Ally-Jane Grossan

Food Blogger

Biography

Ally-Jane Grossan is a writer, editor and recipe developer in Brooklyn, New York. She edits the 33 1/3 book series covering the best-loved albums of the past 60 years.

Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art

Shizuo Tsuji

Simply the best step-by-step book of how to cook the most beautiful cuisine in the world. Simple line drawings explain exactly how to cut, steam, grill and skin everything from lotus root to sea bream.

Canal House Cooking, Vols. 1-3 (Summer / Fall & Holiday / Winter & Spring)

Nacasa and Partners

Incredible innovative recipes and classic ones that work every time.

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust

Ina Garten

Ina is the queen of lunch. Her basic recipes have little surprises that constantly make me think, "why didn't I think of that?" The salmon with melting tomatoes is an instant classic.

Japanese Country Cookbook

Russ Rudzinski

This beautiful little book was published in 1969. A friend rescued it for me from an estate sale and I constantly look to it for simple recipes and the beautiful illustrations. From the ribbed paper to the odd horizontal shape, everything about this book feel Japanese.

Momofuku

David Chang and Peter Meehan

It's beautiful, it's inspirational and I have yet to try my hand at homemade ramen noodles.

Jerusalem

Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Ottolenghi is the master of vegetables and this book is full of them. Grab some za'tar and sumac (there's a lot of them in this book) and cook your way through this fascinating regional cuisine. His essay on the politics and tradition of hummus is astonishing as is the recipe that follows.