Wild, Wild East: Recipes and Stories from Vietnam by Bobby Chinn - I saw this book at McNally-Robinson a few months ago, and started reading it. Its in that narrative style that I really like in a cookbook, and the forward (at least I think its the forward) by Anthony Bourdain sings high praises of the man, the book, and his cooking. I love Vietnamese food, and think this will be a great addition to my collection of go to books!
Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico by Rick Bayless - I've read in countless places that this book is the holy grail for authentic Mexican, which in my mind, is one of the world's top 2 or 3 cuisines. Once you've had authentic Mexican, you can NEVER go back to the Tex-Mex crap they serve at Carlos & Murphys (or Carlos & Pepe's for any Montreal readers!). I crave a great Chicken or Turkey Black Mole! Must get this book!
Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman - When I first heard Ruhlman wrote this book, my first thought was: I need to make my own cured meats. So, I am going to pick this up and hopefully take a crack at making proscuitto and salami. This would be the biggest culinary endeavour I will have embarked on in some time.
Ratio by Michael Ruhlman - This book kind of represents my whole approach to food. You don't need recipes for everything. You just need to know ratios, and flavour combinations. With that, you can do anything. I think this will be an important book to have in the repertoire.
The Album Au Pied de Cochon by Martin Picard - I lived in Montreal for four years. I REALLY loved that place. The food scene there was probably the best in Canada. Au Pied du Cochon is a kind of a mix between the fancy and the humble. With a heavy focus on foie gras, duck, and other French home cooked classics, this restaurant is a miracle. I mean they have a foie gras poutine... how can you argue with that... unless maybe you are a cardiologist. In any event, this book is the mad man behind Au Pied's cookbook from the restaurant. Its full of great photos, and seeing what something should look like in the end is always a big help.
Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating by Fergus Henderson - I think this is a must have for anyone who wants to experience real food. I also think Fergus Henderson is probably the best person to guide us into the world of eating from nose to tail.
Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient by Jennifer Mclagan - Really just to add to my McLagan collection, which currently consists of Bones. I don't really know much about this book.
The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Can't have bones and fat, without meat, and this is the book for that.
Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen by Jose Andres - He's the man when it comes to Spanish cooking (unless you are talking Ferran Adria... but he's on a whole other level), and I've read great things about this book.
Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres - Same as above. I love throwing tapas parties. A few friends and I put on two this year, and they were tonnes of fun. I'm always looking for new ideas
The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen by Michael Ruhlman - This, like Ratio, is another technique or preparation style book. It's always good to improve on the basics.I think these are all great books to have on hand, and I can't wait to get them and start reading. That is one of the reasons I really like the more narrative style of writing in some of these books. You can in fact just sit down and read them. Even guys like Batali and Bittman who give pretty detailed comments at the start of their recipes help a lot with this. So that is something I look for in a book, although it obviously wouldn't prevent me from buying a cookbook. I look for reputable chefs in their type of cuisine, and well regarded food writers. One of those two things, and you probably won't be disappointed.
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