The Cookbook Junkies

Chronicle’s Trifecta of Greatness – Huckleberry, Brown Sugar Kitchen and Sweet Alchemy

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Note:  For anyone looking for the link to bake/cook through Huckleberry:  here. Come join us.  


I’m going to rave.

A great deal.

First up – Huckleberry by Zoe Nathan with Josh Loeb and Laurel Almerinda — has to be one of the most stunningly, gorgeous books I have seen.  Much credit goes to the marvelous recipes – but also to Matt Armendariz who is a genius of photography.


Huckleberry Bakery and Cafe opened in 2009 in Santa Monica and I am deeply disappointed I didn’t know of it’s existence while we were in California over the last few years.  I will be headed there in the near future.  

The cover – just look at the cover! Blueberry brioche.  First on my list to make is the brioche on the cover.  

I have never made brioche before.  I was a little intimidated.  I followed Zoe’s instructions to the letter except I used raspberries and chocolate and I was afraid of overfilling and used half the amount.  Zoe knows what she is talking about use the full amount!  While my bread is not as stunning as Matt’s photo – it is incredibly delicious and I will be making this bread again.  

Let me just go through some of the recipes — I hope you have eaten breakfast or lunch or dinner depending on what time you are reading this post.  The muffin section – recipe after recipe of muffins with crispy, sugary tops – as muffin tops should be, gorgeous flowing glazes.  I’m a sucker for a glaze.   Fig brown sugar muffins, lemon cornmeal with lemon glaze (a tear fell when I saw that recipe and photo – beauty), bacon cheddar muffins. Then we have in another chapter maple bacon biscuits, lemon pistachio cake, apple buckwheat cake, chocolate, chocolate tea cake…oh my.

There is a small section on bagels – thank you Zoe.  Denver is a wasteland of bad bagels.  I’m from New York..I know bagels.  I will be making some bagels soon!  

The flaky dough section – beautiful instructions.  Tutorials on every technique and many, many photos. We have onion, potato and bacon galette, vanilla apricot tart both which look scrumptious.  There is a cobbler and crumble section. Maple bacon bread pudding, cornbread pudding and this incredible fresh corn cornbread which appeared to be moist and tasty.  Yes, that picture screamed “I am not a dry cornbread”.   Huge cornbread lovers in our house. We have a fried chapter!  Doughnuts, beignets — and a huge breakfast section with pancakes, frittatas, egg on top recipes and a sandwich section which includes beer braised pork on toast with “an egg on top” and a fried green tomato with bacon and spicy slaw tartine.  

You need this book.  Trust me.  I would not lead you astray.  I will be cooking and baking my way through this book and have started a group to share our experiences here.  Come join us.  

My next love from Chronicle is Brown Sugar Kitchen by Tanya Holland, Jody Horton, Michael Chabon and Jan Newberry.  Brown Sugar Kitchen is a West Oakland gathering spot – and again – so disappointed that we did not hit it up when we were in the bay area in July.  


So many books these days don’t seem to bring something new to the table.  Brown Sugar Kitchen brings some great newness to the table and more.  I am the queen of macaroni and cheese – just ask my friend Pam…I haven’t seen many mac and cheese recipes that make me think – I must try this version- Brown Sugar Kitchen has such a recipe!  I made the macaroni and cheese for dinner Sunday night and it was absolutely amazing!  



Some other recipes marked to make, and soon, are cornmeal waffles with apple cider syrup, bacon cheddar and green onion biscuits, the sweet potato scones with brown sugar icing (second tear of the day, beauty again), sticky buns, Virginia ham and fried apple croque monsieur, their famous breakfast potatoes with onions and eight spices!, Andouille gorgeres, vidalia onion soup with cornbread croutons, caramel layer cake with brown butter and caramel frosting and the black bottom maple pecan bars look wonderful too.  Brown Sugar Kitchen includes a great drinks chapter as well. 

The book is jam packed with goodness and comfort.  You will love this book!  I do.

The third book in the trifecta of greatness from Chronicle is Sweet Alchemy by the winner of Top Chef’s Desserts – Yigit Pura.





Yigit brings us page after page of technique and narrative with beautiful recipes.  You will learn a great deal of dessert magic from this book.  Honey baked crispy phyllo dough, creme fraiche shortcakes, salty hazelnut and brown sugar crumble (just give me a pan of that), layered crepe cake and much more pastry greatness.

Thank you for reading and I hope you go out and check out these truly remarkable books!


Note:

Chronicle furnished me with copies of Huckleberry and Brown Sugar Kitchen.  I purchased Sweet Alchemy.  All opinions are truly my own.  Life is too short — buy great cookbooks and make great food.  


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Comments

  1. 1

    Great reviews Jenny. I have now added Brown Sugar Kitchen to my wish list. I have Tanya Holland’s first cookbook New Soul Kitchen and I love it. I enjoyed watching her on Food Network several years ago. I got to meet her at the LA Times Book Festival a little over 10 years ago and got my book signed and my picture taken with her. She was really nice and I love all the recipes I tried from her first book, so I bet this one will be great as well.

    Reply
  5. 5

    I’m going to Huckleberry next week to try out their tasty goods! 😉 (so yeah, I preordered that, and Brown Sugar Kitchen)… I can’t wait! These look great!

    Reply
  7. 7

    Fantastic reviews, Jenny! I just pre-ordered Huckleberry and Brown Sugar Kitchen. Might be time for another “cooking through” group? These look great!

    Reply
  10. 10

    Dammit! Jenny! I see I will be adding 3 more cookbooks to my collection.

    I’m starting with Huckleberry, you had me at cornbread and muffins and I’m a sucker for good photography.

    Reply
  13. 13

    Your killing me Jenny. LOL I am on a tight budget until we can get Grumpy back to work but I pre-ordered Huckleberry on Nook. I will get it on Sept 9th. I want the Brown Sugar Kitchen book too but I guess that one will have to wait. The blueberry brioche sold me on the Huckleberry book. I cannot WAIT to get it!

    Reply
  15. 15

    I think my eyes popped out of my head when I saw the first cover. Omg! I should have that in my kitchen just for the photo alone! Thanks for the reviews!

    Reply
  18. 18

    I trust your reviews Jenny and know you would never lead us a stray. I am ordering Huckleberry ASAP!
    Speaking of mac and cheese-could you share a recipe or two of your favs? Or point out which books they are in if not original to you. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  23. 23

    Matt Armendariz is one of the finest food photographers I can think of, and Huckleberry looks outstanding. Thank you for looking through these and helping me to decide which ones I’m going to want.

    Reply
  24. 24

    It’s so great to have a reliable review from someone I trust before purchasing a cookbook. I know if Jenny recommends it, it’s worth the $$. These are definitely added to my wishlist.

    Reply
  26. 26

    As usual, you’re killing me with all this deliciousness. Now I have to add 3 more cookbooks to my collection. Think I’ll start with Brown Sugar Kitchen. You had me at “new”.

    Reply

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