Cooking with Books: The Rest of the Best

Whew! Despite months of reading and recipe testing, I couldn't get to all the cookbooks I wanted to this month. Some have been briefly glanced at and others perused thoroughly with sticky notes pointing the way to new recipes to try. And, yes, there are still classics on the shelves that need revisiting. I'll keep on it and bring you more in the months to come. And who knows...maybe next March will bring a new Cooking with Books Month.

In the meantime, here's a list of books that you should check out as well.

Momofuku
One of my most memorable meals was a lunch at New York's Momofuku Ssam Bar. Steameed Buns with Braised Pork Belly. Long Beans with XO Sauce. (Wondering what the heck XO sauce was...couldn't find it in the Asian section of the supermarket when I got home.) This book came to the rescue. I've actually successfully made both recipes. But this is a book that you can't just excerpt a recipe or two from. You have to immerse yourself in it. Reading chef David Chang's expletive-laden stories of success and failure with his various restaurant endeavors is a kind of meal in itself. Check it out.

Ad Hoc at Home
Another memorable meal was at French Laundry. The experience at Thomas Keller's Yountville foodie mecca was the most expensive...and most delicious...meal I'm likely ever to have. While I haven't bough the cookbook from that restaurant, Keller's recently published tome from his more casual family-style restaurant is wonderful. Lots of great tips and lots of great recipes that even the non-expert cook can try.

Lucinda's Rustic Italian Kitchen
I also have Lucinda Scala Quinn's most recent cookbook Mad Hungry, based on her experience cooking for a houseful of men. Can't wait to try it as well. But this one concentrates on simple, home-style Italian cooking. At the top of the list for me to try are the old standby Fettucine alla Carbonara, Pizza Margherita (It's time to add a pizza crust to my repertoire) and a Caesar Salad. See...told you the recipes were simple. But they look absolutely delicioso.

Mod Mex
This one has photos and a deign as vibrant as the recipes seem to be. Lots of fresh ingredients and interesting techniques lead to dishes that are modern takes on Mexican classics, as well as ways to inject a little Mexican flair into plain old weeknight dinners. Things like Roasted Garlic-Poblano Mashed Potatoes and Mexican Meatball Soup with Chayote and Roasted Corn in Red Chile-Tomato Broth. Olé indeed.

Santa Fe Flavors
Finally, this little yellow compendium of favorite recipes from the great restaurants of Santa Fe. Which should I try first? The Shed's Red Chile Enchiladas? El Farol's Aguacato (Fried Avocado)? Or maybe Maria's Green Chile Stew? OK...maybe all of them at once.

What are your favorite cookbooks? Would love to hear about them so I can add them to my list...