Reader's Corner: Food & Cooking
Looking for a good book to read but don't know where to start? This guide covers popular, award-winning, and just plain great nonfiction and fiction genres and books.
Staff Picks
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love: Recipes to Unlock the Secrets of Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the bestselling author and his superteam of chefs, this is Ottolenghi unplugged: 85+ irresistible recipes for flexible, everyday home cooking that unlock the secrets of your pantry, fridge, and freezer NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE Led by Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad, the revered team of chefs at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen gives everyday home cooks the accessible yet innovative Middle Eastern-inspired recipes they need to put dinner on the table with less stress and less fuss in a convenient, flexibound package. With fit-for-real-life chapters like "The Freezer Is Your Friend," "That One Shelf in the Back of Your Pantry," and "Who Does the Dishes?" (a.k.a. One-Pot Meals), Shelf Love teaches readers how to flex with fewer ingredients, get creative with their pantry staples, and add playful twists to familiar classics. All the signature Ottolenghi touches fans love are here--big flavors, veggie-forward appeal, diverse influences--but are distilled to maximize ease and creative versatility. These dishes pack all the punch and edge you expect from Ottolenghi, using what you've got to hand--that last can of chickpeas or bag of frozen peas--without extra trips to the grocery store. Humble ingredients and crowd-pleasing recipes abound, including All-the-Herbs Dumplings with Caramelized Onions, Mac and Cheese with Za'atar Pesto, Cacio e Pepe Chickpeas, and Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken. With accessible recipe features like MIYO (Make It Your Own) that encourage ingredient swaps and a whimsical, lighthearted spirit, the fresh voices of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen will deliver kitchen confidence and joyful inspiration to new and old fans alike.
Call Number: TX714 .M8627 2021Publication Date: 2021-11-02
Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide by
We've been stuck at home for long enough! It's time to get out and taste the world again. From those ever-curious, ever-quirky minds behind the #1 New York Times bestselling Atlas Obscura,with over 800,00 copies in print, comes an unputdownable guide that marries our endless appetite for travel with our insatiable interest in food. Continent by continent, country by country, Gastro Obscura takes up the mantle of Atlas Obscurato radically expand our sense of wonder about the world - in this case, what humans eat and drink, which turns out to be far more marvellous than we could ever imagine. Created by the founders of AtlasObscura.com, GastroObscura.com delivers fresh food stories daily to the millions of Atlas Obscura readers and Facebook fans, along with its own burgeoning dedicated email newsletter that is currently reaching over 192,000. And it is now serving up the best of it in a lavishly illustrated food-lover's gift of nearly 500 dishes, ingredients, traditions, and experiences. Discover English bog butter. 'Threads of God' pasta (only three women know how to make it). The best black bean fritter restaurant in Brazil. The world's largest floating restaurant. A croissant museum in Poland. Focusing as much on food's place in our lives as well as our bellies, the book covers history - the network of ancient Roman fish sauce factories. Culture - picture four million women gathering to make rice pudding. Travel - scale China's Mount Hua to reach a sacred tea house. Festivals - chase a wheel of double Gloucester at Britain's annual Cooper's Hill cheese rolling competition. And such truly surprising delicacies as sturgeon spinal cord, blood tofu, stinkbug tacos, and more.
Call Number: TX737 .W66 2021Publication Date: 2021-10-12
Grist, A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Legumes: 140+ Recipes and 160+ Variations by
Discover the next great grain in Grist. Here are more than 125 recipes for 28 different types of grains, legumes, and seeds that, in combination with vegetables and lean proteins, are the stars of the healthiest, most variable, and most satisfying meals, many of them gluten free. For new and seasoned home cooks - bean lovers, those looking for weeknight solutions and/or a varied diet based on pantry staples - here's a guide to building a repertoire of approachable, big-on-flavour recipes. Home cooks will be attracted to the reference quality of the book, its beauty (more than 100 photos and 30 illustrations) and heft (125 recipes + 300 variations = 448 pages), as well as the great writing, relatable voice, author authority, unique recipe style, extensive variations, and gorgeous photography and illustrations.
