I love the Modernist cooking but the book is SO enormously massive, it is really difficult to enjoy and digest. that said, it is still a wonderful book and I'm glad I bought it.
My brother is getting:
Meathead
Project: Smoke
Charcuterie (Ruhlman and I forget).
My dad is getting:
Meathead
Last year I got from my brother:
The Food Lab (which is incredible... but )
Flour Water Salt Yeast (which is incredible, though I would take Breadhead's advice on running a starter, as Forkish's method seems to use a metric ton of flour and no one else's does).
Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes (Which I have read through, acquired a few pantry items, and not actually made anything out of for no particular reason).
An alternate idea which is not a book, but is much like one:
ChefSteps is here to make cooking more fun. Get recipes, tips, and videos that show the whys behind the hows for sous vide, grilling, baking, and more.
I'm working some chefsteps recipes and inspiration for the holidays... doing their char-siu pork starting tonight. Some of their recipes are finicky... like do it exactly as they say and they work amazingly. Bonk a direction a bit with sloppy cutting or poor measurement, and possible disaster.
The Alton Brown book seems an easy pick. Fairly bulletproof, moron proof recipes from AB, always. Not so with Chefsteps or Kenji...
Regarding Sous Vide at Home. It is from the makers of Nomiku. While I have backed both products, I am vaguely angry at Lisa and Ave Fetterman, so would not spend another nickel towards anything that they produce. While most reviews of the book are positive, I believe a ChefSteps premium membership or Food Lab will be a better book for the long run.
Karon Adams Consort of the Flame Cooking is a Sacred Endeavour
Big Poppa's Drum conversion
Maverick wireless meat & grill thermometers
Thermopen Instant Read Thermometer
Pit IQ blower
I don't often buy cookbooks anymore. I prefer the How To cooks books. the ones that focus more on technique. that's why I came to this site in the beginning and like Meathead's book. it is what I love about Ruhlman's book.
that said, I would look as much as I could at the technique level of the recipient and what they aspire to be. frankly, I give Alton Brown a great deal of credit for my cooking advancements. I learned a lot on my own, experimenting in the wilderness when I was younger, raising kidlets and cooking on a shoestring. later, Good Eats starts and I learned a lot from that show. a lot of basic technique and the science behind it. I had always been terrified of "Fine Cooking" thinking it was so complex and way above my head. then, one day, I saw the souffle episode and decided I would try it. what did I have to lose. that began my 'no fear' cooking when i realized it was all chemistry and anyone could do it. Alton Brown is definitely a good, approachable yet technique teaching cook.
If you have kids going away or who have recently gone away to school, here is a book gift idea that has been around forever and I loved for its simplicity: Where's Mom Now That I need Her?: Surviving Away from Home. My mom sent me off with that and The Joy of Cooking. Still have both - the Joy of Cooking is missing the cover.
My list has had Seven Fires & Mallman On Fire, by Francis Mallman on it for a year. Still working to get those two. Found them most intrigueing. Right up the LIVE FIRE alley for me, especially a winter cook.
Not a pure cookbook, but Franklin Barbecue A Meat Smoking Manifesto is a good read. Interesting story on how Aaron got started and became a master in cooking brisket. The hardcover book is printed on good quality paper and has photos worthy of framing. Oh and you'll probably pick up a tip or three on smoking brisket!
I like Chris Groves' The Kamado Smoking and Grilling Cookbook. Of course it is Kamado specific, but what I like about it is his broad based approach to cooking each type of food and his encouragement to create your own recipe within the approach to cooking that specific type of food. It could be a hands on approach to learning to cooking each type of food with less concern about the recipe and more about the how to.
I have a collection of BBQ and smoking related books here in my office. Franklin's book is on the shelf. I am a big Bittman fan! How to Cook Everything is the best book on basics I've ever had. That's why How to Bake Everything is on my list -- plus it'd be a gift for a baker. For me, I'm very tempted by Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking by Masaharu Marimoto and EveryDayCooking by Alton Brown. Food Lab is impressive and overwhelming. Meathead is the perfect mix of science, practical recipes and myth-busting. It's a fun read, IMO.
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