Daily Feast, La Puerta Azul Cookbook

by Ramiro Jimenez

The amiable chef of Millbrook's "Blue Door" restaurant, Ramiro Jimenez, shares traditional flavors of his home country with an upscale twist. Way beyond rice and beans, tacos and tostados, the recipes explore the variety of flavors and ingredients of authentic Mexican cuisine from chilis to chocolate, epazote to queso fresco, from the fresh taste of ceviche to a hearty braised pork in adobo and the mystery of mole.

Hudson Valley Mediterranean: The Gigi Good Food Cookbook

by Laura Pensiero

Laura Pensiero, chef/owner of Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck, gives a little of herself, too, as she shares her philosophy and approach to eating seasonally and healthfully. The cookbook follows the seasons, weaving stories of Gigi's local farm sources and recipes that truly are for the busy home cook.

A Tavola, Recipes and Reflections on Traditional Italian Home Cooking

By Gianni Scappin and Vincenzo Lauria

Gianni Scappin and Vincenzo Lauria, respectively the chef and maitre d' instructors of the Culinary Institute of America's Caterina de' Madici restaurant share their Italian culinary traditions providing a primer on Italian gastronomy, the various regional differences and their common respect for ingredients; and an understanding of authentic Italian food and its distinction from Italian-American food. Beautifully photographed, recipes follow the courses from simple antipasti and breads to homemade pasta and main course to digestives and desserts.

Mother's Best, Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again

by Lisa Schroeder

Across the country in Oregon, after years of travel and restaurant cooking, a chef realizes the soul of a country's cuisine is not in its restaurants but in the foods cooked at home. Lisa Schroeder, chef and owner of Mother's Bistro & Bar in Portland, shares 150 favorite recipes (including nine ways with macaroni and cheese and an entire chapter on breakfast) along with tips and advice for the less-experienced in the kitchen. The way to your family's heart really is through their stomachs.

Over the Rainbeau

by Lisa Schwartz, Judith Hausman, and Karen Sabath

Not a chef, but a mom, Lisa Schwartz found the way to her heart was not cooking, but farming and making cheese. Schwartz conveys the romance and challenges of her journey from tending a pair of goats to building a sustainable farm in suburban Bedford, o making award-winning cheese. Along the way, Schwartz becomes an ag teacher, a cooking instructor and an advocate. This is an inspirational memoir, a cookbook (with original and chef-created recipes) and a beautiful photo documentary.