Thursday, August 26, 2010

Cute Author Alert: Chef Edition

As though being cute and published weren't enough, these guys also have culinary skills:

Dave Lieberman:  




 Dave Lieberman is the former host of a Good Deal with Dave Lieberman on the Food Network.   He also authored two cookbooks- the budget friendly Young and Hungry (2005)  and the health conscious The 10 Things You Need to Eat (2010).  Watchers of Good Deal know that Lieberman is boyishly handsome and has loads of geeky charm.

 Looks Delicious (from Young and Hungry): Roasted Red Pepper and Leek Soup with Goat Cheese Crostini (p.33), Mussels in Tomato-Basil Broth (p. 75), and Chive Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon Cream (p. 119).

Young and Hungry (2005).
Find it in the catalog!

The 10 Things You Need to Eat: And More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Ways to Prepare Them (2010).
Find it in the catalog!


Andrew Swallow:




Cute in a scruffy hipster way, Andrew Swallow is the executive chef at a small chain of DC salad restaurants called Mixt Greens, which focuses on fast but environmentally friendly salads.   So he's attractive and ecologically responsible!  Recently he published a book of salad recipes called, Mixt Salads: A Chef's Bold  (2010). It's lusciously photographed and great inspiration for expanding your salad repertoire. 

Looks Delicious: Sea: Crape with Cantaloupe and Caviar (p.74), Heaven: Mixed Chicory and Chanterelles with Duck Egg (p.94), and San Sebastian: Chorizo and Dates with Greens (p. 128).

Find it in the catalog!

Curtis Stone:




With his bright blue eyes, spiky blond hair, and Australian accent, Take Home Chef host Curtis Stone is probably the most classically attractive of the bunch.  Lest you think he's just a pretty face, Stone is an accomplished chef with more than 15 years experience.  His cookbook Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone has lots of practical everyday recipes with easy to find ingredients.  And it has great food photography and lots of photos of Curtis too.

Looks Delicious:  Onion tarts with taleggio cheese (p. 78), paella with shrimp, mussels, clams and scallops (p.185), and espresso creme brulee (p.234). 

Find it in the catalog!

Donal Skehan:





At age 23, Skehan is not only a successful food blogger, but he's a musician too.  He's part of the Irish pop band Industry.  Recently he published a cookbook based off his popular blog called Good Mood Food: Simple Healthy Homecooking, which focuses on simple, healthy meals.  The cookbook is lushly photographed, though Donal appeals in regrettably few photographs. 


Find it in the catalog!

Grant Achatz:


Achatz is one of the most respected chefs worldwide.  He is the owner and chef of Alinea, one of Chicago's most famous and acclaimed restaurants. I haven't had the opportunity to dine at Alinea yet, but I definitely want to, especially after looking through Achatz's coffee table cookbook named after the restaurant.  Achatz specializes in molecular gastronomy, which probably means that you wouldn't want to try to make anything from his cookbook yourself (unless you really want to break out that liquid nitrogen machine you having lying around).  But it's still fun to flip through and see all the different possibilities for food.

Find it in the catalog!