The Book: The New Brooklyn Cookbook: Recipes and Stories From 31 Restaurants That Put Brooklyn on the Culinary Map, by Melissa Vaughn and Brendan Vaughn (William Morrow, $40)
Who and What: Chefs and restaurateurs of all varieties—al di là to Beer Table—contributed dishes; there’s a cocktail section (naturally); and many of the borough’s small producers, such as Sixpoint and Salvatore Brooklyn ricotta, are profiled.
Take a Page: Serve Franny’s chicken-liver crostini with bacon as a rich dinner-party starter.
The Book: Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook: Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond From New York’s Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant ($29.99, Little, Brown and Company)
Who and What: The owners of always-jammed brunch spot Clinton St. Baking Co., married couple DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg (who’s also the chef), offer the secrets to their famous pancakes, egg dishes, and dinner fare like fried chicken.
Take a Page: Make a morning meal of buttermilk-biscuit sandwiches with eggs, bacon, Cheddar, and tomato jam.
The Book: Primal Cuts: Cooking With America’s Best Butchers, by Marissa Guggiana($37.50, Welcome Books)
Who and What: Many of New York’s meaterati made the cut in this beautifully photographed compendium of flesh. Find stories and recipes from the Meat Hook’s Tom Mylan, Nathan Foot of Northern Spy Food Co., and others.
Take a Page: Test your skills with Dan Barber’s sage-and-red-wine pork sausage.
The Book: Avec Eric: A Culinary Journey With Eric Ripert, by Eric Ripert (Wiley, $34.95)
Who and What: Inspired by his popular PBS program, Avec Eric, Eric Ripert, chef of triple Michelin-starred Le Bernardin, gives readers a glimpse into what inspires him and how he comes up with recipes.
Take a Page: Try Ripert’s (Le Bernardin–inspired) recipe for smoked salmon carpaccio, with toasted brioche and tobiko.
The Book: Alice’s Tea Cup, by Haley Fox and Lauren Fox (William Morrow, $24)
Who and What: Sisters Haley and Lauren Fox of uptown favorite Alice’s Tea Cup share the sweet and savory recipes served at their three tea spots. Regular customers will enjoy learning the backstories of their favorite dishes.
Take a Page: Make the black-forest-ham-and-cheese scones, an Alice’s best seller.
The Book: BBQ 25, by Adam Perry Lang (William Morrow, $19.99)
Who and What: Adam Perry Lang of Daisy May’s BBQ presents a slim (and stain-proof!) barbecue primer that sticks to the basics, with step-by-step cues for preparing the most popular meaty cuts.
Take a Page: If you’re equipped for winter grilling, consider serving Perry’s thyme-and-rosemary-crusted leg of lamb at a holiday table.
The Book: Fresh From the Market: Seasonal Cooking With Laurent Tourondel, by Laurent Tourondel and Charlotte March (Wiley, $35)
Who and What: Laurent Tourondel recently split from his own BLT Restaurant Group, but he remains onboard at New York’s BLT Market. This heavy, lusciously photographed book is a season-by-season lineup of savory French dishes that rely on the best American ingredients.
Take a Page: The ultra-ambitious can take a stab at Tourondel’s whole stuffed suckling pig.
The Book: The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual, by Frank Falcinelli, Frank Castronovo, and Peter Meehan (Artisan, $24.95)
Who and What: Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo of Frankies Spuntino dish out some of the city’s most beloved Italian fare. Their cookbook contains favorite recipes as well as chapters that instruct on basics like pasta-making.
Take a page: Whip up some cavatelli with browned butter and sage, a Frankies favorite.
The Book: Speakeasy: Classic Cocktails Reimagined, From New York’s Employees Only Bar (Ten Speed Press, $24.99)
Who and What: A survey of the city’s 2010 culinary scene wouldn’t be complete without cocktails; luckily, Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric have published this book of quaffs served in their popular West Village boîte, Employees Only.
Take a Page: Start simple with a West Side, the Employees Only variation on the vodka-based, mint-spiked South Side.
The Book: Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $29.95)
Who and What: Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito own Red Hook’s Baked, which attracts sweets-lovers citywide. Their second cookbook explores regional desserts, with spins like red-velvet whoopee pies and savory pumpkin-Cheddar muffins.
Take a Page: Bake a pan of wintry, Vermont-inspired maple cupcakes with maple icing.