Curl up with a blanket and some eggnog and enjoy these cheesy reads. Or, wrap them up for a turophile friend’s holiday gift!
The Saltwater Table
Reading chef Whitney Otawka’s debut cookbook, The Saltwater Table: Recipes from the Coastal South (Abrams, October 2019; $40), is like stepping into the sweltering steam of the book’s namesake area and being handed a fresh bowl of ceviche. Bright in ingredients and design alike, the tome is rife with illustrations of mollusks, shots of vibrant citrus, and plenty of greenery. In case you’re thinking to yourself Where’s the cheese?, we’re here to assure you Otawka’s got that covered; she’s dedicated an entire section to Southern cheesemakers and her recipes run the dairy gamut. Ricotta Dumplings with Sweet Peas, Baby Carrots, and Parmesan Broth, and Caramelized Pumpkin with Guajillo Chile and Spiced Yogurt (garnished with grated Manchego) are only a couple of the cheesy recipes you’ll find within.
Cheese Boards to Share
Cheese Boards to Share: How to Create a Stunning Cheese Board for Any Occasion (Ryland Peters & Small, September 2019; $20) is packed with all the info you need to know about crafting cheese boards. From board themes to cocktail pairings, author Thalassa Skinner offers the knowledge she gained from her time at Boston’s Formaggio Kitchen and 10-plus years as culture’s co-founder. The book includes simple recipes for accompaniments like Garden Patch Pickles and Rainbow Pepper Oatcakes, as well as advice on how to choose a showstopping wedge. Skinner spares few details in her comprehensive notes, pairings, and even substitution suggestions for every cheese described. Pick up this book to perfect your party plate.
Anthony Bourdain: The Last Interview
This posthumous biography is everything you’d expect an Anthony Bourdain book to be: honest, passionate, inspiring, and decidedly brash. Anthony Bourdain: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations (Melville House, August 2019; $17) illuminates the prolific chef’s opinions on travel, parenting, Trump’s presidency, and beyond. Bourdain’s approach to food was to leave no stone unturned, no question unanswered, and no expletive unsaid. His decades-long television career gave us many cheesy moments, like the time he discovered joy in the cheese carts of Marseille, France on Parts Unknown, or the many occasions in which he professed his love for cacio e pepe.
Madison Trapkin
Former Editor-in-Chief Madison Trapkin is an Atlanta-bred, Boston-based writer. She graduated from Boston University’s Gastronomy master’s Program in December 2018 and started at culture in March 2019. She is passionate about The Feminist Agenda, pizza, and regularly watering her houseplants.
