Books for Cooks

December 13, 2012 (Updated December 23, 2016)

Can you give the gift of good taste? We think so. Home cooks, foodies and lovers of all things Oregon will delight in this list of new cookbooks from the region’s chefs. From beef to bread and from soup to sauce, there’s something for every kitchen.

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Portland, Oregon Chef’s Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the City of Roses by Laurie Wolf ($24.95)
A celebration of Portland’s top chefs and restaurants, this book includes 70-plus recipes from more than 60 of the city’s most celebrated eateries, such as Park Kitchen, La Pigeon, Paley’s Place and St. Jack.

Pure Beef: An Essential Guide to Artisan Meat with Recipes for Every Cut by Lynne Curry ($27)
With scores of savory recipes — like Roast Beef Braised in Zinfandel with Winter Herbs and Potato Gnocchi — Curry includes helpful lessons on things like the difference between grass and grain fed beef, choosing meat, identifying cuts and cooking techniques.

Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza by Ken Forkish ($35)
Bakers will delight in this manual from Forkish, a James Beard Award nominee and owner of Ken’s Artisan Bakery. Instructions, techniques and essays are included along with recipes ranging from simple (Saturday White Bread) to advanced (Double Fed Sweet Levain Bread). You can visit Ken’s Artisan Bakery and sample these amazing breads for yourself.

Modern Sauces: More than 150 Recipes for Every Cook, Every Day by Martha Holmberg ($35)
Holmberg turns up the heat on sauces, offering inspiration on savory and sweet — from classics like béarnaise, hollandaise and marinara to contemporary creations like maple-rum sabayon, caramelized onion coulis and coconut-curry spiked chocolate sauce.

Ready to start cooking? Head to Powell’s and give someone a taste of Oregon.

About The
Author

Eileen Garvin
Eileen Garvin lives and writes in Hood River. When she’s not hunched over her keyboard or digging in the garden, you can find her mountain biking, kiteboarding, hiking, skiing or camping somewhere in Oregon.