7 New Books We’re Reading This Fall

Coming to My Senses
Alice Waters usually weaves personal anecdotes into her cookbooks, but this much-anticipated memoir marks the first time she’s decided to truly tell all – divulging the love affairs, career failures, and political activism that led her to open the legendary Chez Panisse at the tender age of 27. ($27; Clarkson Potter)

Know That What You Eat You Are
Of course, a compilation of the best food articles published in Harper’s Magazine (over the past 167 years!) includes the work of a few literary lions. Upton Sinclair, Michael Pollan, David Foster Wallace – yep, the gang’s all here. Less expected: the welcome dose of wit provided by more obscure authors, like Susan Dooley writing about Jackie Kennedy’s seafood-and”“potato chip casserole. ($17; Franklin Square Press)

Home Sausage Making
In the fourth edition of this reference, originally penned by the late Charles G. Reavis, Evelyn Battaglia executes a sensitive update. The former deputy editor at Everyday Food, Battaglia retained the meat bible’s basics – breakfast patties, kielbasa, salami – and added dozens of sexier options, such as venison-and-lamb cevapi. ($25; Storey)

America: The Cookbook
Gabrielle Langholtz, former editor of Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn, tracked down the best recipe for New York cheesecake, plus 799 other regional favorites – from Wisconsin’s deep-fried cheese curds to Texas barbecue – for this 768-page paean to American cuisine. ($50; Phaidon)

The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook
Eight years ago, Jim Lahey revolutionized home baking when he published his no-knead method in My Bread. This time around, the chef-owner of Manhattan’s beloved boulangerie reveals his secrets for sourdough. ($35; W. W. Norton & Co.)

Sweet
Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi, known for savory Mediterranean fare, turns his attention to dessert in this collaboration with pastry chef Helen Goh. The results – including doughnuts filled with saffron custard – put exotic spices where you’d least expect them. ($35; Ten Speed Press)

Cheers to the Publican, Repast and Present
If you can’t score a seat at Paul Kahan’s white-hot Chicago beer hall, feast your eyes on his recipes for grilled sardines, braised pork shoulder, and more. ($40; Lorena Jones Books)