top ten cookbooks i want to read

Tuesday, July 15, 2014 |
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we all get to exercise our OCD tendencies and come up with bookish lists.  If you’d like to play along, check out this post.

top ten tuesday

Today's 'official' prompt for Top Ten Tuesday called for favorite television shows or films.  While I can think of several favorite films off the top of my head, I didn't feel inspired to write about them.  And I'm not much of a television viewer.  If you listened in at my monthly book club accounting of what I'm reading and watching, I always say, "I'm reading [insert YA fairy tale retelling], and I'm watching [insert sporting event]."  So.  I had no interest in this week's topic, but I still wanted to participate.  What did I do?  The reasonable thing: I cheated and texted a friend for suggestions.  And cookbooks I want to read is actually a genius idea, because I've been saying I want to review more cookbooks!  So now I have a starting list, and life is good.

Top Ten Cookbooks I Want to Read


1. Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes by Maya Angelou – Angelou's recent passing reminded me that I've (still!) never read one of her books. One of the many eulogies that appeared in bookish publications noted that Angelou was a celebrated cook.  I wondered to myself if she could have possibly written a cookbook.  My library's website returned an answer: she had.  There were actually two different cookbooks to choose from!  I picked this one for the title.

2. The Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book: Uncommon Recipes from the Celebrated Brooklyn Pie Shop by Emily and Melissa Elsen – PIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.  I am the de facto pie baker at family Thanksgiving (and I always remind myself that I can indeed manage crust in the weeks beforehand), but I don't stray much from the typical apple.  I can't wait to look at all of the flavor combinations and mouth-watering photos in this cookbook.  Dang.

3. The Heart of the Plate: Vegetarian Recipes for a New Generation by Mollie Katzen – I'm not a vegetarian, but during the summer it feels like a waste not to eat as much fresh produce as humanly possible.  I heard about this cookbook from some of my fellow Weekend Cooking friends, and I am excited to learn about new ways to prepare fruits and veggies.

4. My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz – I've never read a Lebovitz cookbook, and I feel the lack.  I see his recipes and his writing touted all over the place.  I just need to dive in, and this latest release seems like the perfect opportunity.  I've already requested it from Blogging for Books, so it's happening, folks.

5. Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros – I spend my Thanksgivings as a pie baker and minor kitchen minion.  It's delightful (first off, you're right in the thick of the action. second, everyone loves you/does the dishes to show their appreciation).  One Thanksgiving my Uncle Michael got out this cookbook and decided we were going to try a fish soup.  I was sent to the store to fetch some salmon, and we proceeded to make the entire thing (including fish broth!) from scratch.  Ever since then I've wanted to read a copy for myself, to see what other interesting recipes may be inside...


6. How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – I particularly want to read this one because my Uncle Fouad gasped with (mock) horror when I said I hadn't read it.  Another one to add to the growing list!

7. The Gramercy Tavern Cookbook by Michael Anthony, introduction by Danny Meyer – My sister and I had a marvelous time together in New York City for Book Expo America this year, and one of the best parts was a Saturday evening dinner at The Gramercy Tavern.  I'd heard so many good things about it that I wondered how it could live up to its billing.  Well, it just did.  And now I must know how to make things like they do (I doubt that I can replicate them, but trying counts!).

8. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle – Another classic that I've never touched.  Also one of the most intimidating books out there.  I shall get to it, one day...

9. The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook by Niki Segnit – A couple of friends invited me over for dinner the other night, and pressed this on me as I left.  I mean, I'm always happy to take a cookbook home.  I have been reliably informed that it will expand my knowledge of complementary flavors (and that there are little stories tucked away in various entries - so it won't be dry-as-dust!).

10. A History of Food in 100 Recipes by William Sitwell – Another book I am aware of because of the lovely Weekend Cooking crowd.  This one appeals me not so much as a cookbook, but as a history. Quite simply: I love food histories. I love them even more when they have a recipe or two inside.  Like this one.  #winning

Are there any cookbooks on your to-read list?  Which ones?

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking!

8 comments:

KIKA said...

Way cool! I've never even thought of reviewing cookbooks, but what a great idea! ... I suck at cooking lol but have always wanted to learn!

The Book Bluff

kayerj said...

what a great choice for today's topic. Cookbooks are great to read. I bought one in New Orleans that I loved. The author shared memories from his child of living in the area. The memories were connected with the recipe he was sharing. It was a book full of the richness of life. I loved it. So many good moments of life are associated with the food we eat. Thanks for sharing your post today. Kelley at the road goes ever ever on

Anonymous said...

I love cookbooks, too! And PIES! I also need to read some Maya Angelou, and one of my best friends loves her cookbook. I have Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen from my early vegetarian days, and have been wanting to read her recent one, too. I love the Bittman - I use both the big print book (that I had to have rebound) and the iPad app.

Liviania said...

Good choices! My top one would be How to Cook without a Book.

Michelle said...

This is a great idea!
I always cook using recipes.
My #1 choice would be
`Hallelujah! The Welcome Table`
I have a box full of recipes my mom collected over the years.

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

I had no idea Angelou wrote a cook book! I definitely want to read that one.

Beth F said...

Awesome wish list!! I don't have the Flavor Thesaurus ... I think I need to check that one out.

Couscous & Consciousness said...

You've got some great choices there - several that I have on my wishlist.

I can vouch for Falling Cloudberries - I love it and it is one the most cooked from books I have in my collection.

But my favourite cookbook of all time and one I would definitely add to your list is Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi.

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