -- including a Norwegian who'd been hell-bent to win the Bocuse d'Or since the age of twelve -- rehearsed around the globe. The days of the competition, when they all come together in an arena in Lyon, France, are recounted in riveting detail -- putting you right alongside the action -- as the months of toil and aspiration come to a head in the final hours of fierce cooking, when technical and mental fortitude, split-second decision-making, or a few too many seconds of heat can make all the difference in the world. Beyond the American team itself, unparalleled behind-the-scenes access allows sports journalist and food writer Andrew Friedman to paint intimate portraits of Boulud and Keller, two of the most influential culinary figures of their generation, as well as of French icon Paul Bocuse, who created the competition more than two decades ago. With its revealing look at chefs and cooks of different generations and nationalities, Knives at Dawn delivers fascinating insights into what drives chefs to cook and compete, both in the Bocuse d'Or and in their own kitchens every day.

Julia Child became a household name when she entered the lives of millions of Americans through our hearts and kitchens.  Yet few know the richly varied private life that lies behind this icon whose statuesque height and warmly enthused warble have become synonymous with the art of...  more

Julia Child became a household name when she entered the lives of millions of Americans through our hearts and kitchens.  Yet few know the richly varied private life that lies behind this icon whose statuesque height and warmly enthused warble have become synonymous with the art of cooking.  In this biography, we meet the earthy and outrageous Julia, who, at age eighty-five, remains a complex role model.  Fitch, who had access to all of Julia's private letters and diaries, takes us through her life from her exuberant youth as a high-spirited California girl to her years at Smith College, where Julia was at the center of every prank and party.  When most of her girlfriends married, Julia volunteered with the OSS in India and China during World War II, and was an integral part of this elite corps.  There she met her future husband, the cosmopolitan Paul Child, who introduced her to the glories of art, fine French cuisine, and love.  Theirs was a deeply passionate romance and a modern marriage of equals.Julia began her culinary training only at the age of thirty-seven at the Cordon Bleu.  Later she roamed the food markets of Marseilles, Bonn, and Oslo.  She invested ten years of learning and experimentation in what would become her first bestselling classic, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Now, her career is legend, spanning nearly forty years and still going strong.  Generations love the humor and trademark aplomb that have made Julia Child a household name.  Resisting fads and narrow, fanatical conventions of health-consciousness, Julia is the quintessential teacher.  The perfect gift for food lovers and a romantic biography of a woman modern before her time, this is a truly American life.  Bon appÚtit!

A delectable journey into the world of chocolate--from manufacturing to marketing, French boutiques to American multinationals--by the award-winning author of Olives.Science, over recent years, has confirmed what chocolate lovers have always known: the stuff is actually good for you. It's the...  more

A delectable journey into the world of chocolate--from manufacturing to marketing, French boutiques to American multinationals--by the award-winning author of Olives.Science, over recent years, has confirmed what chocolate lovers have always known: the stuff is actually good for you. It's the Valentine's Day drug of choice, has more antioxidants than red wine, and triggers the same brain responses as falling in love. Nothing, in the end, can stand up to chocolate as a basic fundament to human life. In this scintillating narrative, acclaimed foodie Mort Rosenblum delves into the complex world of chocolate. From the mole poblano--chile-laced chicken with chocolate--of ancient Mexico to the contemporary French chocolatiers who produce the palets d'or--bite-sized, gold-flecked bricks of dark chocolate--to the vast empires of Hershey, Godiva, and Valrhona, Rosenblum follows the chocolate trail the world over. He visits cacao plantations, meets with growers, buyers, makers, and tasters, and investigates the dark side of the chocolate trade as well as the enduring appeal of its product. Engaging, entertaining, and revealing, Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light is a fascinating foray into this "food of the gods."

When Molly Wizenberg's father died of cancer, everyone told her to go easy on herself, to hold off on making any major decisions for a while. But when she tried going back to her apartment in Seattle and returning to graduate school, she knew it wasn't possible to resume life as though...  more

When Molly Wizenberg's father died of cancer, everyone told her to go easy on herself, to hold off on making any major decisions for a while. But when she tried going back to her apartment in Seattle and returning to graduate school, she knew it wasn't possible to resume life as though nothing had happened. So she went to Paris, a city that held vivid memories of a childhood trip with her father, of early morning walks on the cobbled streets of the Latin Quarter and the taste of her first pain au chocolat. She was supposed to be doing research for her dissertation, but more often, she found herself peering through the windows of chocolate shops, trekking across town to try a new pâtisserie, or tasting cheeses at outdoor markets, until one evening when she sat in the Luxembourg Gardens reading cookbooks until it was too dark to see, she realized that her heart was not in her studies but in the kitchen. At first, it wasn't clear where this epiphany might lead. Like her long letters home describing the details of every meal and market, Molly's blog Orangette started out merely as a pleasant pastime. But it wasn't long before her writing and recipes developed an international following.

Clotilde Dusoulier is a twenty-seven-year-old Parisian who adores sharing her love of all things food-related—recipes, inspirations, restaurant experiences, and above all the pleasure of cooking with the fresh ingredients found in her local Montmartre shops. But her infatuation with food...  more

Clotilde Dusoulier is a twenty-seven-year-old Parisian who adores sharing her love of all things food-related—recipes, inspirations, restaurant experiences, and above all the pleasure of cooking with the fresh ingredients found in her local Montmartre shops. But her infatuation with food was born not in her mother’s Parisian kitchen, but in San Francisco, where she moved after college and discovered a new world of tastes. When she returned to her beloved France, her culinary exploits inspired her popular and critically acclaimed blog, ChocolateandZucchini.com.In her first book, Dusoulier provides a glimpse into the life of a young Parisian as she savors all that the city has to offer and shares her cooking philosophy in the form of more than 75 recipes that call for healthy ingredients (such as zucchini) and more indulgent tastes (such as chocolate). The Los Angeles Times calls her recipes "simple, charming, and fun." Appetizers such as Cumin Cheese Puffs, sandwiches and tarts like Tomato Tatin, soups like Chestnut and Mushroom, main dishes including Mustard Chicken Stew, and desserts like Chocolate and Caramel Tart can all be found alongside menus for entertaining, as well as tips for throwing cocktail or dinner parties with French flair. Chocolate & Zucchini is the book for anyone who has journeyed to Paris and can still recall the delicious flavors and aromas—or for those of us who only dream about them.

