Ever wonder what chefs are reading to give them inspiration about ingredients and recipes? Well, we asked seven chefs about their go-to industry reads that are great for both seasoned pros and people new to the biz.
1
“ The Flavor Bible is a great reference and I use it constantly.”
- Jennifer Carroll, Executive Chef and Partner at Requin
2
“ Food Lover's Companion is always in my back pocket. It is updated so often that I am always learning about new things and the seasonality of ingredients.”
- Eddy Leroux, Chef de Cuisine at Daniel
3
“I always carry The Flavor Thesaurus and The Basics with me. I consistently refer back to them to remind myself of the basics of cooking.”
- Barbara Lynch, Chef and Owner of Barbara Lynch Group
4
“Cooking by Hand', 'The French Laundry Cookbook', 'Clorafilla', 'Makeup', and 'Michel Bras' are a few of the books I feel an aspiring professional in this industry cannot live without.”
- Kim Floresca, Co-Executive Chef of [ONE] Restaurant
5
“Every cook should have La Technique by Jacques Pepin.”
- Jamie Bissonnette, Chef and Partner of Toro and Coppa
6
“New cooks should read Daniel Boulud’s "Letters to a Young Chef". There also are three books that I always give to new managers: Danny Meyer’s "Setting the Table", Joe Bastianich’s "Restaurant Man", and "The Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership" by Cameron Morrissey.”
- Fabio Trabocchi, Chef and Owner of Gruppo FT
7
“Some favorite books include: “The French Laundry Cookbook” (for technique), “Relae” – Christian Puglisi, “Cooking By Hand”- Paul Bertoli, “In De Wulf”- Kobe Desramaults, “Grande Livre de Cuisine/Encyclopedia”- Alain Ducasse, and last but not least, the “Joy of Cooking.”
- Jonathan Black, Chef de Cuisine at Quince
