Our Favorite Chef Cookbooks of All Time
1/10Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller
"Many of the techniques and recipe basics I learned in culinary school-blanching,citrus supreme, vinaigrettes-are here. And Keller's advice to take a pinch of salt and actually measure it helps you understand how much salt you're putting into your food." -Chris Morocco, Kitchen Assistant*$50, surlatable.com*
2/10Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich
"Informative headnotes and sidebars are especially helpful for everyday cooking. Bastianich's tips on selecting and trimming artichokes and letting soup rest have become indispensable to me." -Faye Chiu Mosley, Deputy Copy Chief*$24, amazon.com*
3/10Bill Neal's Southern Cooking by Bill Neal
"My grandma didn't teach me how to cook Southern; Bill Neal, founder of Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill, NC, did. The Hoppin' John I serve on New Year's Day, the Natchitoches Meat Pies my daughter loves, and dozens of other family favorites are all courtesy of Mr. Neal." -Andrew Knowlton, Restaurant and Drinks Editor*$21, barnesandnoble.com*
4/10Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli
"Starting with the premise that 'good cooking is trouble,' Bertolli's passionate collection of essays and recipes inspired me to think more deeply about technique and my craft. His brilliant chapter on ragus, braises, and roasts, called 'Bottom-Up Cooking', changed the way I cook." -Hunter Lewis, Food Editor $26, amazon.com
5/10The Lutece Cookbook by Andre Soltner
"Andre Soltner was New York's original celebrity chef. Lutece was his stage. Among his lesser achievements was teaching me how to cook seafood-or, more exactly, how to not cook it. His Marinated Scallops were crudo way before crudo became a restaurant buzzword." -Scott DeSimon, Special Projects Editor*$90, amazon.com*
6/10The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
"The endlessly riffable healthy comfort food in this classic has seen me through teenage vegetarian years, lean college days, and countless uninspired weeknights. Hardly a new book, but I have yet to find a dessert I like more than Ukranian Lemon Poppyseeed Cake. My rule of thumb? Any cookbook passed down to you by your mother is usually worth its weight in gold." -Hannah Sullivan, Assistant Editor*$14, amazon.com*
7/10My Bread by Jim Lahey
"I always thought bread was one of those things best left to the experts. Until I got this book. Lahey's no-knead bread is a game-changer, and my weekends are the better for it." -Meryl Rothstein, Senior Associate Editor*$17, amazon.com*
8/10The Summer Shack Cookbook by Jasper White
"I always judge a cookbook by the hidden staple recipes found right before the index, and this book doesn't disappoint. In addition to clearly explained, delicious regional seafood dishes, Jasper White goes above and beyond with executing sauces and refreshing drinks." -Mary-Frances Heck, Associate Food Editor*$26, amazon.com*
9/10Think Like a Chef by Tom Colicchio
"Before Colicchio became a TV star, he ran New York's Gramercy Tavern and Craft restaurants. He distilled his philosophy of cooking into his first book: seasonal, local, and with minimal but exacting culinary intervention. Best lesson learned? Butter and fresh thyme can improve any piece of protein." -Hugh Garvey, Contributing Editor*$60, amazon.com*
10/10The Whole Beast by Fergus Henderson
"I like to be challenged by a cookbook. Jellied rabbit? Sure. Pea and Pig Ear's Soup? Why not. Duck's Neck Terrine? Absolutely. But the lesson I value most from this book is not to take cooking too seriously. 'Do not be afraid of cooking,' Henderson says, 'as your ingredients will know, and misbehave.' His mischievous sense of humor shows up in nearly every recipe with a joke, a story, or a theory he hands you to prove." -Emily Fleischaker, Online Editor*$13, amazon.com*
