The Rebel Chef

Sicotte's cookbook is, like him, wondrously wild. Originally published in French, it is awash in bold colors, graffiti-like doodles, and lush images of glorious food and intimate moments such as the heavily-tattooed Sicotte and his gorgeous wife reveling in the smell and flavors of the kitchen and Sicotte preparing omelet with his pinch-cheek worthy daughter, Lili. And yet, surprisingly, there's nothing over-the-top about it. A rocker (he co-founded Sky, a now defunct pop-rock group from Montreal) who transformed himself into a successful self-taught chef and TV travel/food host, Sicotte has created recipes that are rich (stroganoff bundles), unpredictable and edgy (caponata polenta, an Italian dish to which he has added sambal oelek, a staple in Malaysian cuisine) and yet, simple enough to actually make at home. Here's a zaniness that some foodies might appreciate: the recipes are classified according to the time that you might actually want to eat them. How does Black and Blue Pasta sound like between 7 p.m. to 12 a.m.? (Apr.)