elcome to the end of 2015, otherwise known as the perfect time to snap up the year’s best cookbooks for you and yours. Two major trends emerged in the cookbook world this year: a focus on vegetable cooking, and a deepening of the personal, biographical elements of home cooking and restaurant books alike. The latter seems especially ascendant: there’s nary a vegetable to be found in Franklin Barbecue, an obsessive, definitive, engaging guide to smokey meats that was the year’s biggest hit. Overall, the state of cookbook publishing is strong, and Eater’s editors have picked out their 17 favorites for killer weeknight recipes, gorgeous showstopper design, and great bedtime reads.
You are reading: Best recipe books 2015
franklin barbecue
aaron franklin and jordan mackayten speed
The Eater Cookbook of the Year captures not only the essence of Texas barbecue, but also what it means to seek perfection in the realm of food. from reporting editor helen rosner’s april review: “in the same way that a barbecue place isn’t exactly a restaurant, and a grill master isn’t exactly a chef, franklin’s barbecue isn’t exactly a book of There are only eleven recipes in the kitchen: the brisket, of course, plus instructions for making pork ribs, beef ribs, a turkey breast, four sauces, beans, potato salad, and an extraordinarily good coleslaw. However, like an ono book explaining nigiri, or starita explaining a margherita cake, franklin’s recipes are meaningless without the man behind them, which is why most of his book is devoted to explaining himself. himself, in a good way: it’s a book that reveals his obsessions, his thought processes, his extraordinary focus on detail and technique.”
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gjelina
travis lett chronicle
The Los Angeles Restaurant Cookbook shares the secrets of their cali-med, carefree, plant-based cooking. From Associate Feature Editor Meghan McCarron’s November review: “The cookbook is at its most charming when it turns away from philosophy, when it speaks lovingly of her childhood pizza in New Jersey, which certainly wasn’t locally sourced.” .perhaps what it means to cook ‘from venice, california’ is best captured in the headline of the spinach, feta and garlic confit pizza recipe: ‘watch through the oven door as the spinach piled on top of the pizza cooked and the dough slowly covered with salty feta and creamy mozzarella is just great.'”
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chinese mission
danny bowien and chris yinganthony bourdain/ecco, november 2015
The first cookbook of coastal phenomenon Danny Bowien is as much a chronicle of his offbeat career as it is a guide to the restaurant’s iconic dishes. from cities editor carolyn alburger’s capsule review: “from her personal struggles with her mother’s untimely death to disheartening run-ins with the health department, perhaps the biggest revelation of all is the fact that despite From breakneck success, the bowien rocket seems to be riding: it’s never been easy, and there are still daily hurdles to jump along the way.To that end, his heartfelt writing serves as an inspiration to his peers and a real page-turner for his many fans. , completing the portrait of a massively popular, hyper-idiosyncratic restaurant group, ultimately shines a light on the herculean feat that is survival as a creative in the restaurant industry.”
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zahaw
michael solomonov, steven cookrux martin/houghton mifflin harcourt
come for the iconic hummus recipe, stay for the extended meditation on what it means to cook modern israeli cuisine at michael solomonov and steve cook’s philadelphia restaurant. From Helen Rosner’s October Review: “In Zahav, the recipes don’t end when the food is finished cooking; there are instructions for bringing things to the table, how to serve, how to eat, how to share, how to finish.’ Almost unconsciously’, solomonov writes, ‘the experiences of growing up as an israeli, the very experiences i had dismissed as irrelevant to a career as a serious chef, somehow crept into my kitchen.’ the result is cuisine that feels just as right for a world-class restaurant as it does for a home kitchen, food that is both an education and a pleasure.”
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the wide fork
hugh achesonclarkson potter
hugh acheson not only relocates high-quality seasonal vegetables to the southern table, but invites diners to return to this type of cuisine outside of special meals. from managing editor sonia chopra can review: “when we’re in a hurry we avoid cooking real food, good food, when we just got home from work and it’s already 9 p.m. or when we’re running late for soccer practice or an early meeting or drinks with friends, because it’s intimidating. It takes too long, compared to the convenience of takeout or frozen dinners. We’re led to believe,’ Acheson says.”
