Cookbooks

Chef Clara Moore Exceeds Kickstarter Goal for Book Project, Hosts Party Friday, May 24 to Celebrate

Last month Gut Check reported that chef Clara Moore, former executive chef and regional manager of local grocery and restaurant chain Local Harvest Cafe & Catering, had launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a cookbook and grocery guide with food writer Matt Sorrell. As of this writing the projec ... More >>

From Michael Ruhlman to Mom: The Favorite Cookbooks of St. Louis Chefs

Chef's Choice is Gut Check's regular profile and interview, with recipe, of a St. Louis chef. From time to time we'll present several chefs' answers to one of our regular questions. This week: What is your favorite cookbook? Shopped for a cookbook lately? So many beautiful choices. So many expensiv ... More >>

Cannabis Cupcakes Cookbook Giveaway, Right in Time for 4/20 [CONTEST]

Last year Gut Check offered a 4/20 survival guide, and a list of the six best St. Louis restaurants that deliver delicious munchies to your doorstep. This year, we're giving away one copy of Cannabis Cupcakes: 35 Mini Marijuana Cakes to Bake and Decorate to ensure at least one reader gets baked on ... More >>

No, He Meant the Champagne of Beers and Not-Poisoning a Prince of Saudi Arabia: A Q & A with Andrew Jennrich of Farmhaus

This is part two of Gut Check's Chef's Choice profile of Andrew Jennrich of Farmhaus. Read part one, a profile of Jennrich, here. Part three, a recipe from Jennrich, will be available on Friday. Is it unseemly to be thankful for the financial stresses that others have faced? Of course. So put it ... More >>

New Orleans Panache and the Dishwasher Who Imitated the Incredible Hulk: A Q&A with Sassy JAC's Andrew Ladlie

This is part two of Gut Check's Chef's Choice profile of Andrew Ladlie of Sassy JAC's. Read part one, a profile of Ladlie, here. Part three, a recipe from Ladlie, will be available on Thursday. I wanted to profile Andrew Ladlie of Sassy JAC's (1730 South Eighth Street; 314-932-1280) because I'd e ... More >>

Win a Copy of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Just in Time for Author Deb Perelman's Signing at Left Bank Books This Weekend

Gut Check sure likes to dine out -- lucky for us, it's in the job description -- but we love to reach into the kitchen drawer to try out a recipe or two, too. More often than not, our cursor clicks over to the Smitten Kitchen cooking and baking blog for some inspiring domestic advice spelled out in ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest, 12.17-12.23

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs. Rhubarb and Honey: Kimberly shared a round-up of Christmas dinner ideas. A Veggie Venture: Alanna made cheesy artichoke nibblers. The Sweets Life: Natalie shared cranberry bran muffins. Eat Write: Judith made mocha glazed macadamia caramel t ... More >>

There's a Fifty Shades of Chicken Cookbook, and Here's the Trailer

I was going to begin this post by saying that given the wild success of the BDSM mommy-porn novel ("novel") Fifty Shades of Grey, it was probably inevitable that there would be a Fifty Shades-themed cookbook -- except NO, it was NOT inevitable, it doesn't even make any SENSE. But it's happened anyw ... More >>

Swap and Save

Ten Best Food Events This Weekend: Oct. 12-14

Friday (Oct. 12): Food Truck Friday @ Tower Grove Park Head to the park (before doing so requires a parka) for the last major food truck fest of the year. Nibble on quick fixes from Papa Tom's Fancy Franks, Le Food Truck, Sarah's Meltdown and more. As always, admission is free--arrive early! 2 to ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest, 8.06-8.12

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs. One Hot Stove: Nupur made roasted red pepper nut pesto . Sounding My Barbaric Gulp: Kelly shared pickled watermelon rind with hibiscus. The Sweets Life: Natalie made caprese burgers. Cupcake Project: Stef shared orange creamsicle cupcakes ... More >>

Adam Perry Lunch Barbecue Lunch

Devi Gurung States of Everest Cafe, Part 2

This is part two of Rease Kirchner's Chef's Choice profile of Devi Gurung States of Everest Cafe. Part one can be found here. Part three, a recipe from States, will be published tomorrow. Did your family cook together when you were a child? My mother always cooked. I watched her. I observed her. Nep ... More >>

Freshly Snared Barbecued Rabbit and The Hunger Games, Part 2

This is part two of Gut Check's Dinner and Movie feature of The Hunger Games. Part one, featuring barbecued freshly snared rabbit à la Katniss, was published yesterday, and part three, a Hunger Games giveaway, will be available on Friday. Meet Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), our heroine. Des ... More >>

Freshly Snared Barbecued Rabbit and The Hunger Games, Part 1

This is part one of Gut Check's Dinner and Movie feature of The Hunger Games. Part two, a review of the film, will be published tomorrow, and part three, a Hunger Games giveaway, will be available on Friday.Gut Check was thrilled to learn of the existence of The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook. Mos ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest, 2.20-2.24

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs. Iron Stef: Stef shared salsiccia balls with peppers and polenta. Sweet Art: Amrita made Bischoff bars. Cupcake Project: Stef made apricot couscous cupcakes. The Sweets Life: Natalie shared a recipe for Reese's fudge pie.

