Have a taste for new traditional recipes? Well, we have rounded up our favorite cookbooks to give you just that, and more! Food brings people together, whether it’s a Tuesday night dinner or a backyard barbeque, or a Holiday party. These recipes will bring you new ways of thinking, loving, and cooking. Stories from the charming styles of Nashville, Tennessee to the south of France will make you crave living life to the fullest and not feeling bad for adding that extra dash of sweetness to your day.
Feature Image Credit: @_mistyrivera
Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon
Reese has never been shy about her southern heritage and lucky for us she is giving us a taste of it. Inspired by her grandmother Dorothea and the southern traditions she has surrounded herself with her whole life, Reese is giving the recipes for big holiday parties and plenty of Dorothea’s fried chicken. There’s something for every occasion from midnight barn parties to backyard bridal showers, magical Christmas mornings. Not only will you find pulled pork sliders with bourbon sauce, but personal stories and how-to’s.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
Master the four elements and you’ll be cooking delicious food in no time. Samin Nosrat has been teaching everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids her philosophy to good cooking. Using just four elements: salt, which enhances flavor; fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; acid, which balances flavor; and heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food. This is more than a cookbook, it’s an inspiration to cook with any ingredient anywhere at anytime.
Cravings by Chrissy Tiegen
Chrissy is never not thinking of dinner, breakfast or lunch. After years of collecting and Instagramming her favorite recipes, they are finally in one place! It could be breakfast all day, John’s famous fried chicken with spicy honey butter, or maybe her mom’s Thai classics. This cookbook also lets you know the importance of bacon being your home fragrance. Chrissy is teaching us how to not overthink relationships and the kind of salads to make when we inevitably do.
The Dinner Party Project: A No-Stress Guide to Food with Friends by Natasha Feldman
There are few things better than a dinner party with friends… unless you’re the host, right? Not anymore. Natasha Feldman–chef and cooking show host–is here to make the dinner party fun for all, including the one hosting. With simple recipes, permission to buy store-bought and takeout items as well as comprehensive and fun guides that do things like demystify the cheese plate, you’ll be having fun, eating well and enjoying company like never before.
Bibi’s Kitchen by Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen
Seventy-five recipes and stories gathered from grandmothers of eight different African nations: South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia and Eritrea. These nations are the backbone of the spice trade—and the bibis, or grandmothers, are letting us into the secrets of traditions, wars, refuge and sanctuary. The recipes are wrapped in the richness of history, and through Hawa’s writing and her own personal story, the women, and the stories behind the recipes come to life.
Coconut and Sambal by Lara Lee
These recipes have been passed down over generations to give you the vibrant and magnificent cuisine of Indonesia: think authentic Nasi goreng, beef rendang, chilli prawn satay, and pandan cake, alongside a variety of recipes for sambals. Bring spice, heart and soul into your homes alongside gorgeous travel photography that shines a light on Indonesia and its various regions of food.
The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
According to the New York Times, Alice Waters has “single-handedly changed the American palate” by giving the world timeless and indispensable recipes. Here, you can find ingredients to stocking your kitchen with the most pristine produce and colorful flavors, rediscover cooking, and the art of creating seasonal dishes for everyone.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
Recognized for bringing French cuisine to America, Julia Child has over 500 recipes to try in the kitchen. She’s altered the way we think about food, giving tips to beginners and experts about the flavors and tricks of cooking. She makes cooking as easy as reading and even has over 100 instructive illustrations to guide readers every step of the way.
Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen by Yasmin Khan
Palestinian food is winningly fresh and bright, centered around colorful mezze dishes that feature the region’s bountiful eggplants, peppers, artichokes and green beans. Recipes are covered next to dazzling and vibrant stories. In each place she visits, Khan enters the kitchens of Palestinians of all ages and backgrounds, discovering the secrets of their cuisine, and sharing heart-lifting stories. Created and cultivated by civilizations that have ruled over the area of ancient Palestine, these recipes are sure to make your taste buds water.
Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy
Jerrelle Guy believes food shapes us: our bodies, our character, our experiences. Keeping this in mind, each of her recipes tells a story. The Orange Peel Pound Cake brings back memories of summer days eating Florida oranges at Big Ma’s house, while Rosketti cookies reimagine the treats her mother ate growing up in Guam. Using the five senses and connecting ingredients to the world, Jerelle Guy will have you celebrating sweet moments and savoring your cooking experiences.
The Korean Vegan Cookbook by Joanne Lee Molinaro
A rich portrait of the immigrant experience, totally vegan—not to mention a celebration of Korean flavors! These recipes are completely plant-based and pay homage to family and Joanne’s childhood with doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (chili sauce), dashima (seaweed), and much more. The food shared in this cookbook shows how identity can be deeply engrained in food and shared experiences.
Eat Better, Feel Better by Giada De Laurentiis
These recipes are personal. Giada takes us on a journey of wellness and balance, one that she went on for 10 years. The recipes found in this book are about making you feel better and reconnecting to a healthy mind and body. While Giada is no stranger to publishing cookbooks, this has 100 new recipes, more than two dozen dairy-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free recipes to accompany the plan, and even a 21-day menu outline that makes good, healthy cooking easy to implement at home. Optimize your well-being with these meditative and self-care-based ways of eating and cooking.
It’s Always Freezer Season by Ashley Christensen
The freezer: the most underrated part of kitchens. Save energy and time and start stocking your freezer like your pantry. You have choices from Cornbread Panzanella with Watermelon, Cucumber, and Za’atar Vinaigrette; Potato Pierogi; Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast with Preserved Lemon–Garlic Butter; and Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Fonduta. All at a moment’s notice, you can have delicious food at the ready. This is your recipe for flavorful meals, with a lot less work.
The Vegan Meat Cookbook by Miyoko Schinner
Miyoko Schinner guides you through the maze of products available on store shelves and offers straightforward guidance on how to best use them. Eating plant-based meats doesn’t mean they have to lose their flavor—and making your own vegan meats and cheeses has never been easier. Whether you’re cutting back on meat for your health, the environment, animal welfare or affordability, these recipes will help you conquer those cravings!
Zoë Bakes Cakes by Zoë François
Eating cake is a tradition for celebration, whether it be a birthday, wedding or a Tuesday night. Through more than eighty-five simple and straightforward recipes, you can discover the sweetness of step-by-step photo guides and delightful creations for all! Celebrate any occasion, big or small, with delicious homemade cakes.
Cook This Book by Molly Baz
Confidence is key to cooking supreme meals, and it’s very easy to gain some with Cook This Book. Clear and uncomplicated recipes that deliver big flavor with little effort, reading it is like taking a cooking class, without having to pay or go to the cooking class. Throughout, you’ll encounter dozens of QR codes, accessed through the camera app on your smartphone, that link to short technique-driven videos hosted by Molly to help illuminate some of the trickier skills. Cooking is fun, and it’s time to finally enjoy it.
The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks by Amy Stewart
All of your favorite drinks were, at some point, a plant. Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Each ingredient represents a culture, a civilization, a drinking tradition. Here are more than 50 drink recipes and concoctions to introduce to your guests for cocktail hour, along with some suggested pairings.
Cherry Bombe The Cookbook by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu
The team from the hit indie magazine about women and food, and the Radio Cherry Bombe podcast, are finally bringing you a collection of 100+ recipes from some of the most interesting chefs, bakers, food stylists, pastry chefs and creatives on the food scene today. This is beautifully styled and made from the recipes that mean the most from women like Melissa Clark, Karlie Kloss, Padma Lakshmi, Chrissy Teigen, and many more.
We Are La Cocina: Recipes in Pursuit of the American Dream by Caleb Zigas
Discover these worldwide recipes, beautiful photography, and inspiring narrative from 50 successful La Cocina entrepreneurs. There is more than food in these pages; it is an immigrant experience and path to cooking mouthwatering flavors. Find inspiration for not only your life, but for your cooking techniques as well.
