Behind every chef is a library of well-worn cookbooks that launched their love for cooking and continues to inspire their dishes both at work and at play. With that in mind, we asked these local chefs to tell us about some of their favorite books, and of course, they were happy to oblige. Read on to find an indispensable list of cookbook recommendations for every level of home cook.
Ben Welch, chef-owner, Lucy Quinn & Little Lucy
Before the world was consumed by “The French Laundry Cookbook,” I was obsessed with a trifecta of reads by James Peterson with really long titles: “Vegetables: The Most Authoritative Guide to Buying, Preparing, and Cooking with More than 300 Recipes,” “Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making” and the most worn, “Fish & Shellfish: The Cook’s Indispensable Companion.” Each is full of images of step-by-step techniques and recipes that sparked my interest and imagination, providing inspiration for many years of creating nightly specials and R&D.
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Now at my big age, I find myself more consumed by cookbooks with historical overtones like Toni Tipton-Martin’s “The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks,” Jessica B. Harris’ “High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America,” Edna Lewis’ “The Taste of Country Cooking: The 30th Anniversary Edition of a Great Southern Classic Cookbook,” Michael A. Twitty’s “The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South” and Adrian Miller’s “Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time”.
Megan Travers, owner, Oh, To Be the Cream Bakery
“Jam Bake” by Camilla Wynne is a cookbook that’s been in heavy rotation in my kitchen over the past few years. If you’re new to preserving, this book is an excellent introduction that covers all the basics of canning your own jams, plus how to use them in your baked goods. Making jam can be intimidating. Different fruits require different ratios of sugar and pectin. Camilla’s book breaks down how each fruit behaves in a jam and how to build your own jam recipe once you understand the foundations of jam making. The Cherry Negroni jam and the Hazelnut & Spelt Coffee Cake are the recipes from “Jam Bake” that I find myself making over and over again.
Colleen Clawson, chef-owner, Milque Toast Bar
Along with everything by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage, two other important titles immediately spring to mind: “The Herbfarm Cookbook” by Jerry Traunfeld and “The Flavor Bible” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. I’ve been inspired for decades by these indispensable companions and have shaped my food at the restaurant to reflect the ethos these volumes convey: being close to your food, creativity and allowing ingredients to speak for themselves.
What are chefs’ favorite cookbooks? We wanted to know too.
Judd Demaline
At home I rely heavily on “The River Cottage Family Cookbook” [by Fearnley-Whittingstall], as its simple, direct approach to food and cooking is perfect for having little helpers in the kitchen. I particularly love the recipe for quick fried onion and cabbage with black pepper. In the restaurant, I’ve cooked extensively from “The Herbfarm Cookbook” and recommend the herb-rubbed duck with tart cherry and sage sauce. It’s a standout recipe reflecting how a few simple ingredients can transform a meal into an enchanting experience. “The Flavor Bible” isn’t so much a recipe book, but a cross reference index of flavor affinities. My copy is pretty beat up and a constant consort. Anytime I need a little nudge about what to make next, it’s a guarantee I’ll be reaching for it.
Heena Chopra, chef-owner, Maaji’s Street Kitchen
Honestly, my mom is my cookbook. I have learned the most from her, and when I need any help, she’s the one I call!
MJ Stewart, pastry chef, Balkan Treat Box and DNFT Pastry
“A Very Serious Cookbook” by [chefs] Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske [and author Alison Roman]. I love how they take (what seem like) basic flavor profiles and turn them into something incredible in such an effortless way. I’ve always loved the branding behind their restaurants, [Contra and Wildair], and I think this cookbook really lives up to the hype. Whenever I’m feeling uninspired or in a rut, I flip open this cookbook and try to gather inspiration from not just its flavors, but the vibrancy that the food brings off the plate and page. It’s how I want my food to feel when people see and taste it.
Kate Pogue, co-owner and account manager, Switchgrass Spirits
My messiest cookbook is Alison Roman’s “Nothing Fancy,” so that’s clearly the most loved. I received it as a gift from a former boss, along with a sticky note that read, “This book just screamed out ‘Kate!’” The unfussy recipes are built around feeding people you care about using pantry ingredients you probably already have. Anchovies, Aperol, a lot of crunchy things… The “choose-your-own adventure spirit” (as she puts it) of the book encourages any of the dishes to be served together. I once planned a taco party using a combination of these dishes, from spicy red cabbage with sweet onion and lime to tangy roasted mushrooms to charred corn and scallions with tomatillo. Plus, the photography is gorgeous, which the journalism graduate in me really appreciates.
