Christina Tosi

Owner of Momofuku Milk Bar

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Book Recommendations:

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Recommended by Christina Tosi

We typically use the word ‘cookbook’ to describe a series of tasty recipes we re-create in our home kitchens that make us feel awesome. Only we’re never really taught how to cook. Enter: the incredible Sohla El-Waylly, our officially unofficial guide to kitchen bootcamp, equipping us with the skills we need to feel confident in the kitchen—not capable, not able, confident . . . Start Here is nothing short of a game changer. (from Amazon)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AND IACP BOOK AWARD WINNER • Change the way you think about cooking! In this epic guide to better eating, the chef, recipe developer, and video producer Sohla El-Waylly reimagines what a cookbook can be, teaching home cooks of all skill levels how cooking really works. “The new Joy of Cooking.” —The New York Times A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, NPR, Epicurious, The Boston Globe “The book I wish someone had handed me when I began my own journey as a cook.”—from the Foreword by Samin Nosrat, New York Times bestselling author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat "A book to return to again and again and again.” —Yotam Ottolenghi, New York Times bestselling author of Plenty and Ottolenghi Simple A practical, information-packed, and transformative guide to becoming a better cook and conquering the kitchen, Start Here is a must-have master class in leveling up your cooking. Across a dozen technique-themed chapters—from “Temperature Management 101” and “Break it Down & Get Saucy” to “Go to Brown Town,” “All About Butter,” and “Getting to Know Dough”—Sohla El-Waylly explains the hows and whys of cooking, introducing the fundamental skills that you need to become a more intuitive, inventive cook. A one-stop resource, regardless of what you’re hungry for, Start Here gives equal weight to savory and sweet dishes, with more than two hundred mouthwatering recipes, including: Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Radishes & Nuoc ChamCharred Lemon RisottoChilled Green Tahini SobaLemon, Pecorino & Potato PizzaFruity-Doodle CookiesMasa & Buttermilk Tres Leches Packed with practical advice and scientific background, and an almost endless assortment of recipe variations, along with tips, guidance, and how-tos, Start Here is culinary school—without the student loans.

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Recommended by Christina Tosi

Playful with a hit of sophistication, Antoni in the Kitchen is the next best thing to getting a full-on Queer Eye cooking makeover. (from Amazon)

Antoni In The Kitchen book cover

by Antoni Porowski, Mindy Fox·You?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! *One of Food & Wine’s Essential New Cookbooks for Fall* *One of Eater's Best Fall Cookbooks 2019* *One of Amazon's Best Cookbooks for Fall 2020* "Antoni has a love of food equal to my own. From his Johnny's Queso Blanco (you can never go wrong with melted cheese) to his Polish Hangover Soup (I'm sure this will come in very handy) and all of his desserts, I can't wait to explore the mind and creativity of this extremely hot chef." —Chrissy Teigen Antoni Porowski, the food and wine guru on Netflix's sensation Queer Eye, meets people where they live—literally. With appealing vulnerability, he shows cooks of all levels how to become more confident and casual in the kitchen. The verve and naturalness of his approach earned raves from Food & Wine and Bon Appétit to GQ and the New York Times, which noted his dishes prove that “sometimes simple is anything but simplistic.” Some of the recipes in this book are weeknight healthyish meals, while others are perfect for off-the-cuff entertaining. Elevated yet simple, they’re often composed of fewer than five ingredients. Whether Bastardized Easy Ramen; Malaysian Chili Shrimp; Roasted Carrots with Carrot-Top Pesto; or Salty Lemon Squares, all are visual stunners and can be carried off with panache, even by beginners.

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Recommended by Christina Tosi

Making people feel welcome, accepted, appreciated, seen, known… what could be cooler than that? This is what Will has unlocked in this book: that hospitality is as thrilling and inspiring to give as it is to receive, both in work, and in life. (from Amazon)

The must-read New York Times bestseller that's redefining hospitality and inspiring readers in every industry. - Featured in FX's The Bear and Showtime's Billions - JP Morgan NextList Pick Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world. How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room—and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality. Guidara’s team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledding trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand, complete with mai-tais and beach chairs, to console a couple with a cancelled vacation. And his hospitality extended beyond those dining at the restaurant to his own team, who learned to deliver praise and criticism with intention; why the answer to some of the most pernicious business dilemmas is to give more—not less; and the magic that can happen when a busser starts thinking like an owner. Today, every business can choose to be a hospitality business—and we can all transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. Featuring sparkling stories of his journey through restaurants, with the industry’s most famous players like Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, Guidara urges us all to find the magic in what we do—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.

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Recommended by Christina Tosi

There is a romantic, rustic, mysterious consonance about both Thomas and flour + water. It’s easy to lose yourself in each recipe’s seeming simplicity before—WHOOSH!—you’re consumed with complexity, wisdom, expertise, and sincerity you might have never expected. This is my favorite part about great chefs and their food. (from Amazon)

Flour + Water: Pasta [A Cookbook] book cover

by Thomas McNaughton, Paolo Lucchesi·You?

