Bistro Laurent Tourondel: New American Bistro Cooking

By Laurent Tourondel (John Wiley, $34.95)

We couldn’t wait to try out the Adobe Marinated Hanger Steak in Laurent Tourondel’s new book Bistro Laurent Tourondel. What a wonderful surprise this book is.  Chef Tourondel shows the home cook how to prepare his new-wave bistro cooking in your own kitchen.  There is beautiful color and black and white photographs, and nearly 150 recipes that are each accompanied by a carefully chosen wine-pairing. Don’t forget the Hazelnut Crunch Pumpkin Pie.  These recipes are impressive to wow your dinner guest, yet homey and very approachable.  We look forward to the opening of his newest restaurant here in Los Angeles.

The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution

By Alice Waters (Clarkson Potter $35.00)

Anytime there is a new book by Alice Waters everyone gets very excited.  In her new book The Art of Simple Food, you’ll find Alice’s philosophy on everything from stocking the kitchen, to mastering fundamentals and preparing delicious, seasonal inspired meals all year long.  Always using seasonal produce, responsibly raised meat, poultry and seafood, The Art of Simple Food would make a wonderful addition to anybody’s collection.

Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chefs Craft for Every Kitchen

By Michael Ruhlman (Scribner, $24.00)

In his new slim, clear and to the point new book, Elements of Cooking, Michael Ruhlman pares down the essentials of great cooking.  In the introductory essays, he helps us to understand techniques like how to salt food, making stock, making sauces, using heat correctly, even having the right tools (he says there are only 5 essentials), but most importantly, the use of finesse, that extra attention to detail that turns food glorious.

This book can be read in an afternoon, but the lessons you’ll learn will be used forever.

Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen

By Gina DePalma (W.W. Norton, $35.00)

If you are like most of us you probably own more than one Italian cookbook.  But what do you really know about Italian desserts?  In Dolce Italiano, Gina shows us that Italian desserts contain everything you love about good Italian food; simple, fresh tasting desserts composed of all the essentials of Italian cooking.  There is a section called “Ten Italian Ingredients You Should Know.”  If you love polenta, you’ll find the corn flavor in the Polenta and Sesame Biscotti and Citrus Glazed Polenta Cake.  Olive Oil perfumes her Zucchini-Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Crunch Glaze and is drizzled over Dreaming-of-Summer Oranges for a light and refreshing taste.  With over 100 recipes and beautiful color photographs, Gina’s book shows you that dessert is not just an indulgence but as integral a part of your meals as any other dish.

Elizabeth Falkner’s Demolition Desserts: Recipes from Citizen Cake

By Elizabeth Falkner (Ten Speed Press $35.00)

Who could resist a book with a chapter entirely devoted to chocolate chip cookies?

Elizabeth Falkner the owner of San Francisco’s famed restaurant Citizen Cake, has written her first book that breaks down classic desserts and reconstructs them flavor by flavor, with stunning results.  Even some of her most elaborate desserts have been adapted for the home kitchen.  There are detailed recipes with make-ahead timelines and also a minimalist version for those of us always pressed for time. In Demolition Desserts, Elizabeth presents her favorite creations, the cookies, brownies, and cupcakes that have customers standing in line over and over again.

Now you can make all your favorites at home!

Pure Desserts

By Alice Medrich (Artisan $35.00)

When you are working with great ingredients, you want to keep it simple. This is why Pure Dessert, from Alice Medrich, offers the simplest of recipes, using the fewest ingredients in the most interesting ways. There are no glazes, fillings, or frostings—just dessert at its purest, most elemental, and most flavorful.

Inspired ingredients are the heart of this collection of entirely new recipes. Sesame brittle ice cream, corn-flour tuiles with sea salt black pepper, honey caramels, strawberries with single-malt sabayon are among the dozens of recipes that make this book a sure winner for the fall season.

Loaded with advice and novel suggestions, with great recipes and eye-catching, full-color photographs that show off these simple, straightforward desserts, Pure Dessert is an education and a revelation.

Asian Flavors of Jean- Georges

By Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Broadway $40.00)

Definitely not for the faint of heart, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s new book Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges is for the passionate cook willing to take their cooking to the next level.  This is a record of a chef’s passion for the flavors of India, Thailand, China, Vietnam and all of Asia.  Featuring recipes from his Asian fusion restaurants – Spice Market and Vong in New York Vongerichten’s recipes open a whole new world of taste and smells for those willing to put in the time. You will need an augmented pantry (food sources are suggested) and a taste for maybe some unfamiliar flavors, the recipes are clear and worth the time and effort. The Crunchy Potato Salad includes radishes, chili, vinegar and a bit of sugar to make it different than the Potato Salads that we may be well used to.  With color photos throughout, this book should be fun for those looking for a new challenge.

