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© 2005-2016 Ideas in Food
Writing and Photographs by Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot
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Powdered Pinwheel
I have been working on a new dough for Curiosity Doughnuts. It is light, flaky and delicate. I spent an excessive amount of time trying to wrap the dough around a filling. That time was filled with ongoing failures. It turned out the dough preferred to be on its own. When we fried it as beautiful pinwheel it was inanely delicious. Now we need to dial in the production.
Years Past
February 18, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Blueberry Maple Oatmeal
The chill in the air sparked my desire for oatmeal. I cooked a pot of rolled oats and topped them with heavy cream, maple syrup and blueberries. The combination was classic pancake style. It struck a chord of happy memories. It was warm gruel that I was able to become lost in thought while eating. Now it is time to turn it into a doughnut.
Years Past
February 17, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Filling Station
It is amazing to see the variety of doughnut fillings ready to dispense.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Pasta Tools
When the designs of the tools evolve so do the creations.
Years Past
February 15, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Nori Wrapped Rib Eye
We brushed the rib eye with our gochujang-mustard. We wrapped it in nor and held the nori in place with plastic wrap. We refrigerated the meat for an hour and then vacuum sealed the meat to press the nori tightly in place. We unwrapped the meat and cut it into portions. We cooked the portions in a combi oven set at 52°C and cooked the meat for 2 hours. We removed the meat and seared the exterior in sunflower seed oil. The meat browned and the nori toasted. It was a delicious surf and turf.
Years Past
February 12, 2006
February 12, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Gochujang Mustard
We combined equal parts gochujang and mustard. The two made each other better. The mustard added a sharpness. The gochujang provided a full rich foundation of sweet heat. It's honey mustard with character.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Epic Disaster
These cakes certainly look pretty. Unfortunately they were completely under-cooked. Meringue topped cakes have a definite learning curve. Especially if you have an oven that habitually runs low. Sometimes a new obsession can be quite challenging. On the bright side, I've rediscovered classic chocolate mousse, and I am quite enjoying it, possibly for the very first time. When I was younger it was all about the pudding. Now, back to drawing board....
Years Past
February10, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Baked on Meringue
Aki has been playing around with baking meringue straight onto cakes. The inspiration is the blitz torte. She puts the cake batter in the pans and spreads meringue over the top. The meringue and cake cook together. The result is a delicate crispy and tender meringue on top of moist cake. To me, its as though frosting is baked directly on the cake.
Years Past
February 9, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Boston Spheres
We freeze our Boston cream custard in sphere molds. We dip the frozen spheres in our doughnut magic shell and roll them in white chocolate pretzel crumbs. We thaw the spheres in the refrigerator. The shell forms on the outside and the inside is creamy decadent custard.
Years Past
February 8, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Spiralized Cookies
I took the sfogliatella dough and cut it into disks. I rolled each disk granulated sugar. I baked the cookies until they were caramelized, about 18 minutes. The cookies unwind in crisp delicate threads. They are addictive and crushworthy. Though the process to make them makes them a cookie worth making when time is not being counted.
Years Past
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Sfogliatella
Actually, what I made is closer to a lobster tail. Rather than filling the layered dough with a ricotta custard or a pate choux I opted for a quick biscuit. The layers of dough provide a crisp exterior and the biscuit is moist and tender inside. I baked our first version to see how the components came together. It gave me a general idea on the processes needed to create the pastry. It also alleviated my impatience. I have a base to tinker with as we transform the classic pastry into a doughnut.
Years Past
February 3, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Ricotta Ravioli
I am now tinkering with our yeasted dumpling dough.
I rolled the dough out into a thin sheet. I spread a mixture of ricotta and cream cheese over half the dough and folded the dough over the top. I punched the dough into ravioli.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Yeasted Dumplings
I have become smitten with yeast leavened filled dumplings. In Chinese they would be sheng jian bao. A yeasted dumpling dough adds flavor, lightness and substance to the dumpling. There is an excitement surrounding this dumpling. There is the potential for variety in flavoring the dough. There is the need for mastery in folding the dumpling. There is the insane potential for fillings.
Years Past
January 29, 2006
January 29, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Chocolate Caramel Brownies
I have needed to have chocolate and caramel together. The chocolate highlights the caramel. The caramel highlights the chocolate. They make each other better.
Years Past
January 28, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Seasoned Shoulder
I cubed up the remaining meat after I removed the coppa from the pork shoulder. I seasoned the meat with 0.75% salt and 0.25% gochugaru, Korean chile flakes. I refrigerated the meat for 48 hours to allow the salt and chile to penetrate the meat. I ground the meat, twice, through a 1/4 inch size meat grinder die. The meat is now ready to be put to use.
Years Past
January 27, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Oven Broth
I enjoy the deep rich flavor of a roast chicken. I appreciate the gelatinous mouth feel that a pork shank can add to a broth. I do not enjoy de-glazing roasting pans to capture the fond for making broths.
