Cookbooks & Food Writing

I am so excited about this new baking book from Kelly Fields, winner of the James Beard Award for outstanding pastry chef. I had the pleasure of eating her baked goods while in New Orleans and they were fantastic. Here she shares her recipes—including seven for biscuits alone!—as well as her best tips and tricks. Fields has a laid-back style, but don’t be fooled: She’s a master in the kitchen. She’ll have you making excellent pies, cakes, cornbread, and cookies in no time. — S.B.

Bring on the noodles! I am hungry and excited to get my hands on these accessible, authentic western Chinese dishes, straight from the recipes of the successful New York establishment, Xi'an Famous Foods. There’s a big hole in my heart (and stomach) because shelter-in-place has kept me from my favorite Bay Area noodle shops, but now I am ready to get cooking to fill that space. Hot-oil handmade noodles, fluffy spicy buns, and decadently crispy wings, yes please! — Tori

Legendary bartender Dale DeGroff is so revered at our house that not only do we refer to him as Uncle Dale, but his previous books, complete with our notations next to his recipes, were quite literally some of the things we grabbed when evacuations loomed during the recent fires. So it goes without saying that we are very excited about this new edition of his highly influential first book. With 100 new recipes and updated photography, The New Craft of the Cocktail is the perfect addition to any cocktail-enthusiast’s bookshelf, no matter their level of experience (or their devotion to the author).  — S.B.

Nadiya Hussain’s recipes (some seen on her new Netflix show, Nadiya’s Time to Eat) are designed to be quick and easy, and Hussain doesn’t shy away from making use of preprepared ingredients, but her work is always centered on whole, healthy food, packed full of flavor. Whether you were charmed by Hussain on the The Great British Baking Show or are just discovering the British halal baker, pick this up for any busy human dreaming of home-cooked meals (especially for yourself or for a family!). — Jocelyn
 

Alvin Cailan and his food are bursting with personality, which comes through in his new book. With recipes inspired by individual members of his Filipino-American family, Amboy is full of candid talk, food truck–style comfort cuisine, and a range of Filipino necessities, from the perfect coddled egg to a multiday, build-a-brick- pit-in-your-backyard whole roast pig. As he tells the story of his rise through the culinary industry, both the highs and lows, Cailan doesn’t hold back, sharing anecdotes both self-deprecating and hilarious. — Tori

This newest book from Food52 will show you how to have a functioning kitchen anywhere. Are you a college student, working out of a small apartment? Or maybe a “seasoned” kitchen owner, looking for new ways to utilize your space? This book includes inspirational photos that got me into my kitchen, WHILE I was reading it!  — MJ

Award-winning southern pastry chef Lisa Donovan earned wide praise for her talents, but still struggled to make a living in an industry dominated by men (whose careers were very often built on the culinary contributions of female cooks and cooks of color). In her fantastic memoir, she follows the advice of culinary icon Diana Kennedy who once told her to “stop letting men tell your story,” and tells her own. With passion and pragmatism (and a good bit of humor), she writes about her career, mixed-race heritage, experiences with abuse, and making a life. An empowering read.  —S.B.

Many of us have a connection to a particular woman who commanded the kitchen at family gatherings, as well as memories that evoke sounds, smells, tastes, and sights that we try and recreate with our present day families from recipes scrawled on index cards. Anne Willan unpacks the stories of female cookbook writers throughout history and their recipes, methods,and backgrounds that have influenced many aspects of our own kitchen practices today. Women like Fannie Farmer, Irma Rombauer, Julia Child, Edna Lewis, and Marcella Hazan, with all of their notoriety, still had a process of utility, economy, discovery, sometimes failure, and ultimately creation. —Jenny

Many of us have become much more familiar with pantry staples like beans during Covid-19 times. But just when you think you’ve maxed out on them, along comes this terrific book to reignite your love for legumes. Yonan showcases his passion for the humble bean in 125 delicious, modern, vegetarian recipes including Yellow Bean & Spinach Dosas and Harissa-Roasted Carrot & White Bean Dip. 

James Beard Award winner Alexander Smalls (Between Harlem and Heaven) is supremely talented. An opera singer, the cofounder of Harlem’s jazz bar Minton’s and steakhouse The Cecil, and a renowned host of fantastic dinner parties, Smalls marries two of his greatest passions—food and music—in his latest book, Meals, Music, and Muses. More than a cookbook, it takes readers on a journey through the South, and Smalls shares childhood memories of the Low Country as well as the music that is such a part of the region. Smalls has made it his life’s work to champion the artistic contributions of African Americans, and this is a poetic celebration of just that.