Braises and Stews: Everyday Slow-Cooked Recipes

By Torie Ritchie (Chronicle, $22.95)

Remember those tantalizing smells coming from Grandma's kitchen as she made her treasured, slow-cooked meals? Braises and Stews brings modern convenience and style to good old-fashioned comfort food. This handy cookbook dishes up the secrets for making such savory one-pot meals as Classic Pot Roast or Pub Short Ribs. Lighter fare like Coq au Vin prepared with white wine or a Roman-inspired Spring Stew of Favas, Artichokes, and Fresh Peas will appeal to those with smaller appetites.

Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchen

By Bobby Flay (Clarkson Potter $35.00)

The flavors of the Southwest have intrigued Bobby Flay ever since he was a young chef opening his first restaurant, Mesa Grill. Now sixteen years later, Bobby’s bold and vivacious take on this cuisine has made him a fixture on America’s culinary scene and turned Mesa Grill into a veritable institution. With 150 recipes for drinks, appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, sides, sauces, desserts, and brunch dishes, these are the dishes that have earned Bobby his reputation for creating innovative combinations and big, rich flavors.

Grilled Asparagus and Goat Cheese or Queso Fundido with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette is among the beautiful 100 full color photographs.

Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook helps you re-create the fun and flavors of Mesa Grill in your own home.

My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals/Portraits, Interviews, and Recipes

By Melanie Dunea (Bloomsbury USA $39.95)

Have you ever wondered what Mario Batali’s last meal might be? How about what CD Gordon Ramsay would be listening to as the clock ticked?

Photographer Melanie Dunea ask 50 of the world’s famous chefs what their final meals would be.  My Last Supper showcases their fascinating answers alongside stunning Vanity Fair–style portraits. Their responses are surprising, refreshing, and as distinct from each other as the chefs themselves.  The portraits, gorgeous, and playful, are informed by their answers and reveal the passions and personalities of the most respected names in the business.

Featuring: Ferrán Adrià, José Andrés, Dan Barber, Lidia Bastianich, Rick Bayless, Daniel Boulud, Anthony Bourdain, Scott Conant, Suzanne Goin, Thomas Keller, Giorgio Locatelli, Nobu, Jamie Oliver, Jacques Pepin, Michel Richard, Eric Ripert, and more…

One recipe from each landmark meal is included in the back of the book.

Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast

By Nigella Lawson (Hyperion $35.00)

The Domestic Goddess is back!

Featuring fabulous fast foods, shortcuts, time-saving ideas, effortless entertaining tips, and simple meals, Nigella Express is the solution to eating well when time is short. Here are mouthwatering meals, quick to prepare and easy to follow, that you can make after a day in the office or on a busy weekend, for family or unexpected guests. With advice and tips on how to keep your pantry stocked, your freezer and fridge full, Nigella gives us basic and simple recipes that can be prepared quickly but cooked slowly in the oven, leaving you time for your guest and family with minimum stress and maximum enjoyment.

Featuring recipes seen on Food Network’s Nigella Express series.

Jamie At Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life

By Jamie Oliver (Michael Joseph Ltd., $60.00)

Written to coincide with his newest television series, this book is probably the most personal of all Jamie Oliver’s books.  It's about no-nonsense, simple cooking with great flavors all year round.  This is a seasonal book that takes inspiration from his home’s vegetable garden.  Oliver has written a beautiful book about his love for being at home, working with “the boss” Mother Nature and creating new recipes from fruits and the poultry, meat and game – all home grown -- of his labor.  There are over 100 new recipes, plus some basic planting information as well.   His resource list is nothing short of amazing!

Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen

By Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman (Artisan, $35.00)

In this delightful book, Luongo and Strausman, friends and restaurateurs in Manhattan, put a personal spin on the divide between cuisine from Italy and the American variety. Each chapter opens with a back-and-forth between the two over the merits of certain ingredients or cooking methods, and their disagreements over these specifics are very amusing to read. Luongo's loyalties to his native Tuscany show in recipes such as Garfagnana Bean and Apple Soup and Sausage and Cranberry Beans with Polenta.  Strausman defends his Americanized vision of Italian food with dishes both old-fashioned Chicken Parmigiana and chicly modern in flavor Carrot and Ricotta Ravioli. The chapter of meatballs and meatloaf is reason enough to have this book.  Luongo defends small, flavor-packed meatballs with unusual ingredients like amaretto cookies, mostly served on their own, while Strausman likes the plump kind Americans serve atop spaghetti and tomato sauce.

