Our Cookbook of the Week: Gabrielle Hamilton's 'Prune'

Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: Prune (Random House)

The Team: Gabrielle Hamilton, chef and owner of New York City’s Prune restaurant and author of the New York Times best-selling memoir Blood, Bones & Butter, andphotographer Eric Wolfinger.

The Restaurant: Fans of Gabrielle Hamilton’s unpretentious cooking rejoice! The chef has run her 20-something-seat Prune for 15 years, but this is her first cookbook—and a real window into her New York City kitchen.

The Cuisine: American, in that it plucks dishes and techniques from around the world and features farm-fresh ingredients.

Who Should Buy It: Serious home cooks who’ve dreamed of working at a restaurant. Prune reads almost like a (beautifully) photocopied version of Hamliton’s manual for new employees, with notes on service, prep, and staff meals.

Who Shouldn’t: Those who need hand-holding through caramelizing shallots or step-by-step photos showing how to core cauliflower. This book is not for beginners.

Must-Make Recipes: The classic Omelette with Parmesan, Butter and Sugar Sandwiches. for the kid in all of us, and, if you’re feeling adventurous, Baked Mussels with Escargot Butter.

Noteworthy: There’s no introduction to this cookbook; it gets right to the point—recipes—just like its no-BS author. Hamilton does, though, include her handwritten notes, pink Highlighter marks, and cooking oil stains throughout the book’s 566 pages.

More Cookbooks of the Week:
Heritage by Sean Brock
Ina Garten: Make It Ahead
Fancy Desserts by Brooks Headley