Adjo Honsou, chef-owner, FUFU n’ Sauce
“The Chew” cookbooks have been foundational to my cooking journey. They were the very first cookbooks I ever bought, inspired after watching chef Carla Hall on TV. Her vibrant personality and the joy she brought to sharing her Southern heritage made a deep impression on me. She celebrated flavors and techniques that weren’t always considered “mainstream,” ones that gave me the courage – especially as a young African cook – to embrace the uniqueness of my own culinary roots. Before then, I cooked the way many of us do: by memory, by feel, by watching the aunties and elders in the kitchen. “The Chew” helped me translate that intuitive style into measured recipes, and I’ll never forget that it guided me through making my very first American-style Thanksgiving turkey.
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the cookbook we’re creating for Fufu n’ Sauce, a coffee table-style celebration of West African cuisine. It’s filled with the ingredients, stories and techniques that define who we are and what we eat. It’s been a full-circle moment, going from learning how to cook with a TV show to writing my own recipes that celebrate my culture.
Sophie Mendelson, co-owner, Sugarwitch
My go-to ice cream cookbook for years and years has been David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop.” It’s where I learned the foundations of custard-based ice cream, and it gave me the confidence to start mixing and matching my own flavors. The fresh mint ice cream (with straciatella, of course) is an all time favorite. Recently, Kristina Cho’s “Mooncakes and Milk Bread” has become a favorite! It’s another one built around a foundational technique that, once mastered, allows you to go wild with your flavor imagination.
Enoch Simpson, chef-owner, Eat Outside
Michel Richard’s “Happy in the Kitchen.” This book isn’t just a collection of recipes; it’s a culinary philosophy that continues to inspire me. When I first started as chef de cuisine at a vegetable-focused fine dining restaurant in Chicago, this book was a constant source of innovation and creativity. What has always fascinated me is Richard’s playful and inventive approach to food. He challenges the traditional notions of cooking, finding joy in unexpected combinations and presentations. A perfect example of his genius is a dish where he playfully dyes couscous with squid ink to create a visual illusion, making it look like a tin of caviar. This kind of creativity, along with his masterful use of texture to elevate dishes, is what has drawn me back to this book again and again. This cookbook is my most loved. It’s a reminder that cooking should be a happy, imaginative process, and it continues to influence my own culinary journey.
Mykee Adriano, chef, Sidney Street Café
A book that has been a foundation for me is “Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food” by Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi. When I really got into making pastas, that was the first book I found. It teaches the basics of pasta-making and includes a couple of recipes I really love. It even works if I’m stumped on what to make new at Sidney Street, so I glance over the book to find inspiration. It’s also a good book to have if you’re just starting out in the industry, or maybe you just want to learn about the different pastas that are available.
Cat Willey, co-owner, Good Time Kitchen
The cookbook that has been a main source of inspiration and a great foundational tool for learning is “Six Seasons” by Josh McFadden. McFadden takes the reader through a six-season calendar to highlight what produce is most alive throughout the year, managing to turn humble ingredients into uniquely flavorful and thoughtfully developed dishes. [Good Time Kitchen co-owner] Wil [Brawley] and I cooked through nearly the entire book our first year of dating. It has remained a constant fuel that fires our love to create meals together whether at home or for Good Time Kitchen.
The book is visually stunning and very intuitive, and most recipes are easily adaptable, which we love. Josh’s second cookbook, “Grains for Every Season,” also stays in rotation with us – and McFadden’s soon releasing a third book celebrating pasta for every season, which I of course have preordered!
Matt Ziegler, chef-owner, Bricklayer Cafe
“Cooking By Hand” by Paul Bertolli changed the way I approach and interact with ingredients. I think it’s essential for anyone who wants to learn intuitive cooking. His recipes, while having amounts and temperatures and times listed, are more like guidelines to help you learn how to handle and interact with ingredients to bring out their best qualities – all with the goal of teaching you how to cook by feel and learn to observe and listen to the ingredients themselves. I make huge batches of his tomato conserva at this time every year; the white nectarine compote can soften the hardest hearts; and the sugo will make you nostalgic for your non existent Italian grandmother.
Dining and Cooking