1080 Recipes

By Simone Ortega (Phaidon Press, $39.95)

1080 Recipes is the definitive book on traditional and authentic Spanish home cooking, trusted throughout Spain for over thirty years. Written by Spain's best-loved food authorities, it showcases the fastest growing cuisine in popularity, with Spanish restaurants and tapas bars opening in cities everywhere.  This beautiful book contains 1080 recipes from all Spanish regions, covering everything from appetizers to stews, from vegetables to desserts.  Designed by Javier Mariscal, the famous Spanish graphic designer and illustrator, it includes over 200 illustrations he has created exclusively for this edition along with 100 specially commissioned photographs.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

By Mark Bittman (John Wiley, $35.00)

Mark Bittman has written the definitive guide to meatless meals–a book that will appeal to everyone who wants to cook simple but delicious meatless dishes, from health-conscious omnivores to passionate vegetarians. With straightforward, unfussy, and delicious recipes, Mark’s dishes are for the home cook to prepare with ease and serve with confidence. The book covers the spectrum of meatless cooking–including salads, soups, eggs and dairy, vegetables and fruit, pasta, grains, legumes, tofu and other meat substitutes, breads, condiments, desserts, and beverages. Icons identify recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less and in advance, as well as those that are vegan. Illustrated with line drawings, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian makes meatless cooking more accessible than ever.

Below are some new books for the more adventurous chef.

Pierre Gagnaire: Reinventing French Cuisine

By Peter Lippmann (Stewart, Tabori and Chang $60.00)

Pierre Gagnaire is considered one of the best chefs in the world. He is the owner of restaurants in Paris, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo and two have received three Michelin stars.
In Pierre Gagnaire: Reinventing French Cuisine, the legendary chef tells the story of his 40-year journey to culinary superstardom. Featuring reflections on his life and work, along with 40 of his favorite recipes, this is less a cookbook than an inside look at the making of a great chef.
The recipes—whether a simple potatoes au gratin; an elegant combination of white cabbage, buffalo mozzarella, and caviar; or a savory potato gnocchi with saffron, artichoke, and roasted hazelnuts—are drawn from each period in Gagnaire’s life, showing his early influences, the development of his vibrant signature style, and his ongoing experiments in modern French cuisine.

Essence: Recipes from Le Champignon Sauvage

By David Everitt-Matthias (Absolute Press, $50.00)

This beautiful cookbook, exquisitely photographed and designed, is the British equivalent of The French Laundry Cookbook – a restaurant recipe book from a chef at the height of his powers. Known all over the world over for his dedication and single mindedness, his cuisine is both about essential flavors and the inspirational use of wild food picked from the Cotswold countryside near his home.  This is a book that all serious food lovers and professional chefs will want and one that is surprisingly easy to cook from.

Beyond Nose to Tail: More Omnivorous Recipes for the Adventurous Cook

By Fergus Henderson (Bloomsbury USA $35.00)

If you like offal classics like ox tongue or pressed pig’s ear than Fergus Henderson’s new book Beyond Nose to Tail is for you. 

Fergus Henderson is the owner and chef of the award winning St. John Restaurant outside of London.
Written in the same entertaining and accessible voice that made his previous book, Nose to Tail Eating a foodie classic, this new collection of over 100 simple, easy to follow recipes, will teach you everything you’ll ever need to know to prepare even more mouthwatering classics. Henderson explains why nearly every part of every animal we eat is a delicious treat waiting for the hands of a patient cook to prepare it.

Moro East

By Samantha and Samuel Clark (Ebury Press, $60.00)

Moro East is the third cookbook in this restaurant’s series written by husband and wife Sam & Sam Clark.  In this book the chefs renew their passion for the food of Spain and the Muslim Mediterranean, but they have found their inspiration closer to home in an East End community garden.  Once beyond the gates of Manor Garden, you are transported to the Eastern Mediterranean by a community of Turks and Cypriots who cultivate and cook an extraordinary range of ingredients, many of which are integral to the food served at their London restaurant, Moro.  This book follows a year in the life of this East End garden with recipes that are unusual but not daunting. 

An interesting and beautifully done book that is truly inspired and inspiring.

Recipes from a 3 Star Chef

By Gordon Ramsay (Quadrille Publishing, $90.00)

Gordon Ramsay has recently become almost more famous for his TV shows “Hells Kitchen and "Kitchen Nightmares", than for his expertise as an award winning chef and restaurateur. At the heart of his talent is a passion for good food and an eye for perfection that has consistently seen him receive three coveted Michelin stars. He has been called the best chef of his generation, and this book sees Gordon at his day job - running a three-star kitchen and producing food often described as 'sublime'. Getting right to the heart of why Gordon is such a celebrated chef, the first part of the book shows 50 classic Gordon Ramsay recipes presented as they would be in one of his restaurants. The second part of the book shows the dishes presented in a home kitchen with full recipes and step-by-step instructions to recreate them yourself. Some of the recipes include Gordon's signature Lobster Ravioli, Corn Reared Beef Fillet with Marrow Crust, Ginger Mousse and a Bitter Chocolate Cylinder with Coffee Granite.