Jeff Plotnikoff’s Favourite Foodie Things from 2008

It's hard to choose just one favourite cookbook for 2008, so I'm choosing a few!

The first new one on the list is Please to the Table. When I say new, I mean new to me. It's a collection of Russian and regional recipes - including Georgian. It first came to my attention a few years back, as I was looking for a good katchipuri recipe - I kept hearing it referenced but sadly it was out of print. It's great for a number of reasons - easy to find things, clear direction and so far everything I've made from it tastes right. And that's a big thing. The subtitle is "The Russian Cookbook", which makes me laugh - either there's that Russian obliviousness to the direct article or there's a superiority thing going on. And given what I've tasted from it to date, I vote door number 2.

I'm also really liking a book the bf gave me for Jeffmas - Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck. I LOVE books like this, it's obviously a labour of love and a passion of hers, and you can hear the pride in her culture and heritage as you read it. Plus the recipes look terrific. It honestly made me want to track down little Aleppo in New York to check it out. Plus you want to support someone with that name, buy two copies.

I am in love all over again with Alice Waters, and her The Art of Simple Food is just terrific. Pick it up and give yourself a few hours to enjoy it with a cup of tea, sit back and settle in for a great read. If you're in love with gastronomical chemistry/chemical gastronomy - you probably already have a copy of El Bulli! I love it, it's terrifying and intriguing and this is how kitchens get blown up.

A guilty pleasure of mine are the annual collections - Fine Cooking, Cooks Illustrated and Food & Wine. I know, why get the magazines and then get the books too - but I can't help myself. Pick up a copy and you'll see why...

I love Diana Kennedy's explorations of Mexico and its cuisines. I like Rick Bayless as well, but there's a special place in my heart for Diana. If you have never read any of her work or tried her recipes, I highly recommend you do so. And follow it with a trip to Oaxaca ;)

Jeff Plotnikoff is the king of Food Porn and the resident chef at CheapEats which is why he focused on cookbooks for his favourites in 2008. He’s constantly trolling Toronto for new flavours, ingredients and hidden gems. Jeff has recently started documenting his kitchen adventures on Kit & Kaboodle.