Byron in the Bargain Bin

Some of my favourite cookbooks have come from the bargain bin. Amidst a stack of discount duds I’ve found gems I’d have happily paid full price for. Byron’s New Home Cooking by Byron Ayanoglu is one of them. Sure the jacket font is dated, but I’ve been turning to this for inspiration on and off for years. Fifteen, if I did the math right.

But even a decade and a half later, I still enjoy the anecdotes he gives about each recipe. How can you not love Chicken Richard Harris, a dish he created for the star who had “just come off a lengthy bender”? As a film-caterer, you know he’s only telling part of the story.

The recipes themselves aren’t bad either. Shrimp Mick Jagger defies the line “you can’t always get what you want” and his simple but tasty spinach dal has star qualities of its own.

My favourite recipe is Burmese Tandoori Salmon. I’m not sure whether I like the results or the concept best. This “whimsical” recipe pushes fusion to the limits with delicious results. Burma has neither tandoori, nor salmon, but the dish will make you wish they did.

It seems odd that I would get so much pleasure for $5 while cookbooks costing ten times the price stagnate on my shelf. Even if the recipes are good, without a glimpse into the creator’s inspirations or challenges, they remain mere lists of ingredients and instructions. Only the cover on this book needs a makeover. The content is solid as an long-term friendship.

What underrated cookbook inspires you?