In Pursuit of Flavor by Edna Lewis
This first lady of Southern cooking is giving us 200+ recipes for your own kitchen! Miss Lewis shares the recipes of her childhood, and the ones that made her one of the most revered American chefs of all time. She grew up in a Virginia farming community founded by her grandfather and his friends after emancipation. Miss Lewis shares her mastered techniques known for bringing out the savory flavors and Southern ingredients that make American cuisine.
Feed the Resistance by Julia Tursehn
ctivism is the new normal, and in order to plan support for civil rights, environmental protection, and making power moves, you have to gather – most likely around the table to talk and plan. So, you need to have food for these gatherings. This book presents a diverse range of recipes and causes to cook for—talk about an amazing roundtable.
That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life by Melissa Mullen
Didn’t think cheese could get better? Well, prepare for the unbelievable sights of these cheese boards. Melissa gives step-by-step Cheese by Numbers methods breaking down the cheese plate into its basic components—cheese, meat, produce, crunch, dip garnish—allowing you to create stunning spreads for any occasion. But cheese is about more than technique, it’s about self-care.
Time to Eat: Delicious Meals for Busy Lives by Nadiya Hussain
Juggling work life and feeding your family can be hard to keep up with. Nadiya solves mealtime on weeknights and busy days with quick and easy recipes that the whole family will love. There are tips for meal prep and repurposing leftovers for all new and delicious recipes. Plus, each recipe also notes exactly how long it will take to prepare and cook, making planning easy.
Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over by Alison Roman
Having people over should be fun, not stressful. Whether it’s a dinner date with your neighbor or a 15-person party, these recipes are heavy on the easy-to-execute. Even better, they aren’t too fancy. The meals included are foods and ingredients that people love and want. No more fuss, a lot more sass, and a pinch of confidence to pull it all off. Make dinner parties fun again.
The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young
Culinary traditions come from passed down philosophy and superstitions, and Grace Young is a daughter paying tribute to the Cantonese family. Each chapter begins with insights into the Chinese beliefs that surround life-enhancing and spiritually calming meals. The recipes are freshly traditional and are very personal, reminding us that these time-honored traditions live on, and the meals and their creation are connections to the past.
The Art of Mexican Cooking by Diana Kennedy
Back and better than ever, Diana Kennedy is the most celebrated authority on Mexican cooking. She has spent more than fifty years living, traveling and cooking throughout Mexico, and with this cookbook, brings her secrets to your very own home. The meals are favorites from all the regions of Mexico, ranging from sophisticated to pure and simple, but they all share an intrinsic depth of taste.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
In the cookbook world, there is no one more passionate and inspiring about authentic Italian food than Marcella Hazan. This is your culinary bible for mastering the art of Italian cooking with dishes for all levels of expertise. It’s accessible, comprehensive, and most importantly delicious! Learn all about taste and texture of a dish and how to achieve it.
Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One by Anita Lo
From the Michelin-starred chef and Iron Chef America and Top Chef Masters contestant—a hilarious, self-deprecating, gorgeous new cookbook—this is the ultimate guide to cooking for one. Inspired by her childhood and her years cooking around the world, she gives us a guide to self-love through the best means possible: delicious food, no matter how many you’re cooking for. What matters is the delicious, healthy food you cook for your own soul and body.
In My Kitchen: A Collection of New and Favorite Vegetarian Recipes by Deborah Madison
In My Kitchen is a vegetable-forward cookbook organized alphabetically, featuring recipes like Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Sunflower Sprouts, Fennel Shaved with Tarragon and Walnuts, and Olive Oil, Almond, and Blood Orange Cake. Perfect for an average weeknight dinner or a special occasion, this book is not just the go-to kitchen reference for vegetable-focused cooking, but also a book with which to curl up and enjoy reading.
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