The most annoying cliche is definitely “never judge a book by its cover.” Why do we say that? It’s because books are traditionally viewed as referential objects of intellectualism; they’re supposed to be anti-superficial. Even cookbooks are ostensibly about the content, not the presentation. But one kind of taste begets another, and the best cookbooks are often the best-looking ones. Tell a chef to never judge a book by its cover, and they’ll tell you to get out. They spend as much time thinking about the appearance of a dish as about its ingredients. It’s the difference between the food photography at your local falafel joint and the well-lit images from the following good lookin’ cookbooks, which seem to say: “don’t worry, judge us all you want.”
1) Napa Valley’s French Laundry is well-known for its unconventional takes on traditional cuisine. In their cookbook by owner Thomas Keller, 150 recipes are illustrated with soft photography of raw objects. Available for $38.84. 2) Momofuku Milk Bar is Manhattan’s Upper West Side’s house of indulgence, and its corresponding cookbook shows you how to whip up some of founder Christina Tosi’s recipes. Most involve the butter-creamiest butter cream icing on Earth. Available for $25.08. 3) Ferran Adria, the masterful Spanish chef at his world-famous restaurant El Bulli (RIP), is revered by the snobbiest gourmands. Then he goes and creates a beautiful recipe book filled with the simplest of delicious recipes. The guy is a genius. Available for $21.95. 4) Terrine expert Stephane Reynaud challenges you to make a new dish a day in 365 Good Reasons To Sit Down To Eat (but good luck getting yours to look as nice as his). Available for $38.61 (only in French). 5) Noma, the brainchild of Rene Redzepi is all calm, soothing, icy, and Nordic. While you won’t find the wild and local herbs and spices in this memory here, this one’ll be a big hit on your coffee table. Available for $34.49.
