cookbooks i love, and use, from chefs i admire

THOUGH I HAVEN’T eaten meat, fish or poultry in more decades than I care to admit to being an adult, I love food (and even cook all of the above for guests). Listeners to my weekly public-radio show will know I interview many cookbook authors who are inclined to garden-to-table cuisine. The selection on this page includes some new and old favorites I’m enjoying at the moment.

Links to stories I’ve written on some of their authors who have joined me on the radio, too, are beneath the grid of cover thumbnails.

(Disclaimer: Links reached by clicking any of the books or captions are to my Amazon affiliate account, where I earn a commission if you shop.)

EatingFromtheGroundUp cover image EATING FROM THE GROUND UP, by ALANA CHERNILA: Simple ways to make vegetables special - yes, even radishes, and celery - from the author of "The Homemade Pantry."
91pMsHdLQsL image SIX SEASONS, by JOSHUA MCFADDEN: The Portland, Oregon-based chef who used to run Eliot Coleman's famed Four Season Farm in Maine knows a thing or two about vegetables.
Bread Toast Crumbs highres cover only image BREAD TOAST CRUMBS: Alexandra Stafford's debut book, hailed by baking superstars Dorie Greenspan and David Lebovitz, serves up the easiest no-knead peasant loaves baked in Pyrex bowls (!!!) then teaches you to use every crumb. Brilliant recipes that go way beyond baking.
Paleo Postcard 03.indd image PALEO BAKING: Despite being born with severe food allergies, Elizabeth Barbone trained at the Culinary Institute of America so she could then transform almond, coconut and other non-grain flours into gluten-free delights.
Naturally Sweet Food in Jars high 789x1024 image NATURALLY SWEET FOOD IN JARS: If your objection to jams, pickles, and other condiments is all that sugar, problem solved. Marisa McClellan’s tempting recipes feature maple, honey, juice and even dried fruits as natural sweeteners instead.
katz clean soups image CLEAN SOUPS: Master making a range of broths—delicious “sipping teas” in their own right—and also transform them into health-promoting, delicious soups with food-as-medicine expert Rebecca Katz’s help.
512k4t1KOcL. SX398 BO1,204,203,200 image VEGAN VEGETARIAN OMNIVORE: The latest from the genius of Anna Thomas ("Vegetarian Epicure," "Love Soup") welcomes all of us to the same table.
61h4dHy+RdL. SX384 BO1,204,203,200 image I may just spend the remainder of my days cooking my way though this one, from the 7-time James Beard Award-winner Madhur Jaffrey.
9780385346153 image A sane approach to cooking from my friend Alana Chernila of EatingFromTheGroundUp dot com.
love soup cover image Another James Beard Award-winning cookbook from Anna Thomas (“The Vegetarian Epicure”) on the best of comfort foods, and perfect accompaniments.
the kitchen diaries cover image From the U.K.'s Nigel Slater, BBC host, "Observer" columnist and kitchen gardener, a book as delicious to read as to cook from.
51oXmEwmo6L image A cross-cultural, vegetarian culinary celebration of the city both authors, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, grew up in. Exciting.
61IpDBWusmL 1 image The word "vibrant" in the subtitle of Jerusalem-born, London-based Yotam Ottolenghi's breakthrough 2011 book says it all.
Super Natural Every Day cover image What can I say about the consistent genius of Heidi Swanson of 101Cookbooks.com? Bravo.
River Cottage Veg cookbook Vegetable-based dishes done smashingly, by British broadcaster, author and sustainability advocate Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Great Food Fast image A compilation from a Martha Stewart magazine I helped found, “Everyday Food,” which delivers on its title beautifully.
51ARfRJMF8L. SX258 BO1,204,203,200 image A 1992 classic that won a James Beard Award, but can only be had now on Kindle or used (like my vintage copy has been often).
"Vegetable Literacy" by Deborah Madison Cook, while connecting the botanical dots. Taxonomy meets gastronomy in Deborah Madison’s impressive 2013 book.
51YDEuBwJBL. SX258 BO1,204,203,200 1 image Deborah Madison updated 1997's vegetarian classic in 2014 with 150 new recipes reflecting the way we eat now.
My Paris Kitchen2 image The best onion soup and so much more, from American in Paris David Lebovitz of DavidLebovitz.com.
eat by nigel slater image Flavorful and fast (but not thoughtless or careless) recipes from masterful Nigel Slater of BBC and “The Observer” fame.
Rein Bread Revolution image Multi-James Beard Award winner Peter Reinhart reveals secrets of new sprouted and ancient-grain flours and more.
SimpleArtcover Shulman image "The New York Times" columnist Martha Rose Shulman creates vegetarian-entree "templates" that make for smarter, easier cooking.
smitten kitchen cookbook cover image From Deb Perelman of SmittenKitchen.com, a self-proclaimed "obsessive" home cook, a blockbuster book I've gifted to many happy friends.

my guest-chef interviews and podcasts