The Cookbooks Editors Are Relying On During Social Distancing
The America’s Test Kitchen Complete Vegetarian Cookbook
I'm a giant America's Test Kitchen fangirl, so it was a toss-up whether I'd pick this or one of my other two favourites, Vegan For Everybody and The Cook's Illustrated Baking Book—all are essentials. But this one won out because it's full of easy, pantry-friendly recipes, including ideas for all the jars of grains in my cupboard—an infallible way to make brown rice (baked, in the oven), a delicious barley bowl, plus how to make amazing popcorn in your Dutch oven. And it's shown me how to use up all the random bits of veg I have kicking around in my crisper—including a perfect kale caesar, then how to turn the rest of that kale into easy, child-friendly chips.—Gillian Grace, deputy editor
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
In the introduction, Ina Garten admits she just doesn't really care about trends in cooking. To her, the perfect recipe is easy, able to be made in advance if you have friends coming over (remember friends coming over?!), and makes the house smell wonderful. While Ina's version of "easy" might be a bit different than mine, every single recipe I've made from this cookbook has been flawless, especially Italian Wedding Soup, Herb-Marinated Loin of Pork, and Pappa al Pomodoro. Bonus fun: seeing pics of Ina's kitchen barn (yes, she has a kitchen barn, with indoor and outdoor seating) sprinkled throughout.—Sasha Emmons, director, lifestyle content
Cool Beans
Washington Post food editor Joe Yonan put out his bean book just in time for a pandemic-inspired obsession with legumes. His basic guides to choosing and cooking from the rainbow of dried beans are a very handy reference even when I'm not cooking one of Yonan's own creative recipes—but I usually am. On repeat in my house right now is a chickpea-based sandwich filling, bulked up with dried cherries and walnuts, and aromatic with tarragon.—Denise Balkissoon, executive editor
Drinks: A User’s Guide by Adam McDowell
I originally bought this book—which, to be fair, is more of an instruction manual than a cookbook—by my former National Post colleague Adam McDowell to make my favourite cocktail, a Manhattan, at home. (The key: rye, never bourbon, and good sweet vermouth and bitters—I like Dillon's for both, and Amarena cherries.) But I've turned to it again and again for its drink recipes and wittily written advice on wine, beer and spirits, honing my taste for whiskeys/whiskys (new favourite: George Dickel Tennessee Whisky No. 12) and bourbons and learning what kind of inexpensive sparkling wine to keep in my fridge (cava). And now that I can't just stop at the LCBO on my way home—and, like a lot of people, could really, really use a drink—I've been using it to make good use of the odds and ends of booze I had kicking around, including a surprising amount of gin (which is not my favourite). But thanks to Drinks, I've made, and enjoyed, everything from a gimlet (lime juice and simple syrup were a good pandemic sub for Rose's Lime Cordial) to a French 75.—Gillian Grace
The Flavor Bible
As a recipe developer, I rarely use cookbooks and rely on travelling and visiting restaurants as my main sources of inspiration for cooking and creating recipes. In lieu of those, I often refer to my favourite "cookbook," The Flavor Bible, which is really more of a guide to ingredient pairings, and is great for teaching you how to cook beyond using recipes.—Irene Ngo, food content director
Food52 Mighty Salads
These last three weeks of self isolation have been all about the carbs, which is why I pulled out my favourite salad cookbook this weekend. There are so many tasty ideas in this book that prove that yes, salad can be a meal. —Simone Olivero, senior editor
Jerusalem: A Cookbook
I love Ottolenghi recipes! They can be time-consuming, but the results are almost always worth the efforts. This one in particular is a favourite because Jerusalem is one of my favourite food capitals. A few recipes from this book is like taking my taste buds on a trip back to the famous Machane Yehuda market.—Simone Olivero, senior editor
The Kinfolk Table
I'll be honest, I've never made a recipe from this cookbook—but that's not for lack of wanting. Despite claiming to be "understated" and "unfussy", I've never had the time to really pore over these until I was in self-isolation. Now, I look forward to trying out the pumpkin bread with maple-cinnamon glaze and nuts.—Simone Olivero, senior editor
The Kitchn Cookbook
If you suddenly have the urge to learn how to properly cook, this is the book for you. Along with yummy recipes from the popular site, this book has practical information, like what knife to use when cutting meat and how to properly store dried goods.—Simone Olivero, senior editor
Made In India
This 2015 collection is largely quick, simplified versions of classic recipes, often Gujarati dishes that British chef Meera Sodha learned from her mom. For those looking to kill some self-isolation time, Sodha's friendly, encouraging tone is also a great guide through trickier special occasion meals: the fragrant lamb biryani took me two days and a long list of spices to make—and it was entirely worth it. Last year's vegetarian book, Fresh India, is also wonderful. I recommend the rich, pea-studded paneer butter masala.—Denise Balkissoon
Mexico: The Cookbook
An almost-cliché story people like to hear about migration narratives are the recipes people bring from their birth countries to their new homes, and how these dishes are passed down. That's only half-true of my mom and me: when she came to Canada from Mexico at 19, the only thing she knew how to make well were steak and fries, and that's largely what she ate in her first year here. The things she eventually learned how to make, and in turn has taught me, are entirely from two cookbooks my grandmother sent her after this move and not widely available. Margarita Carillo Arronté's Mexico: The Cookbook is the next best thing, and a book I've spent years cooking from. It's taught me so much about the wide variety of cuisines of a place I keep learning I know so little about. My favourite chapter? A twenty-page section devoted entirely to eggs.—Chantal Braganza, senior editor
Moosewood Cookbook
I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately—for obvious reasons—and this led me back to the book that taught me how cook: the original Moosewood Cookbook. My Aunt Jean gave me a copy when I moved away to university (inscription: “Good luck on your new adventures”). I had a lot of adventures, and misadventures, in the years that followed, but the recipes I made from this book were reliably consistent, hearty and healthy-ish, including a Hungarian Mushroom Soup that I made once a week throughout my entire fourth year of university. A banana bread craving recently led to to dig it out again; I made a massive loaf (secret ingredient: one cup of cold coffee) on a sunny Sunday morning and everything seemed okay for a bit. Now I’m planning on making the spanakopita for Easter; however, I’m afraid it will always be too soon to revisit the Hungarian Mushroom Soup.—Maureen Halushak, editor-in-chief
Nigella Bites
You know how some people think fondly about the first album they bought with their own money? That's how I feel about Nigella Bites. I got it as an impulse buy shortly after getting my first job, which happened to be at a pet store near a Chapters location. Everything about this cookbook—from Lawson's writing, to her comfort-food approach to cooking, to the cover, which is a picture of her just casually popping a chip of bacon into her mouth—puts me at ease. I'm making the lemon risotto tonight.—Chantal Braganza, senior editor
Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day
If you can find flour, and yeast, baking your own bread is an excellent pandemic pastime. It takes a lot of time, but most of that isn't active—meaning occasional stirring and flipping is a great way to take a break when you're working from home, and end up with a delicious loaf. This baking classic is a terrific resource for both bread beginners and experts, with lots of flexibility—including instructions for using a stand mixer to knead, which is an amazing time (and mess) saver. I've used it to make everything from bagels to baguettes; I'm now working on my first sourdough starter, and very much appreciate the detailed, day-by-day instructions, scientific rationale and step-by-step photos.—Gillian Grace, deputy editor
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