Cookbooks always make great gifts – whether they’re for the seasoned professional or an aspiring novice, they can be sources of both inspiration and instruction. Here are a handful of cookbooks from some of Boston’s highly acclaimed chefs so you can find the perfect fit for any foodie.
In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant Chef Jody Adams shares recipes for her favorite dishes – the ones she prepares at home for friends and family when she’s not at Rialto. By breaking the recipes down to the absolute basics – starting with what to look for at the supermarket or farm stand, and equipment essentials – Adams gives the home cook a great foundation for thinking and cooking like a chef.
The New Charcuterie Cookbook: Exceptional Cured Meats to Make and Serve at Home Jamie Bissonnette of Toro and Coppa teaches his brand of charcuterie in The New Charcuterie Cookbook. Chock full of recipes for sausages, pâtés, confits and salumi from the James Beard Best Chef Award Winner, this book breaks down and demystifies the art of charcuterie for the home cook with step-by-step instructions and pictures.
Simply New England: Seasonal Recipes That Celebrate Land and Sea Chef Daniel Bruce, who oversees all culinary operations at the Boston Harbor Hotel (including the menus at Meritage and Rowes Wharf Sea Grille), shares the recipes that he cooks for his family in Simply New England: Seasonal Recipes That Celebrate Land and Sea. A compilation of contemporary New England cuisine, all 125 recipes feature seasonal, local products (enhanced by the occasional French or Italian twist thanks to Bruce’s professional travels to both countries).
Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe Harvard smarty, baker and restaurateur Joanne Chang (also of Myers + Chang) shares essential baking tips and 150 recipes from her super successful Flour Bakery + Café, now with three locations in and around Boston. Bakers and pastry makers will learn the secrets to her perfect croissants and her infamous sticky buns in this accessible, instant classic cookbook.
Flour, Too The second cookbook from Boston’s beloved Joanne Chang, includes the most-requested savories from the menus at her four Flour Bakery + Cafés. At-home cooks – experienced and amateurs, alike – can choose from 100 gratifying recipes (accompanied by mouthwatering color photos) perfect for easy at-home eating and entertaining from amped up brunch basics to specialty soups, pizzas, pasta, and, of course, signature sweets.
It’s All About the Guest: Exceeding Expectations in Business and in Life, the Davio’s Way Chef/CEO Steve DiFillippo of the award-winning Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse empire shares his successful business strategy in his exciting, story-driven, fast-paced memoir and business book. Full of practical advice (and twelve signature recipes), It’s All About the Guest shares DiFillippo’?s experiences on every interpersonal, financial, managerial, philosophical, emotional and technical lesson learned and encountered along his way to becoming a successful restaurateur.
The Boston Globe Illustrated New England Seafood Cookbook Plucked from the pages of the Boston Globe Food Section, this collection of seafood-focused recipes highlights contributions from Boston’s most acclaimed chefs including Ken Oringer of Clio, Uni, Toro,Coppafame, Lydia Shire of Scampo, Jasper White of the Summer Shack, Ana Sortun of Oleana, Sarma and Sofra Bakery, Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley’s Bistro and Jody Adams of Rialto at the Charles Hotel and Trade.
Fresh & Honest: Food From the Farms of New England and the Kitchen of Henrietta’s Table A longtime proponent of sustainable dining and the use of local, farm-fresh foods, chef Peter Davis plucks some of his most tantalizing recipes, fresh from the menus of Henrietta’s Table, and puts them all together in this 218-page, full color cookbook. New England cuisine comes to life through the cooking and the farmer and purveyor profiles scattered throughout.
The Olives Table: Over 160 Recipes from the Critically Acclaimed Restaurant and Home Kitchen of Todd English Chef and restaurateur Todd English demystifies some of the recipes from the menu at the original Olives, the cornerstone of his restaurant empire. Home cooks will be pleasantly surprised to find that English’s special brand of deliciousness comes from layering of flavors and textures so there are no intimidating pieces of equipment or techniques.
The Figs Table: More Than 100 Recipes for Pizzas, Pastas, Salads & Desserts As a follow up to his Olives cookbook, chef and restaurateur Todd English shares the savory, innovative, Mediterranean-inspired food that’s made Figs such a hit. With the book’s careful instruction, home cooks will learn how to layer flavors to recreate English’s award-winning, soulful fare – including his sophisticated (and square) pizzas.
