Chris Kimball's Book Reviews
This issue, I have gone through my cookbook library looking for books that have, sometimes remarkably, stood the test of time.
The Zuni Café Cookbook
by Judy Rodgers
The late Judy Rodgers was one of my all-time favorite chefs, as the face and force behind San Francisco’s Zuni Café. Her cooking fulfilled the promise of the American culinary revolution (simple and fresh), with European influences. From her famous roast chicken and gnocchi to her signature burger, Rodgers was never trying to sell you on her cooking—she simply invited you in to enjoy it.
Buy on Amazon
Pride and Pudding
by Regula Ysewijn
Regula Ysewijn is one of my favorite food people. Her love affair with classic British cooking goes back to childhood. I love her deep dive into British “puddings,” an all-encompassing term for English desserts. Here, you will find the familiar (syllabubs and trifles), along with the unfamiliar (Jersey Wonders and apple tansy). Not excited about English cooking? This unique tome will change your mind.
Buy on Amazon
Rice, Noodle, Fish
by Matt Goulding
Matt Goulding is my favorite travel writer. He goes deep—so deep that I wonder if he has created a whole new genre. In this title—about his time in Japan—he finds places you won’t find in other travelogues. And the writing ain’t bad either! “The muted cadence of a long, thin knife working its way across the flesh of conger eel.”
Buy on Amazon
Nopalito
by Gonzalo Guzmán
I ate at Nopalito in San Francisco years ago and came away with two thoughts. First, the food was honest, simple and perfectly made; and, second, everyone who worked there seemed to be having a good time, a telling reflection of the chef, Gonzalo Guzmán. The recipes are great and accessible (the pozole rojo is now a standard in my kitchen), and the range of recipes is impressive. Guzmán is the real deal.
Buy on Amazon
The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook
by Cheryl and Griffith Day
The cover of this book says it all—Cheryl and Griffith Day holding hands in their charming Savannah bakery, which also shows off Cheryl’s flair for kitschy decor. (They have since sold the bakery and retired.) The recipes define the Southern canon, from s’more pie to brown sugar Bundt cake, plus many signature additions, including pumpkin crunch bars. And they don’t skimp on sugar or flavor—just the way you want Southern baking to be.
Buy on Amazon
The Barbuto Cookbook
by Jonathan Waxman
Jonathan Waxman was the bad boy of the 1980s New York food scene; now time and experience have aged his boyish vinegar into something sweeter and more balsamic. Reopened in 2021, Barbuto is the type of restaurant only a seasoned chef could create. You come to embrace the notion that less is more. From simple bruschetta to baked hake, Waxman’s recipes make perfect sense, whether at home or in a bustling NYC eatery.
Buy on Amazon
Portico
by Leah Koenig
During a recent trip to Rome, Leah Koenig suggested a few destinations in the old Jewish quarter, and it opened my eyes to its rich culinary history. Whether it is minestrone with meatballs, tomatoes stuffed with rice or a chocolate and almond cake, Koenig opens a door to a whole new world of Jewish Italian cooking.
