truth be told, i am a bit of a cookbook junkie — but for a more civilized descriptor, let’s just say collector. cookbooks, especially those published by phaidon are just some of the best visual eye candy around, and yet they’re practical, too because in them you’ll also find wonderful recipes. i have too many phaidon cookbooks to list here, but these are just a few of my favorites — with my very favorite being mexico by Margarita Carrillo Arronte. with its laser-cut hot pink cover, i can only tell you the recipes beneath it are just as divine. and another fav is Vegetables from an Italian Garden — broken out Season-by-Season with Over 350 delicious vegetable recipes to cook throughout the year. dig in!
a few favorites: France: The Cookbook — This bible of traditional and authentic French home cooking, is to France what The Silver Spoon is to Italy; Breakfast, Lunch, Tea The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery — Breakfast staples, light lunches and afternoon treats from Rose Bakery in Paris; Mexico: the cookbook; Naples and the Amalfi Coast from the silver spoon; Where Chefs Eat A Guide to Chefs’ Favorite Restaurants — 3,200 restaurants from 70 countries selected by 600 leading chefs. The ultimate guide to where to eat by the real insiders; and On Vegetables Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen.