Cookbooks & Food Writing

You can't go wrong with any of award-winning author Andrea Nguyen's outstanding cookbooks which are often a deep dive into a particular dish or ingredient (tofu, pho, bahn mi, dumplings). Nguyen is a fantastic teacher who makes even the most detailed recipes doable, but Vietnamese Food Any Day is perhaps her most accessible yet. (My 12-year-old daughter is even cooking from it!) By using ingredients that are commonly found at local grocery stores, Nguyen makes it easy to incorporate delicious Vietnamese food into busy weeknight cooking. From Shaking Beef to Rice Paper Rolls to Shrimp in Coconut Caramel Sauce, Nguyen shares quick dishes that don't compromise on flavor. This cookbook is a game-changer at our house, and will likely be at yours, too. - S.B.

Drawing an emotional map, Aarón Sánchez traces the route from his troublemaker childhood to culinary stardom through El Paso, New York, New Orleans, Mexico, San Francisco, and back. With honesty and humility, he recounts mistakes and mental health issues and pays homage to the friends, family, and chefs (especially women) who shaped his food and him. Sánchez celebrates the Latinx and Mexican food he’s become known for and uses his platform to champion diversity, justice, and equality in the culinary world. I have never eaten Sánchez’s food, but I know the bold and complex flavors I am now craving from reading this vivid new memoir. - Jocelyn

Every year there is (at least) one new cookbook that both makes me really excited to cook and grabs a piece of my heart. This year South is that book. Chef Sean Brock is a champion of Southern food and makes a compelling case for why it should be considered one of the most important cuisines in the world. Highlighting the many regional differences of the South, he shares variations on recipes for classics, including cornbread, shrimp and grits, and fried chicken. Seasonal, accessible, and mouthwatering, South is a passionate collection of fantastic dishes that Frank Stitt calls “one of the most beautiful and powerful books on Southern food ever written.” - S.B.

Don't miss our event with Sean Brock for South on November 11th, 2019!

I have been eagerly awaiting this new book from the women behind Canal House. They love the everyday practice of simple, seasonal cooking. Cook Something features 300 unfussy recipes (including French Onion Soup, Classic Italian Meatballs, and Carrots Glazed with Butter) that are delicious and includes tips that will make you a better cook. I am always inspired by the ease and appeal of Canal House food, and know that this is a cookbook that I, and countless home cooks, will reach for again and again. - S.B.

As a California white girl mildly obsessed with Japan, I couldn’t be more excited for a book entitled The Gaijin Cookbook. The fact that it comes from Ivan Orkin, renowned New York ramen chef who spent decades in Tokyo, and Chris Ying, whom I’ve followed since the first issue of Lucky Peach, means I’m already heating up my stove and anxiously refreshing Instagram for new peeks of this accessible cookbook for anyone in love with Japanese food. - Jocelyn

L.A.’s Guelaguetza is one of the best Oaxacan restaurants in the country, and this gorgeous cookbook from the restaurant’s founders dives into the heart and soul of Oaxacan cuisine. The book features delicious Oaxacan recipes—from sopas to salsas, moles to sweets—coupled with huge, colorful photographs, and is a must-have for people interested in the cuisine of southwestern Mexico. - Stuart

I’m a huge fan of Tartine’s first cookbook, so I couldn’t imagine it being improved upon, but the authors have managed to do so with this revised edition. It includes the San Francisco bakery’s most requested recipe, the Morning Bun, plus whole-grain and gluten-free recipes. From cookies to cakes, tarts to holiday treats, this stunningly photographed book is a knockout that any baker would cherish. - S.B.

If you knew your time was up and you only had one more drink at the bar while the closing song played, what would you order? That’s the question Parsons puts to bartenders around the country, and here he chronicles their closing-time rituals as well as what they would want to pass through their lips before that eternal last call. Full of stories, recipes, and tips on where to go after last call. - Jax

From Cheese Blintzes to Wine-Braised Pot Roast to Cinnamon-Golden Raisin Babka, The Jewish Cookbook is a treasure trove of more than 430 contemporary recipes for the home cook. Global in focus, it introduces readers to recipes and traditions from Jewish communities in Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and features notable Jewish chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi, Alon Shaya, and Michael Solomonov. A beautiful collection of everyday and holiday foods.

This engaging wine book from André Mack, the first African American to win the title of Best Young Sommelier in America, is a fun and down-to-earth guide to some of the world’s best wine styles. Mack is a funny, confident, and approachable writer, and 99 Bottles showcases his extensive knowledge of wine while also touching on his own journey from his childhood in San Antonio to his time as a sommelier at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Per Se restaurants to the launching of his own winery. - Stuart