Vinegarlic

Fresh Mexico: 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor
Fresh Mexico is an eye-opening exploration of modern Mexican cooking including bright, light flavors that bear no resemblance to fast food or chain restaurants’ version of Mexican food.  This book has opened my eyes to new flavors, allowed me to appreciate chile peppers instead of fearing them, and lead me to appreciate flavor combinations that I am certain would never have occurred to me on my own.

The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking
I discovered The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book as a complete novice who remembered watching my grandfather bake bread as a child, but had never tried my hand at it myself.  This book takes the reader step by step through a basic loaf of whole wheat bread, going into great detail about each step of making what the book calls “a loaf for learning.” The loaf for learning has become my go-to bread when I need a crusty loaf to serve with soup.  However, the book contains all manner of whole grain breads, including pita bread, pizza crust, and many different loaf breads.

The Joy of Pickling: 250 Flavor-Packed Recipes for Vegetables and More from Garden or Market (Revised Edition)
The Joy of Pickling is not your grandma’s canning book.  While the book contains classic American pickled favorites, it also provides a tour around the world, showcasing pickled favorites from Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.  There are chutneys, krauts, pickled cucumbers, and even pickled salmon.  There are even several recipes for quick pickles, pickles which are ready to eat the day they are prepared.  I found this book to be an excellent introduction to pickling, and continue to refer to it frequently.