I coated chicken bones and pork shank with a mixture of sunflower seed oil and soy sauce and roasted them in a deep roasting pan for 2 hours. I added water and cooked the broth for 3 more hours. The result was a clean and rich broth that was made in one vessel.
Years Past
January 25, 2009
January 25, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Pork Shoulder Roast
I cut the coppa off of a bone in pork shoulder. I seasoned it with salt and refrigerated the shoulder overnight. I roasted the shoulder roast for 4 ish hours at 300°F. I cooked the meat until it was tender but not falling apart. I sliced it and served it along cream smashed potatoes and a crisp salad.
The roast tasted of pork. It was caramelized, juicy and rich. The shoulder roast was a first step in maximizing the eating experience of a pork shoulder and utilizing the entire shoulder.
Years Past
January 24, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Braised Beef Ribs
Years ago we made beef rib ramen. I wanted to revisit the element of the beef rib. We salted racks of ribs and cooked them in a chicken and pork broth. We cooked the ribs at 300°F for 4 hours. The meat was tender with a juicy bite. I let the ribs cool for 30 minutes in the broth and then cut the meat free from the bones. It is destined to be folded into a rich bowl of noodles.
Years Past
January 23, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Drying on Racks
Brandon, the chef of Curiosity Doughnuts in Tyson's Corner VA, made a small adjustment in drying doughnut biscotti. He put them on racks. The small step shortened the drying time and made the overall drying more consistent. A brilliant adjustment.
Years Past
January 21, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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The Want and the Ability
Years Past
January 18, 2009
January 18, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Pastrami Benedict
Upgrading an icon.
Years Past
January 18, 2009
January 18, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Stuffed Ricotta Dumplings
I do not have a ton of sauces on hand. And frankly, since I do not have a pasta project, currently, I tinker when time allows. Our newly developed ricotta dumplings are special. Their full body and lightness make them crushworthy. But I did not want to leave them alone to my laziness and eating them with a browned butter sauce.
I took the dumplings down to our friends at Charcoal BYOB. They have an insane pasta program and plenty of sauces to play with. On the drive I started thinking more about our dumplings. I figured their texture would easily allow for me to stuff them. This was a thought I most likely would not have tripped over had I not had time to ponder during the drive.
When I arrived we started cooking the dumplings and I set to stuffing a few with a delicious nduja. The dumplings behaved wonderfully and perfectly resealed around the filling. We ate the stuffed dumplings with a coarse red sauce. The other tests, beautiful plates of pasta, were equally delicious, thanks to the synergy of the sauce and the dumplings.
Years Past
January 17, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Doughnut Biscotti
I love looking for delicious outlets for doughnuts. This week I have been tinkering with biscotti and using them as a vehicle for unsold doughnuts. The biscotti incorporates the doughnuts and captures their flavor. And they go great with a cup of coffee.
Years Past
January 16, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Sweet Hawaiian
What is sweet Hawaiian style? Is there a technique to sweet Hawaiian something? Is there a sweet Hawaiian extract? And how do you sweet Hawaiian a flaky biscuit?
Years Past
January 13, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Ricotta Dumplings
Most ricotta gnocchi are so light they have no structure. I wanted to create a ricotta based dough that had structure and some substance. In my mind and in my mouth I needed to differentiate what we were making. I blended ricotta, cream cheese, non-fat milk powder, flour and salt into a wet dough. I scooped the dough and rolled the scoops in flour to create a presentable shape.
The dumplings cook in 3 minutes. The have a light spring and a tender bight. They are not clouds. They are ricotta dumplings.
Years Past
January 12, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Repair the Existing
How we make the repairs is where we like to explore.
Years Past
January 10, 2007
January 10, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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More Mix Ins
Cookies are vehicles for mix ins. Knowing that, I don't think enough about the layering of flavors in the inclusions in cookies. I rely on the dump it all in there mentality. Aki was making biscotti. She was being thoughtful as she was creating new flavors. She started with a lemon scented dough. She added milk chocolate, pistachios and white chocolate to humor me. She was concerned and aware of how the cookies would come together. It's remarkable what we pay attention to and what we gloss over. Watching someone else's process is enlightening.
Years Past
January 9, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Perfecting Pate Choux Gnocchi
Years ago, for our book Maximum Flavor, we created a BBQ potato chip gnocchi, built on the foundation of pate choux. We used the same model for our smoked masa gnocchi with oat mole. In recent years my connection to pate choux has been tied to our insanely delicious Curiosity Cruller.
What we learned from these experiences is that pate choux is a fantastic model that consistently can be built upon. Today we revisited our pate choux gnocchi, using semolina as the flour. I borrowed the idea of piping the gnocchi onto a sheet of parchment paper sprayed with pan release as we do in the doughnut shop. I chilled the strips of dough and cut them into gnocchi. I then went to our cream cooking crutch and cream seared the gnocchi, finishing them with some stock at the end to enrich the glaze.