The Olives Dessert Table: Spectacular Restaurant Desserts You Can Make at Home Demonstrating that his culinary style and philosophy applies just as well to sweets as it does to savories, chef and restaurateur Todd English includes some of his award-winning recipes in this dessert-focused tome. Combining familiar flavors in innovative ways, English walks the home cook through recreating his exceptional desserts.
Bistro Cooking at Home Chef-owner Gordon Hamersley lends the home cook a helping hand with an array of sophisticated but easy-to-prepare options that’ll bring that bistro vibe home. With lots of stews, roasts and braises the book is full of recipes that allow the cooker to tend to other things – some are even best if prepared a couple days ahead of time, which makes them perfect for seamless holiday entertaining. Co-owner (and wife) Fiona Hamersley offers knowledgeable, down-to-earth wine recommendations with each entrée so the home cook can recreate the whole Hamersley’s Bistro experience at home.
The Fearless Chef: Innovative Recipes from the Edge of American Cuisine Taking your cooking to the next level takes a touch of fearlessness – luckily Tremont 647 chef-owner Andy Husbands has fearlessness to spare. With some guidance from the pages of this cookbook, home cooks can expand beyond their usual repertoire and explore the edge of American cuisine. Husbands teaches the home cook how to incorporate bold global flavors to spice up the most basic meal.
Wicked Good Barbecue: Fearless Recipes from Two Damn Yankees Who Have Won the Biggest, Baddest BBQ Competition in the World Partners in ‘cue, Andy Husbands of Tremont 647 and Chris Hart reveal their secrets to blue-ribbon-winning barbecue in Wicked Good Barbecue, a 224 page collection that includes their award-winning beef brisket as well as the twenty-five step Champion Chicken . Backyard grillers can see if they’ve got the chops to recreate recipes from these two New England-based chefs/pit masters.
Wicked Good Burgers: Fearless Recipes and Uncompromising Techniques for the Ultimate Patty Barbeque guru and Tremont 647 chef-owner Andy Husbands turns his award-winning grill skills to the topic of burgers in his new cookbook, Wicked Good Burgers. He fearlessly incorporates new techniques (like smoking, grilling, griddling and sous vide-ing) and ingredients (like beef, lamb and goat) to up the ante on the humble but delicious sandwich.
Grill to Perfection: Two Champion Pit Masters’ Recipes and Techniques for Unforgettable Backyard Grilling Backyard grillers can up their game with this volume by veteran barbecue champions Chris Hart and Andy Husbands of Tremont 647. The recipes travel all over the world to find some of the tastiest grilled items like smoky, sweet Korean barbecue, Caribbean jerk ribs and Sichuan chicken sticks with plenty of spice. With Husbands and Hart as culinary guides, at-home grill masters will increase their prowess exponentially.
Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition A self-taught chef and Boston native, chef Barbara Lynch discovered her passion for cooking in Home Economics. Lynch’s hunger for knowledge, hard work, and raw smarts enabled her to create her own distinct culinary style and build a successful restaurant empire, which includes No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Sportello and Menton. For this, her first cookbook, she culls 150 recipes that combine her award winning sophistication and practicality to help the home cook create a stir at home.
Wine Mondays: Simple Wine Pairings with Seasonal Menus Chef-owner Frank McClelland compiles some of his greatest hits and adapts them for the home cook for his first cookbook. Plucked from the menus of Wine Mondays, L’Espalier’s weekly wine dinner series, the recipes are all accompanied by suggested wine pairings, which allows the home cook to focus on mastering McClelland’s award-winning French fare instead of what to pour with them.
Grill It! East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby, combine forces for the ultimate grilling guide. Filled with the essential techniques and key tips, the book provides over 200 delicious recipes inspired by flavors from around the world from appetizers and snacks, to steaks, wings, and everything in between. If they can grill it, they will. Now home cooks can, too.
Let the Flames Begin: Tips, Techniques, and Recipes for Real Live Fire Cooking Masters of the grill, Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill and John “Doc” Willoughby, share all of their tricks for live fire cooking offering detailed instructions on different techniques from how to get that perfect smoky flavor to how to manage each fire’s distinct personality. At home cooks can apply their newfound skills to any of the 250+ featured recipes.
Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes for Big Flavor Put away those mason jars and double-boilers. The famous duo of Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill and John “Doc” Willoughby demonstrate just how quick and easy pickling can be. With their handy tips and tools, cooks will learn the basics (Old Fashioned Bread & Butter Pickles) and the exotic (Mango Pickles with Scorched Mustard Seeds) and ways to incorporate healthy, flavorful pickles into everyday meals.
Lettuce in Your Kitchen: Flavorful and Unexpected Main-Dish Salads and Dressings East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby have written what might be the definitive volume on salads. Herbivores will learn all there is to know about the leafy food group from its history in ancient Egypt to tips on choosing and cleaning greens as well as over 100 fun and innovative dressing ideas to spice up your dish whether it’s an appetizer, main dish, or even dessert.
License to Grill: Achieve Greatness at the Grill with 200 Sizzling Recipes In this follow-up to their award-winning The Thrill of the Grill, Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill and John “Doc” Willoughby discuss even more tricks of the grilling trade while adding several new, lighter dimensions to their repertoire with recipes highlighting vegetables, seafood, pasta, and even fruit. The book features sections on skewers, Hobo Pack Cookery (otherwise known as Boy Scout cooking), salad and pasta dishes, high-heat dishes, and tons more.
Big Flavors of the Hot Sun: Recipes and Techniques from the Spice Zone East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby highlight over 240 fiery, flavorful, simple dishes inspired by cuisines of hot-weather locales. The chefs breakdown each recipe describing its cultural context and background, the various different cooking techniques, and even interesting facts and anecdotes about the spices used.
Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys and Chowchows This book is a celebration of condiments and side dishes from hot-weather places all around the world. East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby bring you over 40 original and innovative recipes that pack a punch with simple steps. Learn all about salsas, marmalades, relishes, chowchows, catsup, and everything in between. The Chefs show just how these little dishes can spice up any recipe.
The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, & Down-Home Barbecue Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill and John “Doc” Willoughby have created the ultimate grilling bible as they guide home cooks through each step of the process from picking the right grill to laying the fire and finally putting together a plate. In addition to a hefty collection of grillable dishes, they even suggest beverages and down-home desserts.
How to Cook Meat Want to really learn about meat? East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby explore which cuts of meat to buy, what cooking methods suit each, how to judge doneness correctly, the difference between purchasing from a butcher and from a supermarket, and so much more. Learn all about beef, veal, lamb, and pork. This is the perfect book for the meat lover.
It’s About Time: Great Recipes for Everyday Life Home cooks will come back to chef Michael Schlow’s cookbook again and again for its inspirational stories, informative sidebars, helpful tricks, and most of all, for its broad range of never-fail recipes that are easy to follow and always special. Among the book’s 248 pages are 150 painstakingly tested recipes – ones for 30 minute meals and ones for more elegant dishes like the ones on the menus atVia Matta, Tico or Alta Strada.
The Boston Chef’s Table: The Best in Contemporary Cuisine Clara Silverstein pulls together more than 100 recipes from Boston’s best and brightest chefs for this cookbook. Among the chefs customizing their restaurant recipes for the home cook are Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger, Lydia Shire of Scampo, Jasper White of the Summer Shack, Todd English of Olives and Jody Adams of Rialto and Trade. The collection includes some traditional regional fare (like the lobster roll and Boston baked beans) as well as more contemporary fare.
The New England Kitchen: Fresh Takes on Seasonal Recipes Respected Boston chef Jeremy Sewall of Lineage, Eastern Standard, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Row 34 and The Hawthorne pays tribute to regional cuisine in The New England Kitchen: Fresh Takes on Seasonal Recipes. This cookbook contains 100 recipes that celebrate the Northeast with lots of outstanding fish dishes (not surprising given Sewall’s seafood-y leanings) as well as plenty of recipes for vegetarian and meaty meals.
When I Met Food: Living the American Restaurant Dream Kathy Sidell of Boston’s beloved Met Restaurant Group (including Newbury Street’s Met Back Bay) chronicles how she built a successful restaurant empire after changing careers. A film producer before opening her first restaurant, Sidell takes readers through her journey while sharing valuable business advice and even a few of her favorite recipes. This one’s a must-have for aspiring chefs and restaurateurs.
Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean In this beautifully realized, and much-anticipated cookbook, Oleana chef-owner Ana Sortun shows readers how to use the philosophy of spice to create wonderful Eastern Mediterranean dishes from their very own kitchens. Organized by spice, the book details the ways in which certain spices complement each other, helping the home cook gain confidence and a more intuitive way of using spices in their own cooking.
