10 Best Cookbooks from NYC Chefs

Nobu Matsuhisa has combined his love for cooking with his expansive knowledge and training of Japanese cuisine in his newest book, Nobu West. This East-meets-West Nobu cookbook features over 120 traditional Japanese recipes with visual, step-by-step instructions. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and his co-author Chef Mark Edwards’ book, Nobu West offers such recipes as Abalone and White Peach Shooters, Spicey Quail Tempura, Lobster Carpaccio, Baked King Crab Soup, Seabass and Truffle Rolls and a vast list of tasty cocktails. Bringing together the taste and dishes of Nobu’s loved restaurants from all over the world, Nobu West is an innovative Nobu cookbook that is sure to offer recipes that will impress all of your friends.

Does a Malt Ball Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting sound amazing to you? This delicious cake recipe along with over 80 others is featured in Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito’s first baking cookbook, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. After the extremely successful opening of their bakery, Baked, located in Brooklyn, New York, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito decided to once again combine forces and share their modern day twists to Grandma’s favorite recipes. Baked: New Frontiers in Baking has recipes for breakfast, cakes and cupcakes, pies and tarts, brownies and bars and, of course, cookies and cakes. Some recipes include their Sweet and Salty Cake, Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits, Lemon Drop Cake and a melt-in-your-mouth version of Grandma’s favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies. With such fans as Oprah, the Food Network, Martha Stewart and the Today show, Baked recipes are sure to be bring a smile to anyone with a sweet tooth. Baked: New Frontiers in Baking is the perfect present for anyone who has a sweet tooth and loves to satisfy it!

Do you love making and eating fine food? Thomas Keller, the owner and chef at Per Se in New York City, is also the author of two best-selling bistro cookbooks. These two cookbooks have been packaged into one sleek slip cover that is a perfect give for anyone loves fine food. The Complete Keller: The French Laundry Cookbook & Bouchon features recipes from his decadent restaurants. His first cookbook, The French Laundry Cookbook, was named the Cookbook of the Year in 2000 by IACP Cookbook Awards. With easy instructions and accompanying full-color photos to guide you as you make these delicious food inspirations at home, The Complete Keller: The French Laundry Cookbook & Bouchon is sure to be a hit with anyone who appreciates the art of creating and eating bistro-inspired fine food.

The renowned restaurant owner, chef and author Mario Batali has created another must-try cookbook! You may have been lucky to eat at one of his famous Italian restaurants, like Babbo in New York City, or watched one of his shows on The Food Network. His new Italian cookbook, Italian Grill, is co-written with Judith Sutton and covers the essentials of Italian grilling. With different heat options, grilling techniques and must-have equipment, Mario Batali walks you through the art of Italian grilling for your own backyard grill. Invite friends over for a summer cookout and serve Rosticciana, Italian style ribs that are sure to impress them.

Le Bernardin is one the top restaurants in New York City and a favorite of 10best Editors. Long-time, head chef Eric Ripert has teamed up with Michael Ruhiman to create A Return to Cooking, an innovative cookbook that combines Ripert’s love for cooking with his love for art. Opening with an intriguing ghost story, Ripert follows with recipes that he created in four areas of the United States, each featuring a different season. Along with delicious recipes, Ripert’s cookbook features paintings by his friend Valentino Cortazar and essays on various cooking topics. A great read and an insightful cookbook, A Return to Cooking is a must have for any great cook!

Chef Jean - Georges Vongerichten has captured his passion for fusing French cooking techniques with the stand-out flavors of Asian ingredients in his newest book Asian Flavors of Jean - Georges. This Asian cookbook was inspired by many of Jean Georges’s restaurants, where he has incorporated his knowledge of French and Asian cuisine, and has received rave reviews from fellow Four-Star chefs, including Nobu Matsuhisa of the popular New York City restaurant, Nobu. With Jean – Georges’s obsession with exotic ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, and curry pastas, every recipe in this Asian cookbook is sure to pack a punch of flavor. This Asian cookbook is the perfect gift for someone who loves to experiment with food and who appreciates the complexity of a great recipe!

Jacques Torres’ new chocolate cookbook, Jacques Torres’ A Year in Chocolate: 80 recipes for Holidays and Special Occasions, has captured Torres’ love for and ability to create chocolate sensations for every season in your own home. Jacques Torres’ restaurant, Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven is a loved source of chocolate in New York City’s SoHo district. His new cookbook features such yummy recipes as Poached Pears with Chocolate Fondue for New Years Eve, Pumpkin Seed Brittle for Autumn, Chocolate Caramel Corn for Halloween, and of course Chocolate Bon Bons for a memorable Valentines Day. Jacques Torres’ A Year in Chocolate: 80 recipes for Holidays and Special Occasions is perfect for anyone who loves making special treats during the holidays!

Claudia Fleming, the woman behind the melt-in-your-mouth desserts at New York City’s own Gramercy Tavern restaurant, has opened a new world for dessert lovers. Her cookbook, The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern, features delicious desert recipes for both Gramercy favorites and original creations, all made with unusual combinations of fresh ingredients, like Earl Grey Ice Cream or Goat Cheese Cheesecake. Before each recipe, Claudia Fleming has added a personal thought or story, making this book not only a great dessert cookbook but also a clever read. Do yourself a favor and buy this book for anyone who has a sweet tooth!

Renowned French Chef and restaurant owner Daniel Boulud has really outdone himself with his cookbook Daniel’s Dish: Entertaining at Home with a Four-Star Chef. A favorite of 10Best editors, Boulud has 3 restaurants in our featured list of 10Best Restaurants in New York City, including Daniel, Café Boulud and Bouley. Boulud has written numerous best selling cookbooks, and Daniel’s Dish: Entertaining at Home with a Four-Star Chef, released in 2003, has found a fan base of home cooks who love great food and easy recipes. Filled with colorful pictures of mouth watering, easy-to-prepare dishes, Boulud’s book includes such delicious recipes as Baked Little Neck Clams; Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon, Quail Eggs and Watercress; Mediterranean Tomato-Lemon Tart and Catalan Stuffed Tomatoes. Chef Boulud has even perfectly paired a wine selection with each recipe. Call up all of your friends and impress them with recipes from Daniel’s Dish!

Have you ever wondered what four-star chefs cook at home for their families? Charlie Palmer, owner and Chef of Aureole, one of the best restaurants in Manhattan, is also the father to four hungry boys. His book, Charlie Palmer’s Casual Cooking: The Chef of New York’s Aureole Restaurant Cooks for Family and Friends is filled with relaxed meals made with easy to find ingredients. Some of his delicious recipes include Perfect Roast Chicken, Mile High Shrimp Sandwiches, Fresh Fruit Cobbler and Apple Pizza with Cider Sorbet. These recipes are perfect for holidays and your kids are sure to love them. Get his book before the next holiday season and surprise your family with a meal that everyone will love!