Exuberant, affectionate, and boundlessly charming, this is the delightful and highly acclaimed memoir from the woman who revolutionized American cooking in the 20th century. With Julia Child's death in 2004 at age 91, her grandnephew Prud'homme (The Cell Game) completed this playful memoir...  more

Exuberant, affectionate, and boundlessly charming, this is the delightful and highly acclaimed memoir from the woman who revolutionized American cooking in the 20th century. With Julia Child's death in 2004 at age 91, her grandnephew Prud'homme (The Cell Game) completed this playful memoir of the famous chef's first, formative sojourn in France with her new husband, Paul Child, in 1949. The couple met during WWII in Ceylon, working for the OSS, and soon after moved to Paris, where Paul worked for the U.S. Information Service. Child describes herself as a "rather loud and unserious Californian," 36, six-foot-two and without a word of French, while Paul was 10 years older, an urbane, well-traveled Bostonian. Startled to find the French amenable and the food delicious, Child enrolled at the Cordon Bleu and toiled with increasing zeal under the rigorous tutelage of eminence grise Chef Bugnard. "Jackdaw Julie," as Paul called her, collected every manner of culinary tool and perfected the recipes in her little kitchen on rue de l'Universite ("Roo de Loo"). She went on to start an informal school with sister gourmandes Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, who were already at work on a French cookbook for American readers, although it took Child's know-how to transform the tome - after nine years, many title changes and three publishers - into the bestselling Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). This is a valuable record of gorgeous meals in bygone Parisian restaurants, and the secret arts of a culinary genius. Includes photos.

Everyone thinks they know the real Gordon Ramsay: rude, loud, pathologically driven, stubborn as hell. Now, for the first time, the world's most famous—and infamous—chef tells the inside story of his life: his difficult childhood, his father's alcoholism and violence, his brother's...  more

Everyone thinks they know the real Gordon Ramsay: rude, loud, pathologically driven, stubborn as hell. Now, for the first time, the world's most famous—and infamous—chef tells the inside story of his life: his difficult childhood, his father's alcoholism and violence, his brother's heroin addiction, his short-circuited soccer career, and his fanatical pursuit of gastronomic perfection—everything that helped mold him into the culinary talent and media powerhouse that he is today. He also dishes the dirt on the rich and famous, and takes you behind the scenes of some of the great restaurants. Honest, outrageous, and intensely personal, Roasting in Hell's Kitchen will not only change your perception of Gordon Ramsay but that of the cutthroat world of haute cuisine as well.

They had been there often as tourists. They had cherished the dream of someday living all year under the Provencal sun. And suddenly it happened. Here is the month-by-month account of the charms and frustrations that Peter Mayle and his wife -- and their two large dogs -- experience their...  more

They had been there often as tourists. They had cherished the dream of someday living all year under the Provencal sun. And suddenly it happened. Here is the month-by-month account of the charms and frustrations that Peter Mayle and his wife -- and their two large dogs -- experience their first year in the remote country of the Luberon restoring a two-centuries-old stone farmhouse that they bought on sight. From coping in January with the first mistral, which comes howling down from the Rhone Valley and wreaks havoc with the pipes, to dealing as the months go by with the disarming promises and procrastination of the local masons and plumbers, Peter Mayle delights us with his strategies for survival. He relishes the growing camaraderie with his country neighbors -- despite the rich, soupy, often impenetrable patois that threatens to separate them. He makes friends with boar hunters and truffle hunters, a man who eats foxes, and another who bites dentists; he discovers the secrets of handicapping racing goats and of disarming vipers. And he comes to dread the onslaught of tourists who disrupt his tranquility. In this often hilarious, seductive book Peter Mayle manages to transport us info all the earthy pleasures of Provencal life and lets us live vicariously in a tempo governed by seasons, not by days. George Lang, who was smitten, suggests: "Get a glass of marc, lean back in your most comfortable chair, and spend a delicious year in Provence."

Peter Mayle, francophile phenomenon and author of A Year in Provence, brings another delightful (and delicious) account of the good life, this time exploring the gustatory pleasures to be found throughout France. The French celebrate food and drink more than any other people, and Mayle...  more

Peter Mayle, francophile phenomenon and author of A Year in Provence, brings another delightful (and delicious) account of the good life, this time exploring the gustatory pleasures to be found throughout France. The French celebrate food and drink more than any other people, and Mayle shows us just how contagious their enthusiasm can be. We visit the Foire aux Escargots. We attend a truly French marathon, where the beverage of choice is Chateau Lafite-Rothschild rather than Gatorade. We search out the most pungent cheese in France, and eavesdrop on a heated debate on the perfect way to prepare an omelet. We even attend a Catholic mass in the village of Richerenches, a sacred event at which thanks are given for the aromatic, mysterious, and breathtakingly expensive black truffle. With Mayle as our inimitably charming guide, we come away with a satisfied smile (if a little hungry) and the compelling desire to book a flight to France at once.

The bestselling author of The Botany of Desire explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the twenty-first century "What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat....  more

The bestselling author of The Botany of Desire explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the twenty-first century "What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't-which mushrooms should be avoided, for example, and which berries we can enjoy. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance. The cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet has thrown us back on a bewildering landscape where we once again have to worry about which of those tasty-looking morsels might kill us. At the same time we're realizing that our food choices also have profound implications for the health of our environment. The Omnivore's Dilemma is bestselling author Michael Pollan's brilliant and eye-opening exploration of these little-known but vitally important dimensions of eating in America. Pollan has divided The Omnivore's Dilemma into three parts, one for each of the food chains that sustain us: industrialized food, alternative or "organic" food, and food people obtain by dint of their own hunting, gathering, or gardening. Pollan follows each food chain literally from the ground up to the table, emphasizing our dynamic coevolutionary relationship with the species we depend on. He concludes each section by sitting down to a meal--at McDonald's, at home with his family sharing a dinner from Whole Foods, and in a revolutionary "beyond organic" farm in Virginia. For each meal he traces the provenance of everything consumed, revealing the hidden components we unwittingly ingest and explaining how our taste for particular foods reflects our environmental and biological inheritance. We are indeed what we eat-and what we eat remakes the world. A society of voracious and increasingly confused omnivores, we are just beginning to recognize the profound consequences of the simplest everyday food choices, both for ourselves and for the natural world. The Omnivore's Dilemma is a long-overdue book and one that will become known for bringing a completely fresh perspective to a question as ordinary and yet momentous as What shall we have for dinner?

In tiny Lansquenet, where nothing much has changed in a hundred years, beautiful, unmarried newcomer Vianne Rocher and her young daughter sweep into the pinched little town on a wave of gossip. On the heels of the carnival, Vianne promptly opens a chocolate shop right across the square from the...  more

In tiny Lansquenet, where nothing much has changed in a hundred years, beautiful, unmarried newcomer Vianne Rocher and her young daughter sweep into the pinched little town on a wave of gossip. On the heels of the carnival, Vianne promptly opens a chocolate shop right across the square from the church, and thus begins to wreak havoc with the town's Lenten vows. Vianne finds herself embroiled in a battle for the town's souls with the local priest. Father Reynaud, who tries to cast Vianne -- with her unconventional, gypsy-like ways -- as the village Jezebel. Soon she has effected a civil war in the little country town between those who prefer the cold comforts of the church and those who revel in the warm delights of chocolate.

