Prune

The book is named after chef Gabrielle Hamilton's highly acclaimed, no-frills New York City restaurant, Prune, which she opened in 1999. The 2014 cookbook captures the unvarnished, exact recipes used in that small East Village kitchen.

Unlike polished, glossy restaurant cookbooks, Prune is written to feel like the actual kitchen manual used by Hamilton's staff. It includes handwritten notes, exact prep lists, and blunt, practical instructions, reflecting the gritty reality of restaurant line cooking.

Yes, the cookbook was highly celebrated and won the James Beard Award for Best Cookbook in the General Cooking category. It was praised by critics for its raw honesty and refusal to simplify recipes for the casual home cook.

The recipes feature rustic, deeply personal, and eclectically sourced dishes that defy standard categorization. You will find everything from a simple bowl of boiled eggs with celery salt to an elaborate whole roasted pig's head.