We are all about going out to eat here at BITE, but some foodies are adventurous enough to try and re-create the restaurant magic in their own home kitchens. Others are just curious about the mind and the making of a chef, and hope that reading cookbooks and chefs’ memoirs will help them gain insight into our local geniuses. Whichever your desire, these books will help you get there.
9 Courses
by Brandon McGlamery
(Story Farm)
The culinary roots of the James Beard-nominated chef of Luma and Prato are exposed in this thoughtfully written and beautifully designed volume, which is available at those restaurants or online at lumaonpark.com or prato-wp.com. Pure eye candy.
The Ravenous Pig: Seasons of Florida
by James and Julie Petrakis
(Story Farm)
A love of local products and people shines through in dozens of recipes and stories from the chef-owners of the groundbreaking Winter Park gastropub. Here’s hoping their other place, Cask & Larder, gets the same treatment soon. Available at theravenouspig.com or at their restaurants.
Savory Bites: Meals You Can Make in Your Cupcake Pan
by Hollis Wilder
(Stewart, Tabori and Chang)
The charming owner-operator of Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly proves that not all cupcakes are sweet; this book helps home cooks turn out adorably miniaturized versions of everyday favorites. Available in bookstores and online.
No Experience Necessary: The Culinary Odyssey of Chef Norman Van Aken
by Norman Van Aken
(Taylor Trade)
Anthony Bourdain’s cover blurb reads, “Norman Van Aken is the Jimmy Page of his profession – a man who was there at almost every important moment in its history.” Do you really need any more of a recommendation? Available in bookstores and online.
The Southern Cowboy Cookbook
by John Rivers
(Story Farm)
The genial local barbecue and fried-chicken expert with the golden touch shares tips for home cooks. Southern Cowboy is available in 4 Rivers Smokehouse restaurants or at 4rsmokehouse.com.
Field to Feast: Recipes Celebrating Florida Farmers, Chefs and Artisans
by Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand and Heather McPherson
(University Press of Florida)
This impressive book surveys 75 Florida farms and food producers and a couple of dozen chefs, covering the state in a comprehensive locavore manual. If you live and cook in Florida, there’s no reason not to buy this book immediately. Available in bookstores and online.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2014.