Call Number: TX808 .B39 2021Publication Date: 2021-10-26
Black Food: Stories and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora by
A beautiful, rich, and groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world, curated by food activist and author of Vegetable Kingdom Bryant Terry. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Time Out . NPR . Vice . Publishers Weekly . "Mouthwatering, visually stunning, and intoxicating, Black Food tells a global story of creativity, endurance, and imagination that was sustained in the face of dispersal, displacement, and oppression."-Imani Perry, Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University In this stunning and deeply heartfelt tribute to Black culinary ingenuity, Bryant Terry captures the broad and divergent voices of the African Diaspora through the prism of food. With contributions from more than 100 Black cultural luminaires from around the globe, the book moves through chapters exploring parts of the Black experience, from Homeland to Migration, Spirituality to Black Future, offering delicious recipes, moving essays, and arresting artwork. As much a joyful celebration of Black culture as a cookbook, Black Food explores the interweaving of food, experience, and community through original poetry and essays, including "Jollofing with Toni Morrison" by Sarah Ladipo Manyika, "Queer Intelligence" by Zoe Adjonyoh, "The Spiritual Ecology of Black Food" by Leah Penniman, and "Foodsteps in Motion" by Michael W. Twitty. The recipes are similarly expansive and generous, including sentimental favorites and fresh takes such as Crispy Cassava Skillet Cakes from Yewande Komolafe, Okra & Shrimp Purloo from BJ Dennis, Jerk Chicken Ramen from Suzanne Barr, Avocado and Mango Salad with Spicy Pickled Carrot and Rof Dressing from Pierre Thiam, and Sweet Potato Pie from Jenne Claiborne. Visually stunning artwork from such notables as Black Panther Party creative director Emory Douglas and artist Sarina Mantle are woven throughout, and the book includes a signature musical playlist curated by Bryant. With arresting artwork and innovative design, Black Food is a visual and spiritual feast that will satisfy any soul.
Call Number: GT2853.U5 B59 2021Publication Date: 2021-10-19
Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America by
Who's really behind America's appetite for foods from around the globe? This group biography from an electric new voice in food writing honors seven extraordinary women, all immigrants, who left an indelible mark on the way Americans eat today. Taste Makers stretches from World War II to the present, with absorbing and deeply researched portraits of figures including Mexican-born Elena Zelayeta, a blind chef; Marcella Hazan, the deity of Italian cuisine; and Norma Shirley, a champion of Jamaican dishes. In imaginative, lively prose, Mayukh Sen--a queer, brown child of immigrants--reconstructs the lives of these women in vivid and empathetic detail, daring to ask why some were famous in their own time, but not in ours, and why others shine brightly even today. Weaving together histories of food, immigration, and gender, Taste Makers will challenge the way readers look at what's on their plate--and the women whose labor, overlooked for so long, makes those meals possible.
Call Number: BIOG TX649.A1 S46 2022Publication Date: 2021-11-02
Cooking-Related Booklists in the BPL Online Catalog
- 11 Cookbooks for the Culinarily CluelessThese cookbooks are here to help even those who aren't masters of the kitchen whip up something delicious.
- Culinary Memoirs: 10 Books to Whet Your AppetiteFood, no matter what culture, has the power to bring people together. Here is a list of culinary memoirs by chefs who've learned to cook from kitchens around the world. Check one out today and find out how food changes lives.
- 10 Sizzlin' Seafood Cookbooks to Make Your Summer DeliciousSummer is finally here full throttle: long hot days, trips to the beach, and cookouts. Take advantage of summer's seafood bounty with one of these cookbooks.
- Flavors of the WorldDiscover the world through food and let the Boston Public Library help with this list of worldly flavors you can create at home. What's on your menu?
- From Campfire to Cookout: 11 Sizzling CookbooksNeed some exciting new recipes for your next backyard barbecue, camping trip, or picnic? Ditch the hamburgers and hot dogs and try one of the recipes from these 11 cookbooks inspired by the great outdoors!
- 7 Amazing Cookbooks That Will Have You Eating InLiving in the city doesn't always breed great spending habits. With so many amazing restaurants right around the corner, I often find myself tempted to eat out. Ramen? Sushi? Tacos? Pizza? It's all right here, but my wallet doesn't always agree with my stomach. Lately I've been looking for cookbooks that will keep me spending less on eating out, while still satisfying my craving for great, diverse food. Here are some choices that I've dug up here at the BPL, that should please foodies and food-lovers alike!
- The History of What You Eat: 15 Microhistories About FoodEver wonder how Chinese food became so popular in the United States? Need to know the truth about olive oil? This book list can help you answer your important food history questions! Grab a slice of pizza, a book from our list, and get eating and reading!
- Healthy Eating: 11 Books About Eating Whole FoodsWhat's the deal with whole foods versus the processed foods that are constantly marketed towards consumers? These books will help you understand the difference, and offer recipes to help you eat a healthier, well-balanced, diet. Check one out and enjoy a good meal today!
- Vegetarian and Vegan CookbooksFor those practicing vegetarian or vegan lifestyles or just for anyone interested in spicing up the dinner table with new vegetable recipes!
- The Sweet Life: Dessert CookbooksGot a sweet tooth and are looking for new recipes to try out? Look no further than this list full of cookbooks on everything dessert, from sinful to healthy!
- We All Scream for Ice Cream!National Ice Cream Day is July 17th and the whole month of July is National Ice Cream month, so cool off during the hot summer with this list full of books on how to make your own ice cream treats.
- A History of ChocolateFebruary is National Chocolate Lovers' Month! Indulge your cravings with these nonfiction reads, where you can educate yourself on the sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter history of the world's most popular confection: chocolate.