Books for the Chef in Your Life

Chef Jason Smith is back at it, providing you with more of his one-of-a-kind Country Bling recipes. The Kentucky native, known for his glitzy wardrobe, colorful expressions, and award-winning recipes, is thrilled to present his second cookbook, which focuses on decadent confections, using eight ingredients or less.

The recipes in this book have been developed to encompass everything that makes a decadent dessert; whether you like sweet, salty, tart, savory, silky, crunchy, chewy, creamy, frozen, fried, or chilled; you are promised to have a lip-smackin’, eye-rollin’ experience with each recipe.

It was Chef Jason’s flair for taking all of the above considerations when making tasty confections that shot him into the national spotlight, when he competed on and won Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, season 3; and Holiday Baking Championship—Kids vs. Adults, 2016. He continued to parlay his talents in the sweet and savory, by competing on and winning Food Network Star, season 13. Chef Jason has appeared as a judge and competitor on several national network food shows, and has had the honor of participating on The GOAT, an Amazon Prime reality show.

With all his accolades, he considers the privilege of sharing his love of food through his cookbooks to be his greatest accomplishment.

The story of the Cvitanovich family, the founders and proprietors of Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, which opened its first location just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, in the 1970s, is the story of a family living the true American dream: two immigrants from Croatia come to the United States with little money in their pockets and forge a seafood restaurant empire known throughout the world. With hard work, fierce tenacity, and the willpower to seize opportunity where they could find it, Drago and Klara Cvitanovich turned their small family restaurant into a Crescent City icon. And there, they invented a New Orleans staple, the charbroiled oyster, a dish that nearly every seafood restaurant in the country tries to emulate. This inspiring and uniquely American story validates the power of hard work, perseverance, faith in family, and generosity. Their post-Katrina emergency food distribution, fueled by firsthand experience of hunger during World War II, fed thousands and created an unbreakable community bond.

Award-winning journalist Peter Finney Jr. is a former sportswriter for the New York Post and New York Daily News and the recipient of the St. Francis de Sales Award from the Catholic Media Association. He has served as the executive editor and general manager of the Clarion Herald, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, since 1993.

Carmen Aboy Valldejuli was, according to New York Times food critic Craig Claiborne, "the foremost authority on Puerto Rican cooking" whose cookbooks are
"the definitive books on island cooking."

Her cookbook, Juntos en la Cocina (Together in the Kitchen), is the result of fifty years of love, sharing and hard work. Carmen and her husband, Luis presented their favorite recipes in this new volume. Now these flavorful meals are available to anyone interested in learning the art of Puerto Rican cuisine from two of its finest teachers.

Written in Spanish, Juntos en la Cocina provides a complete tour of the culinary arts of Puerto Rico. Adobo and sofrito, the bases of many island dishes, are despcribed in detail. To enable both novice and experienced cooks to create savory meals, each recipe gives step-by-step instructions, with special emphasis on preparation and serving.

Sample Chili con Carne, Chicken Fiesta, Carne Empanada and traditional black beans and rice. Pasta is never dull with recipes for Lasagna a la San Juan and Spaghetti Florentine. And dessert temptations include chocolate and mango flan, queen's cake and other exotic pastries.

Whether you are working alone in the kitchen or with someone you love, Juntos en la Cocina is a friend you won't want to be without.

Discover the best of the Garden State's booming food truck scene... Whether appearing at food festivals, catering personal and business events or just serving up lunch on the job site, New Jersey's food trucks are some of the best in the nation. These eateries on wheels offer mouthwatering favorites alongside innovative interpretations of iconic dishes. The Jersey Roll truck and shop keeps tradition alive, slinging the Garden State staple pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich to the masses. Beach vibes and good eats are found at the Surf and Turf truck, where the BLT lobster roll offers a twist on the coastal classic. Baking some of the best cheesecakes in the region for more than forty years, Maddalena's opened a roving dessert truck that serves the deliciously different cheesecake on a stick. Popular publication BestofNJ.com presents profiles of the best New Jersey food trucks, including easy-to-cook recipes from some of their most delectable meals.

Take a culinary journey through the foods, restaurants and businesses that define the cuisine of New York City and the Jewish immigrant experience... No trip to New York's five boroughs is complete without a hand sliced pastrami sandwich at Katz's deli or a bagel and lox with a schmear of cream cheese from Russ and Daughters. Any true New Yorker can tell you where to get the savoriest bowl of matzo ball soup or the crispest kosher dill pickle. Manischewitz wine became the icon it is today after Sammy Davis Jr. became its offical spokesperson. Join author June Hersh as she reveals the iconic Jewish foods, establishments and products that left their imprint on the taste buds of New Yorkers and the world.