CAUTION: Don’t read this blog on an empty stomach, because our team is sharing some of our favorite cookbooks that have yielded some of the most delicious meals ever made in our home kitchens.
Rachel’s Pick:
The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook
Meredith Hayden
Rachel says: “I’m a huge Wishbone Kitchen fan! Meredith’s recipes are the best combination of fresh and comforting. I made her Greek salad every day for a week straight once, and I still crave it!“
In The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook, Meredith teaches you to cook like a professional hostess (and have fun while doing it). This is the kind of food to celebrate every season of life; the kind of cooking you don’t start until you’ve made yourself a drink first. Recipes range from 20-minute meals to show-stopping centerpieces, all fit for your next dinner party.
Special Guest Pick: Kevin
Culinary Institute of America Graduate (and Rachel’s husband)
Larousse Gastronomique
Librairie Larousse
Kevin says: “True to its name, the Larousse Gastronomique is a veritable encyclopedia of what’s what and who’s who in the culinary world. Whether I need to reference the origin of a cooking technique, parse out a tricky recipe, or even just look up why a certain chef is famous, the Larousse has it all. Side effects may include very slight pedantry about culinary terms and a repository of knowledge that would otherwise be useless, such as the difference between a sautoir and a sauteuse.”
Larousse Gastronomique has been the foremost resource of culinary knowledge since its initial publication in 1938. Long revered for its encyclopedic entries on everything from cooking techniques, ingredients, and recipes to equipment, food histories, and culinary biographies, it is the one book every professional chef and avid home cook must have on his or her kitchen shelf.
Miriam says: “Kaloper’s book covers ramen essentials from homemade broths and noodles to savory toppings. I’m eager to try her recipe for miso ramen, my go-to comfort food.”
Ramen for Days serves up delicious ramen recipes that will keep you slurping happily every day of the week!
From Wagyu shoyu or Chicken karaage Tonkotsu ramen to Buttered corn and leek shio or Seafood miso ramen, Ramen for Days has a comforting bowl of goodness to suit every taste.
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich-Manuali
Jen C. says: “I never pass by an Eataly while traveling—Lidia is one of my top favorite chefs. And while I know it won’t be quite the same, I can hope this book will help me transform my dining room into a mini Eataly!”
Through more than a hundred simple, perfect recipes, Lidia showcases pastas of all kinds—both fresh and dried, stuffed, baked, and sauced; in soups and pasta salads; plus, of course, directions for making fresh pasta doughs and sauces at home. The one-stop guide to all things pasta, the book is filled with simple, authentic, flavor-forward Italian dishes that the whole family will love. Tutti a tavola a mangiare!
Sharnell’s Pick:
American Soul
Anela Malik, with recipes by Renae Wilson
Sharnell says: “I grew up eating soul food, but never paid attention to how it was made. Since I can’t ask those who prepared it back then, this cookbook feels like a bridge back to the dishes I loved. I’m excited to finally try making them myself!”
Delve into foodways of the United States, including testimonies from more than 30 Black chefs, restaurateurs, historians and luminaries, as well as 40 historically-rooted recipes.
Equal parts historical exploration and cookbook, this rich narrative reveals the rich and indelible contributions of the Black diaspora in shaping the footprint of American cuisine.
Maureen’s Pick:
The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook
Monique Volz
Maureen says: “A friend of mine recommended following Monique (@ambitiouskitchen) on Instagram around the same time this cookbook was coming out and, let’s just say, I promptly purchased the cookbook and started trying all of the delicious recipes I’d seen Monique tease on her feed. I use this cookbook at least once a week and there are several dishes that I now make routinely in my home.” Millions of readers know Monique Volz’s website, Ambitious Kitchen, as a go-to resource for inventive, flavorful recipes that are full of nutrition, comfort, and personality. Now, in her debut cookbook, Monique wants others to find their own Ambitious Kitchen and discover their own version of health, bold flavors, and above all, the unique happiness that food can bring to your life. Whether you’re looking for a show-stopping dish to bring to a gathering, a new home-cooked tradition, or a nourishing meal everyone will love, The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook has the answers.
Jen R.’s Pick:
My First Cookbook
America’s Test Kitchen Kids
Jen R. says: “This book takes out the intimidation factor of cooking in the kitchen and makes it fun, easy, and delicious for the entire family—including the littlest (and messiest!) chefs!”
From the creators of the New York Times bestseller The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs, America’s Test Kitchen and an army of kid recipe testers, this awesome new cooking collection will get 5 to 8 year olds (and their grown-ups!) into the kitchen doing fun food projects together!