Blue Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai In chef Ming Tsai’s first cookbook, the popular chef and TV host shares the technique and philosophy behind the award-winning east-meets-west-cuisine that’s put Blue Ginger, his Wellesley restaurant on the national culinary map. Bursting with tips for working with unfamiliar ingredients and preparations, Blue Ginger is an outstanding introduction to the pleasures of cross-cultural cooking.
Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals In his sophomore effort, Blue Ginger’s Ming Tsai applies his innovative east-meets-west skills to everyday cooking, transforming standard fare like spaghetti, burgers and chicken wings into delicious and exciting new dishes. With a versatile array of master recipes for sauces, rubs, dressings and more, Tsai minimizes last-minute prep and makes fusion fare approachable for the home cook.
Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals In Simply Ming One-Pot Meals (his first cookbook in seven years) Blue Ginger chef Ming Tsai tackles the four basic needs in everyday cooking today – taste, healthfulness, simplicity and affordability. Using ingredients that can be found easily online or at your local market, Tsai breaks 80 recipes down into seven techniques of one-pot cooking – braising, wokking, sautéing, roasting, steaming and flash frying, tossing and soups. Each recipe minds its fat intake and allergens (keeping it healthful); every dish costs roughly $20 for a family of four (keeping it economical); and each dish can be prepared in one vessel (keeping it simple).
50 Chowders: One Pot Meals – Clam, Corn, & Beyond Chef Jasper White blows the lid off the whole genre with a cookbook featuring fifty chowder recipes that go well beyond corn and clam varieties. Once they master the chowder basics (real chowder consists of chunks of local seasonal ingredients served in a moderate amount of broth) home cooks will, with a little guidance from the man behind the seafood-laden menus at The Summer Shack, discover the diversity of ingredients that can be incorporated to create chowders like they never imagined.
The Summer Shack Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Shore Food Summer Shack chef-owner and seafood expert Jasper White brings the flavors and foods of summer in New England right into the home kitchen with this book of more than 200 easy-to-make recipes. White demystifies summertime favorites (like clam rolls or lobster rolls) and the requisite skills each one requires (like shucking clams and cracking open a lobster) so the home cook can enjoy the style, fun, and flavors of the shore all year long—without any fuss.
Lobster at Home Lobster may seem like a luxurious special occasion treat but when enjoyed at home, lobster can make a relatively affordable and healthful meal – it’s low in calories and packed with Omega 3 acids. In 256 pages full of all sorts of words of wisdom, Summer Shack chef-owner Jasper White will walk the home cook through how to get the most from each delicious crustacean. The book explains everything (how to choose just the right lobster; how to steam it; and how to extract every last morsel of meat) and includes recipes that range from simple to sublime.
Jasper White’s Cooking from New England: More Than 300 Traditional Contemporary Recipes Even before becoming Boston’s seafood maven, Summer Shack chef-owner Jasper White was considered an expert in all things New England – culinarily speaking, that is. In this, his first cookbook, he explores the wide-ranging depth of traditional and contemporary New England cookery, offering delicious recipes for fish, venison, poultry, and other foods. His dishes, steeped though they are in tradition, also reflect contemporary health concerns.
Yeeehaw! Head to State Park Bar on Saturday, May 25th, for a Down-Home-Boot-Stompin’-Darn-Tootin’-Day-Drinkin’ Drag Hoedown from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Hang… Read more
Yeeehaw! Head to State Park Bar on Saturday, May 25th, for a Down-Home-Boot-Stompin’-Darn-Tootin’-Day-Drinkin’ Drag Hoedown from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Hang… Read more
Chef Jody Adams shares recipes for her favorite dishes – the ones she prepares at home for friends and family when she’s not at Rialto. By breaking the recipes down to the absolute basics – starting with what to look for at the supermarket or farm stand, and equipment essentials – Adams gives the home cook a great foundation for thinking and cooking like a chef.
Jamie Bissonnette of Toro and Coppa teaches his brand of charcuterie in The New Charcuterie Cookbook. Chock full of recipes for sausages, pâtés, confits and salumi from the James Beard Best Chef Award Winner, this book breaks down and demystifies the art of charcuterie for the home cook with step-by-step instructions and pictures.
