This is a great fall season for cookbooks. There are so many good books that have already been released, with more coming that we're going to try and feature a new book once week for a while. As avid readers and cookbook writers we just can't get enough of them, even when it puts a strain on our bank accounts.
Some of you know that we had a hand in Volt ink., Brian and Michael Voltaggio's new book. It was a fun and challenging project and we think that they've accomplished something pretty extraordinary with their first book. Instead of feeling short-changed because it's one book instead of two, readers will be excited because they get two for the price of one. While there may be some similarities between the brothers: they both have a great passion for cooking, a love of ingredients, and a dedication to sustainability; their personal styles are very different.
It was inspiring to work with them both. They put their heart and souls into making this a great book, no easy task, given their other responsibilities. It shows both in the recipes and in the stories that pepper the head notes. From the emphasis on families in the structure of the book to the recurring theme of relationships in the food pairings and food memories, this book is a window into the lives of two chefs and the way they shape their food.
There is a good spread of recipes from simple to complex but there is none of the dumbing down or simplification of techniques that used to be so popular in "chef books." It's their food exactly the way they would cook it in their restaurants, with a few optional alternatives offered here and there to allow home cooks to approximate their results without investing in expensive equipment. There's complexity and inspiration to be found in these pages, which is only fitting as Michael and Brian are both chefs who care deeply about what they do. The photography by Ed Anderson shows it all off beautifully. The book and its extended iBook will is available now and we encourage you all to go check it out.
**Weldon Owen has generously offered 2 copies of Volt ink for us to giveaway here. To qualify leave comment below telling us what your favorite cookbook/food writing book is and why. You must have a valid email address with your comment so we can contact you to get your mailing address. Winners wil be chosen randomly on Friday morning at 9am EST and announced on this post.
***Winners will also get 1 copy of our book, Ideas in Food, Great Recipes and Why They Work.
Giveaway is now closed. Stattrek was used to generate 2 random numbers from the list of comments. Winners are Joana Ang and Judith Klinger.
