The Cookshelf: Winter 2019

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margarita
By Tim Federle, Running Press, $15.00
Books, meet booze! Are You There God is the worthy successor to Tequila Mockingbird, a fun and festive collection of literary-themed cocktails. The ladies in your book club will delight in the clever commentary, historical tidbits, and, of course, tasty libations. The literate lush in your life will love creating cocktails like Murder on The Orient Espresso, The Handmaid’s Ale, or Of Mice and Manischchewitz.

Skinnytaste: One and Done
By Gina Homolka, Potter, $30.00
The Skinnytaste program emphasizes sensible weight control by eating whole foods and focusing on portion control. In One and Done, Homolka makes cooking this way even easier by focusing on one-pot wonders organized by time-saving cooking vessels—skillet, sheet pan, baking dish, pressure cooker, air fryer, or slow cooker. Each recipe includes detailed nutritional information, as well as color-coded notes for special diets and freezer-friendly recipes. Beautifully photographed, non-fussy recipes will have you whipping up delicious, healthy recipes that your whole family will love, including Creamy Butternut Pasta with Spicy Sausage and Spinach, Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Crust and Vegetarian Butternut Chili.

Rose’s Baking Basics
By Rose Levy Beranbaum, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35.00
Beranbaum’s Cake Bible is truly the shining example of THE cookbook for any serious baker. Rose’s Baking Basics takes everything she has learned from writing 11 cookbooks and boils it down to simple instructions and more than 600 step-by-step photographs to inspire the novice baker. With more than 100 foolproof recipes, treats such as Marzipan Cookies, Lemon Butter Squares, and Apple Cider Cake Donuts are well within any motivated beginner’s reach.

Unicorn Food: Beautiful Plant-Based Recipes to Nurture Your Inner Magical Beast
By Kat Odell, Workman Publishing, $19.99
A vibrant collection of vegan-ish recipes created to help you release your inner unicorn by eating whole, minimally processed, vibrantly-colored, tasty foods. Odell gives all the tools needed to eat beautifully, starting with extensive tips on creating and stocking your own unicorn pantry. Start your day with a Pineapple, Ginger and Basil Matcha Juice, enjoy a colorful lunch of Broccoli- Avocado Soup, and end it with a mythic Miso-Almond Cookie with Date Caramel Glaze.

Tasty Ultimate: How to Cook Basically Anything
An Official Tasty Cookbook, Clarkson Potter, $29.99
Tasty creates internet-famous cooking videos watched by millions daily. This expansive, lavishly-illustrated book is perfect for any cook on your holiday list regardless of their skill level. Beginners will learn from the “101” tips scattered throughout, and accomplished home chefs will love the varied and eclectic collection of more than 150 recipes. Comfort foods—Classic Tomato Soup and Ultimate Buttermilk Fried Chicken—are right at home alongside more daring dishes, such as Crackling-Crust Roast Pork with Mojo and a Showstopping Beef Wellington.

Menus: A Book for Your Meals and Memories
By Jacques Pepin, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $29.99
Jacques Pepin created this gorgeous, hand-illustrated book to record the meals shared with friends and family “as a testimony to the special moments of togetherness and joy of food and love.” This collection of 75 of his favorite charming borders gives space to memorialize menus and allow guests and friends to leave lovely comments. Pepin even suggests removing labels from special bottles of wine and glueing them into the book. A gorgeous gift for anyone who loves to entertain!