Reference
Texture Pro
Heiko Antoniewicz
This starter set for molecular gastronomy is something one can do at home. It includes 10 texturizers as well as an accompanying book, which is excellent for its simplicity and visual step by step photos. The book has 50 recipes and the Raspberry Gum with Mint Pesto is on our list to try! Introductory price of $75.00.
 The Kitchen Linens Book
EllynAnne Geisel
A cache of household linens found in her mother-in-law’s apartment moved EllynAnne Geisel to tell the story of the almost-lost world of monogrammed damask, Madeira and cutwork linens, of embroidered dresser scarves and tea towels and the women who used them. The book includes a vintage Butterick transfer pattern so you can make your own heirloom linens. Heavily illustrated. Hardcover, 142 pp. $24.50.
 The Apron Book
EllynAnne Geisel
Did your mother wear an apron? Odds are, that if she did, Geisel has written about the particular cut and style in this book. Learn everything you didn’t realize you wanted to know about aprons from EllynAnne Geisel and find numerous patterns and methods for creating your very own. Book includes a vintage transfer pattern for a Basic Bib apron.Hardcover, 139 pp. $19.95.
 Wild Food
Ray Mears
Though not a cookbook this is inspiring for cooks as it traces our hunter/gatherer/foraging history almost as a lost art. Chapters on Foraging, Hunting, Fungi and how the past relates to present is engaging and very readable. Hardcover, 352 pp. $45.95.
 Flavor Bible
Page & Dornenburg
This dynamic duo writes some of the best reference books around. Whether a professional or home cook, you need their books on your book shelf. Remember Becoming a Chef ($32.95), Culinary Artistry ($32.95) and What to Drink With What you Eat ($46.00). This latest tome brings it all together under the banner of flavour and they don't disappoint. Hardcover, 380 pp. $38.00.
Science of Good Food
Joachim & Schloss
Don't quite understand all this molecular gastronomy stuff but too afraid to ask? Check out the entry in this extremely useful reference book and all will become clear without having grade 12 sciences. 1,600 entries to keep you informed and up to speed on the why's and how's of cooking.
Softcover, 624 pp, $37.95.
Things Cooks Love
Marie Simmons
Veteran cookbook author Marie Simmons teams up with the great purveyor of culinary equipment to create a book that highlights cook’s tools. From sauté pans to more obscure pieces such as the chitarra, the guitar-like wire-strung frame used to make rustic pastas, each entry offers tips for use, how to care for it, and possible alternatives. Of course there are recipes for each. Colour photos. Softcover, 342 pp. $39.00.
 Williams-Sonoma Tools & Techniques
Foreword by Thomas Keller
It all boils down to what to buy and how to use it.The first section of this heavily illustrated book offers a guide to the best equipment as perceived by Williams-Sonoma. The second section shows how to deploy all that fine equipment to best advantage. Colour photos. Hardcover, 350 pp, $34.95.
 1001 Foods To Die For
Corby Kummer
This book does it all - it is a reference for all of your favourite international culinary creations, including facsinating details about the history of the dish, tips on buying the ingredients and tips on the very best preparations. Oh, and the glossy photos are beautiful and inspiring too. Whether you need to know how to prepare Crab Cakes, Gumbo, Tabbouleh, or Tom Yum soup, this book has it. Hardcover, 960 pp. $45.00.
 The Basics: The Foundations of Modern Cooking
Filip Verheyden
This is a perfect little book for teaching you how to master core techniques,
such as cooking techniques (roasting, grilling, how to confit) cutting
techniques (how to brunoise and julienne) how to make various stocks, soups
and sauces, how to bake bread, pastries, even how to make potato foam (?!)...
you name it, it's in here. Each technique is accompanied by a beautiful
photo and the book itself has elegant gilded pages. Hardcover, 320 pp.
$31.95.
 The New Food Lover’s Companion
Fourth Edition bySharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst
Once again, the Companion starts with abalone and ends with zwieback. There
are approximately 700 new entries covering ethnic and exotic ingredients
and techniques. Among the useful features are the conversion charts covering
British terminology, pan sizes, and microwave. A must for both beginners
and seasoned cooks. Sharon Tyler Herbst who began writing the Food
Lover’s Companion in 1988 died in early 2007. Softcover,
829 pp. $16.99.
 The
Best Kitchen Quick Tips
Editors of Cook’s Illustrated
From almond paste on the first page to zucchini on the final page, these
534 tips, illustrated by line drawings, will improve your performance in
the kitchen. Softcover, 402 pp, $27.95.
 What's a Cook to Do?
James Peterson
A consummate culinary teacher, James Peterson has the answers to almost
500 questions from how to shuck oysters to how to tell if egg whites are
sufficiently aerated. What sets this chunky little book apart from other
how-to books is its colour step-by-step photos. James Peterson is also
the author of Sauces and Splendid Soup,
each $53.99 Hardcover, 422 pp. $18.95.
  The Food Encyclopedia
Jacques Rolland & Carol Sherman
From biographies of authors & inventors to kitchen utensils to fruits & vegetables
as well as foreign language cooking terms, this is a useful reference book
for the shelf. Not too dry and serious that you wont find it fun to dip into
and read. Hardcover, 701 pp $49.95.
 The Oxford Companion to Food
Second Edition
Alan Davidson, Tom Paine editor
The late Alan Davidson worked 20 years on the original magnum opus (1999).
This updated second edition has over 72 new entries written by writers Harold
McGee and Rachel Laudan. A serious book on food and food history. Hardcover,
907 pp. $75.00.
 The
Cook's Companion
Whether your taste is for fois gras or fry ups, this tasty compilation of the
wise, the weird and the faintly absurd will soon have you asking for more. This
cute little book is an essential ingredient in any kitchen and is boiling over
with foodie facts, fiction, science, history and trivia. 160 pp. $19.95.
How to Break an Egg
Editors, Contributors, and Readers of Fine Cooking
Fine Cooking has gathered 1,453 kitchen tips, food fixes, emergency
substitutions and handy techniques from a wide range of collected
wisdom. There is enough information in these pages even for the sceptic
who feels
they know all the tricks. A great reference manual. Also included
are 42 techniques, illustrated step by step in full colour. Hardcover,
394 pp, $26.95.
 On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen
Revised
Harold McGee
A fascinating book that explains how and why cooking works, with historical and
literary anecdotes and mind-boggling photos of food taken through an electron
microscope. A true classic for foodies and armchair scientists alike. Hardcover,
684
pages.
$58.00.
Culinary Artistry
Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
A classic since its publication in 1996. The authors interviewed 30 top American
chefs - Gray Kunz, Rich Bayless, the Jean-Louis Palladin, and Alice Waters among
them - to discover the sources of their inspiration. For us mere mortals the
food matches section is invaluable. Softcover, 426 pp, $43.95.
 The Kitchen Hand
Anthony Telford
Published in Australia, this pocket compendium, while not as comprehensive
as The New Food Lover's Companion ($21.00),
offers a more personal interpretation of various food terms and procedures.
Softcover, $16.95.
 Alton Brown's Gear For
Your Kitchen
Alton Brown
The popular host of Good Eats and James Beard Foundation award-winning
author brings us his latest offering – a well-constructed guide to essential
kitchen gear. Instead of listing the expensive, cutting edge tools most favour,
Brown provides with a selection of tools he actually uses, with explanations
of why and how he uses them (often in a very MacGyver-like fashion). Hardcover,
255pp., $43.95.
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Répertoire
de La Cuisine 
Resource Guide for Food Writers