Cookbooks by Boston Chefs

Create a taste of Boston at home

Boston's many talented chefs delight diners in their restaurants.  And thanks to these cookbooks by Boston chefs, you can create a taste of their culinary magic at home.

In these special cookbooks by Boston culinary chefs, you'll find their favorite recipes and gourmet cooking tips for making their famous dishes.  In fact, these cookbooks by the city's top gourmet chefs will enable you to create a taste of Boston at home.

Of course, a list of cookbooks by Boston chefs would be far too long to fit on this page - so these are my own recommendations, based on my own favorites.

Let me tell you briefly about my general cookbook preferences so that you can see if they mesh with yours.  I like to use fresh local ingredients when I'm cooking, and I like fairly simple, foolproof recipes because I don't have the time or skills to make anything really fancy.  The ingredients need to be healthy and nutritious. 

And finally, I prefer cookbooks that are written by a real person who makes the recipes themselves. If I can enjoy the same dish in the cookbook author's restaurant, that's icing on the cake! 

In the Hands of a Chef

By Jody Adams and Ken Rivard, 2002

Jody Adams, chef/owner of highly acclaimed Rialto Restaurant in Harvard Square uses local New England ingredients to create mouth-watering Italian dishes.  

This is one of my favorite cookbooks by Boston chefs because  although a few of the dishes in this cookbook are somewhat challenging, most are relatively easy.  They do tend to require long, slow simmering or braising - which means that fabulous aromas fill the house while you do other things.

What I like is that she gives a personal explanation about how to make each item, and why you should do things a certain way.  It's like having a friend who happens to be a fabulous cook describe how to make a favorite dish. 

My copy falls open to:  Pot Roast of Beef with Green Peppers and Pancetta, Escarole Soup with Mushrooms and Little Meatballs, Orange Beets (make this just once and you'll never want to make them any other way), Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, and Roasted Pears with 5-Spice Zabaglione.

Sultan's Kitchen: A Turkish Cookbook

By Ozcan Ozan, 2001

Chef/owner Ozcan Ozan's Sultan's Kitchen Restaurant (116 State Street) in Boston's Financial District is one of Boston's best-kept culinary secrets - a real Boston insider restaurant.  You can easily pass it by without realizing that the Turkish cooking inside is one of the city's culinary treasures.   

Sultan's Kitchen is also one of the most comprehensive cookbooks by Boston chefs.  Chef Ozan describes the key ingredients that the recipes use, and explains where to get the few not readily available in American markets.  Most of the dishes are fast and simple to make, and rely on fresh veggies, meats, and fish that you can easily get anywhere.

My copy falls open to:  Sultan's Rice Pilaf, Char-Grilled Swordfish Shish Kebab, Green Peppers Stuffed with Meat and Herbs, and Almond Pudding.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

By Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck, 1961

Julia Child was still living in the Boston area when we moved here in the early '90s, and we and various friends used to occasionally run into her while food shopping - always an inspirational moment!  Even though she was a television culinary star rather than a chef in a local restaurant, her books still belong on my recommendations for cookbooks by Boston chefs! 

Of course, Julia Child's cookbooks are classics.  You can use them to learn French cooking, to discover the joy of butter, and to make memorable meals.  Although her recipes are easy to follow, you'll also learn a lot - including some French!

My copy of this classic falls open to:  Chicken Breasts Rolled in Parmesan and Fresh Bread Crumbs, Coquilles St. Jacques (Scallops with Wine, Garlic, and Herbs), Cheese Wafers, Spinach with Ham (want to hear children that you fix spinach for dinner?  try this recipe!), Fresh Peach Tart, Caramel Custard, Orange Sponge cake . . . well, my copy has had so much use that someday it will no longer fall open - it will just fall apart. 

Stir:  Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition

By Barbara Lynch, 2009

Barbara Lynch grew up in South Boston and discovered her passion for cooking during a high school home economics class.  Despite being mostly self-taught, she's considered one of the best and most authentic Italian cooks in Boston.  As chef/owner of No. 9 Park and other Boston restaurants, she makes possible some of the best dining in the city.

