Like most modern day, self-taught chef's I have, of course, heard of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. First published in 1896, it's currently in its' 13th Edition, which is pretty impressive since Fannie Farmer died in 1915. Granted cooking has
changed a lot in the century since she first began inspiring young
wives and mothers to create lovely meals at home.
She ran the original
"test kitchen" at The Boston Cooking School, constantly reworking
recipes until they were just right and eventually included in the
cookbook. Who knows what she would make of all our fancy gadgets and
time-saving devices, but after reading Fannie's Last Supper
God knows delivering dinner in the Victorian-era was no small task, as was discovered by the book's author Chris Kimball, the founder of Cook's Magazine and host of America's Test Kitchen.
Developing new and enticing recipes that will bring out the best in a variety of wines is a challenge I relish. I have a huge collection of
food and wine pairing books, not only because I am fascinated by it but
also because for several years I developed recipes for 
. It's where I go first for inspiration. But I also love the 100 Perfect Pairings books by Jill Silverman Hough. The first was 
and the second out now is 
Nothing says New England like a good old-fashioned clambake. This is a modern clambake, with lobster rolls substituting for the classic clams (and clam chowder on the side). And it's versatile: this party can be thrown indoors or outdoors, and almost every dish can be made ahead.
With grilling season about to begin in earnest, I was looking for a cookbook that could help freshen up our usual party fare. Sure you can buy salsa and hummus and already pre-marinated meat, but where's the fun – and bragging rights – in that? And though I love true BBQ, there is no grill master in our household. So as much as I yearn for tender, long-smoked ribs or sweet & saucy chicken, what I really needed was a book with simple, impressive, quick recipes to get the party started without days of effort.