The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook - by Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez & Julia Turshen (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Bake authentic multiethnic breads from the New York City bakery with a mission, with The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook, Yahoo Food's Cookbook of the Year.

At first glance Hot Bread Kitchen may look like many other bakeries. Multigrain sandwich loaves, sourdough batards, baguettes, and Parker House rolls line the glass case up front in the small shop. But so, too, do sweet Mexican conchas, rich m'smen flatbreads, mini bialys sporting a filling of caramelized onion, and chewy Indian naan. In fact, the breads are as diverse as the women who bake them--because the recipes come from their homelands.

Hot Bread Kitchen is a bakery that employs and empowers immigrant women, providing them with the skills to succeed in the culinary industry. The tasty corollary of this social enterprise is a line of authentic breads you won't find anywhere else. Featured in some of New York City's best restaurants and carried in dozens of retail outlets across the country, these ethnic gems can now be made at home with The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook.

Review Quotes

"I'll be pressing The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook into the hands of many. It manages to pull off the difficult balance between both a story and a guide: It details the passion project of a small group of amazing individuals while being a practical, useful, down-to-earth book for the home cook who really just wants to make great bread."
--Yotam Ottolenghi, on Food52.com

"The word companion is derived from the Latin, meaning 'one with whom we break bread.' The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook is more than just a book of great recipes--it is an inspirational collection of life lessons and stories about people who, every day, make a difference while making beautiful bread and great food. Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez takes us around the globe and into the worldview of many international cultures, all to show us that bread, as we've long known, still serves as a universal bond of true companionship."
--Peter Reinhart, author of Bread Revolution

"Jessamyn and her amazingly diverse team of women bakers at Hot Bread Kitchen are as inspiring as their authentic breads and accompaniments are delicious. Each recipe promises to take you around the globe word by word, bite by bite, and to challenge what you thought you knew about bread."
--Christina Tosi, author of Milk Bar Life

"[T]his wonderful book hits the jackpot for me: expansive, intimate, and upliftingly rich in recipes."
--Nigella Lawson

"The real brilliance of Hot Bread Kitchen is not just the genius of its baked goods or the generosity of its mission; it's also the sense of people and place that infuses each bread. The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook weaves together stories of these bakers with their recipes, which are as enlightening as they are mouthwatering."
--Dan Barber, chef and author of The Third Plate

"I have been impressed with Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez ever since she won the EILEEN FISHER Women-Owned Business Grant in 2008. I love the way she celebrates the women and men she employs by sharing their immigrant stories along with delicious recipes and baking tips. Jessamyn connects the soulful experience of cooking with the humanity behind every loaf."
--Eileen Fisher, founder, EILEEN FISHER

"Not only is Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez the latest in the line of generational bakers, but she is also an amazing social entrepreneur. Her book is filled with useful tips and know-how along with beautiful stories of the people who make up her organization. Her vision for a revolutionary model has been achieved."
--Jim Lahey, founder, Sullivan Street Bakery and Co.

"The acclaimed bakery Hot Bread Kitchen and its cookbook are a testament not just to the power of perseverance, but also to the magic of baking. This beautiful recipe collection provides an intimate look at an ancient cross-cultural ritual, making our vast world feel smaller. Now, with The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook, we can all share in the joy of freshly baked bread from the extraordinary women who inspire its work every day!"
--Gail Simmons, television host, culinary expert, and author of Talking with My Mouth Full

"A must-have for bakers and fans of international flavors, The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook, by one of my favorite bakeries in Harlem, shares recipes along with the cultural traditions behind some truly delicious and authentic breads."
--Marcus Samuelsson, chef and author of Make It Messy and Yes, Chef

"I have never related to a bread and baking book the way I connected with this one... It's a collection that strikes a rare balance between inspiring a novice baker to get started, while still impressing those who are more experienced."
--Andrew Zimmern, on Food52.com

"The year 2015 was a fantastic year for cookbooks... Still, when a cookbook combines appealing, accessible recipes, compelling personal narrative, and a powerful--not to mention timely--social mission, there really is no contest. In fact, the Yahoo Food team was unanimous when it came to choosing our cookbook of the year."
--Yahoo Food

"Hot Bread Kitchen's first cookbook foray is essential reading for serious foodies, bakers and anyone inspired by the bakery's philanthropic philosophy."
--Library Journal, starred review

About the Author

JESSAMYN WALDMAN RODGRIGUEZ is the founder and CEO of Hot Bread Kitchen. Since launching the company out of her home kitchen in 2007, she has received numerous awards and been featured in Food & Wine magazine and the New York Times. She has an MPA from Columbia University and worked in immigration advocacy for ten years before learning to bake and becoming the first female bread baker at Daniel Boulud's eponymous restaurant. Rodriguez lives in New York City.

JULIA TURSHEN is a food writer and coauthor of numerous cookbooks, including Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen, The Fat Radish Kitchen Diaries, Buvette, and It's All Good. She divides her time between Brooklyn and upstate New York.