From the legendary editor who helped shape modern cookbook publishing -- one of the food world’s most admired figures -- an evocative and inspiring memoir. Living in Paris after World War II, Judith Jones broke free of the bland American food she had been raised on and reveled in...  more

From the legendary editor who helped shape modern cookbook publishing -- one of the food world’s most admired figures -- an evocative and inspiring memoir. Living in Paris after World War II, Judith Jones broke free of the bland American food she had been raised on and reveled in everyday French culinary delights. On returning to the States -- hoping to bring some joie de cuisine to America -- she published Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The rest is publishing and gastronomic history. A new world now opened up to Jones: discovering, with her husband, Evan, the delights of American food; working with the tireless Julia; absorbing the wisdom of James Beard; understanding food as memory through the writings of Claudia Roden and Madhur Jaffrey; demystifying the techniques of Chinese cookery with Irene Kuo; absorbing the Italian way through the warmth of Lidia Bastianich; and working with Edna Lewis, Marion Cunningham, Joan Nathan, and other groundbreaking cooks. Jones considers matters of taste (can it be acquired?). She discusses the vagaries of vegetable gardening in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the joys of foraging in the woods and meadows. And she writes about M.F.K. Fisher: as mentor, friend, and the source of luminous insight into the arts of eating, living, and aging. Embellished with fifty recipes -- each with its own story and special tips -- this is an absolutely charming memoir by a woman who was present at the creation of the American food revolution and played a seminal role in shaping it.

The life of 31-year-old trophy wife Wynter Morrison suddenly changes course when her husband announces one evening that their marriage is over. Emotionally devastated and desperate for a change of scenery, Wyn moves to Seattle where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery, sipping coffee and...  more

The life of 31-year-old trophy wife Wynter Morrison suddenly changes course when her husband announces one evening that their marriage is over. Emotionally devastated and desperate for a change of scenery, Wyn moves to Seattle where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery, sipping coffee and inhaling the sweet aromas of freshly-made bread. These visits bring back memories of her long-ago apprenticeship at a French boulangerie, and when offered a position at the bakery, Wyn quickly accepts -- hoping that the rituals of baking will help her move on. Working long hours among the bakery's cluster of eclectic women -- Linda, the irascible bread baker; earth mother Ellen and her partner Diane; and Tyler, the blue-haired barista -- Wyn awakens to the truths that she missed while living the good life in Hancock Park. Soon Wyn discovers that making bread possesses an unexpected and wondrous healing power, helping her to rediscover that nothing stays the same... bread rises, pain fades, the heart heals, and the future beckons. 

More Home Cooking, like its predecessor, Home Cooking, is an expression of Laurie Colwin's lifelong passion for cuisine. In this delightful mix of recipes, advice, and anecdotes, she writes about often overlooked food items such as beets, pears, black beans, and chutney. With down-to-earth charm...  more

More Home Cooking, like its predecessor, Home Cooking, is an expression of Laurie Colwin's lifelong passion for cuisine. In this delightful mix of recipes, advice, and anecdotes, she writes about often overlooked food items such as beets, pears, black beans, and chutney. With down-to-earth charm and wit, Colwin also discusses the many pleasures and problems of cooking at home in essays such as "Desserts That Quiver," "Turkey Angst," and "Catering on One Dollar a Head." As informative as it is entertaining, More Home Cooking is a delicious treat for anyone who loves to spend time in the kitchen.

Share the unsurpassed pleasures of discovering, cooking, and eating good, simple food with this beloved book. Equal parts cookbook and memoir, Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking combines her insightful, good-humored writing style with her lifelong passion for wonderful cuisine in essays such as "Alone...  more

Share the unsurpassed pleasures of discovering, cooking, and eating good, simple food with this beloved book. Equal parts cookbook and memoir, Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking combines her insightful, good-humored writing style with her lifelong passion for wonderful cuisine in essays such as "Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant," "Repulsive Dinners: A Memoir," and "Stuffed Breast of Veal: A Bad Idea." Home Cooking is truly a feast for body and soul.

The education of a barbarian in the temples of haute cuisine.In the blink of an eye, Bob Spitz turned fifty, finished an eight-year book project and a fourteen-year marriage that left him nearly destitute, had his heart stolen and broken on the rebound, and sought salvation the only way he knew...  more

The education of a barbarian in the temples of haute cuisine.In the blink of an eye, Bob Spitz turned fifty, finished an eight-year book project and a fourteen-year marriage that left him nearly destitute, had his heart stolen and broken on the rebound, and sought salvation the only way he knew how. He fled to Europe, where he hopscotched among the finest cooking schools in pursuit of his dream. The urge to cook like a virtuoso, to unravel the mysteries of the process, had become an obsession.Spitz hit the fabled cooking-school circuit in a series of idyllic European villages, and The Saucier's Apprentice is a chronicle of his exploits. Combining an outrageous travelogue with gastronomic lore, hands-on cooking instruction, hot-tempered chefs, local personalities, and a batch of memorable recipes, Spitz's odyssey recounts the transformation of a professional writer?and lifelong kitchen amateur?into a world-class cook. 30 illustrations.

Best Food Writing 2001 brings together, for the second year, the most exceptional writing culled from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and web sites. Within its five sections--Stocking the Larder, Home Cooking, Someone's in the Kitchen, Dining Around and Personal...  more

Best Food Writing 2001 brings together, for the second year, the most exceptional writing culled from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and web sites. Within its five sections--Stocking the Larder, Home Cooking, Someone's in the Kitchen, Dining Around and Personal Tastes--read our best writers on everything from the year's most celebrated chefs to extraordinary restaurant experiences, from the latest trends in ingredients and equipment to unforgettable memoirs inspired by cooking and eating. Neither cook nor food lover should be without this remarkable annual collection. Included are contributions by R.W. Apple, Jr., Amanda Hesser, Ruth Reichl, Jeffrey Steingarten, Jane and Michael Stern, Calvin Trillin, Gael Greene, Mimi Sheraton, Jonathon Reynolds, Eric Schlosser, and many others.

With recipes from many, and contributions by Maya Angelou, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, and Marge Piercy, among others. These days any woman knows that the sensual pleasures of food and cooking are all too often obscured by the increasing demands of careers, families, battles over body image, and the...  more

With recipes from many, and contributions by Maya Angelou, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, and Marge Piercy, among others. These days any woman knows that the sensual pleasures of food and cooking are all too often obscured by the increasing demands of careers, families, battles over body image, and the desire for a life outside the "traditional" domain of the kitchen. Through the Kitchen Window offers a fresh look at food and cooking, arguing that food is a cultural declaration, an expression of hidden hungers, a symbol of our intimate connections to one another. Including memories of Latina, Geechee, Chinese and Indian kitchens, this book reveals everything from the painful struggles to overcome an eating disorder to the tantalizing delights of cornbread and barbecue eaten from a lover's hands, and challenges assumptions about women, food, and the true satisfaction of cooking. From Booklist Taking a feminist perspective on a subject encumbered by the ponderous weight of societal mores and cultural expectations, Avakian's collection illustrates how meal preparation remains a meaningful expression of emotional connections and a creative way to communicate. In stories, essays, and recipes, women reminisce about food to reveal a myriad of highly charged meanings. Personal reflections illustrate the metaphorical warmth a kitchen environment generates, strengthening familial ties. In other instances, the culinary mode is shown to be rejected, releasing precious energy for writing or other artistic outlets. 'A fascinating anthology of ground-roots cuisine from unknown kitchen heroines!' --John Whiting, News Editor of Fine Food Digest 2005.  'Through the Kitchen Window is a pathbreaking book. What Avakian's collection does so well is to integrate many kinds of experiences and social locations - class, race, immigration, nationalism, age, sexuality - in a variety of formats.' --Alice Julier, Professor of Sociology, Smith College, USA; President of the Association for the Study of Food and Society. 

