Rachael Moloney meets the proprietor of New York's premier cookery bookshop, and unearths the odd treasure among his eclectic range of titles.
It has to be said that the exterior of Nach Waxman's Upper East Side bookshop is not prepossessing. In fact, you might easily hurry past the modest storefront on your way through this rich and rarefied area of uptown New York. Even if you did step inside the little shop with its slightly dog-eared appearance and crowded shelves, it might not be immediately obvious that you were in a culinary mecca - but Kitchen Arts & Letters is probably the most authoritative cookery bookshop in the us.
In the 17 years since he opened the shop, Nach (pronounced 'Knock', short for Nahum) has built up a stock of around 13,000 books that serves as a library for America's food industry. He is one of the most well-respected sources of information on food in the country. The people who turn to him range from fledgling chefs (his favourite type of customer) to the masters (the uk's Anton Mosimann, top New York chefs Daniel Boulud and Jean-George Vongerichten), as well as writers, editors and historians. "I call Nach a lot," admits Adam Rapoport, restaurant editor of Time Out New York. "He's a great source for reference. Even if he can't answer your question straightaway, he'll find the information you need."
Although Nach's clientele is "heavily professional", it also includes many home cooks, ordinary people who want to find out more about an ingredient, research a new cuisine, or simply pick Nach's brains. "I read a lot and I talk a lot," he says. "I also listen to my customers - they're hugely knowledgeable."
The subjects Kitchen Arts & Letters covers are diverse. Beyond the categories you might expect (ethnic traditions, us regional, vegetarian, dairy, soups, wine), there are also sections on fragrances and aromas, food in fiction and cooking on a boat.
If you are looking for an old or obscure book, Nach will disappear into the bowels of the shop and rake the subterranean shelves that hold his out-of-print stock. This treasure trove includes an eclectic range of classics, from Barbara Cartland's The Romance of Food to The Presley Family Cookbook (yes, Elvis liked to cook). More sober gems, such as Lady Jeckyll's Kitchen Essays, and Recipes into Type: A Guide for Copy Chiefs, are also stashed away. In the unlikely event that your book is not here, Nach will initiate a free international search for you.
Back in the Eighties, Nach's parents were scandalised when he told them he was leaving his job as an academic editor to "peddle books", but he was frustrated by mainstream publishing and its increasing commercialism. As his shop suggests, he is not interested in glossy appearances or the hard sell. "I intended Kitchen Arts & Letters to be for professionals and serious non-professionals," he explains. "I wanted to supply them with good resources and to represent people's tastes, not market judgements."
His relationship with chefs allows him to stay ahead of forthcoming food trends, such as New York's current fascination with Spanish and Basque cuisine. "Unfortunately," he says, "publishers are not always willing to print really innovative titles. By the time they've jumped on the bandwagon, the chefs have moved on." In the us, he feels, publishers are often more interested in churning out glossy gift books than serious food and drink writing.
"The books that make us really proud are the ones that people never knew existed. Like Cannibalism in the Colonial World," says Nach with glee. "We put this book in the window and sold two copies in as many days. One buyer was a food historian. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw it."
Unearthing such literary treasure is all in a day's work for Nach but he doesn't embrace everything that comes his way and is damning about prescriptive, overly detailed recipes. "Blind faith in recipe books still dominates many people's cooking," he explains. This leads them to follow recipes slavishly, often against their better judgement. Instead, he encourages less experienced customers to buy a book, read it, then put it back on the shelf and start cooking. "That's how our professional customers use the books," he says. "It's a spirit which should apply to everyone who cooks."
Kitchen Arts & Letters, 1435 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10128.
Tel 00 1 212 876 5550.
Nach Waxman's top five cookbooks
Classic Indian Cookery by Julie Sahni (Morrow, £20). "An excellent education about Indian culture and food. I learned how to make ghee from this book and it was like a bolt from heaven."
French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David (Penguin, £7.99). "Sheer pleasure and an exemplary introduction to David's work."
La Varenne Pratique by Anne Willan (sold in the UK as Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Cookery, £25). "You could absorb this and you would never need another cookbook again."
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee (Prentice Hall, £14.99). "This is a writer's attempt to get us to see cooking as second nature."
Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables: A Commonsense Guide by Elizabeth Schneider (Morrow, £20). "One of the finest writers in the business. She describes flavours brilliantly and is scrupulous in her detail."
All of the above titles are available at discounted prices from the wfi bookshop. To order, call 020 8324 5558.