You don’t have to be of the maison born to appreciate Hedda Gioia Dowd and Cherif Brahmi’s Rise No. 1. Behind the door of their quaint corner spot in Inwood Village lies a Francophile’s delight, an alchemical wonderland where passion and pleasure result in lofty souffles and a host of other delights known to inspire midnight cravings that till now have gone unrequited. As if to answer our prayers, Dowd and Brahmi have compiled their soul-sustaining recipes in Rise to the Occasion ($35), a cookbook honoring the charm of their bistro by addressing both the ritual and the practice of preparing food with consciousness and gentle precision. Our favorite chapter is quite possibly the one titled “The Childhood You Wish You Had,” in which child-friendly recipes are not the least bit dumbed down, but rather assume that the preteen palate is capable of a sophistication all its own. Available at Borders and Barnes & Noble.
