Here are 9 books that Bites on a Board fans have personally recommended if you like
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I didn’t always know I wanted to be a chef and food writer. But I have always known that I loved to prepare and enjoy beautiful food! In college, that meant throwing dinner parties for my friends. This was before Instagram, but I still wanted my food to look pretty and draw a crowd! Fast forward a couple decades. I have worked as a private chef, taught farm-to-table cooking classes, and written more than 27 published cookbooks. My favorite thing about my work is creating inspired meals that bring people together with those they love.
It was difficult to choose which of Tyler Florence’s books to include here.
His Real Kitchen was the first cookbook I cooked from in my first apartment. The cover is tattered and the pages splashed with sauces. I settled on Tyler's Ultimate because it became my go-to for tasty appetizers and tapas. I especially love the Watermelon Gazpacho with Chile and Feta Cheese.
He also provides a number of recipes in his Ultimate Antipasto Platter, including my favorites the Bocconcini Tied with Prosciutto, Herbed Goat Cheese Bites, and Marinated Chickpeas. Also, sounds weird, but the Chicken Liver Pate is so retro cool.
American chef, television presenter and enthusiastic traveller Tyler Florence excels at taking big, bold flavours and transforming them into sophisticated, accessible dishes. He believes it's the little details that separate a good meal from an amazing one, and his recipes concentrate on one or two fresh, simple flavours, allowing each to be savoured to its fullest. This philosophy is woven throughout "Tyler's Ultimate". Like the "Food Network" show that inspired it, "Tyler's Ultimate" is filled with the best recipes for old favourites, as well as exciting, new, high-impact dishes with an extra pinch of flavour.
I didn’t always know I wanted to be a chef and food writer. But I have always known that I loved to prepare and enjoy beautiful food! In college, that meant throwing dinner parties for my friends. This was before Instagram, but I still wanted my food to look pretty and draw a crowd! Fast forward a couple decades. I have worked as a private chef, taught farm-to-table cooking classes, and written more than 27 published cookbooks. My favorite thing about my work is creating inspired meals that bring people together with those they love.
For starters, the photography in Orexi! is mouthwatering and the landscape and ocean shots make me want to hop on a plane to Greece.
Often in international cuisine cookbooks, you find predictable fare, but Michaels does a great job of putting his own spin on traditional dishes. I especially love his version of Kolifa, which he calls Salad for The Soul, and the Charred Chilli and Feta Dip for antipasto platters.
His homage to his grandmother in Yiayia’s Keftedes is touching and the meatballs are perfect for gatherings.
A collection of over 80 classic and modern recipes from MasterChef semi-finalist Theo Michaels; paying homage to his heritage by championing new modern dishes inspired by the flavours of Greece and Cyprus.
Kali orexi is the Greek equivalent of bon appetit and this enticing book will certainly whet your appetite! Organized in chapters entitled Meze, Sea, Land, Sun and Fire, Theo's recipes evoke a sense of connection to nature, seasonality, abundance and sociable eating. Fresh ingredients sing from the plate, from juicy watermelon and glossy kalamata olives, to fragrant oregano-roasted lamb and delicate vine-leaf-baked sea bass. Meze features mouth-watering small…
I didn’t always know I wanted to be a chef and food writer. But I have always known that I loved to prepare and enjoy beautiful food! In college, that meant throwing dinner parties for my friends. This was before Instagram, but I still wanted my food to look pretty and draw a crowd! Fast forward a couple decades. I have worked as a private chef, taught farm-to-table cooking classes, and written more than 27 published cookbooks. My favorite thing about my work is creating inspired meals that bring people together with those they love.
I’ve dined at the restaurant Lemonade in Venice Beach several times and was thrilled when I discovered they had a cookbook.
LA is defined by exceptionally fresh produce year-round and a diverse culinary scene thanks to immigrants from all over the world. Lemonade reflects that beautifully! I used many of the recipes in this book when cooking for the Patagonia women’s surf team and was thrilled with how much people loved them and how easy they were to scale up to feed a crowd.
Narrowing it down to my favorites was tough, but I can’t get enough of the Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Pine Nut, and Lime Vinaigrette; the Black Kale, Shiitake, and Kumquat Vinaigrette; or the Red Miso Beef. And of course, they have a full lemonade chapter with interesting, virgin concoctions including my favorite, the Green Apple Jalapeno lemonade.