Endlessly browsable and deliciously entertaining, this annual collection assembles the very best food writing about food, wine, and cooking, selected from the past year's books, magazines, newsletters, and Web sites. Its six sections—Stocking the Larder, Home Cooking, Someone's in the...  more

Endlessly browsable and deliciously entertaining, this annual collection assembles the very best food writing about food, wine, and cooking, selected from the past year's books, magazines, newsletters, and Web sites. Its six sections—Stocking the Larder, Home Cooking, Someone's in the Kitchen, The Recipe File, Dining Around, and Personal Tastes—showcase the best writing on topics ranging from sublime descriptions of much-loved dishes and ingredients to the most memorable restaurant experiences. From "Half-Shell boogie" to "Tomato Lust" to "A Rogue Chef Tells All," Best Food Writing 2002 serves only the best.

• The finest culinary prose from the past year: Best Food Writing 2007 assembles, for its eighth year, selections from books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and websites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food...  more

• The finest culinary prose from the past year: Best Food Writing 2007 assembles, for its eighth year, selections from books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and websites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food sourcing at the green market to equipping one's kitchen, from erudite culinary history to food-inspired memoirs. • Exceptional essays from food-writing stars: Like the previous seven collections, Best Food Writing 2007 will feature writers such as Robb Walsh, Ruth Reichl, Thomas McNamee, John Thorne, Calvin Trillin, Amanda Hesser, Colman Andrews, Jason Epstein, and Jeffrey Steingarten, among many others. • Explores the latest trends and tastes of the ever-evolving world of food: By turns opinionated, evocative, nostalgic, sensuous, thought-provoking, and sometimes just plain funny, it's a tasty sampler to dip into time and again, whether you're in the mood for foie gras -- or fruitcake. Food fights -- Waiting for asparagus / by Barbara Kingsolver -- Local heroes? / by Barry Estabrook -- Rare tuna / by Todd Kliman -- French revolution / by Violaine Charest-Sigouin -- Do recipes make you a better cook? / by Daniel Patterson -- You may kiss the chef's napkin ring / by Frank Bruni -- Discovering new worlds / by Francis Lam -- Feast of burden / by Sara Deseran -- Organicize me / by Michael A. Stusser -- Home cooking -- Kitchen existential / by David Leite -- Cast iron skillet / by Andrea King Collier -- Death by lobster pad Thai / by Steve Almond -- Alabama's best covered-dish dinner / by John T. Edge -- The age of casseroles / by Irene Sax -- Someone's in the kitchen -- The great carrot caper / by Dan Barber -- Spoon-fed / by John Grossmann -- The Harveys circus / by Marco Pierre White and James Steen -- The best chef in the world / by Alan Richman -- Building the perfect pizza / by Laurie Winer -- Sharing in the feast with Johnny Apple / by Adam Noagourney -- Dining around -- My Miami / by Anthony Bourdain -- Then there were none / by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl -- Precision cuisine : the art of feeding 800 a night in style / by Melissa Clark -- The greatest restaurant on earth / by Ivy Knight -- Are you lonesome tonight? / by Gail Shepherd -- Mood food / by Tim Gihring -- Wedded bliss / by Jason Sheehan -- Post-it love / by Brett Anderson -- Fast food -- Don't call it a hot dog / by Joe Yonan -- In search of the transcendent taqueria / by Bill Addison -- Porno burrito / by Jonathan Gold -- Las fabulosas taco trucks / by Robb Walsh -- The world's kitchen -- The soulful crêpes of Brittany / by Nancy Coons -- Shanghai high / by Adam Sachs -- Old school Madrid / by Anya Von Bremzen -- Visiting the old city / by Madhur Jaffrey -- Waiting for a cappuccino / by Carolyn Thériault -- The Japanese paradigm / by John Kessler -- The insidious rise of cosmo-cuisine / by Salma Abdelnour -- The meat of the matter -- Meat / by James Sturz -- What's a stake at the butcher shop / by Pete Wells -- The best burger / by Raymond Sokolov -- Steak, well done / by Colman Andrews -- Personal tastes -- A memorable fruit / by Shuna Fish Lydon -- A sugar binge / by Charles Ferruzza -- The centerpiece / by Rita Williams -- A grandchild of Italy cracks the spaghetti code / by Kim Severson -- Why I cook -- The frying of latke 49 / by Steven Shaw -- Around the world to our kitchen table / by Ame Gilbert -- Give me credit / by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall -- Cooking for a crowd / by Matthew Amster-Burton -- Simple cooking, then and now / by John Thorne

Best Food Writing 2009 authoritatively and appealingly assembles the finest culinary prose from the past year?s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. This anthology features both established food writers and rising stars cooking up everything from erudite culinary history to...  more

Best Food Writing 2009 authoritatively and appealingly assembles the finest culinary prose from the past year?s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. This anthology features both established food writers and rising stars cooking up everything from erudite culinary history to food-inspired memoirs. By turns opinionated, evocative, sensuous, and just plain funny, it?s a tasty sampler to dip into time and again.As in previous editions, Best Food Writing 2009 will include top-notch writers like Colman Andrews, Anthony Bourdain, Frank Bruni, Bill Buford, Madhur Jaffrey, Ruth Reichl, Raymond Sokolov, Calvin Trillin, Alice Waters, and many others.

Food. There’s plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it? Because most of what we’re consuming today is not food, and how we’re consuming it -- in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone -- is not really eating....  more

Food. There’s plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it? Because most of what we’re consuming today is not food, and how we’re consuming it -- in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone -- is not really eating. Instead of food, we’re consuming “edible foodlike substances” — no longer the products of nature but of food science. Many of them come packaged with health claims that should be our first clue they are anything but healthy. In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become. But if real food -- the sort of food our great grandmothers would recognize as food -- stands in need of defense, from whom does it need defending? From the food industry on one side and nutritional science on the other. Both stand to gain much from widespread confusion about what to eat, a question that for most of human history people have been able to answer without expert help. Yet the professionalization of eating has failed to make Americans healthier. Thirty years of official nutritional advice has only made us sicker and fatter while ruining countless numbers of meals. Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. By urging us to once again eat food, he challenges the prevailing nutrient-by-nutrient approach -- what he calls nutritionism -- and proposes an alternative way of eating that is informed by the traditions and ecology of real, well-grown, unprocessed food. Our personal health, he argues, cannot be divorced from the health of the food chains of which we are part. In Defence of Food shows us how, despite the daunting dietary landscape Americans confront in the modern supermarket, we can escape the Western diet and, by doing so, most of the chronic diseases that diet causes. We can relearn which foods are healthy, develop simple ways to moderate our appetites, and return eating to its proper context -- out of the car and back to the table. Michael Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating.

