5 Local Cook Books to Live By
With fall upon us, you might soon feel a faint desire to engage with cookbooks; gift them, cozy up with them on the sofa, and, who knows, maybe even cook. Being the official back-to-the-kitchen season, fall is always brimming with new print offerings, from ambitious chef-y books to simple crowd-pleasers, and in San Francisco, there’s no shortage of local names on the shelves. We found five new local cookbooks, whether you like to cook up a storm, or just look at beautiful food photography.
Feed Your PeopleÂ
This handy new book, by culinary school 18 Reasons and writer Leslie Jonath, is a truly communal project. Turning to local chefs, caterers, and community organizers, the book is a gathering of recipes meant for crowds. Sheets of lasagna, big batches of biscuits, pots of curry—you get the idea. In addition to the various dishes, family stories and chronicles of grand celebrations emerge on every page, making the book much more than a recipe collection. $23, available here.
Foreign Cinema Cookbook
The Mission restaurant Foreign Cinema is a San Francisco classic, and for a good reason. A few months ago, the institution, owned by the real-life couple Gayle Pirie and John Clark, issued an extensive cookbook covering its history and mouthwatering food, from brunch to appetizers. Despite the restaurant’s high-end profile, many recipes are surprisingly accessible and can be made with a tiny bit of effort. Plus, the stories will have you pining for San Francisco of the good, old, pre-tech boom days. $25, available here.
Rich TableÂ
Speaking of accessible, the much-awaited and beautiful book by one of the city’s most sophisticated restaurants, Rich Table, poses quite a few challenges for the average home cook. Between the exotic ingredients, infused powders and complex sauces, this is first and foremost a glance at a Michelin-starred establishment with strong local roots. And a must for anyone who’s curious about fine dining. Want to impress guests? Try to make the cauliflower fritters or the olive oil cake. $29, available here.
A Burger to Believe In
Chris Kronner has won Bay Area hearts with his now-closed Kronnerburger, serving nearly-raw, instantly memorable patties and decadent sides. Now, while Kronner is exhibiting his mad skills at the Berkeley restaurant Henry’s, his ode to hamburgers is a take home item. There are endless recipes of patties, salads, sides and even condiments, alongside musings about the most American dish of all. But can you recreate the Kronnerburger at home? You won’t know until you try. $20, available here.
Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food
A frequent San Francisco Chronicle contributor and A Brown Table blogger, Nik Sharma is an expert on modern Indian food, with unexpected Southern touches. His first book, comes out October 2nd and is a celebration of all his favorite things; cardamom, tamarind, fresh fruits, and spices, alongside Sharma’s memories of immigrating to the United States. Local icon John Birdsdall wrote the thoughtful foreword, and Sharma filled the book with bold, doable recipes. $22, available here.
