Dear Milk Streeter,
On a recent episode of Milk Street Radio, Chris sat down with Milk Street's Editorial Director J.M. Hirsch to discuss our top food books of 2017. Our list ranged from titles by longtime favorites to some unexpected new discoveries we’ve made along the way.
We present you the list (in no particular order) below:
The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South
By John T. Edge
"If you think you know something about the grit, character and wit of the everyday Southerners who powered the civil rights movement, The Potlikker Papers will convince you otherwise."
— Christopher Kimball
Purchase here
"A fresh and easy approach to cooking that anyone can enjoy with simple, big, bold flavors—I was very inspired by it."
— J.M. Hirsch
Purchase here
David Tanis Market Cooking: Recipes and Revelations, Ingredient by Ingredient
by David Tanis
Sweet: Desserts from London's Ottlolenghi
by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh
"Like everything Ottolenghi, he delivers an energetic element of surprise—in flavors, stripes and concept—to give us something old, something new."
— Christopher Kimball
Purchase here
"These are clean, simple and bold recipes that pack a lot of power with very little work."
— J.M. Hirsch
Purchase here
Hazana: Jewish Vegetarian Cooking
by Paola Gavin
The Palestinian Table
by Reem Kassis
“Reem Kassis makes you feel as if she lives around the corner and you hope she invites you for dinner. If you don’t get a call, however, you can just buy her book.”
— Christopher Kimball
Purchase here
“The Grammar of Spice takes away the intimidation of trying new foods without heavy-handed recipes—and that wins me over every time.”
— J.M. Hirsch
Purchase here
The Grammar of Spice
by Caz Hildebrand
Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
by Joshua McFadden
“Spaghetti with Swiss chard, pine nuts, roasted mushrooms; roasted fennel with apples; raw artichoke salad; plus simple crostadas, ragus and salsa verdes. These are all familiar notes, but with an honest simplicity. This is a cookbook you will cook out of.”
— Christopher Kimball
Purchase here
“[This book] has a wonderful mission [...] It feels like you’re looking into somebody’s journal, frankly. It's just a casual approach to an otherwise unusual subject, and I was won over by the oddity of it.”
— J.M. Hirsch
Purchase here
Bread Is Gold: Extraordinary Meals with Ordinary Ingredients
by Massimo Bottura and Friends
In My Kitchen: A Collection of New and Favorite Vegetarian Recipes
by Deborah Madison
“In My Kitchen represents wonderful simplicity and refinement. This level of restraint and confidence is what one hopes for but rarely finds in our foodie superheroes.”
— Christopher Kimball
Purchase here
“A fresh take that shows with the right approach, this equipment can truly make great food.”
— J.M. Hirsch
Purchase here
The Chef and the Slow Cooker
by Hugh Acheson
