Cookbook Awards (Adam's Non-Meme) Part II

Part one is here.

Adam's original post is here.

Most Beautiful Cookbooks Awards

1. Home Baking by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

This couple travels the world with their family and heavily researches their new topic. They take their own pictures of the people they meet and the food they see. Like all their books, Home Baking is so achingly beautiful, I want to run out and buy tons of flour so I can make everything that is contained within its pages. I also deeply covet all of their other books, Flatbreads and Flavors, Hot, Sour, Salty Sweet (Southeast Asian food), Seductions of Rice and Mangoes and Curry Leaves (Indian food). Unfortunately, I am still under my self-imposed cook book moratorium. Soon you will have siblings, my pretty, soon.

2. The Last Course by Claudia Fleming

How dangerous is it that I have this book? So very, very dangerous, like 5,000,000 calories or so. Like the previous book, I want to drop whatever it is I'm doing and make every single thing I find in here, even the recipes with bleu cheese. If you know me, that is high praise indeed. Previous attempts have not gone so well but I am perfectly willing to admit that this is the fault of the impatient chef (me) and not that of the author. Just thinking about this book is making my mouth water.

3. The Zuni Cafe by Judi Rogers

What can I say about this that has not all ready been said? This book is an inspiration. I hope one day to be as talented as Rogers. I hope one day that I will gather up enough courage (and time) to attempt making more of her recipes. The slow roasted artichokes on a bed of onion and lemon that I did try were delicious but it took over and hour and a half in prep work to do it. I had to thinly slice a pound of onions and a handful of lemons, terrified that I was going to lose a finger in the process. I definitely need a mandoline.

I'm off again for more work, no rest for the weary. Be back later today with more.