Let’s Get Cooking
Even though I host a television show about dining out and am extremely proud of Chicago’s dynamic restaurant scene, I also take great pleasure in cooking a delicious meal at home. I grew up in a family of avid cooks. At home, my mother did most of the cooking, but my father was also no stranger in the kitchen: he worked as a professional chef for over thirty years. It was always so much fun watching my boisterous family argue over recipes and the merits of cooking a certain dish one way versus another.
I have carried that legacy of cooking into my adulthood, and enjoy exploring foods from other cultures. My collection of cookbooks includes over 400 titles from all over the world, and I eagerly await the release of newer books to add to my shelves. The vast majority of my cookbooks are purely for looking and not cooking. The dishes certainly look mouth‐watering and enticing, but the recipes are far too complicated for the average home cook. It’s frustrating when the author sends you on a wild goose chase for exotic and expensive ingredients, with no guarantee that the recipe will actually work. Cooking should be about pleasure, and not making you feel like a failure.
Fortunately, I have found a stable of cookbooks that make feel like Julia Child in the kitchen. The pages are dog‐eared and stained because I use them so much. The instructions are easy‐to‐follow, the ingredients can be sourced from any major supermarket, and, most importantly, the recipes are fool‐proof—and you’ll feel like a million bucks!
Perhaps you’ve resolved to cook more in 2020, or you’re already someone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen. To that end, I’m pleased to share with you my list of favorite cookbooks, which I hope will add joy to your cooking as well.
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook: I have learned so much about cooking from Ina Garten. She makes everything look so easy, and has empowered me in the kitchen. Most importantly, her recipes work. You really can’t go wrong with any of her cookbooks, but her first cookbook, released in 1999, remains a classic that I return to time and again. The pan‐fried onion dip is not to be missed!
The Joy of Cooking: The Joy of Cooking was first released in 1936, and has since sold over 18 million copies! If you have room for only one cookbook, this is it. It is my go‐to‐source for how to make the basics and then some. A new, updated edition was released in 2019, with 600 new recipes making this universal classic more relevant than ever.
Cooking for Good Times: This is a newer release from James Beard Award‐winning Chef Paul Kahan of Chicago’s One‐Off Hospitality Restaurant Group (Avec, Blackbird, The Publican, Big Star). It’s basically a manual on technique, how to entertain, and how to customize different dishes based on what ingredients are in season. Even though it’s new, I’m already calling it a classic.
The Complete Milk Street TV Show Cookbook: Christopher Kimball is another TV personality who has taught me to cook. His Milk Street cookbooks explore foods from all over the world, but break them down so that the ingredients and techniques are within reach of the average home cook. If you love Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern flavors, I highly recommend adding this (and Milk Street’s other titles) to your collection.
America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book: Baking can be intimidating for many home cooks, as there is very little room for error. This comprehensive book features more than 700 kitchen-tested recipes, 800 step‐by‐step photos, suggestions and ratings for products and baking equipment, and at-a-glance tutorials that guarantee success every time you bake. I love baking, and I swear by this book.
