Here are 100 books that The Food Lab fans have personally recommended if you like
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As the author of nine cookbooks, I strive to help readers master new skills and to become more comfortable in the kitchen. Iâm constantly reading other cookbooks to keep my fingers on the pulse of whatâs happening in the food world, as well as to improve my own culinary prowess. Itâs been nearly 20 years since I graduated from culinary school, and I love that I can open a book to refresh a forgotten skill, learn a new one, or delve into the âwhyâ behind cookingâs biggest questions. These books have kept me entertained and intrigued, not to mention well-fed. I hope they do the same for you!
A few years ago my family decided to cut back on our consumption of meat. One of the worldâs most famous vegetarian chefs, Yotam Ottolenghi, came to my rescue in the form of this cookbook, which has truly expanded my ideas of how vegetables, grains, and other plant-based foods can be prepared. The chapters are organized by ingredient, which is handy if you shop your farmerâs market and need some ideas on how to prepare those gorgeous eggplants or the bumper crop of green beans youâve brought home. The unexpected combinations and preparations have given me permission to be more creative with how I prepare vegetables. Some of the more unusual recipes that Iâve loved include Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce; Tomato, Semolina, and Cilantro Soup; and Broccoli and Gorgonzola Pie.
The cookbook that launched Yotam Ottolenghi as an international food celebrity
If you are a fan of Plenty More, Forks Over Knives, Smitten Kitchen Every Day, or On Vegetables, youâll love this Ottolenghi cookbook
A vegetarian cookbook from the author of Jerusalem A Cookbook and other Ottolenghi cookbooks: A must-have collection of 120 vegetarian recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi featuring exciting flavors and fresh combinations that will become mainstays for readers and eaters looking for a brilliant take on vegetables.
Mastering the art of French cooking the Yotam Ottolenghi way: One of the most exciting talents in the cooking world, YotamâŚ
I'm an herbalist dedicated to teaching people practical approaches to herbalism and creativity. I do this on my Substack, in clinical intakes with my herbal clients (I work mostly with artists), and in workshops and classes. My life and herbal practice revolve around food. Iâve cooked professionally for over 15 years, worked on organic farms, and grow food at home for myself and pollinators in my region. The best bet we have at caring for ourselves and our communities is through the food we grow, buy, prepare, and eat. I like to say most people are already doing herbalism, they just donât know it's happening in their kitchens at breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
I believe 2 things without a shred of doubt: all humans are creative and anyone can cook. Samin Nosrat adds the critical finale: ââŚand make it delicious.â
Everyone can benefit from this book, especially those who appreciate good, well-executed dishes but donât quite understand what makes them so irresistible. As someone who didnât do much better than fail at high school and college science, Nosrat makes incredibly complex concepts simple and doable! Not to mention, itâs delightfully illustrated.
The infographics, tables, and flowcharts make the content engaging and accessible. It is a cookbook, indispensable kitchen reference, and testament to the power of creative collaboration. Here is evidence that cooking is an art and a science.
Now a major Netflix documentary A Sunday Times Food Book of the Year and a New York Times bestseller Winner of the Fortnum & Mason Best Debut Food Book 2018
While cooking at Chez Panisse at the start of her career, Samin Nosrat noticed that amid the chaos of the kitchen there were four key principles that her fellow chefs would always fall back on to make their food better: Salt, Fat, Acid and Heat.
By mastering these four variables, Samin found the confidence to trust her instincts in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients. And withâŚ
As the author of nine cookbooks, I strive to help readers master new skills and to become more comfortable in the kitchen. Iâm constantly reading other cookbooks to keep my fingers on the pulse of whatâs happening in the food world, as well as to improve my own culinary prowess. Itâs been nearly 20 years since I graduated from culinary school, and I love that I can open a book to refresh a forgotten skill, learn a new one, or delve into the âwhyâ behind cookingâs biggest questions. These books have kept me entertained and intrigued, not to mention well-fed. I hope they do the same for you!
Most people identify either as cooks or bakers, and I can see whyâit certainly takes a different mindset to bake bread or a cake. Baking is a far more precise science, which is one of the reasons Iâm very picky about what baking recipes I trust. Itâs one of the reasons I love having Cookâs Illustrated Baking Book in my arsenal. I have always been a big fan of the magazine, where the writers prepare countless versions of the same recipe, changing ingredients, methods, and other factors to arrive at the most perfect version. This cookbook follows the same format, covering savory recipes like tarts, quiches, pizzas, and rolls, in addition to every classic sweet recipe you could want. It was this book that ended my long search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie⌠the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie is a refinement of the classic Toll House Cookie. Iâm gladâŚ
Baking demystified with 450 foolproof recipes from Cook's Illustrated, America's most trusted food magazine.