What are the all-time best dishes America has to offer, the ones you must taste before they vanish, so delicious they deserve to be a Holy Grail for travelers? Where?s the most vibrant Key lime pie in Florida? The most sensational chiles rellenos in New Mexico? The most succulent fried clams on...  more

What are the all-time best dishes America has to offer, the ones you must taste before they vanish, so delicious they deserve to be a Holy Grail for travelers? Where?s the most vibrant Key lime pie in Florida? The most sensational chiles rellenos in New Mexico? The most succulent fried clams on the Eastern Seaboard? The most memorable whoopie pies, gumbos, tacos, cheese steaks, crab feasts? In 500 Things to Eat Before It?s Too Late, "America?s leading authorities on the culinary delights to be found while driving" (Newsweek) return to their favorite subject with a colorful, bursting-at-the-seams life list of America?s must-eats. Illustrated throughout with mouth-watering color photos and road maps, this indispensable guide is organized by region, then by state. Each entry captures the food in luscious detail and gives the lowdown on the caf�, roadside stand, or street cart where it?s served. When "bests" abound?hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, apple pie, doughnuts?the Sterns rank their offerings. Sidebars feature profiles of idiosyncratic creators, recipes, and local attractions.

WHEN YOU KNOW A RATIO, IT’S NOT LIKE KNOWING A SINGLE RECIPE, IT’S INSTANTLY KNOWING A THOUSAND. In Ratio, Michael Ruhlman, recognized as one of the great translators of the chef’s craft for both home cooks and culinary professionals, shows how cooking with ratios will...  more

WHEN YOU KNOW A RATIO, IT’S NOT LIKE KNOWING A SINGLE RECIPE, IT’S INSTANTLY KNOWING A THOUSAND. In Ratio, Michael Ruhlman, recognized as one of the great translators of the chef’s craft for both home cooks and culinary professionals, shows how cooking with ratios will unchain you from recipes and set you free. Ratio is the truth of cooking: basic preparations that teach us how the fundamental ingredients of the kitchen—water, flour, butter and oils, milk and cream, and eggs—work. Detailing thirty-three essential ratios and suggesting enticing variations, Ruhlman empowers every cook to make countless doughs, batters, stocks, sauces, meats, and custards without ever again having to locate a recipe.

"Tender, wry, passionate, truthful. To read Hesser's prose is to hunger for more."—Nigella Lawson Life in the city, love, and unforgettable meals—can a food writer find happiness with a man who has an empty refrigerator? Amanda Hesser's irresistible book is the tale of a romance where...  more

"Tender, wry, passionate, truthful. To read Hesser's prose is to hunger for more."—Nigella Lawson Life in the city, love, and unforgettable meals—can a food writer find happiness with a man who has an empty refrigerator? Amanda Hesser's irresistible book is the tale of a romance where food is the source of discovery, discord, and delight—a story of universal desires: good food, great company, and a mate. At each stage of her courtship—from her first date with "Mr. Latte" (a near-disaster) to her first uneasy dinner at his parents' home, from intimate suppers in her Upper West Side apartment to his first attempt at cooking for her—Amanda supplies menus for the meals they share: more than one hundred well-balanced and well-seasoned recipes that will leave you satisfied yet wanting more. With warmth and honesty, Amanda shares her feasts and foibles, triumphs and near-misses, tense encounters and good times in the kitchen and beyond. Her humorous, sensuous tale leads us date by date, recipe by recipe, to a jubilant conclusion. 42 b/w illustrations.

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant world and the men and women who live to create perfection.In 1997, journalist and cook Michael Ruhlman observed incognito the certified Master Chef examination at the Culinary Institute of America, one of the most grueling competitions in...  more

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant world and the men and women who live to create perfection.In 1997, journalist and cook Michael Ruhlman observed incognito the certified Master Chef examination at the Culinary Institute of America, one of the most grueling competitions in the gastronomic world. In his critically acclaimed The Making of a Chef, which Peter Kamisky of The New York Times hailed as "well-reported and heartfelt," Ruhlman offered a vivid and unique portrait of this extraordinary world.The Soul of a Chef combines Ruhlman's masterful storytelling with his immense love of food to reveal the men and women whose main goal is to serve food of perfection. Through working and talking with three of the most talented young chefs in the business, Ruhlman takes the reader on a journey past the dark heart of the profession toward the soul of a chef--a journey that takes him into the kitchens of the finest restaurants from the Napa Valley to the Hudson Valley. Here he reveals the collective experience of these men as they all strive to achieve their own level of perfection.The Soul of a Chef is a satisfying and fascinating immersion into the hearts and minds of those who undertake the grueling, but richly rewarding pledge to serve only the best. It is a must for gastronomes, prospective chefs, and all lovers of great food.

As the executive culinary assistant to celebrity Chicago chef Patrick Conlon, Alana Ostermann works behind the scenes -- and that’s just the way she likes it. But with developing recipes for Patrick’s cookbooks, training his sous chefs, picking out the perfect birthday gifts for his...  more

As the executive culinary assistant to celebrity Chicago chef Patrick Conlon, Alana Ostermann works behind the scenes -- and that’s just the way she likes it. But with developing recipes for Patrick’s cookbooks, training his sous chefs, picking out the perfect birthday gifts for his ex-mother-in-law, and dealing with the fallout from his romantic escapades, she barely has a personal life, much less time to spend with her combo platter of a mutt, Dumpling.  Then a fluke online connection brings her RJ, a transplant from Tennessee, who adds some Southern spice to her life. Suddenly Alana’s priorities shift, and Patrick -- and Dumpling -- find themselves facing a rival for her time and affection. With RJ in the mix, and some serious decisions to make about her personal and professional future, Alana must discover the perfect balance of work and play, money and meaning, to bring it all to the table -- one delicious dish at a time...