The Lemonade Cookbook takes the bold flavors, imaginative dishes, and southern California lifestyle that have made the brand an instant hit and captures them in a fresh, beautifully-designed, full-color book. Like Los Angeles, Lemonade's cuisine is carefully blended with variety. L.A. is agents and movie grips, surfers and yoga moms, students and celebrities, and a wide mix of different culinary traditions. At Lemonade the marketplace salads, unique sandwiches, and slow-simmered stews taste as though every culture stirred a bit into the pot―for example, the skirt steak with grilled onions and piquillo peppers with its smoky depth, pairs perfectly with the…
I didn’t always know I wanted to be a chef and food writer. But I have always known that I loved to prepare and enjoy beautiful food! In college, that meant throwing dinner parties for my friends. This was before Instagram, but I still wanted my food to look pretty and draw a crowd! Fast forward a couple decades. I have worked as a private chef, taught farm-to-table cooking classes, and written more than 27 published cookbooks. My favorite thing about my work is creating inspired meals that bring people together with those they love.
I found this book at a rummage sale for my children’s school, so I didn’t expect much. But I was thrilled to discover a wealth of unique recipes perfect for backyard barbecues.
I love that the flavor combinations are somewhat unpredictable and unique. It’s easy to fall into a rut when you’re entertaining around the grill (burgers, corn on the cob, and potato salad anyone?). Every recipe is prepared on the grill, even the sides, so that’s fun!
My favorite recipes include the Sticky Orange- and Chipotle-Glazed Sweet Potatoes (a perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and acidic), and the Grilled Porterhouse Steak with Venezuelan Guasaca Sauce served with Arepas that are to die for.
NOW IN PAPERBACK!Fire up the grill and get ready to mambo! Tired of the same ol' marinades and barbecue sauces? Well, Nuevo Latino king Douglas Rodriguez and sous chef Andrew DiCataldo have the recipes that grillmeisters need to spice things up and expand their repertoire. Drawing on spices, authentic dishes, and grilling techniques from over 20 Latin American countries, Rodriguez and DiCataldo share the secrets of these dynamic cuisines. True to Rodriguez's reputation for inventive Latin fusion food, these 100-plus recipes deliver exotic, seductive flavors, all married by the intense heat of the grill. Recipes range from seafood, meat, game,…
I love to get kids fired up about true stories, using their imaginations and believing in themselves as future innovators, inventors, and creators. Crayola crayons inventor Edwin Binney's story is a fabulous springboard for exploring nature, color and creativity. I love to draw and make stuff just like Binney, so his story resonated with me. The more I researched, the more I admired how he listened to what people needed and looked to nature for inspiration. I am intrigued by the origins of everyday objects. Here are some books that inspired me when I was writing, and that have that fascinating a-ha moment that spurs on innovation.
Who doesn’t like to eat something yummy? But do you ever think about how this food came about? The serendipitous events that led to the creation of a favourite snack – nachos – begin with a Mexican boy, Ignacio Anaya. He loved to eat and cook and was nicknamed . . . Nacho. One day, when asked to create a snack at short notice at a restaurant, Ignacio used whatever he had to hand – corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, and jalapeño peppers. His creation soon became a favourite, and now global, snack – nachos. This delicious true story will inspire young readers to create spontaneously with whatever ingredients are available, and to discover how being inventive in the kitchen, just like this young chef, can be heaps of fun!
Celebrating 80 Years of Nachos with NACHO'S NACHOS! In Nacho's Nachos, Sandra Nickel and Oliver Dominguez introduce young readers to Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya and tell the true story of how he invented the world's most beloved snack in a moment of culinary inspiration.
I was a clothing designer in NYC in a previous life. I would cram friends into my small apartment and have dinner parties whenever I could. I love food, cooking, and entertaining. Food is a way to show love, but for me, cooking was also a way to flex my creative muscle outside a creatively and emotionally draining industry. For years I mused about how to pivot into the food industry without being a classically trained chef. Upon being laid off in 2020 the door was finally opened for me to move on a begin a career in food styling and photography. Once Upon a Rind in Hollywood is my first cookbook.
This book features casual yet elegant boards and spreads alongside simple and accessible recipes and the most gorgeous photos!