Although Stir's official publication date is November 2, review copies floating around the city are receiving accolades.  Stir appears destined to become one of the most popular cookbooks by Boston chefs.

My copy, as soon as I get one, is going to fall open to dishes like Potato Gnocchi with Peas and Mushrooms, Vanilla Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce, Brioche Pizzas, and Lobster Rolls with Aioli.  I can hardly wait to start cooking.

The Figs Table:  More than 100 Recipes for Pizzas, Pastas, Salads, and Desserts

By Todd English and Sally Sampson, 1998.

Todd English's Figs is one of my long-time favorite Boston restaurants because of his brilliance in combining ingredients in unexpected ways to create spectacular.  Figs' wood-oven pizzas are, in their own way, perfect. 

What I especially like about this cookbook are his explanations about how and why to do things to produce specific results - for example, how to caramelize onions to produce the deepest, most intense sweetness. 

Like a lot of cookbooks by Boston chefs, Figs Table contains recipes that seem simple, but require expertise to cook well.  Fortunately, Chef English explains exactly how to make them to produce spectacular results. 

My copy falls open to:  Spaghetti with Hazelnuts and Green Beans, Creamy Cheddar and Spinach Polenta, Blanco Pizza, Four-Onion Risotto, and Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti.

50 Chowders: One Pot Meals - Clam, Corn, and Beyond

By Jasper White, 2000.

If you've eaten at Summer Shack, Jasper White's popular Boston restaurant, you may have tasted his sumptuous New England Chowder.  But who knew how many other kinds of chowder are possible - much less how to make them?

This is one of my favorite cookbooks by Boston chefs because Chef White entertains while he instructs. 

You'll learn about the history chowder and its history in northeastern New England and Canada while you learn to make all the different varieties and accompaniments.  His explanation about why New England cuisine has a strong French influence is especially interesting, especially considering the large number of French restaurants in Boston. 

Recipes are easy to follow and results are delicious.

My copy falls open to:  New England Clam Chowder (naturally), Lobster and Corn Chowder, Portuguese Fish Chowder, Skillet Corn Bread (almost as good as my mom's), and Mushroom Chowder with Curry. 

The New Legal Seafoods Cookbook

By Roger Berkowitz and Jane Doerfer, 2003.

Here in Boston, we tend to think of Legal Seafoods as a local restaurant with several locations - and it is - but it also has locations across the U.S.  Even if you haven't visited Boston, you may have dined at Legal.

As a long-time Legal Seafoods fan, I like their simplest preparations best - the very freshest fish, perfectly grilled, with a dash of lemon and perhaps a little thyme.  And so what I like best about this cookbook are the explanations about how to prepare fish in the simplest ways possible.

You'll also find lots of other recipes.  If you're hoping to find exactly the same dishes that you can order at the restaurant, you'll be disappointed because many differ in large and small ways, plus the menu has changed over the years. 

However, the simplest recipes are the same, or very similar.  And if you're not trying to replicate what you had for dinner in the restaurant, you'll find plenty to enjoy.

My favorites: Sauteed Bluefish with Chorizo and Potatoes, Asian Glazed Salmon, Tropical Salad, Seafood Casserole, and all the sauces.

Union Oyster House Cookbook:  Recipes and History from America's Oldest Restaurant

By Jean Kerr and Spencer Smith, 2008

If you've dined at the Union Oyster House during a visit to Boston, you'll want a copy of this terrific cookbook.  It's the perfect souvenir, plus you'll use its recipes again and again.

In addition to containing stories about this historic Boston restaurant, open since 1826 and the oldest restaurant in the U.S., this book contains over 50 recipes for the restaurant's favorite dishes.  The recipes are authentic, but they've been modified somewhat for home cooking. 

One of the things that I love about this restaurant is that you can stop by for a meal and eat essentially the same thing that your great-grandparents might have enjoyed there.  With this cookbook with recipes by 19th century Boston chefs, you can also make them at home.

My favorites:  Oyster House Clam Chowder, Basque Style Steamed Mussels, the Cocktail Sauce, American Bouillabaisse, and Gingerbread.