As the year draws to a close I would love to share with you my cookbook picks for 2011. As I've mentioned before, the hubs and I love to craft a meal together. The big question is, especially on work/school nights, WHAT TO COOK? With all the resources for recipes we have at our finger tips, you wouldn't think that would be the case, but it is. Unless you've invested the time to plan ahead you'll draw a blank both in ideas and missing ingredients. A great collection of cookbooks is always an incentive to plan ahead. Think of it as RESOLUTION #1 for 2012. Be prepared so that you can eat healthy and achieve RESOLUTION #2 "Get in shape"! So here you go, my faves for 2011.Mourad: New Moroccan by Chef Mourad Lahlou
Always a sucker for exotic spicy flavors, not to mention the HOT guy on the cover, this book definitely makes the cut. Bon Appetit and Epicurious agree. Mourad is the real deal, hailing from Marrakesh and currently residing in San Fransisco, where he owns a Michelin-starred restaurant. This self-taught chef puts a spin on traditional Moroccan fare with easy to follow instructions. Just perfect if you're in the mood for something a little different.
I'm a big fan of the Food Network and love English chef, Jamie Oliver's high energy cooking magic. With his new book, Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes: A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast you can create Jamie magic, even on those school/work nights, in 30 minutes or less. It's all there, meat, potatoes, salads and what I like is that the recipe includes the whole meal including sides and even a complementary dessert.
Next up on the hit parade is Anito Lo's Cooking Without Borders because it is all about what makes American cuisine great, fusion. Anito Lo is the chef-owner of Michelin star–rated restaurant annisa in New York City.This book is filled with 100 recipes offering the best flavors from all over the globe.
My final selection, also a New York Times favorite, is Truly Mexican: Essential Recipes and Techniques for Authentic Mexican Cooking by Roberto Santibañez, a Le Cordon Bleu–trained chef and owner of the Brooklyn restaurant, Fonda. I love Mexican food but my pet peeve is chain restaurant "Mexican" food where it's all buried in melted cheese. That's not how it really is folks! This book focuses on salsas, adobos, and guacamole. Mr. Santibañez is able to apply his gourmet training to the cuisine of his heritage.Happy holidays to all and my heartfelt appreciation to you for reading Kitchens for Living. Bon appetite!