Holiday cookbooks: From brunch to cocktails
Every year, the holidays offer a bountiful buffet of beautiful cookbooks. Paste BN’s Jocelyn McClurg orders up a selection that will tempt any home chef, not to mention the Modern Family fan on your list.
1. Brunch @ Bobby’s: 140 Recipes for the Best Part of the Weekend
By Bobby Flay
Clarkson Potter, $29.99
In the kitchen: Flay is chef-owner of Bar Americain and Mesa Grill, while his cooking shows include Brunch @ Bobby’s on the Cooking Channel.
What’s cooking: Coconut Chai Tea Lattes; Moroccan Eggs with Flatbread and Goat Cheese; Steak au Poivre Ratatouille Hash
Our takeaway: Who doesn’t love to go out to brunch? With these recipes, you can breakfast at home like a pro.
2. Jacques Pepin: Heart and Soul in the Kitchen
By Jacques Pepin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35
In the kitchen: Timed to the French chef’s 80th birthday and a companion to the PBS series.
What’s cooking: Broiled Sole with Chive Butter, Rice with Cumin and Green Olives, Eggplant-Tomato Gratin.
Our takeaway: Pepin is keeping classic French cuisine alive – but likes a burger (Hamburger Royale!) as much as the next guy.
3. Farmhouse Rules: Simple, Seasonal Meals for the Whole Family
By Nancy Fuller
Grand Central Life & Style, $30
In the kitchen: Star of the Food Network show Farmhouse Rules, Fuller cooks out of her 18th-century home in New York’s Hudson Valley.
What’s cooking: Marvelous Meat Loaf, Creamy Cauliflower Mash, Rhubarb Hand Pies
Our takeaway: Meals for the whole family – and for people who like to eat, heartily.
4. The Modern Family Cookbook
Oxmoor House, $29.95
In the kitchen: The cast of the popular ABC comedy whip up some delicacies, in character.
What’s cooking: Cam’s Coffee-Frosted Brownies, Jay's Sloppy Jay’s, Claire and Phil’s Basil-Infused Mojitos.
Our takeaway: An entertaining and creative companion volume for anyone who loves the Pritchett-Dunphy clan – and the recipes aren’t too shabby, either.
5. The New Kosher
By Kim Kushner
Weldon Owen, $35
In the kitchen: The Manhattan-based chef and cooking instructor is also author of The Modern Menu; she was raised in a modern Orthodox home.
What’s cooking: Perfect Challah, Lime & Sesame-Soy Chicken, Crispy Shaved Brussel Sprouts.
Our takeaway: An inventive gourmet approach to kosher cooking, spiced up with Middle Eastern and North African influences.
6. The Cocktail Party
By Mary Giuliani
Ballantine, $28
In the kitchen: “A-list” caterer Giuliani counts Bradley Cooper, Stella McCartney and The Rolling Stones among her clients.
What’s cooking: Mini veggie pot pies, White Chocolate S’Mores, Grapefruit-Jalapeno Margarita – not to mention tips for parties from New Year's Eve to afternoon baby showers to award season soirees.
Our takeaway: Giuliani’s chipper motto of “eat, drink, play, recover” will help get hosts, hostesses and party-goers survive any holiday season.