J. Kenji López-Alt, just “Kenji” here. I really like his evidence-based approach to cooking techniques. Who would have thought that you should flip burgers frequently, that 142F is the best temperature for sous vide pork chops, and that you could make a batch of mayonnaise in a minute using an immersion blender?
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Fuschia Dunlop (British author on traditional Chinese)
It’s not like I worship the author but the writing and instructions are very well written and it feels like I get a deep understanding from reading her works.
But the set of books that helped my cooking the most was Nathan Mryvold’s Modernist Cuisine and Cooks Illustrated
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Isn’t he coming out with some kind of wok Chinese cookbook this month? Are you gonna git it?
He is, and there’s an excerpt here:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Fried-rice-examined-J-Kenji-L-pez-Alt-tests-17010389.php
(it may be paywalled). I won’t be getting a copy yet, but I’ll check it out of the library to get some hints and ideas.
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Early on, I learned from Julia Child, The Frugal Gourmet, Craig Claiborne, Joyce Chen, Martin Yang, Ming Tsai. Now I learn from Chef John, Kenji López-Alt (just got his new cookbook) and the venerable Jaques Pépin. Oh- and Ina Garten. I’m not a baker, or dessert maker…
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In a way, my mother was my greatest inspiration as well. Not because she cooked, but because she worked during the day, went to school at night, and introduced me to great things to eat the rest of the time. I also loved the Frugal Gourmet, but I think Gourmet mag was my greatest inspiration. I think that magazine taught me to cook, or at least try!
True story: as a teen I sold that Time-Life Good Cook series in a phone bank, but don’t ever recall trying to cook from them.
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Justin Wilson was the first to open my eyes to what looked delicious, compared to the many casseroles my moma made. I still spend most of my screen time watching food related entertainment.
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We’d gawrontee too.
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I still say “another dead soldier” whenever I empty a bottle of anything.
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He has some interesting approaches but he also tends to claim “best of this” and “best of that” when either some approaches also used before (e.g. mayonnaise in a blender approach) or personal preferences (e.g. there is no “best” temperature for pork - some people prefer 135F, some 140F etc). He is very good in marketing himself and too many people are just blindly following him. His wok book is for example OK but if you have cooked a lot before in the book actually has very little new recipes, information etc what you can’t find in many other cookbooks
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RIP. I learned a ton from Gourmet in its heyday as well.
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I like that he let’s you choose what you are looking for.
This one is beef but I remember similar for pork, salmon, boiled eggs.
In my experience when he comes up with new approaches, he says so.
Milage varies.
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Love reading everyone’s inspirations!
Early ones for me were my grandmother, Mollie Katzen, Jeff Smith.
Also love Viana la Place, Yvette van Bowen, Nigel Slater, Nigella, Bert Greene, Heidi Swanson, Rick Baylee’s.
And so many more!
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As does many other cookbook authors. Even older sous vide cookbooks like Baldwin talk about the different temperatures and their effect on the meat.
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I used to get home before great chefs broadcast on PBS. Scribbling recipes on pieces of paper. Before internet and VCR. I would throw them in a drawer. I had to decifer
Sometimes off a matchbook.
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I’m disheartened that several folks here are citing Jeff Smith AKA The Frugal Gourmet as a culinary influence.
He was a despicable sexual predator.
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This was never proven it ruined his Career and sad for everyone involved.
Please let’s keep Chef’s personal lives on another thread.
I would like to keep this upbeat and a get to know one another better thread.
Thanking everyone for their cooperation
Regards,
Olunia The OP
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Paula Wolfert
Rick Bayless
Judy Rodgers
Ottolenghi
Marlena Spieler
Penelope Casas
Sheila Lukins
Boston area chefs: Chris Schlesinger
Ana Sortun
Cassie Piuma
Maura Kilpatrick
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I’m on a wait list for an ebook from SF library system. I want to try making his garlic noodles.
Welcome Walker so nice to see you here! Love your posts.
