Cookbook Sneak Peek: Gjelina, Guittard, and More

An exclusive look at the Chronicle Books fall catalog.

by Hillary Dixler Canavan@hillarydixler Apr 9, 2015, 12:47pm EDT

Via All Cookbook Coverage on Eater [E] and All Chronicle Books Coverage on Eater [E]

If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Hillary Dixler Canavan is Eater's restaurant editor and the author of the publication's debut book, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes From the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters (Abrams, September 2023). Her work focuses on dining trends and the people changing the industry — and scouting the next hot restaurant you need to try on Eater's annual Best New Restaurant list.

The 2015 cookbooks just keep rolling in. Here now is a look at the food-focused pages in Chronicle Books' fall catalog, which boasts some key titles from the West Coast (plus some highly giftable books and paper goods).

Pay extra attention to Gjelina: California Cooking from Venice Beach, the first cookbook from chef Travis Lett and his absolutely essential LA restaurant. The catalog promises "125 of the rustic and utterly delicious salads, toasts, pizzas, vegetable and grain dishes, pastas, fish and meat mains, and desserts" that represent "the way we want to cook and eat now." Brace for relaxed California vibes and vegetable beauty shots by photography team Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott.

Celebrating a different California tradition is Guittard Chocolate Cookbook: Decadent Recipes from San Francisco's Premium Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Company, highlighting San Francisco's legendary chocolate makers. Founded in 1868, Guittard claims to be the oldest family-owned, continually operating chocolate business in America, and its book focuses on recipes with chocolate — "tried-and-true favorite recipes from five generations of Guittards" — such as "start-your-day-right" Chocolate Cherry Scones, "fudgey Mocha Cookiesm and deep, dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan Bundt Cake." It's authored by marketing manager Amy Guittard, whose father Gary is the current company president, with photography by Antonis Achilleos.

Another intriguing Chronicle title out of San Francisco is Drinking the Devil's Acre: A Love Letter From San Francisco and her Cocktails, by cocktail expert and barman Duggan McDonnell (Cantina, SF). The book is named for a 19th-century San Francisco bar and presents itself as a "history-packed drinking tour through one of the most beloved cities in the world." Here's what that means: "25 iconic cocktail recipes made famous by the City by the Bay — from the legendary Pisco Punch, Mai Tai, and Irish Coffee to the Gold Rush-era Sazerac and more modern-day Lemon Drop — are accompanied by an additional 45 recipes that show the evolution of these classic elixirs, resulting in such contemporary favorites as the Revolver and the Last Word."

Eater's Picks:

Gjelina, October 27, pre-order on Amazon
Drinking the Devil's Acre, September 15, pre-order on Amazon
Guittard Chocolate Cookbook, August 11, pre-order on Amazon