7 best chronicle books of family table cookbooks

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Chaud Comme

Le Grand Aioli

Tomatoes with Butter and Armanac

Roast Chicken with Prunes

Ratatouille

Kouign-Amann

Invite Rebekah Peppler to a Table

Why did you decide to create this cookbook?

With À Table, I dive into the magic of France that I've gotten to know intimately living here. I share recipes that offer up the sexy, sparkling charm that is the French meal to others, wherever their homes may be.

What can readers learn from the French way of cooking?

The rituals and customs around cooking in France have long been romanticized, but that doesn't mean they're not accessible. À Table aims to merge the imagined French fantasy with the truth of cooking and eating to create a doable but charming reality.

What is your favorite meal to make for yourself?

My absolute favorite meal is really a "snack dinner," which sounds much more chic in French: "apero dînatoire." On my table it includes Le Grand Aïoli surrounded by vegetables for dipping and a tin of sardines. Add a crusty baguette, some olives, maybe a few slices of saucisson, and a good bottle of wine and it's, hands-down, my favorite meal to enjoy.

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Remix Gin & Juice

Snoop's classic cocktail with an updated twist.

Snoop Dogg

Cookin' up some meatballs for the family.

Go Shorty, It's Your Birthday Cake

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Nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award: Vegetable-Focused Cooking

Ruffage focuses on the simple techniques that help any cook prepare a variety of delicious vegetables in a number of ways. This vegetable focused cookbook tackles the question home cooks ask themselves about vegetables: How do I cook this? How do I make this exciting? Do I store this in the fridge? How do I make this into dinner?

Ruffage offers new strategies and practical advice from Abra Berens, an exciting new chef and farmer in the Midwest, and features 100 straightforward recipes, each with 3 or more variations, organized alphabetically by vegetable.

Asparagus: Pan Roasted

My mother was a wonderful cook, mastering everything from spit-roasted woodcock to the perfect cream sauce. But she cooked asparagus all to hell. The asparagus of my childhood was microwaved until it turned the color of 1970s bathroom tiles—and was simultaneously limp and stringy—naturally I looked askance at any mention of asparagus on a menu. The first bright green, just-cooked, and still-crisp stalks, rolled in butter and salt, stole my heart; I’ve never been the same since.

The key to a good pan roast is to give it the time and space to cook. Overcrowding the pan will steam the vegetable or at least make it cook unevenly. Caramelization won’t happen if you insist on stirring every 5 seconds. Trust yourself and your pan. Allow it to brown a bit, then give it one good turn to sear the other side. Transfer to a plate, garnish, and eat.

Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until just about smoking. Add the asparagus so that they all lie in a single layer. Allow the asparagus to get a good sear on one side. Roll the spears over and brown the other side. Turn off the heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Roll the stalks in the butter until coated.

Serve sprinkled with crunchy salt and chopped herbs.

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The Tartine Way

The bread at San Francisco's legendary Tartine Bakery sells out within an hour almost every day. At 5 P.M., these rugged, magnificent loaves are drawn from the oven. The first cut yields steam and room-filling aroma, exposing an open and tender interior underneath the burnished, substantial crust. This distinctive bread was developed by renowned baker Chad Robertson over a decade of working with one of the finest artisan bakers in the United States and France, followed by another decade baking solo in a small wood-fired oven on the coast of Northern California. The following for this singular bread far exceeds the bakery's limited daily production.

Only a handful of bakers have apprenticed to learn the techniques Chad has developed.

Now it's your turn to make this bread with your own hands. Clear instructions and hundreds of step-by-step photos put you by Chad's side as he shows you how to make exceptional and elemental bread using just flour, water, and salt.

Chad then explains how it all works and shows how variations from this master recipe lead to wonderfully diverse breads. Soon you will be able to create your own unique and personal loaf. Also included are more than 30 sweet and savory recipes using the day-old bread to make sandwiches, classic soups, puddings, delicious baked French toast, and an addictive Kale Caesar.

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Forget Your Pasta Machine

A sfoglia, the heart of this book, is a sheet of pasta rolled by hand. Some people form it with a pasta machine. If you follow Evan Funke on Instagram already know his feelings on that...

Being a sfoglino, or pasta maker, in Bologna is a position of honor, deeply rooted in the city’s cultural history, traditions, and lore. For hundreds of years, bolognese pasta makers have practiced their daily ritual of rolling pasta by hand in laboratori (workshops) and homes all over the city. Sfoglini are the very foundation of bolognese cuisine.

The recipes in this book include traditional, centuries-old pasta forms such as Tagliatelle and Lasagna, as well as some creative ones, such as the Smeraldine. In accordance with the customs of Bologna, pasta shapes are paired with specific sauces. Buon appetito!

CESTINI AGLI ASPARAGI

This filled pasta unites a favorite spring vegetable with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Each spring, they appear together across the Italian peninsula in a variety of ways, including in pastas and risottos. The asparagus and salty cheese contrast beautifully.

MINESTRA DI VERURDA CON SORPRESINE

Bologna’s cold winter months are dominated by hardy vegetables, such as bitter leafy greens and sweet heads of cabbage. What is nice about this soup is that it’s warming and filling without being heavy.

GARGANELLI CON RAGÙ DI AGNELLO

This braised lamb ragù is an Easter specialty in Emilia-Romagna, marrying the Christian symbolism of the sacrificial lamb with the natural rhythms of nature. In Bologna, suckling lambs are slaughtered in spring just as peas come into season. The tender meat is simmered with herbs and sweet seasonal peas, resulting in a soulful sauce with deep flavor.

STRICHETTI ALLA ROMAGNOLA

Romagna is the often-overlooked neighbor to the east of Emilia. While it is home to beach resorts, such as Rimini and Riccione, its cuisine is definitely overshadowed by the globally revered food of Bologna, Modena, and Parma. That said, the dishes of Romagna are simple, satisfying, and easy to prepare, and this pasta is no exception.

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Whole Grain Lager Mustard

This tangy and spicy mustard pairs nicely with sweet fruit and savory cheeses. Keep the mustard spicy as is or add more honey at the end to sweeten it up to your liking. Don’t skip soaking the seeds overnight in the vinegar mixture, as it helps mellow them out. Yellow mustard seeds are milder than brown, so feel free to use all yellow if you want a milder result or more brown to make it even spicier.

Directions:

Combine yellow and brown mustard seeds, the cider vinegar, beer, and brown sugar in a small bowl or medium glass jar. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Transfer to a food processor and process until almost smooth, about 30 seconds.

Add the honey and process for another 15 seconds. Taste and season with more honey or salt, if needed.

Serve right away or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.