Years Past
January 8, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Store Bought Smoked Burrata
We have been smoking burrata for years. Today I came across smoked burrata for sale. What I found interesting is the burrata is drained and not stored in brine. The exterior is firm and not nearly as delicate as traditional burrata. The draining has me intrigued on the manipulation of the burrata and how perhaps some draining and drying may improve the burrata eating experience. I had never thought of draining the burrata. Seeing a different way creates potential.
Years Past
January 7, 2009
January 7, 2007
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Elevated Burgers
We cooked thin flattened burger patties in stages and assembled them in a pan that had an elevated sloping center. The burgers rested there as we completed the cooking. Juices drained away from the burgers and were captured in the trough. This resulted in burgers that did not soggify the buns.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Everything Braised Wings
I have been craving braised chicken wings. I wanted to cook the wings in chicken broth to amplify their flavor. I quickly modified my initial straightforwardness. I added ginger, garlic, onion and soy sauce to the pot. With the aromatic base building I thought of adding sesame. Except the only sesame seeds I had were in the form of everything bagel mix. I don't think I would have initially reached for the everything seasoning had I not drifted onto an Asian profiled flavor spectrum. But once I needed sesame and all that was available was the mix it became a greater idea I wish I had thought of. Instead I happily accepted dumb luck. I finished the braising liquid with some crushed red pepper flakes. I cooked the wings on the stove at a low simmer until they were tender, about 45 minutes. The broth and the wings were both savory and satisfying.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Crinkle-doodles
We rollled our snickerdoodles first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar. It creates a beautiful crinkle effect on the cookie. The first run was simple. I am looking forward to exploring the idea from flavoring the cookie, the sugar and the powdered sugar to create an array of delicious crinkle-ized creations.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Feeling Blue
Blueberry doughnuts have been on our to do list for about a year. We finally put it to the top of our list and have it ready to debut this weekend.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Slap Noodle Prep
I love slap noodles. But the seemingly essential last minute slap, stretch and cook and assembly process has had me avoiding them. The other day I saw a picture or slap noodles stretched and arranged on a sheet pan. The noodles were prepared in advance. Today I tried it out. Having the noodles stretched and ready to go allowed me to have the slap noodle experience on demand. I was not struggling to slap stretch and cook. The fresh noodles were still precarious to work with. They needed to be dropped into the water one noodle at a time. The noodles ate wonderfully. Though, I really need to work on my slap noodle sauce game. One step at a time.
Years Past
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Change the Form, Keep the Experience
Ice cream is an excellent canvas for creativity. I came across Apple Cider Donut ice cream at Millie's in Pittsburgh. Seeing the name of the ice cream I became flooded with my own experiences of apple cider doughnuts from making them to eating them in apple orchards. The idea of an apple cider doughnut is transferred to the ice cream. If we are able connect with an experience and change its form we have the potential to create something remarkable.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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All Gone!
I was hoping All Gone! was a cleverly delicious ice cream flavor. I tried to order it. Unfortunately is was not a flavor, yet.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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Cream Seared Steak
We seasoned a thick cut rib eye with salt and put it in a 200 degree oven. We inserted a thermometer into the meat. When the steak reached 100°F we removed it from the oven. We put our cast iron pan on the stove and added a layer of cream. We put the steak into the pan and turned the heat onto medium high.
We cooked the steak flipping it every 30 seconds or so. The cream eventually boiled off and cooked into fat and milk solids. We continued to cook and brown the steak. When the steak was evenly browned we removed it from the heat. We let it rest for 10 minutes and sliced it. The steak was medium rare. The outside was browned and flavored with bits of toasted milk solids.
The ongoing joke in our kitchen now is making sure the refrigerator has a full container of cream.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
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To Be Read
Michael Solomonov: Federal Donuts: The (Partially) True Spectacular Story
Chris Cosentino: Offal Good: Cooking from the Heart, with Guts
Deb Perelman: Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites
Samin Nosrat: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Michelle Tam: Ready or Not!: 150+ Make-Ahead, Make-Over, and Make-Now Recipes by Nom Nom Paleo
Lee Brian Schrager: America's Best Breakfasts: Favorite Local Recipes from Coast to Coast
Jacqueline An: An: To Eat: Recipes and Stories from a Vietnamese Family Kitchen
Carolyn Phillips: All Under Heaven: Recipes from the 35 Cuisines of China
Alexandra Stratou: Cooking with Loula: Greek Recipes from My Family to Yours
Meathead Goldwyn: Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
Tal Ronnen: Crossroads: Extraordinary Recipes from the Restaurant That Is Reinventing Vegan Cuisine
Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez: The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World
Nancy Harmon Jenkins and Sara Jenkins: The Four Seasons of Pasta
Editors of Food52: Food52 Baking: 60 Sensational Treats You Can Pull Off in a Snap (Food52 Works)
Gena Hamshaw: Food52 Vegan: 60 Vegetable-Driven Recipes for Any Kitchen (Food52 Works)
Blaine Wetzel and Joe Ray: Sea and Smoke: Flavors from the Untamed Pacific Northwest
Eric Werner: Hartwood: Bright, Wild Flavors from the Edge of the Yucatán
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