Chef Daniel Bruce, who oversees all culinary operations at the Boston Harbor Hotel (including the menus at Meritage and Rowes Wharf Sea Grille), shares the recipes that he cooks for his family in Simply New England: Seasonal Recipes That Celebrate Land and Sea. A compilation of contemporary New England cuisine, all 125 recipes feature seasonal, local products (enhanced by the occasional French or Italian twist thanks to Bruce’s professional travels to both countries).
Harvard smarty, baker and restaurateur Joanne Chang (also of Myers + Chang) shares essential baking tips and 150 recipes from her super successful Flour Bakery + Café, now with three locations in and around Boston. Bakers and pastry makers will learn the secrets to her perfect croissants and her infamous sticky buns in this accessible, instant classic cookbook.
The second cookbook from Boston’s beloved Joanne Chang, includes the most-requested savories from the menus at her four Flour Bakery + Cafés. At-home cooks – experienced and amateurs, alike – can choose from 100 gratifying recipes (accompanied by mouthwatering color photos) perfect for easy at-home eating and entertaining from amped up brunch basics to specialty soups, pizzas, pasta, and, of course, signature sweets.
It’s All About the Guest: 
Plucked from the pages of the Boston Globe Food Section, this collection of seafood-focused recipes highlights contributions from Boston’s most acclaimed chefs including Ken Oringer of Clio, Uni, Toro, Coppa fame, Lydia Shire of Scampo, Jasper White of the Summer Shack, Ana Sortun of Oleana, Sarma and Sofra Bakery, Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley’s Bistro and Jody Adams of Rialto at the Charles Hotel and Trade.
A longtime proponent of sustainable dining and the use of local, farm-fresh foods, chef Peter Davis plucks some of his most tantalizing recipes, fresh from the menus of Henrietta’s Table, and puts them all together in this 218-page, full color cookbook. New England cuisine comes to life through the cooking and the farmer and purveyor profiles scattered throughout.
Chef and restaurateur Todd English demystifies some of the recipes from the menu at the original Olives, the cornerstone of his restaurant empire. Home cooks will be pleasantly surprised to find that English’s special brand of deliciousness comes from layering of flavors and textures so there are no intimidating pieces of equipment or techniques.
As a follow up to his Olives cookbook, chef and restaurateur Todd English shares the savory, innovative, Mediterranean-inspired food that’s made Figs such a hit. With the book’s careful instruction, home cooks will learn how to layer flavors to recreate English’s award-winning, soulful fare – including his sophisticated (and square) pizzas.
Demonstrating that his culinary style and philosophy applies just as well to sweets as it does to savories, chef and restaurateur Todd English includes some of his award-winning recipes in this dessert-focused tome. Combining familiar flavors in innovative ways, English walks the home cook through recreating his exceptional desserts.
Chef-owner Gordon Hamersley lends the home cook a helping hand with an array of sophisticated but easy-to-prepare options that’ll bring that bistro vibe home. With lots of stews, roasts and braises the book is full of recipes that allow the cooker to tend to other things – some are even best if prepared a couple days ahead of time, which makes them perfect for seamless holiday entertaining. Co-owner (and wife) Fiona Hamersley offers knowledgeable, down-to-earth wine recommendations with each entrée so the home cook can recreate the whole Hamersley’s Bistro experience at home.
Taking your cooking to the next level takes a touch of fearlessness – luckily Tremont 647 chef-owner Andy Husbands has fearlessness to spare. With some guidance from the pages of this cookbook, home cooks can expand beyond their usual repertoire and explore the edge of American cuisine. Husbands teaches the home cook how to incorporate bold global flavors to spice up the most basic meal.
Partners in ‘cue, Andy Husbands of Tremont 647 and Chris Hart reveal their secrets to blue-ribbon-winning barbecue in Wicked Good Barbecue, a 224 page collection that includes their award-winning beef brisket as well as the twenty-five step Champion Chicken . Backyard grillers can see if they’ve got the chops to recreate recipes from these two New England-based chefs/pit masters.
Barbeque guru and Tremont 647 chef-owner Andy Husbands turns his award-winning grill skills to the topic of burgers in his new cookbook, Wicked Good Burgers. He fearlessly incorporates new techniques (like smoking, grilling, griddling and sous vide-ing) and ingredients (like beef, lamb and goat) to up the ante on the humble but delicious sandwich.
