If you're currently sheltering in place or following social distancing guidelines by staying home, you may find yourself with some extra time on your hands. If binge-watching your way through Netflix, Hulu and all the other streaming services ins't your cup of tea, there are plenty of other activities you can try. One way to pass the time is by honing your skills in the kitchen. These 5 home cooking cookbooks will help get you started. Before you know it, you'll be ready to compete on Master Chef.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
Jacket Copy: "A visionary new master class in cooking that distills decades of professional experience into just four simple elements, from the woman declared “America’s next great cooking teacher” by Alice Waters. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is an ambitious new approach to cooking by a major new culinary voice. Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time.
Echoing Samin’s own journey from culinary novice to award-winning chef,Salt, Fat Acid, Heat immediately bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes—and dozens of variations—to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs."
Perfect for: People who want to learn how to cook without ever looking at a recipe.
Buy: Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble
The Newlywed Table: A Cookbook To Start Your Life Together by Maria Zizka
Jacket Copy: "If cooking for someone is an act of love, then what better way for a newlywed couple to express their love than to cook with each other? Author Maria Zizka offers 100 recipes for classic and modern recipes to build a young couple’s cooking repertoire. Couples will not only learn to cook as a team while creating meals to nourish themselves and friends and family but will master key culinary lessons in the process. Recipes such as Leek and Goat Cheese Tart and Spring Vegetable Curry with Rice Noodles are easy weeknight dinners, Seafood Stew with Saffron Broth and Whole Side of Salmon with Herb Sauce are made for entertaining, and One-Bowl Brownies and Birthday Cake will become beloved desserts. Zizka teaches readers how to store food properly and repurpose leftovers and explains topics newlywed couples will surely want to master: how to set up a pantry, set a table, plan a dinner party, create a signature cocktail, and cook together for a lifetime."
Perfect for: Newlyweds, yes, but also anyone looking to master classic recipes everybody should know how to cook.
Buy: Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble
Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes: A Cookbook by Alison Roman
Jacket Copy: "Alison Roman’s Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbreadmade her Instagram-famous. But all of the recipes in Dining In have one thing in common: they make even the most oven-phobic or restaurant-crazed person want to stay home and cook. They prove that casual doesn’t have to mean boring, simple doesn’t have to be uninspired, and that more steps or ingredients don’t always translate to a better plate of food. Vegetable-forward but with an affinity for a mean steak and a deep regard for fresh fish, Dining In isall about building flavor and saving time. Alison’s ingenuity seduces seasoned cooks, while her warm, edgy writing makes these recipes practical and approachable enough for the novice. With 125 recipes for effortlessly chic dishes that are full of quick-trick techniques (think slathering roast chicken in anchovy butter, roasting citrus to ramp up the flavor, and keeping boiled potatoes in the fridge for instant crispy smashed potatoes), she proves that dining in brings you just as much joy as eating out."
Perfect for: People who love sharing they're meals on Instagram and are ready to post a photo of a delicious recipe they whipped up themselves.
Buy: Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble
Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook: A Cookbook by Carla Lalli Music
Jacket Copy: "The indispensable recipes and streamlined cooking techniques in Where Cooking Begins are an open invitation to dive into Carla Lalli Music’s laid-back cooking style. The food director at Bon Appétit, her intuitive recipes are inspired by the meals she makes at home for her family and friends and the joy she takes in feeding them. Here, too, is her guide to the six essential cooking methods that will show you how to make everything without over-complicating anything—and every recipe includes suggestions for swaps and substitutions, so you’ll never feel stuck or stymied.
Where Cooking Begins is also the first recent cookbook to connect the way we shop to the way we cook. Music’s modern approach—pick up your fresh ingredients a few times a week, and fill your pantry with staples bought online—will make you want to click on a burner and slide out a cutting board the minute you get home.
The no-fail techniques, textured recipes, and strategies in Where Cooking Begins will make you a great cook."
Perfect for: Wannabe chefs who can't stop binge-watching the Bon Appetit YouTube channel.
Buy: Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble
Barefoot Contessa Family Style: Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family by Ina Garten
Jacket Copy: "Ina Garten, who shared her gift for casual entertaining in the bestselling Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Barefoot Contessa Parties!, is back with her most enticing recipes yet—a collection of her favorite dishes for everyday cooking. In Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Ina explains that sharing our lives and tables with those we love is too essential to be saved just for special occasions—and it’s easy to do if you know how to cook irresistible meals with a minimum of fuss.
For Ina, the best way to make guests feel at home is to serve them food that’s as unpretentious as it is delicious. So in her new book, she’s collected the recipes that please her friends and family most—dishes like East Hampton Clam Chowder, Parmesan Roasted Asparagus, and Linguine with Shrimp Scampi. It’s the kind of fresh, accessible food that’s meant to be passed around the table in big bowls or platters and enjoyed with warm conversation and laughter.
In Ina’s hands tried-and-true dishes are even more delicious than you remember them: Her arugula salad is bright with the flavors of lemon and Parmesan, the Oven-Fried Chicken is crispy without excess fat, and her Deep-Dish Apple Pie has the perfect balance of fruit and spice. Barefoot Contessa Family Style also includes enticing recipes that are memorable and distinctive, like Lobster Cobb Salad, Tequila Lime Chicken, and Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash."
Perfect for: Ina Garten's fans will adore this cookbook, especially if you're looking to feel like you're hosting a big party—even if you're only cooking for 1 for the time being.
Buy: Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble
The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Becker, Megan Scott
Jacket Copy: In the nearly ninety years since Irma S. Rombauer self-published the first three thousand copies of Joy of Cooking in 1931, it has become the kitchen bible, with more than 20 million copies in print. This new edition ofJoyhas been thoroughly revised and expanded by Irma’s great-grandson John Becker and his wife, Megan Scott.
John and Megan developed more than six hundred new recipes for this edition, tested and tweaked thousands of classic recipes, and updated every section of every chapter to reflect the latest ingredients and techniques available to today’s home cooks. Their strategy for revising this edition was the same one Irma and Marion employed: Vet, research, and improveJoy’s coverage of legacy recipes while introducing new dishes, modern cooking techniques, and comprehensive information on ingredients now available at farmers’ markets and grocery stores.
You will find tried-and-true favorites like Banana Bread Cockaigne, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Southern Corn Bread—all retested and faithfully improved—as well as new favorites like Chana Masala, Beef Rendang, Megan’s Seeded Olive Oil Granola, and Smoked Pork Shoulder. In addition to a thoroughly modernized vegetable chapter, there are many more vegan and vegetarian recipes, including Caramelized Tamarind Tempeh, Crispy Pan-Fried Tofu, Spicy Chickpea Soup, and Roasted Mushroom Burgers. Joy’s baking chapters now include gram weights for accuracy, along with a refreshed lineup of baked goods like Cannelés de Bordeaux, Rustic No-Knead Sourdough, Ciabatta, Chocolate-Walnut Babka, and Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza, as well as gluten-free recipes for pizza dough and yeast breads."
Perfect for: Cooking newcomers hoping to learn as many classic recipes as possible.
Buy: Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble
For those worried about how to purchase books in states and cities following shelter in place guidelines, there are multiple ways to safely buy one of these books (or any others that catch your fancy) while staying home. If you want to support your local independent bookstore, you can order a book for delivery via IndieBound. If you don't have a local bookstore near you, but still want to support independent business during the shut down, use Bookshop. Barnes and Noble will deliver or provide curbside pickup for online orders, depending on local guidelines. Amazon will continue to deliver books, as well, though they are prioritizing other types of orders at this time.
Photo: Amazon