Broken out by morning, afternoon, evening, and anytime, with a theme for almost any occasion. The book is laid out to show even the most novice home entertainers how to easily assemble a beautiful spread for guests or how to arrange a small platter for a no-cook meal on a random evening.
Once again, I’d like to mention the beautiful photos! I enjoy casually flipping through the book and dreaming about what to serve at my next gathering.
Bestselling cookbook shares the secrets to easy, attractive, and delicious spreads
With 40 contemporary spreads to graze on presented with gorgeous photography, easy recipes, and helpful tips
An inspiring resource for throwing unforgettable get-togethers: Platters and Boards is the guide to entertaining with effortless style. Author Shelly Westerhausen shares the secrets to creating casually chic spreads anyone can make and everyone will enjoy (and envy). Organized by time of day, 40 contemporary arrangements are presented with gorgeous photography, easy-to-prepare recipes, suggested meat and drink pairings, and notes on preparation and presentation.
With recipes and presentation ideas for breakfast, brunch, appetizer,…
I think I was always meant to write about drinks for a living, it just took me a while to realise. Ever since my Dad gave me a copy of Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails as a kid (to look at the cartoonish illustrations) I've been fascinated by these particularly adult delights. I've also followed flavour around all my life like a Loony Tunes figure in the thrall of a beckoning wisp of fragrant steam. Studying this stuff for various drinks industry qualifications has only made that interest grow stronger, and so I take it out on you, dear reader, in the nicest way, of course.
No book can ever tell you, definitively, what tastes good. This one can tell you why certain things taste good to you, which is a much more interesting subject to dive into.
I found it fascinating to learn just how much all the other senses are involved when it comes to eating and drinking, it really is the most sensory-stimulating activity in our lives. Ok, perhaps the second most.
This book also goes into a subject that's close to my heart: learning to become a better taster. So many people seem to think your skill at this is fixed at birth. That's not true! If you're anything like me, then you'll love how this book opens up a whole dimension of aroma and flavour and makes your world all the richer for it.
What if you could get more sensory input, and hence more enjoyment, from the foods you're already eating? You can with a little bit of understanding and practice. Taste What You're Missingexplains the science behind what's happening in your mouth, nose, and mind when you eat.
Stuckey tells fascinating stories about people who've experienced changes or loss of one of their senses, to illuminate aspects of taste many readers never would have noticed or appreciated. People who have damaged their tongues and lost a certain amount of sensitivity; people with anosmia--no sense of smell--like Ben of Ben & Jerry's Ice…
Mary Hoffman is not exactly an expert on babies but she has had three of her own and five grandbabies. The youngest is two and Mary has made colourful blankets for each one. The four-year-old still takes hers everywhere. Mary is very good at sending babies to sleep, which Mog might have appreciated, but she has never fed any of them avocado. Mary has been making up stories for babies and children for as long as she can remember, long before she had any of her own. She does this because what she liked best herself as a small child was stories and she would have loved to have any of these books read to her when she was little.
The baby in this book won’t eat anything he’s offered – a situation most parents will identify with – until, in despair, his mother finds an avocado in the fruit bowl. From then on he has a favourite food – and it turns him into an immensely strong superhero!
The Hargraves want their new baby to grow up big and strong. But the puny mite will hardly eat a thing. One day Mrs Hargraves finds an avocado in the fruit bowl and the baby gobbles it up. Soon, the strangest things start to happen...
I'm an award-winning children's book author who loves everything about kid's books--including the smell! With over 50 books on bookstore shelves-- which have been read aloud hundreds of times all over the world-- I feel that I've become an expert on the subject.
The first page reads: Everyone loves Bacon. Including Bacon. How can you not love it? As I read this aloud, I love to use a smarmy playboy-type voice. The reader witnesses how Bacon becomes so full of himself and his celebrity status, that he forgets about those he left behind. (The makings of a BLT with avocado, minus the bacon are shown sitting alone in the fridge, missing their pal.) This book is just an all-around good time!
A cautionary tale about a little slice of bacon with a big, greasy ego.
Sure, everyone loves Bacon-until Bacon's popularity goes right to his head. He's so busy soaking up the attention from his fans, that he soon forgets the important things in life, like friendship and family. How will things end for our deliciously crispy hero?
