General Purpose Cookbooks 2015

Food52 Genius Recipes is a compilation of some of the best recipes from cooks, food writers and restaurateurs. All tested and “foolproof” you get recipes like Nigella Lawson’s Sense Chocolate Loaf Cake, Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion, the Simplest Roast Chicken from Barbara Kafka and Kenny Shopsin’s crazy recipe for Crepes that uses flour tortillas(!). I’m crazy about the recipe for Pasta with Yogurt & Caramelized Onions from Diane Kochilas and the Herb Jam with Olives & Lemons from Paula Wolfert. Having all those recipes in one place is very, very convenient! Who's it for? Everyone

The Yellow Table written by food blogger Anna Watson Carl has an emphasis on sharing meals. Carl’s breezy effortless style of cooking and entertaining is just right for those who are new to cooking. The recipes are straightforward and not complex. They cover very basic things like Roast Chicken with Lemon, Thyme & Shallots and Turkish Lamb Sliders with Tzatziki but also some recipes with a twist like Nutella-Shortbread Brownies, Pumpkin Madeleines and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Mango & Cucumber. The focus is on entertaining but many recipes serve four. The photos in the book are fresh and inviting. Who's it for? Newbies

Seven Spoons is the names of the blog and cookbook from Tara O'Brady. Though not vegetarian, this one definitely puts vegetables on the center of the plate, Here recipes are inventive and smart. Even when she is cooking standard things, like burgers, there’s a twist that makes them something special, in this case a spoonful of miso. The recipes cross many boarders, there’s Fattoush with Fava Beans and Labneh, Hard Cider Gougeres, Broccoli Rabe with Bagna Cauda and a recipe for Clams and Orzo that reminds me of my favorite steamed mussels recipe with fennel. There is a dessert section where she manages to even improve on Canadian classics like her Walnut Cherry Oat Butter Tart Pie. Who's it for? Bored cooks looking for inspiration 

Remember the Mediterranean diet? The Mediterranean Family Table book brings it all back. It’s written by a doctor who was born in Sicily. It’s an interesting book because it doesn’t eschew every last morsel of meat or bread.There are recipes for his mama’s meatballs, and lamb kebabs, but mostly you’ll find recipes for all kinds of salads, soups and plant based dishes. Some of the recipes are rather unusual such as the Orange and Egg (hardboiled) Salad, Anchovy and Ricotta Bruschetta with rosemary and a breakfast dish made from day old bread, ricotta, milk and hot coffee. The recipes I was most drawn to are the ones from Sicily such as Tuna alla Siciliana with garlic, mint, tomatoes and onions and the Roasted Cauliflower, served with melted fontina. Who's it for? Those focused on healthy eating

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