Located in the diverse and bustling neighborhood of Mount Pleasant, Bold Fork Books is Washington DC's only culinary bookshop, featuring new and vintage cookbooks and elevated kitchen wares. The owners, Clementine Thomas and Sam Vasfi, worked in the district's restaurant industry for many years and the culinary books they collected over the years changed the way they cook, eat, and think about the world around them. Now they are committed to sharing this passion by growing a deeply connected and dedicated shop community of home cooks, restaurant professionals, and curious eaters through books and a diverse slate of events. Bold Fork hosts author events, cooking classes, book clubs, and a very beloved monthly cookbook club.

They picked out some Olive Oil-centric books that show the brilliance and depth of the DC food scene, and also some new releases that they are very anxiously anticipating.

Two DC Local Favorites

Maydan: Recipes From Lebanon and Beyond

by Rose Previte

Walking into Rose Previte's DC restaurant Maydan is a full-on sensory experience-- you are immediately hit with the warmth from the fire pit where much of the food is cooked; a fragrant rush of spices from North Africa, the Caucuses, and the Middle East; and the hum and chatter of music and conversation. Opening Rose's first cookbook gives you the same sensations of pleasure, inclusion, and discovery. We are obsessed with the Dango recipe (Omani-style Chickpeas) and make it all the time.

Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes From Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon

by José Andrés

While everyone knows Jose for his necessary and heroic work with World Central Kitchen, for us in DC he is also responsible for helping to grow our city into the thriving, dynamic food scene that it is today. Zaytinya is a treasured meeting place for Washingtonians, a place to break bread with family and friends, and Jose's cookbook is a generous, warm testament to the food of the region and the teachers that showed him the way. With over 150 recipes it is impossible to pick one...but the Htipiti, a red pepper and feta spread, has never let us down.

An Oldie but a Goodie

Lemon, Love, and Olive Oil

by Mina Stone

An elegant workhorse. It’s rare that a cookbook succeeds at being aspirational and accessible: this one manages to be both. Beautifully laid-out and composed recipes that are not daunting, and scalable for two or a dinner party, the salads, meats and desserts all shine. The Chicken Braised in Cinnamon and Cumin with Tahini is a staple in our kitchens & the Super Lemony Olive Oil Cake (A Spin on the Classic) is our go-to olive oil cake recipe.

A Book That Will Change Your Entire Relationship to Cooking

Small Fires: An Epic in the Kitchen

by Rebecca May Johnson

Small Fires is an elegant, uneasy, metaphysical (and physical: many sauce drips!) explosion of a book and if cooking plays a meaningful part of your life you should read it immediately.  Rebecca asks essential questions about cooking--why do we cook? Where do we find pleasure? Do recipes guide or obstruct us? What does it mean to cook for another person?--while cooking the same dish over and over again. An absolute mind-bender and mind-opener and yes, olive oil is definitely involved.

Two Books We Can’t Wait For

Le Sud: Recipes From Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur

By Rebekah Peppler

More than a cookbook: Le Sud is a full vibe. No one curates the relationship between food, wine, and life as elegantly as Rebekah-- opening the gorgeous pages of Le Sud is a ticket to a dream of the soft sun of mornings by the ocean and lazy, salty afternoons. The Pasta to Make When You're Not near the Sea (but Wish You Were) is a legitimate life-changer.

Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store

By Paola Velez

If we can do one thing for you today, it's make sure you know our friend, DC based Chef Paola Velez. If you haven't been following her on social, have you even been living? Paola is the force of nature behind Bakers Against Racism, and her first book is going to be a BANGER: combinations that are creative, unexpected, comforting, and full of the joy of living-- just like her. We seriously can not wait.