Chefs served up many meaty tomes in 2006
For cookbooks, 2006 was the year of the magnum opus. Authors threw themselves into their subjects with a passion, producing volumes that had as much in common with reference books as with cookbooks. Glossaries and appendices proliferated and everybody had something to teach. The style was instructive, thorough, sometimes even pedantic. And the big books -- like the new "Joy of Cooking," and "The Bon Appetit Cookbook" -- came out in force.
Though quick-and-easy books remain popular and the comfort foods of the last five years keep coming, this year's emphasis on geeky authority is refreshing.
Every year brings a crop of books associated with familiar chefs and their establishments. Manhattan's Geoffrey Zakarian, of the fraternal-twin restaurants Town and Country, has produced an idiosyncratic charmer of a book, organized alphabetically from acorn squash to zucchini. Each ingredient in "Town/Country" (Clarkson Potter, $37.50) appears in two avatars: a posh, meticulous, beautifully plated Town version and a homey, easily assembled, built-for-comfort Country version. For instance, liquid gold chocolate tart comes with edible gold leaf and a caramel garnish for Town, whereas its Country sibling is a dark chocolate pudding. Roy Finamore's "Tasty" (Houghton Mifflin, $30) hits the spot with a veritable encyclopedia of cozy weeknight recipes , and his precise, jovial manner makes them a pleasure to follow. "Sparks in the Kitchen" (Knopf, $30), from Vermont native and New York chef Katy Sparks, has a rustic, international flair; goulash and spaetzle rub shoulders with jambalayas and couscous. Bringing adventurous flavor pairings to the home kitchen is a specialty of Sparks' s ; when it comes to wedding peaches and radishes, or carrots and caraway, it's reassuring to know someone has forged the path ahead of you. San Francisco's Tartine Bakery may be an urban favorite, but its eponymous volume, "Tartine" (Chronicle, $35), brings labor-intensive baked treats like croissants and eclairs within reach of home kitchens. Come prepared to take instruction . Longwinded briefings are the norm in pastry books, but "Tartine" (ahem) takes the cake.
In the single-subject category, the appetizer books came out swinging. Cindy Pawlcyn's rollicking "Big Small Plates" (10 Speed, $35) has a cornucopia of brightly flavored small dishes such as Sarrano-ham - wrapped prawns, avocado-papaya salad, and stuffed pasilla chiles. The chefs, brothers Pablo and Ernesto Jacinto, partnered with Pawlcyn to create recipes that are less fussy than the average small plate, and often reference the flavors of Mexico, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean. Francois Payard's "Bite Size" (Morrow, $19.95) offers elegant cocktail-party fare, flighty and fancy. Look for scallop ceviche with grapefruit gelee and tuna tartare in sesame cones. They're on the outside of feasible for home cooks, but tempting enough to try . Michel Roux's "Eggs" (Wiley, $24.95) unravels the mysteries of egg cookery; the almost magical properties of whites (drying and leavening) and yolks (moistening and thickening) in high contrast. Not that the world needs another pasta book, but Johanne Killeen and George Germon's "On Top of Spaghetti" (Morrow, $24.95) is a chef-like take with all the convenience but none of the tedium of a conventional approach.
Every year brings a new focus into the realm of ethnic or regional cooking. American Southern continues its upward trend, as does the food of the Middle East. Some newcomers are riding the wave of authenticity. In from the Caribbean front is "Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen" (Wiley, $17.95), by Lucinda Scala Quinn, rich with instruction as to just what you can do with those Scotch Bonnet peppers, in pepperpot soup or jerk sauce. There's a generous roster of daiquiris and ginger beers to cool things down, too. Corinne Trang's "The Asian Grill" (Chronicle, $22.95) moves the action away from the wok, opening up a world of chicken satays, grilled flatbreads, and yogurt marinades, with mainly tropical flavors. Finally, in a step away from the Roman slant we've seen in Italian cookbooks lately, Jamie Oliver travels the whole of the country in "Jamie's Italy" (Hyperion, $34.95), picking out favorites and sharing classic versions with the public. The British chef and television personality's genius may firstly lie in his affable persona, but the recipes are fine and flavorful on their own merits.
The big event in baking books this year was Dorie Greenspan's majestic "Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Houghton Mifflin, $40). It's currently the last word when it comes to authoritative basic recipes and thorough coverage of quick breads, cookies, puddings, and pies. Each winter seems to bring another gorgeously photographed tribute to chocolate, and this year's is more inventive than most. "The Essence of Chocolate" (Hyperion, $35) by chocolate makers John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg, makes the most of the fine chocolate Scharffen Berger is famous for, showcasing it in tempting sweets and savories alike.
Although cookbooks in the doorstop categories abounded this year, we cannot go without mentioning one: the "Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition" (Scribner, $30). The old standby is back, its voice restored after being banished from the notorious 1997 edition. Encyclopedic glossaries and indices and quick-preparation menus update it for the new century. If you are among the few who have never formed an opinion on the merits of one edition over another, this one will do nicely.
And finally, a grab bag of Food section favorites from this year: "The Farmstead Egg Cookbook" (St. Martin's, $16.95) is a little gem, with bright versions of breakfast and brunch standbys. Cooking with little ones is simple and joyous in Debra Ponzek's "The Family Kitchen" (Clarkson Potter, $25), while the Culinary Institute of America's "Grilling" (Lebhar-Friedman, $35) is a one-stop compendium of grilling tips and techniques. Some of the year's best desserts were in Emily Luchetti's "A Passion for Ice Cream" (Chronicle, $35), with its cool, vivid flavors. Innkeeper Carol Gordon's "Sleep on It" (Hyperion, $13.95) perfects the art of make-ahead meals, and "Stonewall Kitchen Favorites" (Clarkson Potter, $32.50) offers sweet and simple concoctions from one of the country's premier jam makers. The brawny "Bon Appetit Cookbook" (Wiley, $34.95), by Barbara Fairchild, has multiple takes on weeknight classics. And "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook" (Norton, $35), by Matt and Ted Lee, is quite simply one of the best Southern cookbooks around.
"The Bistros, Brasseries, and Wine Bars of Paris" (Morrow, $24.95), by Daniel Young, brings everyday decadence from the City of Light to home kitchens. Ana Sortun's "Spice" (Regan Books, $34.95), organized by flavor, decodes the spice rack to unlock adventurous new combinations. Hiroko Shimbo's "The Sushi Experience" (Knopf, $40) has, between its covers, everything a sushi fanatic needs. Claudia Roden takes readers into the exotic kitchens of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon in "Arabesque" (Knopf, $35). And Marcus Samuelsson's "The Soul of a New Cuisine" (Wiley, $40) undertakes a necessary service, bringing the brilliant tastes and textures of African cuisine to broader attention.
A weakening dollar and rising gas prices may have put recreational travel beyond the means of many. Fortunately, this year's crop of wide-ranging books means every night's trek to the kitchen can be a trip abroad, and every meal a new horizon. Bon voyage!
