Braised short ribs with polenta. Photo by Jim Henkens

“Cookbook” may not be quite the right word to describe this book, which celebrates DeLaurenti Food & Wine, the beloved specialty food shop in Pike Place Market. Though it does have plenty of recipes (including lots of pasta dishes), it’s an amazing encyclopedia detailing just about everything you could possibly want to know about charcuterie (from the pigs to the process to the product) and cheese (“a few of our favorites,” in fact, spans five pages). Care to make your own mozzarella or burrata? It’s all in here.

Also, a one-page section highlights tools you shouldn’t live without, like a microplane, a mandoline, and a fish spatula, as well as tips of the trade: “Charcoal Whenever Possible” and “No Substitutions, Please—Margarine, sweeteners in colorful packages, or products whose list of ingredients belongs in a science journal should be avoided.”

nsprinkle@seattleweekly.com