The Cookâs Illustrated Baking Book has it allâdefinitive recipes for all your favorite cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, breads, pizza, and more, along with kitchen-tested techniques that will transform your baking. Recipes range from easy (drop cookies and no-knead bread) to more ambitious (authentic croissants and dacquoise) and the trademark test kitchen expertise shines through each one. Discover why spreading the dough and then sprinkling the berries leads to better Blueberry Scones, why cubed versus shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese makes all the difference in our irresistible CheeseâŚ
Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctorâand only womanâon a remote Everest climb in Tibet.
As the author of nine cookbooks, I strive to help readers master new skills and to become more comfortable in the kitchen. Iâm constantly reading other cookbooks to keep my fingers on the pulse of whatâs happening in the food world, as well as to improve my own culinary prowess. Itâs been nearly 20 years since I graduated from culinary school, and I love that I can open a book to refresh a forgotten skill, learn a new one, or delve into the âwhyâ behind cookingâs biggest questions. These books have kept me entertained and intrigued, not to mention well-fed. I hope they do the same for you!
A must-have for anyone with a passion for science, this book is a fun read, and I learn something new every time I leaf through it, whether itâs about how our senses of smell and taste work, or why weighing ingredients is superior to using measuring cups. Throughout the book are fun, informative interviews with experts on a wide variety of topics: Jeff Varasano discusses pizza, Herve This on molecular gastronomy, and Adam Savage (of Mythbusters fame) on scientific testing.
As a longtime cooking equipment writer, I particularly love how much detail he invests in kitchenware, explaining whatâs necessary and whatâs not. This isnât the type of book youâll turn to when youâre making a weeknight dinner, but certainly one where you can treat your kitchen like a science lab and spend an afternoon embarking on crazy (and delicious!) experiments. Case in point: a recipe for marshmallows that are firmâŚ
Why do we cook the way we do? Are you the innovative type, used to expressing your creativity instead of just following recipes? Do you want to learn to be a better cook or curious about the science behind what happens to food as it cooks? More than just a cookbook, Cooking for Geeks applies your curiosity to discovery, inspiration, and invention in the kitchen. Why do we bake some things at 350 F/175 C and others at 375 F/190 C? Why is medium-rare steak so popular? And just how quickly does a pizza cook if we overclock an ovenâŚ
I baked my first loaf of bread when I was eight. It was shaped like a brick and weighed about the same. With my grandmaâs help, I tweaked the recipe, learned the importance of precise measurements, practiced my kneading, and ultimately won a blue ribbon for my efforts at the 4-H county fair. In the years since, my passion for food has grown. I love to learn how various crops are grown and harvested, I nearly cried when I tasted cheese I made myself, and Iâve been known to arrange travel around specific culinary adventures. For me, learning about food is nearly as enjoyable as eating it!
For generations, this book has been helping young readers turn their kitchens into laboratories. After introducing basic scientific concepts, kid chefs/scientists get to test scientific principles with edible results: beef jerky, cottage cheese, pudding, and more. Along the way, they learn that making a meringue is about denaturing protein and that mayonnaise is a simple emulsion. I love the way in which the text and illustrations pair to clearly allow readers to conclude that good cooks truly are good chemists.
Kids take the reins in the kitchen with this hands-on book of edible science experiments! With revised and updated material, a brand-new look, and hours of innovative, educational experiments, this science classic by award-winning author Vicki Cobb will be devoured by a whole new generation of readers.
Combine with such books as Awesome Science Experiments for Kids to help junior scientists continue their learning, whether at home or in a classroom.
With contemporary information that reflects changes in the world of processing and preserving foods, this cookbook demonstrates the scientific principles that underpin the chemical reactions we witness every dayâjustâŚ
Not long ago, while rummaging through old storage containers in our garage, I came across a board game I had invented during elementary school. But I hadnât made it for a school project or because anyone had asked me to make it. I had made it simply because I was passionate about creatingâŚand I still am. As a childrenâs author, science editor, and dancer, I am fascinated by the creative process. I chose these books because they depict many of the ups, downs, and often unexpected outcomes of the creative process, all within the context of inventions for kids!
This book has so many qualities that will engage curious kids. Most of the story takes place when Frank Epperson was a childâa child who loved experimenting and actually invented the popsicle while experimenting with flavored soda water on his porch! The book also encourages scientific thinking by including experiments kids can try independently to learn more about liquids and the science behind freezing.
And then thereâs the art. The orange, lime green, and other bright colors perfectly mimic those of real popsicles. Just seeing them brought back my own childhood memories of reaching into the freezer to grab a popsicle or two on a hot summer day!
Frank William Epperson is a curious boy who wants to be an inventor when he grows up. Since inventing begins with experimenting, Frank spends a lot of time in his âlaboratoryâ (i.e. his back porch) trying out his ideas, such as building a double-handled handcar that whizzes past the single-handled cars in his neighborhood. What Frank loves most, though, is experimenting with liquids. When he invents his own yummy flavored soda water drink, his friends love it! And this gets him to thinking: âI wonder what this drink would taste like frozen?â Though he doesn't yet realize it, his curiosityâŚ
I like thinking about the people who misbehaved in the 1700s. As a teenager, I was initially drawn to journalism as a medium for telling stories, but in college, I was entranced by the stories I could tell with early American sources. Years ago, Jan Lewis noted that many readers want âbedtime storiesâ about how great the American Revolution was, but thereâs much more to the Revolutionâs history. Now, Iâm a history professor at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City of New York. Having lived in the Boston area and New York City, itâs been a thrill to write books about the American Revolution in both places.