It?s rare for someone to emerge in America who can change our attitudes, our beliefs, and our very culture. It?s even rarer when that someone is a middle-aged, six-foot three-inch woman whose first exposure to an unsuspecting public is cooking an omelet on a hot plate on a local TV station.� And...  more

It?s rare for someone to emerge in America who can change our attitudes, our beliefs, and our very culture. It?s even rarer when that someone is a middle-aged, six-foot three-inch woman whose first exposure to an unsuspecting public is cooking an omelet on a hot plate on a local TV station.� And yet, that?s exactly what Julia Child did.� The warble-voiced doyenne of television cookery became an iconic cult figure and joyous rule-breaker as she touched off the food revolution that has gripped America for more than fifty years. Now, in Bob Spitz?s definitive, wonderfully affectionate biography, the Julia we know and love comes vividly ? and surprisingly ? to life.� In Dearie, Spitz employs the same skill he brought to his best-selling, critically acclaimed book The Beatles, providing a clear-eyed portrait of one of the most fascinating and influential Americans of our time ? a woman known to all, yet known by only a few. At its heart, Dearie is a story about a woman?s search for her own unique expression.� Julia Child was a directionless, gawky young woman who ran off halfway around the world to join a spy agency during World War II.� She eventually settled in Paris, where she learned to cook and collaborated on the writing of what would become Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a book that changed the food culture of America.�� She was already fifty when The French Chef went on the air ? �at a time in our history when women weren?t making those leaps.� Julia became the first educational TV star, virtually launching PBS as we know it today; her marriage to Paul Child formed a decades-long love story that was romantic, touching, and quite extraordinary. A fearless, ambitious, supremely confident woman, Julia took on all the pretensions that embellished tony French cuisine and fricasseed them to a fare-thee-well, paving the way for everything that has happened since in American cooking, from TV dinners and Big Macs to sea urchin foam and the Food Channel.� Julia Child?s story, however, is more than the tale of a talented woman and her sumptuous craft.� It is also a saga of America?s coming of age and growing sophistication, from the Depression Era to the turbulent sixties and the excesses of the eighties to the greening of the American kitchen.� Julia had an effect on and was equally affected by the baby boom, the sexual revolution, and the start of the women?s liberation movement. On the centenary of her birth, Julia finally gets the biography she richly deserves.� An in-depth, intimate narrative, full of fresh information and insights, Dearie is an entertaining, all-out adventure story of one of our most fascinating and beloved figures.

When Julia Child told Dorie Greenspan, “You write recipes just the way I do,? she paid her the ultimate compliment. Julia?s praise was echoed by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, which referred to Dorie?s “wonderfully encouraging voice? and “the sense of a real person...  more

When Julia Child told Dorie Greenspan, “You write recipes just the way I do,? she paid her the ultimate compliment. Julia?s praise was echoed by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, which referred to Dorie?s “wonderfully encouraging voice? and “the sense of a real person who is there to help should you stumble.? �Now in a big, personal, and personable book, Dorie captures all the excitement of French home cooking, sharing disarmingly simple dishes she has gathered over years of living in France. Around My French Table includes many superb renditions of the great classics: a glorious cheese-domed onion soup, a spoon-tender beef daube, and the “top-secret? chocolate mousse recipe that every good Parisian cook knows—but won?t reveal. �Hundreds of other recipes are remarkably easy: a cheese and olive quick bread, a three-star chef?s Basque potato tortilla made with a surprise ingredient (potato chips), and an utterly satisfying roast chicken for “lazy people.? �Packed with lively stories, memories, and insider tips on French culinary customs, Around My French Table will make cooks fall in love with France all over again, or for the first time.

Best Food Writing 2003 assembles, for the fourth year, the most exceptional writing from the past year’s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and websites. Within its six sections—Stocking the Larder, Home Cooking, Someone’s in the Kitchen, Dining Around, The Recipe File,...  more

Best Food Writing 2003 assembles, for the fourth year, the most exceptional writing from the past year’s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and websites. Within its six sections—Stocking the Larder, Home Cooking, Someone’s in the Kitchen, Dining Around, The Recipe File, and Personal Tastes—read our best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to extraordinary restaurants, from histories of vital ingredients to food-inspired memoirs. Included are pieces from such stars of the genre as John Thorne, Amanda Hesser, and Calvin Trillin. Selected as required reading by the Culinary Institue of America for all of its undergraduate students, neither cook nor food lover should be without this remarkable annual collection. Kit / Nigel Slater -- Cutting school / Joyce Chang -- The torch is passed, handle first / Amanda Hesser -- A man and his stove / David Leite -- Desperate measures / Matthew Amster-Burton -- Makin' groceries / Jessica B. Harris -- Slow sausage / Corby Kummer -- Travels with Captain Bacon / Pete Wells -- Sustaining vision / Michael Pollan -- Earthy / Margo True -- Buttering up / Jeffrey Steingarten -- Looking for the lard / Elmer R. Grossman -- from Sugar / Fran Gage -- Treat or treat / Dara Moskowitz -- What Einsterin told his cook / Robert L. Wolke -- With pancakes, every day is Sunday / Lucian K. Truscott IV -- Fried chicken and grits / Damon Lee Fowler -- Pepper pot hot / John Thorne -- Grilling, short and sweet / John Kessler -- Cajun pig party / Kathleen Brennan -- A dieter's dilemma / Jason Epstein -- The zen of frosting / Ann Patchett -- Josiah & the giant onion / Dave Gardetta -- Guess who's coming to dinner / Gabrielle Hamilton -- Say cheez / Robb Walsh -- An ode to sloppy joe, a delicious mess / Andrea Strong -- Bread winner / Susan Choi -- Salumi / Min Liao -- I see London, I see France / Jonathan Gold -- The myth of caviar / Inga Saffron -- Untangling my chopsticks / Victoria Abbott Riccardi -- Local bounty / Calvin Trillin -- The cooking game / Adam Gopnik -- Where recipes come from / Benjamin Wallace -- The culinary underground / John T. Edge -- Life on the line / Jason Sheehan -- Monsieur Feret builds his neighborhood dream house / Eric Levin -- My education in cooking / Judy Rodgers -- Le Plaza Athenee / Jacques Pepin -- Boulangerie Poilane / Dorie Greenspan -- Hamburger rules / Colman Andrews -- Shark bait / Jesse Browner -- Drinking my inheritance / Sara Roahen -- Fried butter / Abe Opincar -- Descent of the relatives / Shoba Narayan -- Fair shares for all / John Haney -- Remembering daddy / Miriam Sauls -- A passage to Pakistan / Madhur Jaffrey -- A slice of life / Rick Nichols -- Simple / Jeanne B. McManus

Updated, expanded, thoroughly revised, and now in full color--the definitive guide to cooking equipment and utensilsThis book offers detailed evaluations of more than a thousand items of kitchen equipment--from paring knives to grill pans to espresso machines--providing you with practical...  more

