Come In, We’re Closed: An Invitation to Staff Meals at the World’s Best Restaurants by Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy with a foreword by Ferran Adria (Running Press, $35)
Some of the most interesting restaurant meals are served after the closed sign has been flipped and the last customer has left. It is then that many kitchens comes alive once again as staff meals are prepared. These “after hours” meals are sometimes produced by passionate cooks using great ingredients, shared by everyone from chefs to dishwashers, free of charge, and served around one big table. This new cookbook provides readers with a behind-the-scenes look at some of these staff meals as served at some of the world’s premiere restaurants.
Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy attended staff meals as they conducted exclusive interviews and gathered dozens of never-before-revealed recipes from twenty-five iconic restaurants. The result is more than 100 creative and comforting dishes made to sate hunger and nourish spirits. In short, these are dishes professional cooks feed each other.
From Ad Hoc in Yountville, California, to wd-50 in New York, these legendary establishments represent the United States and about five foreign countries. They include City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi, Frasca, a culinary destination in Boulder, Colorado, Uchi of Austin, Texas, Mugaritz in Errenteria, Spain, and St. John in London.
This is one of the most intriguing cookbooks I’ve tested. I prepared two recipes, one domestic, one foreign. From Cochon, a New Orleans restaurant owned by Stephen Stayjewski, I made the Chili-Basil Watermelon and Tomato Salad, a nice alchemy of salty, sour, sweet and spicy flavors that were delicate and delightful. My second dish, from Michel Et Sebastien Bras in Laguiole, France, was a sidedish, Potatoes Braised in Vegetable Broth which I served with pork.
This is a fun cookbook that I highly recommend.
CHILI-BASIL WATERMELON AND TOMATO SALAD
Serves 4
Dressing:
2 Tbs white vinegar
2 Tbs fish sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of I lime
1 tsp Huy Fong chili-garlic sauce
¼ c extra virgin oil
¼ c basil leaves, lightly packed
½ c mint leaves, lightly packed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad
1 quart cubed seedless watermelon cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch dice
½ large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper and large flake sea salt to taste
For the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, fish sauce, cayenne, lime juice, chili-garlic sauce, and oil. Tear the basil and mint into small pieces and then add to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside for the flavors to meld, about 5 minutes.
For the salad: Right before serving, toss the diced salad ingredients with the dressing. Season with pepper to taste, toss again, then sprinkle the top with sea salt for crunch. Serve immediately.

The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Ice Cream: Over 300 Gelatos, Sorbets, Cakes & More by Jan Hedh with photography by Klas Andersson (Skyhorse, $24.95)
With the temperatures in Tucson now in the 90s and flirting with triple digits, the time has come to think about summer survival foods, namely ice cream, sorbets and gelatos. This ultimate collection goes beyond the usual scoop by giving creative ideas for decorating desserts, having fun with sugar art, and even carving ice sculptures.
The 300 recipes are divided into several main chapters including Appetizers, Desserts, Ice Cream Bombs, For the Little Ones, Sides, Meringues, and Sugar Craftmanship.
Also included are a brief history of ice cream, tips on making it, and even wine pairings for ice cream, sorbets, and parfaits. Incidentally, speaking of history and we were, the first batch of ice cream was served in Tucson in 1869, the creation of an Italian from Sonora. The second batch was made the following year and served at Carrillo Gardens. Needless to say, it was an instant crowd pleaser.
One of the main attractions of this cookbook is the variations of the different recipes. After preparing a recipe or two, I guarantee you’ll never think about ice cream the same way again. Let the sorbets begin!

Paleo Desserts: 125 Delicious Everyday Favorites, Gluten- and Grain- Free by Jane Barthelemy (Da Capo/Life Long, $18.99)
The Paleo diet, first advocated during the 1970s, is simply a return to the whole, natural foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors thrived on some ten thousand years ago. Emphasizing fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots, wild fish, free-range poultry, and grass-fed beef while eliminating grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugars and oils, this diet plan lacks the processed foods that contribute to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood sugar, and other diet-related illnesses.
Although our cavemen ancestors probably didn’t feast on desserts, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy such delicious treats as Coconut Macaroons, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Lemon Bars, and that classic Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This cookbook features 125 gluten-free, low carb desserts that use only unprocessed sugars and other diabetic-friendly ingredients that are free of common allergens found in corn, dairy, peanuts and soy. In addition to the recipes, there are easy-to-follow directions, a chart of recipes by diet, an index of ingredients and where to buy them, and a metric conversion cheat sheet.
Jane Barthelemy, a chef who teaches seminars on health food, is based in Portland, Oregon. Her cookbook is essential, especially for those who want to eat healthier foods.
I tested two recipes from this collection: Mexican Wedding Cookies which were so delicious I forgot they were actually healthy to eat. I also made a batch of Vanilla Ice Cream made with coconut milk instead of a dairy product.
MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES
Makes about three dozen cookies
1 cup Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener (not baking)
(A second choice is 1 1/3 cups of Organic Zero Erythritol)
1 ¾ cups medium-shredded unsweetened coconut flakes (not coconut flour)
3 Tbs arrowroot powder
¼ tsp unprocessed salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans, soaked if possible
¾ cup granulated sweetener, ground finely for rolling after baking (erythritol works best for this)
Preheat oven to 325F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a dry food processor fitted with an “S” blade, grind the sweetener for several minutes to a fine powder.
Add the coconut, arrowroot, and salt. Grind again until very fine. Open the lid, stir the bottom, replace the lid, and grind again until the powder is uniformly fine.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well.
Add the pecans last and pulse gently to mix evenly.
Chill the dough for 15 minutes (I use the same container)
Gently shape the dough without pressing into smooth 3/4-inch balls. Place them one inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. The dough will be soft. It helps to coat your hands with a bit of arrowroot powder to keep them from getting too sticky. If they do get sticky, wash and dry them before continuing.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. They will not brown, so take care not to overbake.
While still warm, roll the delicate cookies very gently in ground granulated sweetener. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.