Thanks to those of you who’ve clicked through the Amazon.com links and ordered things (yes, I know that one of you bought an orange silicone Speedo swim cap), I’m the happy recipient of an Amazon gift card. Which, obviously, will be used to buy a cookbook. And since you’re the reason for this season, I thought it only fair that you have a say. Learn
Choose your own adventure! Well, choose my adventure.
Thursday Night Smackdown 
I voted for the Flexitarian Cookbook because I’m trying to fuse more vegetarian meals into my omnivorous family’s diet, and decided you should, too.
Plus one of the reviews cracked me up. It said “this cookbook isn’t for people who don’t really like to cook.” What cookbook is?
I am voting for one not listed…why…because that is how i roll! If you have not read Anthony Bourdain’s Nasty Bits then you need to treat yourself. Not a cook book but it has food and travel and swearing. You will love it!
i’m cheating. wanna make something of it? i voted for “the splended table’s…” because it features weeknight cooking, which potential means more cooking, which potentially means more TNS posts. i’m a selfish bastard like that. but i’m also gonna plug my newest favorite, which is “All About Braising” by molly stevens. good golly, miss molly, is it full of good stuff.
b, already got it, already love it. i believe an early smackdown was her vietnamese caramel braised scallops – it was my first encounter with the wonder that is fish sauce.
what about eric ripert’s new one? it’s called on the line. cute french guy, great accent, and tequila drinker? what could be better.
http://www.amazon.com/Platter-Figs-Other-Recipes/dp/1579653464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224805818&sr=1-1
a platter of figs
it’s my latest greatest
I have to do a presentation on Ferran Adria. Please pick El Bulli so I can steal information from you and use it as a reference. I’ll even quote you. Like, “Claud sez you can make fishless caviar with chemicals n shit.”
Pasta Harvest … it’s one of my all time favorites. Plus it combines veggies (doing the CSA thing?) and pasta! (mmmm – carbohydrates).
But I’ll also be happy if you go for Salty, Sweaty, Sticky & Sweet … or what ever the hell the name of that one was. :
oops, my bad. guess i’d better go dumpster diving in your archives 🙂
I’m with Claudia. You MUST buy Platter of Figs. It’s the best.
claudia & FL@H, i ALMOST included platter of figs instead of a day at el bulli. it’s definitely on the list.
El Bulli is difficult to navigate. I have it, and had to put it down after 8 or 9 pages. It’s just an odd layout, and it gave me a headache.
I voted for “Hot Sour Spicy and Sweet” because the author of that book knows how to rock an interview and the dishes sound scrumptious.
The Professional Chef (if it is the CIA book) is good, but is a text book. Lots of great information in it though. We have a copy.
If you don’t have the complete cooking works by Ruhlman go that way and add one of those. Elements and Charcuterie are great and Making of a Chef makes me wish I was in my 20s and having just been fired from my first job rather than in my 60s and just ‘retired’ from my third.
The Flexitarian Table is AMAZING. Everything I have ever made from it has been unbelievably delicious. Particularly the crispy pressed lemon chicken and the pan-seared mustard thyme seitan. So very very good. My favorite cookbook, hands down.
And this time with blog.
Hot,Sour, fuck it just add Bacon 🙂