Updated, expanded, thoroughly revised, and now in full color--the definitive guide to cooking equipment and utensilsThis book offers detailed evaluations of more than a thousand items of kitchen equipment--from paring knives to grill pans to espresso machines--providing you with practical information about brands, models, size, function, and performance. Each entry is accompanied by a color photograph and includes features and tips on care and usage. Also included are sections on what to look for when purchasing, as well as recipes and sidebars by more than a hundred culinary celebrities.Whether you are setting up a kitchen for the first time or adding to a long-standing collection, you will find The New Cooks' Catalogue an invaluable and entertaining guide to making the right selections.Contributors��include:Bruce AidellsLidia Matticchio BastianichMario BataliMichael & Ariane BatterberryRick BaylessDaniel BouludTerrance BrennanGiuliano BugialliDavid BurkePenelope CasasHelen ChenJulia ChildBernard ClaytonShirley CorriherMarion CunninghamAriane DaguinRocco DiSpiritoAlain DucasseFlorence FabricantSusanna FooLarry ForgioneEdward GiobbiDorie GreenspanJessica B. HarrisMarcella HazanMaida HeatterPierre Herm�Ken HomDr. Ernesto IllySteven JenkinsThomas KellerGray KunzDaniel LeaderSarabeth LevineMichael LomonacoNobu MatsuhisaMichael McCartyDanny MeyerJoan NathanFran�ois PayardJacques P�pinJames PetersonAlfred PortalePaul PrudhommeEric RipertClaudia RodenDouglas RodriguezMichael RomanoJulie SahniMarcus SamuelssonNancy SilvertonRaymond SokolovAndr� SoltnerJane & Michael SternChristopher StylerJacques TorresBarbara TroppMargaret VisserJean-Georges VongerichtenAlice WatersNach WaxmanJasper WhitePaula WolfertKevin Zraly

It's not surprising that Joanne Harris's novels -- Chocolat, Blackberry Wine, and Five Quarters of the Orange -- celebrate the pleasure and magic of food, since her fondest childhood memories are of making pancakes with her great-grandmother Mémée, picking blackberries with her...  more

It's not surprising that Joanne Harris's novels -- Chocolat, Blackberry Wine, and Five Quarters of the Orange -- celebrate the pleasure and magic of food, since her fondest childhood memories are of making pancakes with her great-grandmother Mémée, picking blackberries with her grandfather in Yorkshire, and exploring the early morning markets of Noirmoutier. Now, with coauthor Fran Warde, Harris shares her treasured collection of family recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation in this illustrated cookbook. Harris encourages cooks to engage all their senses when cooking -- look at what you're cooking, smell the ingredients, mix them with your fingers, and enjoy their sounds and textures. Cooking, she reminds us, is about as close to magic as modern society allows: to take a handful of simple, fresh ingredients and turn them into something wonderful, otherworldly. The 120 recipes include French classics such as Onion Soup and Onion Tart, Coq au Vin, and Crème Brûlée, as well as family favorites like Anouchka's Chile Garlic Bread, great-aunt Simone's Marinated Tuna, and great-aunt Marinette's Slow Fudge Sauce. And, of course, there's an entire chapter devoted to chocolate -- cakes, meringues, and spiced hot chocolate. My French Kitchen, a remarkable collaboration between Joanne Harris, a writer who loves food, and Fran Warde, a former chef who loves to write about food, belongs in your kitchen.

This colorful history of French cooking takes us back before salt and pepper shakers had been dreamed of and explains why we begin with salad and end with dessert. Full of zesty quotes and recipes from period cookbooks and illustrated with wonderful still-life paintings, Acquired Taste is a...  more

This colorful history of French cooking takes us back before salt and pepper shakers had been dreamed of and explains why we begin with salad and end with dessert. Full of zesty quotes and recipes from period cookbooks and illustrated with wonderful still-life paintings, Acquired Taste is a trove of discoveries about cooking techniques and terms that still flourish today.

The return of a classic--long-lived and treasured by all who love the good, considered life. Boldly confessing her prejudices and her passions, M. F. K. Fisher has written a mouth-watering, soul-satisfying book composed of seventeen chapters with over 140 recipes. Whether recalling forbidden...  more

The return of a classic--long-lived and treasured by all who love the good, considered life. Boldly confessing her prejudices and her passions, M. F. K. Fisher has written a mouth-watering, soul-satisfying book composed of seventeen chapters with over 140 recipes. Whether recalling forbidden fruits from her childhood (like mashed potatoes with catsup), her mother's legendary mustard pickles, or a Caribbean bride singing about peas and rice, each description is flavored with the eloquence, warmth, and wit that has become her hallmark. Here are dishes for every course of every meal, from the simplest to the most esoteric: tidbits, appetizers, breads, pastries, fish, fowl, meats, soups, vegetables, desserts, and casseroles.

"Food is not merely about calories and minimum daily requirements and metabolic pathways. At its very heart, food is about people."--from Pass the PolentaLikewise, people are at the heart of this warm, personal collection of food- and family-inspired essays by former professional chef and food...  more

"Food is not merely about calories and minimum daily requirements and metabolic pathways. At its very heart, food is about people."--from Pass the PolentaLikewise, people are at the heart of this warm, personal collection of food- and family-inspired essays by former professional chef and food historian Teresa Lust. An Italian immigrant grandmother who plucked chickens in the backyard; an introverted mushroom forager who collected chanterelles in the woods; a German auntie who learned to knead bread in a wooden bucket; an unassuming wine shop owner who, after closing, offers a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a delightfully unpretentious way to value a wine--all are key ingredients in the zesty culinary heritage that Teresa Lust lovingly serves up. Like the creamy, sweet polenta that wooed her father into her mother's robust Italian family, this book is filled with a myriad of rich flavors, history, kitchen tips, and recipes. Lessons in life learned at the stoves of the many seasoned cooks in Lust's world, these wonderful true stories are an expression of art and love, family and self, soil and the seasons.

Vivid, revealing, and delicious-an insider's social and cultural history of the American restaurant.Everyone feels he knows the restaurant business, the next hot restaurant, the celebrity chefs, the latest trend. But how did we get here? With passion and humor, Restaurant Fever traces the...  more

Vivid, revealing, and delicious-an insider's social and cultural history of the American restaurant.Everyone feels he knows the restaurant business, the next hot restaurant, the celebrity chefs, the latest trend. But how did we get here? With passion and humor, Restaurant Fever traces the evolution of la bonne table Américaine from the 1941 opening of Le Pavillon to restaurants such as Le Cirque, Spago, and Danny Meyer's Union Square group.Chef and food writer Patric Kuh brings us inside this high-stakes business through its untold anecdotes, its legendary cooks and bright new stars, and his own reminiscences and reflections. Old-timers from Le Pavillon recount the rise, glory, and fall of Henri Soulé. Chez Panisse originals tell how the Berkeley counterculture propelled its creation. Here are all the personalities, the visionaries, and the writers-from Julia Child to M.F.K. Fisher to James Beard-who created our modern gastronomic world. Restaurant Fever is the story of the liberation of ethnic cuisine and what happened when haute cuisine came to America and its elitist principles met our populist beliefs.

Best Food Writing 2006 assembles, for its seventh year, the most exceptional writing from the past year’s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food sourcing at the...  more

Best Food Writing 2006 assembles, for its seventh year, the most exceptional writing from the past year’s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food sourcing at the greenmarket to equipping one’s kitchen, from erudite culinary history to food-inspired memoirs. Like past collections, the 2006 round-up will include pieces from food-writing stars such as Robb Walsh, Ruth Reichl, Thomas McNamee, John Thorne, Calvin Trillin, Amanda Hesser, Colman Andrews, Jason Epstein, and Jeffrey Steingarten. Opinionated, evocative, nostalgic, brash, thought-provoking, and sometimes just plain funny, it’s a tasty sampler to dip into time and again, whether you’re in the mood for caviar — or hot dogs.

