Best Cookbooks Of The Year

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Food & Wine's deputy food editor, Kate Heddings, reveals the year's best cookbooks.

Tender, by Niger Slater
If I had to pick one book to consult for cooking vegetables (the "it" food of the year), it would be Nigel Slater's Tender. Slater's personal diary of cultivating and cooking from the garden makes me wish I had a backyard. It's full of gorgeous pictures and tons of excellent, doable recipes.

 

 

 

 

My Vietnam, by Luke Nguyen
I've never been to Vietnam, but Luke Nguyen's book (equal parts travel and food) is completely transporting. And it's so beautiful. This is one book that I would have a hard time deciding between keeping on the coffee table or the kitchen counter.

 

 

 

The Art of Living According to Joe Beef, by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan and Meredith Erickson
The owners of the Montreal restaurant Joe Beef are completely obsessed with Canadian food and French wine, and they are masters of unconventional French food. I love the way they think and cook, even if it's over-the-top at times. Their pork schnitzel recipe is one of the best things I've ever tasted.

 

Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food, by Sam Mogannam and Dabney Gough
When I shop, my head spins with choices: hormone-free, antibiotic-free, steroid-free, heritage breed, non-GMO, etc. So I love a book that teaches you how to shop smart. What's best: Bi-Rite's owner, Sam Mogannam (and his team) know how to make some truly great prepared foods, and their recipes are foolproof.

 

The Meatball Shop Cookbook, by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen
Single-subject books make me happy, especially when the subject is one I adore, like meatballs. If you buy this book for just one reason, it should be the recipe for chicken meatballs, but there are plenty of other reasons, including more than 20 additional stellar meatball recipes, the 10 Commandments of a Great Sandwich and some seriously good salad recipes.

— Kate Heddings, Deputy Food Editor, Food & Wine

 

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