Michael Procopio

Writer

Biography

Michael Procopio created the two-time James Beard Award-losing blog Food for the Thoughtless in 2008. He enjoys talking about food, gin martinis, and the sound of James Mason’s voice.

How to Read a French Fry

Russ Parsons

Kitchen science at its very best. It's so absorbing, my own copy bears the marks of being sodden by a South American waterfall.

Desserts

Nancy Silverton

An excellent baking book which is partly responsible for my going to go to cooking school instead of grad school.

Ready for Dessert

David Lebovitz

Apart from the beautiful and clear recipes, this book is worth it for the wonderful caramel tutorial alone.

Helen Brown's West Coast Cook Book

Helen Evans Brown

An excellent peek into post-war Pacific Coast tastes. It's one of my two favorite retro recipe sources.

Mary and Vincent Price's Come into the Kitchen Cook Book

Mary Price and Vincent Price

My other favorite retro recipe source. It pleases me to no end that America's Prince of Horror was such a delightfully charming gourmet.

The Gay Cookbook

Lou Rand Hogan

High camp and low humor. This volume is fun, a little dirty, and thoroughly entertaining.

My Calabria

Rosetta Costantino

A gorgeous, straightforward introduction to my cultural heritage.

The Best Recipe

Cook's Illustrated

Exhaustive testing. And I love this book for telling me what happens to your ingredients when you treat them badly.

Robicelli's: a Love Story, with Cupcakes

Allison Robicelli and Matt Robicelli

I had been a cupcake hater for longer than I care to remember. This book (and these authors) changed all that.

Liberace cooks! Recipes From His Seven Dining Rooms

Liberace and Carol Truax

A recipe for Mr. Showmanship’s Sticky Buns is offered without a shred of irony.

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What's playing in Michael's kitchen?

I've found myself listening to Blossom Dearie when just throwing things together, Anton Dvorák piano trios when I need to concentrate on a recipe and, oddly, Sondheim's Sweeney Todd when I'm cleaning up the kitchen.