From Book to Table: Cookbook Musings from Edward (December 2021 Edition)

I can’t believe I’m recommending a book about a condiment but here I am doing just that! There are some condiments that inspire a cult-like following. Some people can’t live without sriracha or relish or my fave, Old Bay Seasoning. Well, the biggest and brightest cooks of Asian cuisine and other bold-faced names swear by Red Boat Fish Sauce. It’s an amazing condiment made from anchovies and there’s an actual red boat involved, but it’s also the story of Cuong Pham, who developed it after fleeing Vietnam to the U.S. for a better life. It’s his family’s recipes published for the first time. There’s more to this story, of course, so you need to read it! Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook by Cuong Pham, Tien Nguyen and Diep Tran is a maximum celebration of Vietnamese taste using this magical sauce. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it’s a colorful look at the key elements of Vietnamese cuisine and how to build sauces of all kinds. I should say the book is mostly Vietnamese cooking. I couldn’t help but read their version of a holiday turkey using Red Boat Fish Sauce! Wow! Sailing into stores on December 28th.  

If I had a food wish for you, it’s this: please find a way to try Chad Robertson’s bread at Tartine Bakery. Yes, it means you have to go to California, namely, L.A. or San Fran. But if you do, waiting for you at the end of this journey is the best bread you’ll ever eat. A bold statement, to be sure, but bread bakers near and far would agree that amazing bread is made at Tartine Bakery, hands down. Which is why I’m excited to be sharing Bread Book by Chad Robertson and Jennifer Latham. Published by Lorena Jones Books, who knows Tartine as well as anyone, this may be one of the most interesting, innovative and accessible bread books to come out this year. How can we use modern technology to get the most out of ancient baking techniques and ingredients? The answer to the question is here. Imagine how good your meals, sandwiches, buns, etc. will taste when you make the bread! I was especially keen to try the vegan bread recipes which turned out fantastic! Freshly made for you on December 21st.  

This book by Faith Kramer was a delightful surprise to me when I flipped through it. 52 Shabbats, published by The Collective Book Studio is inspiring. Every Friday night is the start of Shabbat, the Jewish holiday celebrating family, food and the spirit. It’s a time to connect with each other but it is an opportunity, through this simple ritual, to connect with the customs of our ancestors. What a beautiful way to celebrate food and our humanity. The book is organized by seasons, and what I really love is each recipe tells us how to make it part of a Shabbat, referencing other recipes in the book that go together to form a complete meal. This is such a cool idea that I don’t often see in cookbooks, believe it or not. The recipes themselves are easy-to-follow and she offers variations to many of them. If you find time to pick this up, you’ll want to keep it. Heading to stores on December 14th. 

I will end the year with one of the coolest books I’ve seen in a while. The Big Book of King Cake by Matt Haines and published by Susan Schadt Press is a marvel. If you’re from Louisiana, and certainly from New Orleans, you know King Cake. For the uninitiated, the name “King Cake” takes its name from the Christian tradition of the Three Kings who travel 12 days in the desert to bring gifts to the baby Jesus. The 12th day of Christmas is also known as Three Kings Day and Epiphany, on the church calendar. The point of the cake is more a fun celebration than anything else. A little plastic baby figurine representing baby Jesus is baked into the cake and whoever gets the slice with the baby inside has to host the next party. It’s a staple during Carnival and a hot trend today.  I am BLOWN away by the content of the book. Matt Haines wanted to eat every King Cake in New Orleans before Carnival and this book features the bakers and the bakeries who love making King Cake. The photography and profiles are just tremendous. I wish more people get to look at this book. It’s a keeper. On sale December 14th.