Backyard grillers can up their game with this volume by veteran barbecue champions Chris Hart and Andy Husbands of Tremont 647. The recipes travel all over the world to find some of the tastiest grilled items like smoky, sweet Korean barbecue, Caribbean jerk ribs and Sichuan chicken sticks with plenty of spice. With Husbands and Hart as culinary guides, at-home grill masters will increase their prowess exponentially.
A self-taught chef and Boston native, chef Barbara Lynch discovered her passion for cooking in Home Economics. Lynch’s hunger for knowledge, hard work, and raw smarts enabled her to create her own distinct culinary style and build a successful restaurant empire, which includes No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Sportello and Menton. For this, her first cookbook, she culls 150 recipes that combine her award winning sophistication and practicality to help the home cook create a stir at home.
Chef-owner Frank McClelland compiles some of his greatest hits and adapts them for the home cook for his first cookbook. Plucked from the menus of Wine Mondays, L’Espalier’s weekly wine dinner series, the recipes are all accompanied by suggested wine pairings, which allows the home cook to focus on mastering McClelland’s award-winning French fare instead of what to pour with them.
East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby, combine forces for the ultimate grilling guide. Filled with the essential techniques and key tips, the book provides over 200 delicious recipes inspired by flavors from around the world from appetizers and snacks, to steaks, wings, and everything in between. If they can grill it, they will. Now home cooks can, too.
Masters of the grill, Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill and John “Doc” Willoughby, share all of their tricks for live fire cooking offering detailed instructions on different techniques from how to get that perfect smoky flavor to how to manage each fire’s distinct personality. At home cooks can apply their newfound skills to any of the 250+ featured recipes.
Put away those mason jars and double-boilers. The famous duo of Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill and John “Doc” Willoughby demonstrate just how quick and easy pickling can be. With their handy tips and tools, cooks will learn the basics (Old Fashioned Bread & Butter Pickles) and the exotic (Mango Pickles with Scorched Mustard Seeds) and ways to incorporate healthy, flavorful pickles into everyday meals.
East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby have written what might be the definitive volume on salads. Herbivores will learn all there is to know about the leafy food group from its history in ancient Egypt to tips on choosing and cleaning greens as well as over 100 fun and innovative dressing ideas to spice up your dish whether it’s an appetizer, main dish, or even dessert.
In this follow-up to their award-winning The Thrill of the Grill, Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill and John “Doc” Willoughby discuss even more tricks of the grilling trade while adding several new, lighter dimensions to their repertoire with recipes highlighting vegetables, seafood, pasta, and even fruit. The book features sections on skewers, Hobo Pack Cookery (otherwise known as Boy Scout cooking), salad and pasta dishes, high-heat dishes, and tons more.
East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby highlight over 240 fiery, flavorful, simple dishes inspired by cuisines of hot-weather locales. The chefs breakdown each recipe describing its cultural context and background, the various different cooking techniques, and even interesting facts and anecdotes about the spices used.
This book is a celebration of condiments and side dishes from hot-weather places all around the world. East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby bring you over 40 original and innovative recipes that pack a punch with simple steps. Learn all about salsas, marmalades, relishes, chowchows, catsup, and everything in between. The Chefs show just how these little dishes can spice up any recipe.
Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill and John “Doc” Willoughby have created the ultimate grilling bible as they guide home cooks through each step of the process from picking the right grill to laying the fire and finally putting together a plate. In addition to a hefty collection of grillable dishes, they even suggest beverages and down-home desserts. 
Want to really learn about meat? East Coast Grill’s Chris Schlesinger and John “Doc” Willoughby explore which cuts of meat to buy, what cooking methods suit each, how to judge doneness correctly, the difference between purchasing from a butcher and from a supermarket, and so much more. Learn all about beef, veal, lamb, and pork. This is the perfect book for the meat lover.
Home cooks will come back to chef Michael Schlow’s cookbook again and again for its inspirational stories, informative sidebars, helpful tricks, and most of all, for its broad range of never-fail recipes that are easy to follow and always special. Among the book’s 248 pages are 150 painstakingly tested recipes – ones for 30 minute meals and ones for more elegant dishes like the ones on the menus atVia Matta, Tico or Alta Strada.