Gabrielle Hamilton: The Badass Behind Blood, Bones & Butter

What makes Gabrielle Hamilton's Blood, Bones & Butter stand out so supremely from the pack of shoulda-coulda-wanna been-there-done-that food memoirs? The simple answer is that she's a badass. And a really good writer. Hamilton is the chef/owner of Prune, an intimately idiosyncratic restaurant in Ne ... More >>

Bluestem: The Cookbook: Recipe for Pea Soup, Preserved Lemon, Crème Fraîche

Tonight, Niche (1831 Sidney Street; 314-773-7755) presents the Bluestem Cookbook Dinner, featuring dishes from chefs Megan and Colby Garrelts of Bluestem, a progressive fine-dining establishment in Kansas City, Missouri, that features reinvented regional flavors from the other side of the state. Th ... More >>

Meet Chef Megan Garrelts, Co-Author of Bluestem: The Cookbook

Restaurateurs Colby and Megan Garrelts of Bluestem in Kansas City recently recently released a cookbook outlining their signature seasonally-focused Midwestern dishes. Chef Gerard Craft hosts a special five-course dinner at Niche on Friday, January 20, to properly introduce Bluestem to St. Louis. Gu ... More >>

Ten Best Food Events This Weekend: January 20-January 23

Third Friday Party @ Third Degree Glass Factory Defrost from the freezing temperatures with hot glassblowing, Baileys coffee, hot chocolate, fire spinning, and small plates like loaded baked potato soup at this monthly open house event. Free. 6 to 10 p.m. The Bluestem Cookbook dinner @ Niche Bring ... More >>

Win a Copy of Bluestem: The Cookbook

Did you know that each week we send out a newsletter highlighting new restaurants, books, events and classes going on in the St. Louis food world? It's called Tip of the Tongue, and you can subscribe for free right here. Need more incentive? In each week's newsletter we give away something awesome ... More >>

The St. Louis Food Lover's Gift Guide: Books

With a little planning and a couple of cocktails the holidays can go down smoother than a pint of spiked egg nog. Gut Check's assembled a series of guides to help find the perfect present for the food lover in your life while maintaining sanity and investing in your community... and, okay, maybe pic ... More >>

St. Louis Natives Put Together a Definitive Guide for Men in the Home Kitchen: The WiseJack Man's Cookbook

Bill Brady PhotographyJon Harris and Ari Axelbaum, authors of The WiseJack Man's Cookbook.​The Christmas shopping season is coming, and St. Louis natives Jon Harris and Ari Axelbaum have just the thing for the potential male foodie in your life -- The WiseJack Man's Cookbook. Although the book ... More >>

The WiseJack Man's Cookbook: Recipe for Shakshukah, or Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Gut Check spoke with St. Louis native and co-author Jon Harris about his new book, The WiseJack Man's Cookbook. Here is a sample recipe from his book. Billy Brady Photography​When Jon Harris and long-time friend Ari Axelbaum both left St. Louis to go to college in New York, they realized that ... More >>

Your Weekly St. Louis Bestseller List

Here's your weekly St. Louis bestseller list for the week ending October 2, as compiled by the St. Louis Independent Booksellers Alliance and based on sales at Left Bank Books, Main Street Books, Pudd'nhead Books, Subterranean Books and Sue's News. There are plenty of new titles on this week's adu ... More >>

Steve Komorek of Trattoria Marcella, Part 2

This is part two of Emily Wasserman's Chef's Choice profile of Steve Komorek of Trattoria Marcella. Part one can be found here. Part three, a recipe from Komorek, will be posted on Thursday. Emily Wasserman​Did your family cook together when you were a child? Only professionally. My brother d ... More >>

Mike Johnson of Cyrano's, Boogaloo, Part 2

This is part two of Chrissy Wilmes' Chef's Choice profile of chef Mike Johnson of Cyrano's and Boogaloo. Part one can be found here. Part three, a recipe from Johnson, will be published shortly. Chrissy Wilmes​Did your family cook when you were a child? Not a lot. We ordered out, or I ended up ... More >>

