Every chef, food writer and home cook has a cookbook these days. Publishing companies have been encouraging those who are passionate about cooking to publish their knowledge and recipe repertoire. However, some chefs and food writers are widely recognised and well established to the extent that they have become household names. Here are some cookbooks by five such people:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
An American cookery teacher and television presenter, Julia Child attended culinary school in France. She built a reputation in the food world that has gone on to outlive her death in 2004. Her book ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ became a bestseller when it was published in 1961 and remained on bestseller lists for five consecutive years. The book, containing 524 recipes, brought French cooking to an American audience. Recipes for traditional dishes like beef bourguignon are bouillabaisse are included in the book.
The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden
Claudia Roden is a much respected Egyptian-British food writer of Jewish descent. She has also presented cooking shows for the BBC. Her accolades include co-chairing the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery and an honorary fellow at SOAS, which is a part of the University of London. Her mammoth cookbook, ‘The Book of Jewish Food’, is a treasure trove of recipes from the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities. The book was born out of Roden’s travels, during which she tasted different food and gathered stories.
Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
An Israeli-British chef, restaurateur and food writer, Yotam Ottolenghi worked at different London restaurants before establishing his own. He has also studied French pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in London. His cookbook ‘Simple’ focuses on recipes that are easy to make: some take under 30 minutes, while others use ten ingredients or less, or just one pot. The book uses beautiful photography to complement the writing. Ottolenghi uses unusual ingredients like pistachios and orange blossom to add an interesting touch to everyday dishes.
Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson became very popular with her TV show Nigella’s Kitchen, which used to air on the Discovery Travel and Living channel. Lawson has worked in both publishing and journalism before becoming a television presenter. Published as recently as 2015, her book Simply Nigella has 125 inspiring recipes, most of which are fusion dishes. In the book, Lawson has included dishes like Asian-flavoured short ribs, miso salmon, cauliflower and cashew nut curry, and Thai noodles with cinnamon and prawns.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
A food writer and Cook, Samin Nosrat started her career with Chez Panisse in California. She has also studied journalism. Her first book, ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking’ went on to become a New York Times Bestseller and also win a James Beard Award. Netflix even launched a documentary series based on the book. The book focuses on what Nosrat considers the fundamentals of good cooking. It attempts to bridge the gap between professional kitchens and the home.