What’s the next best thing to eating one of the greatest meals of your life at a five-star James Beard award-winning restaurant? Staying home and making that five-star meal yourself, of course!
Indeed, some of the most beloved chefs and restaurateurs in the world have made successful and well-received forays into the world of cookbooks, spilling their secrets to the most beautiful and delicious foods that have made them famous.
So with that in mind, we feature seven celebrated chefs who are helping fans enjoy the recipes that have propelled them to culinary stardom – with their very own cookbooks.
Jessica Koslow
Who knew something as simple as jam on toast could attract throngs of admirers from around the world to one tiny, unassuming Los Angeles cafe? Sqirl, helmed by Long Beach native Jessica Koslow, started as a jam company and blossomed into one of LA’s most coveted breakfast-and-lunch spots. And now, her Mediterranean-meets-SoCal-inspired cuisine can be found on the shelves of the culinary section of your bookstore.
“Everything I Want to Eat” is Koslow’s ode to the recipes that have made Sqirl a West Coast treasure, from the sorrel pesto rice bowl to the tartine with smoked whitefish. And, judging by the cookbook’s whirlwind success, it appears to be everything the rest of us want to eat, too.
Andrew Tarlow
An ambitious menu that seems inviting and fuss-free was the goal for Andrew Tarlow, and clearly it’s a winning formula. With restaurants like Brooklyn’s Diner, Marlow & Sons, Achilles Heel and She Wolf Bakery, Tarlow has become the authority on Brooklyn gastronomy. And with his new book, “Dinner at the Long Table,” Tarlow’s seamless blend of design and taste is highlighted in a series of party-friendly menus that allow the amateurs among us to craft full-course feasts for friends. Serving dishes like paella with tomato toasts and fried calamari sandwiches, or lamb tajine with spiced couscous, suddenly become doable with Tarlow’s simple, practical instructions.
Einat Admony
Mother, wife, restaurateur … cookbook author? Sure, why not? What’s one more feather to add to her cap? Israeli-born Einat Admony’s second restaurant, New York’s Balaboosta, was the inspiration for her first book, “Balaboosta: Bold Mediterranean Recipes to Feed the People You Love.” The work features 140 of her favorite recipes for dinner parties, quick meals, barbecues, romantic dinners, healthy options, comfort food and kids’ meals. A dozen of those are traditional Israeli recipes, from falafel to baklava. Some of them are served at her three restaurants – Taim, Balaboosta and Bar Bolonat (now closed).
Nancy Silverton
“Mozza at Home: More than 150 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes for Relaxed, Family-Style Entertaining” is acclaimed chef Nancy Silverton’s ninth book. But it’s the first book of hers to focus less on the business of cooking (she owns six restaurants, after all, so she knows a thing or two about that) and more on the pleasures of home cooking. From simple appetizers like marinated olives and fresh Pecorino to show-stopping main courses like flattened chicken thighs with charred lemon salsa verde, it’s clear your next dinner party will be quite memorable under Silverton’s tutelage.
Michael Solomonov
One of Philadelphia’s most popular restaurants, Zahav, has been winning raves and delighting customers with its Mediterranean menu since 2008. The chef behind it is James Beard Award winner Michael Solomonov, who has put a modern twist on the flavors of his native Israel for the dishes he creates there. But you don’t have to live in Philly to enjoy Solomonov’s recipes for fried cauliflower, crispy halloumi and mouth-watering falafel. With the release of his book “Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking,” everyone can get a taste of his culinary expertise.
“Our signature dish is the lamb shoulder, which you can find in the book,” Solomonov says. “Every dish in the book has been served at Zahav at one point or another.”
Aaron Franklin
The small, humble trailer right off the interstate in Austin, Texas, in 2009, has morphed into a world-renowned barbecue joint that’s won every major award under the sun. And its owner, Texas-born-and-bred Aaron Franklin, has plenty of insight to share about how things turned out that way. Hence, we have “Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto,” a cookbook he cowrote with Jordan Mackay. But rest assured it’s not just a bunch of barbecue recipes; it’s also Pitmaster 101, packed with tips on wood curing, fire tending, meat sourcing and more.
“There is certainly an underlying theme of do-it-yourself,” Franklin told Eater of his book. “You don’t have to go out and buy a cooker, you don’t have to go out and buy these fancy sauces, you don’t have to get over-the-counter barbecue rubs. Just cook it.”
Claire Ptak
The London baker the LA Times calls “a sorceress of the scone” displays her simple yet re-imagined pastries to cookbook form in “The Violet Bakery Cookbook.” Claire Ptak’s red velvet muffins and buckwheat butter cookies don’t deviate much from traditional bakery fare, but her style is undoubtedly original, with lighter-than-air textures that seem to defy the ingredients they’re made with. Her East London shop is celebrated for placing emphasis on organic ingredients and fresh, delectable creations like ginger molasses cake with lemon glaze and blue cheese buns. And rest assured, her cookbook evokes those same warm fuzzies.
Originally Published Feb 11, 2021 02:12PM EST