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fish with rice noodles
matt gouldingharper wave, october 2015among food books that aren’t cookbooks, matt goulding’s travel book on food and culture from japan was a favorite among many dining editors. Here’s a recent conversation between Senior Reporting Editor Hillary Dixler and News Editor Daniela Galarza about the merits of the book:
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daniela galarza: I need to talk to someone about fish and rice noodles in person hillary dixler: interview the author? daniela galarza: not like someone who read it too lol daniela galarza: like i’ve never been obsessed with japan and now all of a sudden i’m obsessed with japan hillary dixler: welcome to being obsessed with japan. the fish with rice noodles is amazing and will make you even more obsessed with japan, and we should all be obsessed with japan daniela galarza: i mean it’s so good i kinda hate it hillary dixler: i’m incredibly jealous of the book. i know if i went to japan i wouldn’t go with a book like that hahaha daniela galarza: like i was a white guy and i did well with japan daniela galarza: i was trying to hate him a little bit from that perspective. i couldn’t hillary dixler: nope hillary dixler: he owns his status as an outsider hillary dixler: which ends up being a great entry point for all non-native japanese readers daniela galarza: totally and 100% agree hillary dixler: the best non-cookbook of the year. without a doubt.
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tacopedia
deborah holtz and juan carlos mena phaidon
In a year obsessed with tacos, several staff members were delighted with the translation of the obsessive, complete and funny taco bible of mexico. meghan mccarron writes, “want to learn about the deep history of the tortilla in mexican culture and the top ten places to find carnitas? tacopedia is a spirited, wacky, but immensely informative guide to the taco and all its With delightful illustrations reminiscent of sixth grade history textbooks and a host of traditional recipes, this is the book to memorize before heading to Mexico, or your neighborhood taco stand.”
order: amazon / powell’s
olympia provisions
elias cairo & meredith ericksonten speed
For those looking for more project-based cooking ideas, Eater Portland editor Mattie Bamman recommends Olympia Provisions’s new book: “This year, one of America’s leading producers of deli meats released not just a book of cooking, but also a challenge: learn how to make sausages at home, a tradition that is maintained in many parts of the world.for those who already make things like jerky and homemade sausages, the cookbook helps you up your game with bologna and Italian sausage with kale lacinato. For others, the cookbook will be a surprise opportunity to make things you may never have dreamed you could make at home, like rillette, bacon, and maybe salami. And for all the home cooks who never will come close to trying any of these food recipes, the cookbook is full of wit, inspiration, travel stories and European insights.”
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this is the way
russell moore & allison hopelain ten speed
Live fire cooking is a growing obsession with chefs, and few restaurants are more dedicated to fire than the oakland trail. Few restaurants have more dedicated high-profile fans: The cookbook’s blurbs are a row of chefs and influencers like April Bloomfield, Yotam Ottolenghi, The Selby, Suzanne Goin and many more. meghan mccarron writes, “camino is a restaurant book with a big heart, with recipes happily credited to other sources and hits and misses discussed with equal humor and candor. if you’re reading the pantry section, you’re probably a hippie”) and so refreshing in its enthusiasm that you’ll be looking forward to building a fire in your driveway again, just as the ‘fire’ section of the book encourages you to do. “
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senegal
pierre thiam lake isle press, september 2015
Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam lives in Brooklyn and, in his second book, champions the food of his homeland as an essential global cuisine, one that has profoundly influenced the cuisine of the American South. from helen rosner’s capsule review: “the book stands out as a purely anthropological document, a record of how people cook and eat classically and innovatively in dakar today, but it’s also wonderful as a true book of Kitchen: The recipes are written for the home cook (Senegal food culture is largely home-based), and for readers with access to all the special ingredients required, they are a wonderfully accessible collection of flavors and techniques.”
