A braise is about as easy as cooking gets and hits the spot as we enter the comfort-food season. Our next Cook the Book Club pick is Molly Stevens’ All About Braising
A FEW TIPS TO GET STARTED:
- Braising is a cooking method by which food is browned, then cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid on the stove or in the oven; it is different from a stew. The long, slow cooking develops flavor and tenderizes foods.
- Bring meats to room temperature and then season well with salt and pepper before cooking.
- Choose a large wide-bottomed pot that can fit all the meat and vegetables in one layer.
- A tight-fitting lid is imperative to prevent liquid from evaporating.
Recipe: Moroccan Chicken with Olives & Preserved Lemons
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Instead of purchasing something brand-new, our personal shelves (stocked with plenty of fodder for good eats) became the place to “shop” for our latest 
. This classic book was named to the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2007 and will be our inspiration for cooking more legumes, grains and veggies as we start the new year. We also realized that we have 4 other Katzen books we may also spend some time cooking from again, including: 
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A tip from a friend led us to a fabulous little bookstore in London called Books for Cooks. Located just off the Portobello Market, the store is stocked from floor to ceiling with cookbooks — everything from the known to the unknown. In addition to selling cookbooks, the store has a test kitchen where they try out recipes for select cookbooks. The favorite recipes from the test kitchen are compiled in 
The South’s customs are old and well-preserved by decades of isolation. Family recipes are passed, almost verbatim, from generation to generation. A fierce sense of pride and attachment to both people and place results in traditions held fast. Virginia Willis, who grew up in Georgia and Louisiana, inherited her love of fresh, home-cooked food and unconditional hospitality from her mother and her grandmother. Going on to become a classically trained French chef, her beautiful new cookbook, 
, melds these divergent influences into “a modern chef’s passionate and utterly appealing homage to her culinary roots”.
by Deborah Madison. Her philosophy of food and the wide range of delicious vegetarian recipes makes this one of our favorite cookbooks by Madison. We love her reliance of farmer’s markets and local produce. Many of the dishes are simple, fragrant and colorful, and include creative ingredients that go well together as a vegetarian side or full meal — try the Goat Cheese with Corn and Red Mole Enchiladas, Winter Squash Soup with Fried Sage Leaves, Sabzi, and Prune Tart in Almond Crust. This is one of our top ten cookbooks. We recommend it for everyone’s kitchen, veggie or not.
by Tom Colicchio. Simple ingredients combined with professionalism that takes food to the next level of cooking. The cookbook begins with discussing basic kitchen techniques: roasting, braising, blanching, and sauce-making – things that we think we may know how to do in the kitchen, but are we doing it properly and using these techniques to our advantage for simple cooking? It includes an interesting section called “trilogy” (recipes with only three ingredients), and introduces a concept called “component cooking” (what seasonal ingredients work together). It is a compelling read and an encouraging book for experienced home cooks, but forget it if you do not like spending time in the kitchen. It is not spontaneous cooking and does take some effort and time. For the foodies in your life, it would make a great gift. To try: Fava Bean and Pecorino Salad with Prosciutto, Pan-Roasted Striped Bass, and Pan-Roasted Mushrooms.
: “This book is for people who truly enjoy cooking“. Most of the recipes are for days when you really feel like being in the kitchen — slow-cooking at its best. We also found several super, simple recipes for great dishes. It is about good ingredients and taking the time to enjoy the process of cooking. Some of our favorites include: Avocado-Sardine Toasts, Herb Jam with Olives and Lemon, Moroccan Spring Couscous with Barley, Fresh Fava Beans & Buttermilk, and Slow-Baked Lamb with Fennel, Pecorino and Potatoes.
of recipes from one of America’s premier and most innovative food sections. With the Bay Area’s diverse population and the major influences of Asian and Latin cuisines, this fabulous book is a must-have in our humble opinion. It is a compendium of unique and satisfying meals that any palate will enjoy: Fish Fillets with Mustard Meringue, Roasted Polenta with Balsamic Sauce, Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Mexican Rice Pudding are some of our favorites. There is also a second volume of this cookbook (San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook, Volume II) that includes recipes for 
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