Cookbooks & E-books 2025-2026 -- Recently read / acquired, Wish list, and Deals

Someone near and dear (and extremely overwhelmingly generous!) found a list of cookbooks scribbled on some scratch paper I’d used as a bookmark and accidentally left in the book when I lent it to them:

(Bonus photo of photobombing cat)

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One tip from her/book:

Never use a microplane grater for grating Parmesan, always use the smallest section of a box grater. She says the microplane makes it too fluffy and with the box grater you will get a more accurate amount.

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Wow, what an excellent haul! Fabulous friend.

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I think I’m liking this cooking more and more. I’ve been wanting to make Chicken Schnitzel and she has a recipe for thighs but gives instructions for breasts too (I only like to eat white meat so I’ll use breasts). Instead of AP flour, she uses potato starch (which I happen to have) and Panko but she makes the panko finer. She specifies using a 12" cast iron pan … Mine is too heavy for me and I have small hands so maybe I’ll just use SS pan.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia, and A-Gong’s Table: Vegan Recipes from a Taiwanese Home are both on sale for $1.99 on amazon.ca

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Today I received my pre-ordered signed copy of Ready for Dessert. I love David and at my advanced age of “39” I now have my first signed cookbook.

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The Talisman of Happiness by Ada Boni.

On my wish-list (available for pre-order, but at $60, I haven’t pulled the trigger).

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I am in Paris right now and have eaten at both Mokoloco and Mokonuts and will eventually be adding the book to my collection but it is too heavy to tote home with me. If anyone has it, I would love the fig tart recipe. I had it for dessert today and it is def worth the price of the book for that one recipe. So nuanced. I must have it again.

Not sure which book you mean- is it the Mokonuts Cookbook?
It is on Kindle ($8.99) but I don’t see a fig tart in the index.

I found this on google (there’s another one from David Lebovitz):

Fig and hazelnut frangipane tart
This recipe is inspired by the style of baked goods at Mokonuts, with a rich frangipane filling that pairs beautifully with fresh figs.
Ingredients
For the sweet tart dough (Pâte Sucrée):

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
1 large egg, whisked
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 tsp vanilla extract 

For the hazelnut frangipane filling:

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and ground
½ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened 

For the topping:

6–8 fresh figs, quartered
1 Tbsp honey, for glazing 

Instructions
Make the dough:

In a food processor, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Pulse briefly to combine.
Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
Add the egg and vanilla and pulse just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and press it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the edges and refrigerate again for 30 minutes. 

Pre-bake the crust:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line the chilled tart shell with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake for 20–25 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment and bake for another 5–10 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden color.
Remove from the oven and let the shell cool completely. 

Make the filling:

In a food processor, pulse the toasted hazelnuts until they are finely ground, being careful not to over-process into hazelnut butter.
Add the sugar, vanilla extract, egg, and softened butter to the processor and pulse until almost smooth. 

Assemble and bake the tart:

Spread the hazelnut frangipane evenly into the cooled, pre-baked tart shell.
Arrange the fig quarters decoratively on top of the frangipane.
Bake for about 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F (160°C) and bake for another hour, or until the frangipane is set and dark golden-brown.
Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Just before serving, warm the honey slightly and brush it over the figs to create a beautiful glaze.
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