Magic in the Kitchen

Jan Bartelsman. Artisan Publishers, $50 (214pp) ISBN 978-1-57965-173-2

Magic in the Kitchen by Jan Bartelsman, offers a cheerier look at creative spirits 40 top American chefs, including Tom Colicchio and Nobu Matsuhisa. Bartelsman provides whimsical photographs (Joachim Splichal sports a potato peel hat; Lydia Shire floats on a flying carpet), while the chefs offer spunky autobiographies (Daniel Boulud's begins, ""I am not a butter freak"") and signature recipes.

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