2011 was a great year, like any other that we are still alive to experience. There will always be amazing things that sprout out of a particular calendar cycle, just like there will be things to leave behind. What mattered to me? I'm about to tell you.....
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| http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/28/dining/sam-siftons-top-10-new-restaurants-of-2011.html |
Simply put, Mr. Carmellini can absolutely cook his ass off. Perhaps more importantly, he has been able to build teams around him with the same passion and dedication to putting out great meals. He actually spends service in his kitchens, and seems to genuinely enjoy doing so. On top of all this, Mr. Carmellini is the author (along with his wife Gwen Hyman) of two of the best cookbooks out there-- American Flavor and Urban Italian. He also finds time to make music, post on a blog, be a huge Yankees fan (forgiveness granted for this), appear on TV, and was at the helm for the best meal I had in 2011, which I will write more about in a future post.
It is no secret that I love cookbooks, and though it may not have been the biggest year ever on this front, some gems did hit the pavement.
1. The Art Of Living According To Joe Beef: A Cookbook Of Sorts by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan, and Meredith Erickson
-Hands down one of the best cookbooks I own, or have ever read. It manages to be informative, funny, historical, and irreverent all at the same time. It is a lifestyle guide to how two men, and the restaurant trio they built, like to live. The cooking is beautiful, comforting, and distinctly from Montreal and the Province of Quebec.
2. American Flavor by Andrew Carmellini and Gwen Hyman
-One of New York’s best, and most respected chefs travels through America and his trove of memories to compose a wonderful look at the real food of our nation. The recipes actually work (not a given for most cookbooks), and the food represents the sorts of things you really want to eat. It also represents the ethnic and cultural quilt that is the bedrock of the history of this country. Perhaps the greatest testament to how the book succeeds is its ability to conjure your own personal memories, allowing them to infiltrate and inspire your own daily cooking.
3. Mission Street Food by Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz
-A story of one of the most unlikely success stories in the food world. The first cookbook from the independent publisher McSweeney’s is a win for both literature and gastronomy. It is safe to say you don’t own another book quite like it.
4. Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi
-Tosi’s exploits with sugar have been well documented in the media, but this serves to tell the real story of the New York phenomenon that is Momofuku Milk Bar. From gold painted sheeters named Beyonce, to the creation of Crack Pie, this book covers all the intricate nooks and crannies that have made Tosi and her merry band of dessert wizards so great. From simple recipes, to elaborate examples of the ingenuity and thrift that has made her creations so appealing, Momofuku Milk Bar is a book for adults with a child’s propensity for all things sweet and snacky.
5. Essential Pepin by Jacques Pepin
-Jacques Pepin is the OG of the Celebrity Chef game, and he is still going strong. Compiling 700 of his favorite recipes, updated for the times, Pepin will show you how to really cook. It also includes a DVD that covers techniques every cook should know. If you question the relevance of Pepin in 2011, I implore you to do two things. First, watch his shows on PBS and witness the way he cooks, not what he cooks. He moves with a fluidity and grace that is real samurai shit, and never tries to wow for wow’s sake, instead letting great food speak for itself. Second, read interviews with today’s greatest chefs and you will inevitably find many of them praising Pepin both as a personal influence, and for changing the game in America as a whole. Show respect, kiss the ring!
6. Rustic Italian Food by Marc Vetri
-One of the best Italian chefs in the United States delivers an understated love letter to the simple pleasures of the Italian table. This is the kind of food you can pull off, and completely enjoy, whether strapped for time, or possessing an abundance of the same commodity.
7. An Everlasting Meal: Cooking With Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler
-I wanted to dislike this book from the get go. Written by a woman who had worked for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, Adler embodied many of the fairy tale principles of the sustainable food movement that are easy to loathe. Highly educated, elitist white liberals on a crusade to save the world one plate at a time can sometimes turn the stomach, but Adler sidesteps these traps and delivers a book inspired by M.F.K. Fisher (what female food writer hasn’t used this line of thinking), ringing true to that author’s original intent. The book is about real life cooking, on a budget, where waste is not an option, and taste is elevated to a personal art form. For someone looking to become a home cook unbound by recipes, or a seasoned pro looking to remember the simple beauty in things like roasted vegetables, Adler succeeds in a big way. Bravo, despite everything I brought to the table as far as preconceived notions, you squashed them, and put out one of the best books of the year.
8. Lucky Peach Issues #1 and #2
-David Chang and Friends come together with McSweeney’s to put out a food magazine that breaks all the rules, in a good way. There is a sense of humor that flows throughout each issue that is not pure comedy, but instead a poignant reminder of the fact that food is fun, and taking yourself too seriously is never a good idea.
9. Cooking In The Moment by Andrea Reusing
-Southern cuisine that is decidedly North Carolina, yet globally influenced at the same time. Some of the best recipes for really enjoying the bounty of produce and meat that is available throughout all the seasons. This is seasonal cooking without the hype and pretentiousness that is a hallmark of the locavore movement. Her stories and recipe leads bring the reader into her life in a manner that is both comfortable and inspirational, while never being preachy.
10. Tender by Nigel Slater (US Version)
-Nigel Slater is one of best food writers on the planet. From a literary standpoint, he is tough to beat. His sentences swirl through the mind in a manner that is reminiscent of the great fictional writers of history. Yes, I just said that, and I stand by it. He can transport you to a dreamlike state where you are in his garden, watching the morning dew drip down a string of runner beans. This book is Slater’s love letter to the vegetables he grows, procures, and cooks. It is decidedly romantic, but few people couldn’t learn from the practical advice that fills its pages. Slater is so English it hurts in the very best way possible, and I have come to find great comfort in my impression of him (pretty spot on if I do say so myself), always bringing a laugh to me, myself, and I. Slater has been turning out some of the best books in food for a long time, and he seems to be elevating his game with each new offering.
In my next post I will discuss great music, as well as the things that people refer to as trends in the food world.
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