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How do you build the perfect bar cart? And what lessons does mid-century design still hold for how we should live today? Also, why did Paris become the powerhouse fashion capital it is today? All those questions and more can be answered via Maryam Siddiqi's picks for autumn's best style books

Food & Drink


Toronto Eats: 100 signature recipes from the city’s best restaurants

By Amy Rosen

($37.95, Figure 1 Publishing)

A follow-up to Amy Rosen's 2014 cookbook Toronto Cooks, Toronto Eats gathers 100 recipes from 50 chefs across the city to illustrate not only how culturally diverse dining in the city can be, but how quickly its restaurant scene is developing both in size and complexity. The recipes included were designed with the home chef in mind, meaning even Boralia's cured trout with gin sour cream can be tackled in your kitchen.


The Coffee Dictionary: An AZ of coffee, from growing and roasting to brewing and tasting

By Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood

(Available Oct. 17; $27.95, Chronicle Books)

It's a good thing this is a hardcover title, because devotees of this drink will be spending plenty of time flipping, dog-earring and leaving coffee rings on its pages. Award-winning barista Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood has compiled over 200 entries detailing everything a coffee lover needs to know, from bean production to brewing techniques.


The Art of the Bar Cart: Styling and recipes

By Vanessa Dina

($32.50, Chronicle Books)

Elevate your hosting game at home by literally rolling out a well-stocked bar car, one that not only looks good, but that is stocked correctly. Party planner Vanessa Dina has designed 20 different bar cart set ups – from punch to whisky – each one accompanied by matching cocktail recipes.


The Edgy Veg: 138 carnivore-approved vegan recipes

By Candice Hutchings

(Available Oct. 16; $32.95, Robert Rose)

Vegan cooking that even a carnivore would love? That's the premise behind Candice Hutchings' book, a spinoff of their popular blog and YouTube series. With 138 recipes, from buffalo cauliflower wings to matcha ice cream, cheese fondue to a meatless chicken sandwich inspired by Chick-Fil-A, this book demonstrates the possibilities of a vegan diet.


Munchies: Late-night Meals From The World's Best Chefs

By JJ Goode, Helen Hollyman and editors of Munchies

(Available Oct. 24; $40, Ten Speed Press)

Whether Michelin-starred chef or mac 'n' cheese pro, all rules go out the door when it comes to late-night eats. Based on the Vice web series Chef's Night Out, this book compiles recipes of greasy-but-oh-so-good dishes eaten in the wee hours of the morning by 65 of the world's best chefs, including Anthony Bourdain, David Chang and Dominique Crenn.

Home & Design


Everything in its Place: The power of mise-en-place to organize your life, work, and mind

By Dan Charnas

(Available Dec. 26; $17.50, Rodale Books)

Those who place a priority on efficiency will be charmed by the teachings of this book, which could give the KonMari method a run for its minimalist money. Author Dan Charnas translates the philosophy of the culinary system of mise-en-place for the office, home and, yes, kitchen through interviews with famed chefs including Thomas Keller and Alfred Portale.


New York Behind Closed Doors

By Polly Devlin

($50, Gibbs Smith)

Who hasn't visited New York and wanted to peer into brownstones and Central Park-fronting apartments? Now you can look into 24 different residences belonging to artists, designers writers and other creatives, scattered around the city from Harlem to Brooklyn. Interviews with owners by Polly Devlin are each accompanied by photography of the spaces, showing off intimate details and grand designs.


Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book: How to plan colors and furnishings that reflect the personality of your family

By Better Homes and Gardens

(Available Sept. 26; $36, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

As mid-century modern furniture's popularity continues to reign, the rerelease of this book is as timely as when it was first issued in 1956. A 432-page time capsule of decorating rules and inspiration, this book is filled with period photography and illustrations as well as design tips that are as helpful today as they are nostalgic.


Rothko: The Color Field Paintings

By Christopher Rothko and Janet Bishop

($57, Chronicle Books)

This may look better resting on a wall ledge than lying on your coffee table, but whichever way you choose to display it, this collection of 50 of Mark Rothko's iconic paintings is sure to inspire and enlighten. The artworks are accompanied by essays from the painter's son Christopher, as well as Janet Bishop, a curator at the San Francisco MoMA, that delve into the artist's influences and legacy.


Lagom: The Swedish art of living a balanced, happy life

By Niki Brantmark

(Available Oct. 3; $24,99, HarperCollins)

Last year you mastered hygge, this year, it's time for lagom, a belief that moderation or balance is best. In other words, not too little and not too much. From home to work, food to family, this guide to the Swedish philosophy, believed to have originated with the vikings, offers guidance on how to live a well-balance life and, in doing so, achieve health and well-being.

Fashion & Beauty


Catwalking

By Alexander Fury

(Available Nov. 7; $106, Laurence King)

A 500-page tome of true photographic talent, Catwalking is a collection of work by Chris Moore, who for six decades has ruled runway photography. Accompanying selections from six decades of Moore's work are essays by award-winning fashion critic Alexander Fury, who calls out key industry moments, from Coco Chanel's final show to the emergence of Alexander McQueen.


Rebel Threads: Clothing of the bad, beautiful and misunderstood

Roger K. Burton

(Available Sept. 26; $70, Laurence King)

Lovers of vintage clothing will want to make time for this book, which chronicles fashion's role in subcultures – particularly teen cliques – from 1940 through 1980. From swing to street punk, the significance and meaning of over 1,300 pieces of rare vintage clothing are explained by the author, a stylist and costume designer. Taking a stand through style has never looked so good.


100 Years of Fashion Illustration

By Cally Blackman

($27.99, Laurence King)

Over 400 images have been compiled to demonstrate the evolution of the art – and of fashion design itself – over the past century. Author Cally Blackman examines fashion illustrations as advertisements and magazine covers, art pieces and digital creations, all of which speak to the impact the art has had on the industry.


Paris Fashion: A Cultural History

By Valerie Steele

($54, Bloomsbury)

Consider this a text book of the French fashion capital and its players. Authored by the director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, this update to the first edition, published in 1988, charts the city's fashion scene into the 21st century, following not just designers but its writers, players (be they actresses or milliners) and fans.


Closet Essentials: 60 core pieces and how to wear them

By Amber McNaught

(Available Oct. 24; $27.95, Chronicle Books)

Spring cleaning gets all the attention, but that transition from summer to fall is just as significant. What should be stored, what can be accessorized and what should be tossed forever? Amber McNaught pares it all back with this guide – 60 wardrobe pieces that can be used for all seasons, each styled five different ways. If it's time for a closet overhaul, this will help you through it.

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