Cookbooks for the Conscious Eater

Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Yotam Ottolenghi’s namesake London restaurants—as well as his cooking column in “The Guardian”—made him a culinary person of interest for vegetable lovers everywhere, and his cookbooks made him a hero. This collection of 140 recipes is sourced from the Ottolenghi restaurants’ Mediterranean-influenced menus, for eaters who happen not to be taking their lunch breaks in London. The focus here is on fresh produce and flavor-rich ingredients—feta cheese, lemon, garlic, tahini—the kind that make a simple dish pop while maintaining its good-for-you edge.

The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters
Nobody does good, simple, and seasonal like Waters, the powerhouse chef behind beloved restaurant Chez Panisse and an early proponent of the slow food movement, which changed the way we think about where our food comes from and how we prepare it. The Art of Simple Food puts its focus on technique, showing chefs how easy it can be to make good ingredients taste great, with a minimum of fuss required.

Chloe’s Vegan Italian, by Chloe Coscarelli
What do you think of when you think of Italian food? Cheesy baked ziti, meaty lasagnas, tiramisu—everything but dessert crowned with good parmesan. But as a winner on TV show Cupcake Wars, vegan chef Coscarelli proved that dessert can be delicious without the benefit of butter and eggs, and now she’s doing the same for Italian. All you ditchers of dairy who thought you’d seen the end of your love affair with pizza, gelato, and eggplant parm, here’s your second chance.

The Vegetarian Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg (Photographer)
If someone’s new to vegetarian cooking (and eating), they can’t be blamed for asking one very simple question: where does the flavor come from? This book is Page’s full-barreled response to that question, a “guide to culinary creativity” that teaches home cooks how to pack good taste into meatless meals by way of spices, herbs, delicious fats, and more. Hundreds of taste-making ingredients are covered, and chefs from renowned veggie restaurants including Dirt Candy and Greens weigh in on how to make your kitchen creations sing.

Silvana’s Gluten Free and Dairy Free Kitchen: Timeless Favorites Transformed, by Silvana Nardone
Nardone got to know gluten-free eating after her son was diagnosed with food sensitivities. A food magazine editor and former owner of an Italian bakery, Nardone set out to create delicious, gluten- and dairy-free dishes he could eat, and every recipe in this book is good enough for you to serve to your loved ones, too. Deep dish pizza, sandwich bread, pancakes: the book is packed with alternative recipes for classic comfort foods even the gluten-tolerant will love.

Heritage, by Sean Brock
As the chef at Charleston restaurants Husk and McCrady’s, Sean Brock has put a spotlight on the cooking of his native Appalachia, as well as the city of Charleston itself. He’s driven by a desire to preserve and cook with heirloom ingredients, in updated comfort foods that would be at home on a pioneer’s table—but that we’re very eager to serve up on our own. You try resisting his Buttermilk Pie with Cornmeal Crust or his Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder with Tomato Gravy. Or don’t: it is the holiday season, after all.
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