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101 easy asian
peter meehan and the editors of lucky peachclarkson potter, october 2015
Quarterly themed food magazine beloved by cults Lucky Peach has released the nostalgic yet forward-thinking home cookbook of our dreams. ideal pairing: a saturday night watching master of none. of sonia chopra’s capsule review: “‘what is authenticity? who knows!’ A footnote reads: In this book, whether a dish is Korean, Japanese, Thai, or Chinese, it doesn’t matter. The quality of the dishes and the sheer ease of preparation.”
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the food laboratory
j. kenji lopez-alt w.w. norton
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Culinary CEO of Serious Eats, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s new cookbook is the definitive guide for those seeking perfection in scientific cooking. from helen rosner’s capsule review: “her views on staples like french fries, eggs, and steak are canon, at this point, and immortalizing them with ink on paper feels almost like a symbolic act, a formal gesture that recognizes its impact and quality. you don’t need this book, if you have a fast internet connection, but when the power goes out or the wi-fi goes down, the people who own this book will be the ones you want to take to dinner” .
order: amazon / powell’s
the chili cookbook
robb walshten speed september 2015
Chili is one of the most defining dishes in American cuisine, and winter is the best time to whip up a pot or ten, guided by Texas Foodways’ Greatest Chronicler, Robb Walsh. From Meghan McCarron’s Capsule Review: “What’s really exciting about this book is the way it champions chili as an essential American creation, one that should not be allowed to fall by the wayside. Walsh’s book It captures not just the history and breadth, but all the exciting possibilities cooks can explore with a stew made up in part of hot and chili peppers—there’s plenty to keep you busy and warm.”
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my year of cooking
ruth reichlrandom house, september 2015
Culinary writing royalty Ruth Reichl releases her long-awaited second cookbook, and it’s everything her legion of devoted fans could wish for. from sonia chopra’s capsule review: “the voice is pure reichl: achingly sentimental in a way that makes the reader yearn for a house in the country, a pantry full of staples like canned anchovies, sherry cream and ‘some types’ of salt who wouldn’t want to have a collection of salts to turn to at any time, who wouldn’t want to have a house upstate to retreat to in times of trouble? -year as editor-in-chief and brings her readers with her, and while she finds comfort in cooking, we also find comfort.”
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cookie love
mindy segal and kate leahyten speed
No baked good satisfies the itch for variety, speed and obsession like cookies do, and Eater San Francisco editor Ellen Fort highly recommends Mindy Segal’s book. cookie love, mindy segal’s cookie-focused book, isn’t just about perfecting the art of the chocolate chip cookie (although there’s a great classic version) – it’s a full love letter to cookies of all ages. shapes and sizes the book runs the gamut from cookies to bars to rugelach to more exotic dishes like fleur de sel rusks with vanilla halvah and smoked chocolate sable, there’s also a hearty section covering basics like chocolate hot, marshmallows and butterscotch. , the recipes start out simple and increase in complexity until cookie nirvana is achieved.”
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violet bakery
claire ptak ten speed
former pastry chef chez panisse combines a Californian approach to seasonality with homemade baked goods for every moment of the day. Meghan McCarron writes, “Claire Ptak’s London bakery is described as a ‘jewel box’ space on the cover of her new cookbook, and lush, enchanting jewel-like fruit desserts dominate the gorgeous photography inside. A Food Stylist and a baker, ptak’s creations are beautiful to behold and somehow never seem to be out of reach.it’s the kind of charming and welcoming book that makes you want to start baking right away, and find some pans old cupcakes on ebay along the way.”
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well cut
zachary coupr and peter kaminsky regan arts, november 2015
Beneath the beautifully photographed exterior, this essential Brooklyn Bakery cookbook is the baking masterclass of the year. From Daniela Galarza’s Capsule Review: “Baker Zachary Coupr (who runs cuit well with his wife and business partner, Kate Wheatcroft) and writer Peter Kaminsky have delivered an exquisite guide to the craft of European bread baking. Coupr takes an academic approach, and it’s clear from page 10 that this is the most serious book written on bread this year. The first recipe will take a baker about three days to complete, with no experience or professional, but for anyone who take your craft seriously, this book is a faithful manual”.
order: amazon / powell’s
header photo: pinkyone editor: meghan mccarron
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