Fall's Best New Cookbooks
For most of the country, it's time to bid a bittersweet, temporary farewell to locally grown juicy berries, tomatoes and other signs of summer. This transition doesn't mean, however, that excitement in the kitchen has to slow down, thanks to a new assortment of cookbooks that have recently hit the shelves. These chefs break down their professional know-how in ways that will keep you inspired and on track with making terrific family meals all year long, even if that means waiting a few months to use stone fruits and corn again. In the meantime, enjoy finding and using the best the season has to offer or perusing the market aisles to find creative substitutions for some ingredients.
'The AOC Cookbook'
There's no other way to say it: Chef and restaurateur Suzanne Goin is a powerhouse. Owner of some of Los Angeles's most beloved restaurants (and mom of three kids), Goin and business partner Caroline Styne's AOC restaurant is so popular it is now a book. Much of the content isn't exactly the makings of quick weeknight dinners, but many are indeed fresh, accessible and insanely delicious.
Here's Goin's 6-year-old daughter's recipe for salad dressing, which came about when "she made salad for a new babysitter, who exclaimed it to be the best salad she had ever tasted," Goin writes.
Suzanne Goin, The AOC Cookbook ($35, Knopf)
'Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle'
To those of us with already limited cooking repertoires, the current landscape of food intolerances and health concerns can be treacherous. Suddenly we're learning to prep sandwiches with alternative nut butters, bake without eggs, and ensure we have gluten-free treats on hand at birthday parties in case any guests can't indulge in traditional cake. Thanks to creative chefs such as Kyra Bussanich, owner of Kyra’s Bake Shop in Portland, Ore., and a Food Network Cupcake Wars champion (the only gluten-free victor to date), you can bake something everyone—regardless of dietary restriction or wheat sensitivity—wants to dig into.
Kyra Bussanich, Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle ($19, 10 Speed Press)
'The Mac + Cheese Cookbook'
You read the title. Need we say more? Kids will love flipping through—and will flip out for—this compact book of recipes from the mac & cheese-centric Oakland restaurant, Homeroom. So encourage the little ones to get involved in concocting carb-plus-cheese combos, along with other intriguing twists. Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade, both moms, share recipes for side dishes to help round out a meal, ranging from healthy veggies to pickles to super sinful desserts. Follow their technique to perfect your béchamel and make mac & cheese combos that are the center of family dinner, or the envy of your next potluck.
Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade, The Mac + Cheese Cookbook ($17, Ten Speed Press)
'The Lemonade Cookbook'
Lemonade is extremely popular with Southern California families, and with good reason. This cheerful modern-day cafeteria truly has something for everyone, from creative veggie combinations to lots of grain options. Plus, there are braised meats, picky eater-proof sandwiches and even simple mac & cheese. The food is creative, (mostly) healthy, and straight-forward—and colorful enough to catch the attention of wee ones before they notice the monster-size French macarons in the dessert section. With The Lemonade Cookbook, chef/owner Alan Jackson and collaborator Joann Cianciulli have scaled down the eatery's recipes for home cooks to serve around the family table.
Alan Jackson with Joann Cianciulli, The Lemonade Cookbook ($30, St. Martin's Press)
'The Piccolo Chef Cookbook'
The two moms who founded Piccolo Chef cooking school for kids in Los Angeles have years of experience under their belt formulating recipes and strategies for getting kids involved in the kitchen. Tina Fanelli Moraccini and Lilian Palmieri just published their first book this summer, and even got Top Chef alum Fabio Viviani to share his ideas about family cooking in the foreword. "It's really the perfect snack," says Moraccini about the suggested combos for their Crostini A-Go-Go recipe. Sounds like an ideal afternoon or rainy day activity.
Tina Fanelli Moraccini and Lilian Palmieri, The Piccolo Chef Cookbook: Healthy Cooking with Your Kids ($24.95, iUniverse)
'Emeril's Cooking With Power'
Never got around to familiarizing yourself with the pressure cooker, Crock-Pot, and other appliances you received as gifts many moons ago? Here's the perfect opportunity to use them. Household name chef Emeril Lagasse offers 100 recipes in his latest volume, Emeril's Cooking With Power, which are ideally suited for busy parents who want to get a jumpstart on weekday meal prep using these handy kitchen tools. It's simpler than you might think.
Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's Cooking with Power: 100 Delicious Recipes Starring Your Slow Cooker, Multi Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Deep Fryer ($26, William Morrow Cookbooks)
'The Scarpetta Cookbook'
Celebrity chef Scott Conant is known for his Scarpetta restaurants, where rustic Italian food meets haute chic settings, but he has also appeared as a regular judge on Chopped. He's made his reputation partly via a very expensive bowl of spaghetti and tomato sauce. Despite being the biggest selling item at all the Scarpetta locations, Conant isn't stingy with spilling the secrets to making the dish that sells for $24 a pop. The Scarpetta Cookbook contains this irresistible staple, as well as his take on other Italian classics.
Scott Conant, The Scarpetta Cookbook ($35, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
'Sweet: Inspired Ingredients, Unforgettable Desserts'
For the average home baker, the prospect of recreating the meticulously crafted chocolates and other delights Valerie Gordon whips up in her Los Angeles shop is nothing short of intimidating. But with clear step-by-step instructions and stunning photography by Peden + Munk, Sweet: Inspired Ingredients, Unforgettable Desserts, will motivate any dessert lover to dive in and load up the pantry with baking basics, and hit the farmers market in search of preserving-worthy produce. This recipe for Valerie's Durango cookie, studded with a savory zing thanks to earthy roasted almonds and smoked salt, will leave anyone who tastes it (and doesn't have a nut allergy!) asking for more.
Valerie Gordon, Sweet: Inspired Ingredients, Unforgettable Desserts ($35, Artisan)
