The King Cookbook (Annie Shi, Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt)

At King, each day begins with a large sheet of parchment paper that will bear the markings of a new menu. The framework never changes but the offerings, cocktails and dishes inspired by Southern France and Italy, refresh and rekindle. Now, mirroring a meal at its intimate New York restaurant, The King Cookbook shares over 120 of its best-loved recipes, culled from years of daily-changing menus.

Just as owners Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt, and Annie Shi welcome guests to King, this collection starts with fizzy cocktails and nibbles like panisse, their signature fried ribbons of chickpea batter. Plays on cartas di musica, the Sicilian flatbread, give way to starters, soups, and salads, which in turn prepare appetites for pastas, mains, and contorni, vegetable sides.

Throughout, whimsically illustrated step-by-step sequences detail how to recreate King's cult-favorite fresh pasta; the butchering of a rabbit; the perfect searing of a steak. Dessert highlights hits like King's flourless chocolate cake and classic Eton Mess, followed by variations of rich ice cream custards and bright sorbets. To finish, four seasonal, celebratory menus tie everything together, summing up the King purpose: to feast simply and lavishly.