A cookbook sampler: Start with the Northwest, finish with dessert

It's hard to pin down trends in cookbooks this year. Unlike years past, when seemingly all books were marketed as quick or light, or as bibles of this or that, this year's bounty has something for everyone on your shopping list. So today we're offering a sampling of recent cookbooks to choose from, and where better to begin than our own corner of the culinary planet?

Northwest authors

For many years, Braiden Rex-Johnson has championed the Pike Place Market with books such as "Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook" and "Inside the Pike Place Market: Exploring America's Favorite Farmers' Market." Now, with the publication of "Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining" (Wiley, $34.95), she turns her seasoned palate to the region's vineyards, pairing recipes using choice seasonal ingredients with complementary wines. Rex-Johnson and husband Spenser Johnson spent two years traveling throughout the Northwest, meeting the winemakers and chefs who work the land and man the kitchens. Their research took them from the Okanagan to Oregon, through Idaho and the Yakima Valley and back to Woodinville and Seattle. The result is a gorgeous tribute to the glories of Northwest cuisine, and a book to be savored and cooked from.

"Gluten-Free Girl" (Wiley, $24.95) is a lovely book, written by local blogger Shauna James Ahern (glutenfreegirl.com). This is Ahern's first book, and it's more than a cookbook, although recipes such as Quinoa Salad with Horseradish Crème Fraiche and Chocolate Banana Bread (see accompanying recipe) will be hard to resist for anyone, whether gluten intolerant or not. This is also the story of one woman's journey from the debilitating illness of celiac disease to a life full of love, humor and delicious food. Deprivation is not in Ahern's vocabulary. "After cutting out gluten, I felt clear and energized," she writes. "I realized that I had lived my entire life without meeting myself." When we meet this joyful woman through her words and recipes, it's an unforgettable encounter.

Cooking with the masters

"Cooking: 600 Recipes, 1500 Photographs, One Kitchen Education" (Ten Speed Press, $40) by James Peterson is a massive guide to cooking, written from the perspective of 20 years of teaching and writing. Peterson begins with the 10 basic cooking methods — roasting, sautéing, braising, poaching, steaming, frying, grilling, smoking, barbecuing and boiling. He then shows us how to use them with concise recipes paired with clear step-by-step photos. It's sure to inspire beginner and skilled cook alike.

Alice Waters is firmly established as a culinary icon, but she's not resting on her laurels just yet. With her most recent book, "The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution" (Clarkson Potter, $35), Waters is ready to influence a new generation of cooks and food lovers. Using the set of basic principles essential to her philosophy — eat locally and sustainably; eat seasonally; cook simply, using all your senses among them — she expands on her legendary expertise with 250 recipes and essays that promote her unique vision.

Vegetarian

"Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook" (Marlowe & Company, $27.50) by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero has been referred to as "the vegan's 'Joy of Cooking.' " That may be a stretch; the book isn't as comprehensive as that classic, but there's plenty here to choose from. The authors are young and with a third book under their apron strings, they're also considered the go-to experts in vegan cooking. But you don't have to be vegan to enjoy recipes such as Caramelized Onion-Butternut Roast with Chestnuts or Chewy Chocolate-Raspberry Cookies.

"Mediterranean Harvest: Vegetarian Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine" (Rodale, $39.95). Ever since the publication of "Supper Club: Chez Martha Rose" in 1988, author Martha Rose Shulman has been a favorite food writer and conjurer of recipes. With impeccable taste and simple techniques, Shulman serves up the kind of dishes that have been handed down through generations of Mediterranean cooks — from Tuscan bean soups and simple pizzas to moussaka and hummus — but lightened for today's tastes.

Chefs cook at home

"The Young Man & the Sea: Recipes & Crispy Fish Tales from Esca" (Artisan, $35) by David Pasternack and Ed Levine is an inspiring book for anyone who loves seafood but is tired of the usual preparations. Pasternack has been a fisherman his whole life and knows how to cook fish to bring out the best in each species. Esca, his New York seafood restaurant, is a touchstone for seafood lovers. He uses inventive combinations while still remaining true to his philosophy of simplicity. Read and cook from this book, and you'll be learning from a guide who knows his subject well.

"A Great American Cook: Recipes from the Home Kitchen of One of Our Most Influential Chefs" ($35, Houghton Mifflin Company) by Jonathan Waxman with Tom Steele. Waxman may not have the name recognition of many of today's star chefs, but he's been a passionate influence on the landscape of American food for decades. His food can be simple or elaborate but always with a rustic edge. And it's always deliciously fresh. Try his Turkey Breast Milanese (see accompanying recipe) for a taste of his vividly flavored food.

Food from around the world

The author of "Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking: Simple, Elegant Recipes for Contemporary Tastes" (Home Books, $27.95), Harumi Kurihara, possesses star status in her home country with television shows as well as her own lines of cookware, tableware, clothing and interior design. The key to Harumi's style is pared-down simplicity, and this new collection of 70 recipes, developed for the Western palate, covers a diverse range of dishes such as Tuna Sashimi in a Miso Dressing and Teriyaki Hamburgers.

"1080 Recipes" (Phaidon, $39.95) by Simone and Inés Ortega has been Spain's best-selling cookbook for more than 30 years, but only recently has it been translated into English. The recipes are solidly based on the culinary traditions of Spain, using fresh ingredients accented by lively seasonings. The book is charmingly illustrated by Javier Mariscal.

"The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco" (Ten Speed Press, $35), by Cecilia Chiang with Lisa Weiss, chronicles Chiang's journey from a life of privilege in China to the torn world of war and politics from which she fled. She eventually made her way to San Francisco, where her restaurant, The Mandarin, attracted the patronage of James Beard, Alice Waters and Jeremiah Tower. With traditional recipes such as Green-Onion Pancakes and Tea-Smoked Game Hens, this book is a connoisseur's delight, as well as an interesting glimpse into an extraordinary life.

The final chapter

A glimpse of the cover of "Desserts by the Yard: From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills, Recipes from the Sweetest Life Ever" (Houghton Mifflin Company, $35.95), with its creamy mountain of ladyfingers topped with a cherry, is enough to hook any lover of sweets. Sherry Yard, dessert chef for Wolfgang Puck at his Beverly Hills restaurant, Spago, has a masterly touch. But she's translated her skills into recipes that also can be mastered by the home cook. Chocolate Rice Krispies Bars Topped with Ovaltine and Milk Chocolate Bavarian Crème (see accompanying recipe) are tradition-busting twists on the originals and a luscious ending to any meal.

CeCe Sullivan: csullivan@seattletimes.com