Local Writer Releases Low-Fat Cookbook

Cheryl HugheyBeyond Bacon Grease, local writer Cheryl Hughey's reduced-fat cookbook​Ballwin-based food writer Cheryl Hughey took a long journey to changing her health through her diet that included going vegetarian and finding ways to lower fat in her favorite recipes. She has chronicled her f ... More >>

Interview & Recipe: Maggie McHugh Talks About Recipe Records, Her Rock & Roll Cookbook

Recipe RecordsMaggie McHugh and Lanea Stagg, co-authors of Recipe Records, in the kitchen.​Music and food make a wonderful pair, and so do Maggie McHugh and Lanea Stagg, co-authors of Recipe Records, a locally released rock & roll themed cookbook featuring easy and tasty recipes inspired by so ... More >>

Conservation Department Releases Wildlife-Inspired Cookbook

Image viaBernadette's Catch-All Muffins​A former publications editor for the Missouri Department of Conservation, Bernadette Dryden sought out the advice of Show-Me State hunters, fishers, nut growers and mushroom foragers to pen a new cookbook that focuses on stuff you can find in your backya ... More >>

Reine Bayoc of SweetArt Bakeshop, Part 2

This is part two of Emily Wasserman's Chef's Choice profile of chef Reine Bayoc of SweetArt. To read part one, click here. Part three, a recipe from Bayoc, will be posted tomorrow.Chrissy WilmesBayoc with some of SweetArt's baked treats​Did your family cook when you were a child? Yes, my mothe ... More >>

Bon Appetit, Gwyneth! Eight Bargain-Bin Celebrity Cookbooks

Bon AppetitGwyneth's back! Not that she ever goes away.​ Oh look. It's Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover of the new issue of Bon Appetit. Because she's everywhere. Acting? Yeah, that's fine. But then there was the singing. And now she's pushing her cookbook, My Father's Daughter and cooking on ev ... More >>

Nate Hereford of Niche, Part 2

This is part two of Katie Moulton's Chef's Choice profile of Nate Hereford of Niche (1831 Sidney Street, 314-773-7755). To read part one, click here. Stay tuned for part three, a recipe from Hereford, which we'll publish tomorrow. Katie MoultonThis man "loves offal." Thankfully, he opted to make En ... More >>

Jeff Robtoy of the Bleeding Deacon Public House, Part 2

This is part two of Chrissy Wilmes' Chef's Choice profile of Jeff Robtoy of the Bleeding Deacon Public House (4123 Chippewa Street; 314-772-1813) in south St. Louis. To read part one, click here. Part three, a recipe from Robtoy, will be published tomorrow. Chrissy WilmesCara Murphy and Jeff Robtoy ... More >>

Breast Milk Ice Cream & Six Other Grown-Up Foods Made From Breast Milk

Ewww, gross! Ice cream made from breast milk! Oh, wait ... maybe that's not so bad. We're mammals. Cows are mammals. The milk's screened to hospital standards. And it's free-range! As long as Mum gets out of the house on occasion. "How can anybody possibly say this is disgusting? If it's good ... More >>

Chef Chris Bork of the Mud House, Part 2

This is part two of Holly Fann's Chef's Choice profile of Chris Bork of the Mud House in south St. Louis. Part one can be found here. Look for part three, a recipe from Bork, on Thursday. Holly FannChris Bork, chef at the Mud House (2101 Cherokee Street; 314-776-6599)​Did your family cook whe ... More >>

Battle of the Chunky Soups: Past Meets Present

chunky.com​ What the hell, Chunky Soup? Is anyone falling for your ad campaign pushing people to make quick, "complete" dinners by dumping a can of soup over a plate of mashed potatoes/noodles/rice/biscuits? It's all so very Throwback. Robin WheelerOh shit. It's back.​ Just how much o ... More >>

Agi and Aaron Groff of 4 Seasons Baked Goods & Catering, Part 2

This is part two of Holly Fann's Chef's Choice profile of Agi and Aaron Groff of 4 Seasons Baked Goods & Catering. Part one is available here. Part three, a recipe, can be found here. Holly Fann​Did your family cook when you were a child? Agi Groff: My granny is Hungarian, so we ate a lot of ... More >>

Ruth Reichl Pays (Delayed) Visit to St. Louis

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing CompanyReichl​Last month, Ruth Reichl, food writer and editor of Gourmet, was scheduled to visit St. Louis at the behest of Left Bank Books and give a talk at COCA to promote the new cookbook Gourmet Today. That was the week her magazine shut down.Last night, R ... More >>

Italian for Beginners

Café Napoli's popularity is baffling

Side Dish

Even working chefs aren't immune to the lure of those celebrity-chef cookbooks