Best Food Writing 2008 once more authoritatively and appealingly assembles the finest culinary prose from the past year?s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. This anthology features both established food writers and rising stars addressing everything from celebrated chefs...  more

Best Food Writing 2008 once more authoritatively and appealingly assembles the finest culinary prose from the past year?s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. This anthology features both established food writers and rising stars addressing everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, and from erudite culinary history to food-inspired memoirs. By turns opinionated, evocative, nostalgic, sensuous, and just plain funny, it?s a tasty sampler to dip into time and again, whether you?re in the mood for foie gras or fruitcake. Like previous collections, Best Food Writing 2008 will include writers such as Colman Andrews, Anthony Bourdain, Frank Bruni, Bill Buford, Barbara Kingsolver, Madhur Jaffrey, Ruth Reichl, Raymond Sokolov, Jeffrey Steingarten, and many others.

Best Food Writing 2005 assembles, for its sixth year, the most exceptional writing from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food sourcing at the...  more

Best Food Writing 2005 assembles, for its sixth year, the most exceptional writing from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food sourcing at the greenmarket to equipping one's kitchen, from erudite culinary history to food-inspired memoirs. Like past collections, the 2005 round-up will include pieces from food-writing stars such as Robb Walsh, John Thorne, Calvin Trillin, Amanda Hesser, Ruth Reichl, Colman Andrews, Jason Epstein, and Jeffrey Steingarten. Opinionated, evocative, nostalgic, brash, thought-provoking, and sometimes just plain funny, it's a tasty sampler to dip into time and again, whether you're in the mood for caviar or hot dogs.

Best Food Writing 2000 brings together the most exceptional writing culled from the past year's top books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and web sites. Within its five sections-Stocking the Larder, Home Cooking, Someone's in the Kitchen, Dining Around, and Personal Tastes-read our best...  more

Best Food Writing 2000 brings together the most exceptional writing culled from the past year's top books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and web sites. Within its five sections-Stocking the Larder, Home Cooking, Someone's in the Kitchen, Dining Around, and Personal Tastes-read our best writers on everything from the year's most celebrated chefs to extraordinary restaurant experiences, from the latest trends in ingredients and equipment to unforgettable memoirs inspired by cooking and eating. Neither cook nor food lover should be without the debut of this remarkable collection. Contributors include: Maya Angelou R.W. Apple, Jr. Eric Asimov Anthony Bourdain Rick Bragg Betty Fussell William Grimes Amanda Hesser Madhur Jaffrey Nancy Harmon Jenkins Lynn Rossetto Kasper Jumpha Lahiri Eileen Yin-Fei Lo Ruth Reichl Phyllis Richman Michael Ruhlman Kate Sekules Jeffrey Steingarten Jane and Michael Stern John Thorne Sallie Tisdale Calvin Trillin James Villas Anne Willan Alex Witchel and 24 others

Best Food Writing 2004 assembles, for its fifth year, the most exceptional writing from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food sourcing at the...  more

Best Food Writing 2004 assembles, for its fifth year, the most exceptional writing from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food sourcing at the greenmarket to equipping one's kitchen, from erudite culinary history to food-inspired memoirs. Considered a classic, Best Food Writing is required reading for all undergraduate students enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America and is used as a textbook at other culinary schools nationwide. Stellar contributors include Robb Walsh, John Thorne, Calvin Trillin, Amanda Hesser, Ruth Reichl, Colman Andrews, Jason Epstein, and Jeffrey Steingarten. Opinionated, evocative, nostalgic, brash, thought-provoking, and sometimes just plain funny, it's a tasty sampler to dip into time and again, whether you're in the mood for caviar-or pretzels.

Food touches everything important to people: it marks social differences and strengthens social bonds. Common to all peoples, yet it can signify very different things from table to table. Food and Culture takes a global look at the social, symbolic and political-economic role of food. The...  more

Food touches everything important to people: it marks social differences and strengthens social bonds. Common to all peoples, yet it can signify very different things from table to table. Food and Culture takes a global look at the social, symbolic and political-economic role of food. The stellar contributors to this reader examine some of the meanings of food and eating across cultures, with particular attention to how men and women define themselves differently through their foodways. Articles reveal how food habits and beliefs both present a microcosm of any culture and also contribute to our understanding of human behavior. Crossing many disciplinary boundaries, this reader includes the perspectives of anthropology, history, psychology, philosophy, and sociology. The reader starts out by illustrating food's ability to convey symbolic meaning and communicates about a wide range of subjects. Next, the articles draw attention to how the practices of giving, receiving and refusing food initiate, solidify or rupture social bonds. Essays exploring the relation between body image, eating and sexuality in different societies give particular attention to the special and contradictory relation between women and food. Also demonstrated is the relation between the commodification of food, food industries, political power and colonial dominance. Contributors include: Roland Barthes, Susan Bordo, Carolyn Walker Bynum, M.F.K. Fisher, Anna Freud, Jack Goody, Claude Levi-Strauss, Margaret Mead, and Elisa J. Sobo.

RUTH REICHL "Mary Frances [Fisher] has the extraordinary ability to make the ordinary seem rich and wonderful. Her dignity comes from her absolute insistence on appreciating life as it comes to her." JULIA CHILD "How wonderful to have here in my hands the essence of M.F.K. Fisher,...  more

RUTH REICHL "Mary Frances [Fisher] has the extraordinary ability to make the ordinary seem rich and wonderful. Her dignity comes from her absolute insistence on appreciating life as it comes to her." JULIA CHILD "How wonderful to have here in my hands the essence of M.F.K. Fisher, whose wit and fulsome opinions on food and those who produce it, comment upon it, and consume it are as apt today as they were several decades ago, when she composed them. Why did she choose food and hunger she was asked, and she replied, 'When I write about hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth, and the love of it . . . and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied.' This is the stuff we need to hear, and to hear again and again." ALCIE WATERS "This comprehensive volume should be required reading for every cook. It defines in a sensual and beautiful way the vital relationship between food and culture."

The author of The Sharper Your Knife tells the inspiring story of how she helped nine others find their inner cook. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, writer Kathleen Flinn returned with no idea what to do next, until one day at a supermarket she watched a woman loading her cart...  more

The author of The Sharper Your Knife tells the inspiring story of how she helped nine others find their inner cook. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, writer Kathleen Flinn returned with no idea what to do next, until one day at a supermarket she watched a woman loading her cart with ultraprocessed foods. Flinn's "chefternal" instinct kicked in: she persuaded the stranger to reload with fresh foods, offering her simple recipes for healthy, easy meals. The Kitchen Counter Cooking School includes practical, healthy tips that boost readers' culinary self-confidence, and strategies to get the most from their grocery dollar, and simple recipes that get readers cooking.