If you’re looking to buy that special someone a cookbook for Christmas, I suppose you could read one of the 713 articles headlined Best Cookbooks of the Year that have been published in the last 72 hours.
But I am here to save you from all that reading and just tell you what cookbooks I bought in the past year.
I am listing the nine cookbooks in chronological order of purchase since Jan. 1. With comments I deem appropriate.
“Preserving Italy: Canning, Curing, Infusing and Bottling Italian Flavors and Traditions,” by Domenica Marchetti. Worth it just for the canned Marinated Mushrooms recipe alone.
“Mastering Pasta: The Art and Practice of Handmade Pasta, Gnocchi and Risotto,” by Marc Vetri and David Joachim. If I am going to learn to roll handmade pasta, might as well learn from a master.
“Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes,” by Peter Meehan. Cookbook buying Rule Number 7: Always buy ones with Lucky Peach in the title.
“Lucky Peach Presents Power Vegetables: Turbo-charged Recipes for Vegetables With Guts.” See rule in sentence above.
“The Baker’s Appendix: The Essential Kitchen Companion, With Deliciously Dependable, Infinitely Adaptable Recipes,” by Jessica Reed. My go-to source for all things measurable. I even use its end papers for keeping track of my sourdough containers and how much they weigh.
“Lucky Peach All About Eggs: Everything We Know About the World’s Most Important Food,” by Rachel Khong and the editors of Lucky Peach. What did I tell you about Rule Number 7?
“The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook,” by Jim Lahey. The genius behind no-knead bread takes on sourdough. An essential.
“Pasta By Hand,” by Jenn Louis. All about Italian regional shapes and how to make them.
“The Babbo Cookbook,” by Mario Batali. Bought it weeks before the news broke about his obnoxious behavior. Haven’t opened it since. So it goes.
So go forth and buy a cookbook for a loved one. And Merry Christmas to everyone.
— LOU
Interestingly, you didn’t mention your new kitchen. And the big shelf you had built in for all your cookbooks. You might not have room for them at this rate of appropriation.
I almost never buy new cookbooks. I have so many. I did get a new one as a gift this year. “The Canal House: Cooks Everyday.” It’s not very new but it looks interesting. I haven’t cooked anything from it. Maybe in the new year.
—LUCY