An elevated guide to the craft of pasta-making by rising star chef Thomas McNaughton of San Francisco's hottest Italian restaurant, flour + water. Chef Thomas McNaughton shares his time-tested secrets to creating simple, delicious, and beautiful artisan pasta—from the best fresh doughs to shaping and cooking every type of pasta. A true celebration of Italy’s pasta traditions, flour + water includes fifty seasonally influenced recipes for home cooks of every skill level. The recipes cover the flavor spectrum from well-loved classics to inventive combinations, such as Tagliatelle Bolognese; Pumpkin Tortelloni with Sage and Pumpkin Seeds; Tomato Farfalle with Chicken Polpettine, Roasted Peppers, and Basil; and Asparagus Caramelle with Brown Butter. With guidance from McNaughton and the secrets of flour + water’s dough room, anyone can learn to make amazing pasta at home.

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Recommended by Christina Tosi

Time to get busy, bakers. Apple slab pie! Toaster corncakes! Banana bread French toast! The All-Purpose Baker’s Companion is back and better than ever. From early morning muffins through post-dinner éclairs, this is the perfect guide for whenever creativity strikes. Sweet to savory, quick hits to show-stopping centerpieces, this Swiss Army–kitchen BFF walks you through the classics we all grew up with and the pastry-school staples chefs take years to master. (from Amazon)

Trusted recipes, revised and updated for a new generation of home bakers. Comprehensive in scope, authoritative in style, and offering clear, practical, and encouraging instruction, The King Arthur Baking Company's All-Purpose Baker’s Companion is the one book you’ll turn to every time you bake. The experts from King Arthur lead home bakers through hundreds of easy and foolproof recipes from yeast breads and sourdoughs to cakes and cookies to quick breads and brownies. Winner of the 2004 Cookbook of the Year Award by the James Beard Foundation, this dependable cookbook has been reinvigorated with new photography, recipes, and revisions to keep it relevant to today’s modern baker. Decades of research in their famous test kitchen shaped the contents of this book which includes more than 350 recipes, a completely up-to-date overview of ingredients (including gluten-free options), substitutions and variations, and troubleshooting advice. Sidebars share baking secrets and provide clear step-by-step instructions. Techniques are further explained with easy-to-follow illustrations. Now fully revised and updated,The King Arthur Baking Company's All-Purpose Baker’s Companion is an essential kitchen tool. 24 pages of color photos, 150 illustrations

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Recommended by Christina Tosi

This may be my fave book of Joanne’s YET!!! If there is anyone who understands the magic power of a warm muffin or a flaky, buttery croissant to brighten someone’s day, it’s my girl Joanne Chang. Pastry Love is everything you want in a baking guide. With it open on my kitchen counter, oven heating, mixing bowl ready to get into the mix, I feel exactly as I do when I walk into a Flour Bakery in Boston—welcomed, loved, and right at home. (from Amazon)

A must-have baking bible from the James Beard award–winning baker and owner of the beloved Flour bakeries in Boston. James Beard award–winning baker Joanne Chang is best known around the country for her eight acclaimed Flour bakeries in Boston. Chang has published two books based on the offerings at Flour, such as her famous sticky buns, but Pastry Love is her most personal and comprehensive book yet. It includes 125 dessert recipes for many things she could never serve in the setting of a bakery—for example, items that are best served warm or with whipped cream on top. Nothing makes Chang happier than baking and sharing treats with others, and that passion comes through in every recipe, such as Strawberry Slab Pie, Mocha Chip Cookies, and Malted Chocolate Cake. The recipes start off easy such as Lemon Sugar Cookies and build up to showstoppers like Passion Fruit Crepe Cake. The book also includes master lessons and essential techniques for making pastry cream, lemon curd, puff pastry, and more, all of which make this book a must-have for beginners and expert home bakers alike. *One of Food & Wine’s Essential New Cookbooks for Fall* *One of Food52’s Best Cookbooks of Fall 2019* *One of Bon Appetit’s Fall Books We’ve Been Waiting All Summer For*

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Recommended by Christina Tosi

'Seeing Jane in action in the dining rooms of Eleven Madison Park and Attica, it's no wonder why she is a world-wide force through wine. She has an ease, yet grace about her. This is her super power - her ability to invite you in, to adore an unassuming bottle, a story, a history, a vine, a craft through the simple ease of a single sip or a smile.' (from Amazon)

Sometimes we just want someone to hand us a bottle of wine. Sometimes we want to learn more about that wine. And sometimes we want to feel something about wine. In Vignette, sommelier Jane Lopes recommends the 100 bottles of wine (and some spirits and beers) to best expand your wine journey, giving you a complete palate education of the important styles, grapes, regions, and flavors of this magical and ever-growing world. Alongside that, you will find imaginative ways to engage with the foundational wine knowledge that underpins a good drinking experience. And then there is Jane's own narrative – the stories of triumph and defeat that comprise her life in wine. It's part memoir and part wine book, but a lot more fun than either alone. These are wines to live with, learn from and take solace in – a joyous, surprising, and revelatory response to that age-old question, "What should I drink?"