I went into this book cold, knowing nothing about it beforehand, and it left a powerful, thrilling impression. I almost donât want to say anything else about it so that other readers can experience the same suspense.
Readers might know Anderson from Feed or his other quirky genre-bending books. This book, the first of two volumes, is a work of historical fiction set mostly in Boston. It uses eighteenth-century language to tell an epic tale about the American Revolution, the Enlightenment, and the dark side of both.
Itâs a book of horror (perhaps even anticipating the movie Get Out), with intricate details that will delight a certain kind of reader.
Andersonâs imaginative and highly intelligent exploration of . . . the ambiguous history of Americaâs origins will leave readers impatient for the sequel. â The New York Times Book Review
Young Octavian is being raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers â but it is only after he opens a forbidden door that learns the hideous nature of their experiments, and his own chilling role them. Set in Revolutionary Boston, M. T. Andersonâs mesmerizing novel takes place at a time when Patriots battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives forâŚ
As the saying goes, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Ahem. Not actually. Breaking cover doesn't typically demand killing people. But I might lose my security clearance and my diplomatic immunity in Fairy. Which I don't want to do, so shall we say I have a lively imagination and no personal knowledge about spy craft or espionage either in this world or in Fairy? Promise. I know nothing. And anyway, you can't prove it!
This book gets both mine and my eleven-year-old daughterâs vote. My daughter doesnât like small talk, but when we were reading this adventure, this world got her talking and also imagining fan fiction!
Jessie lives on the Indiana frontier in the 1800s when diphtheria strikes her village, but she finds her way to the modern world in search of a cure. The stakes are high and the story made us feel like we were there!
Return to the classic middle grade time-bending thriller Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, almost thirty years following its first publication, with this stunning repackage.
Clifton, Indiana, 1840. Jessie Keyser lives with her family in a small log cabin. Her father is a blacksmith and her mother cares for her and her siblingsâthough, at night, Jessieâs mother also secretly tends anyone who gets sick in their village.
Lately, more and more people have been falling ill. Especially the other kids in Jessieâs one-room schoolhouse. Quarantine signs appear on the local homes. And Jessieâs mother looks worried. Very worried.âŚ
I am an author, illustrator, and award-winning creative director. I have loved to draw and make things since a young age, mostly wacky contraptions (inspired by my love of the Hanna-Barbera Wacky Races cartoons). Iâm particularly passionate about making the process of creating fun, the five books below definitely achieve that, each in its own unique way.
This book replicates, in print form, the sciencey based projects that can be found on DadLab, Sergei Urban's hugely popular YouTube channel. The projects are varied and fun, most achievable with basic materials, and all with a STEM link (simple concepts like gravity, magnetism, and electricity). It contains a lot of project ideas, so there will be something for everyone, and plenty you can make using the resources you already have in your home. In fact, that's what I like most, the way Sergei shows us that science is at work everywhere and can be harnessed in simple and imaginative ways, without an engineering degree or fully equipped workshop.
The ultimate collection of DIY activities to do with your kids to teach STEM basics and beyond, from a wildly popular online dad.
With more than 3 million fans, TheDadLab has become an online sensation, with weekly videos of fun and easy science experiments that parents can do with their kids. These simple projects use materials found around the house, making it easier than ever for busy moms and dads to not only spend more quality time with their children but also get them interested in science and technology.
In this mind-blowing book, Sergei Urban takes the challenge off-screen withâŚ
An Italian Feast celebrates the cuisines of the Italian provinces from Como to Palermo. A culinary guide and book of ready reference meant to be the most comprehensive book on Italian cuisine, and it includes over 800 recipes from the 109 provinces of Italy's 20 regions.
When I was eight years old, I walked into a movie theater to see Spider-Man and walked out forever obsessed with superheroes. Specifically, I saw him kiss Mary-Jane with his mask on while hanging upside down and my tastes never changed in 20 years. Now, when not writing, I cosplay from my favorite comics, video games, and anime with my husband, who I met at a comic-con while dressed as Gwenpool (he was Symbiote Spider-Manâsee, I told you my tastes never changed).
A little bit dark academia, a little bit supervillain, it covers dual POVs with two friends in college developing superpowers after near-death experiences and grappling with the after-effects well into their adulthood.
Victor is a lovable anti-hero, and Eliâs flaws are so believable they gave me chills.
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates-brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in one another. A shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death-experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. They become EOs, ExtraOrdinaries, leaving a body in their wake and turning on each other.
Ten years later Victor has escaped from prison and is determined to get his revenge on the man who put him there, aided byâŚ