Clara Silverstein pulls together more than 100 recipes from Boston’s best and brightest chefs for this cookbook. Among the chefs customizing their restaurant recipes for the home cook are Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger, Lydia Shire of Scampo, Jasper White of the Summer Shack, Todd English of Olives and Jody Adams of Rialto and Trade. The collection includes some traditional regional fare (like the lobster roll and Boston baked beans) as well as more contemporary fare.
Respected Boston chef Jeremy Sewall of Lineage, Eastern Standard, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Row 34 and The Hawthorne pays tribute to regional cuisine in The New England Kitchen: Fresh Takes on Seasonal Recipes. This cookbook contains 100 recipes that celebrate the Northeast with lots of outstanding fish dishes (not surprising given Sewall’s seafood-y leanings) as well as plenty of recipes for vegetarian and meaty meals.
Kathy Sidell of Boston’s beloved Met Restaurant Group (including Newbury Street’s Met Back Bay) chronicles how she built a successful restaurant empire after changing careers. A film producer before opening her first restaurant, Sidell takes readers through her journey while sharing valuable business advice and even a few of her favorite recipes. This one’s a must-have for aspiring chefs and restaurateurs.
In this beautifully realized, and much-anticipated cookbook, Oleana chef-owner Ana Sortun shows readers how to use the philosophy of spice to create wonderful Eastern Mediterranean dishes from their very own kitchens. Organized by spice, the book details the ways in which certain spices complement each other, helping the home cook gain confidence and a more intuitive way of using spices in their own cooking.
In chef Ming Tsai’s first cookbook, the popular chef and TV host shares the technique and philosophy behind the award-winning east-meets-west-cuisine that’s put Blue Ginger, his Wellesley restaurant on the national culinary map. Bursting with tips for working with unfamiliar ingredients and preparations, Blue Ginger is an outstanding introduction to the pleasures of cross-cultural cooking.
In his sophomore effort, Blue Ginger’s Ming Tsai applies his innovative east-meets-west skills to everyday cooking, transforming standard fare like spaghetti, burgers and chicken wings into delicious and exciting new dishes. With a versatile array of master recipes for sauces, rubs, dressings and more, Tsai minimizes last-minute prep and makes fusion fare approachable for the home cook.
In Simply Ming One-Pot Meals (his first cookbook in seven years) Blue Ginger chef Ming Tsai tackles the four basic needs in everyday cooking today – taste, healthfulness, simplicity and affordability. Using ingredients that can be found easily online or at your local market, Tsai breaks 80 recipes down into seven techniques of one-pot cooking – braising, wokking, sautéing, roasting, steaming and flash frying, tossing and soups. Each recipe minds its fat intake and allergens (keeping it healthful); every dish costs roughly $20 for a family of four (keeping it economical); and each dish can be prepared in one vessel (keeping it simple).
Chef Jasper White blows the lid off the whole genre with a cookbook featuring fifty chowder recipes that go well beyond corn and clam varieties. Once they master the chowder basics (real chowder consists of chunks of local seasonal ingredients served in a moderate amount of broth) home cooks will, with a little guidance from the man behind the seafood-laden menus at The Summer Shack, discover the diversity of ingredients that can be incorporated to create chowders like they never imagined.
Summer Shack chef-owner and seafood expert Jasper White brings the flavors and foods of summer in New England right into the home kitchen with this book of more than 200 easy-to-make recipes. White demystifies summertime favorites (like clam rolls or lobster rolls) and the requisite skills each one requires (like shucking clams and cracking open a lobster) so the home cook can enjoy the style, fun, and flavors of the shore all year long—without any fuss.
Lobster may seem like a luxurious special occasion treat but when enjoyed at home, lobster can make a relatively affordable and healthful meal – it’s low in calories and packed with Omega 3 acids. In 256 pages full of all sorts of words of wisdom, Summer Shack chef-owner Jasper White will walk the home cook through how to get the most from each delicious crustacean. The book explains everything (how to choose just the right lobster; how to steam it; and how to extract every last morsel of meat) and includes recipes that range from simple to sublime.
Even before becoming Boston’s seafood maven, Summer Shack chef-owner Jasper White was considered an expert in all things New England – culinarily speaking, that is. In this, his first cookbook, he explores the wide-ranging depth of traditional and contemporary New England cookery, offering delicious recipes for fish, venison, poultry, and other foods. His dishes, steeped though they are in tradition, also reflect contemporary health concerns.
