Cookbooks & Food Writing

I’m super excited about this debut cookbook from acclaimed Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn, whose West Coast style draws on his roots in Texas and the South but is wholly his own. Alongside smoked meats, Horn incorporates the Bay Area’s seasonal bounty with lots of fruits, vegetables, seafood, and poultry. His barbecue is so revered that there is always a line out the door and down the block at his restaurant—which, despite only being open 4 days a week, is a finalist for the 2022 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. Who better to give a master class on how to make mouthwatering barbecue?  —S.B.

Go ahead and judge this book by its cover, because what looks exciting on the outside is just a teaser for what’s on the inside. No matter your level of cooking, you’ll savor the flavors, ingredients, techniques, and stories Martínez shares from his home in the heart of Mexico. The mole, the adobo sauces, the tortillas…start somewhere and see where it leads. Your friends and family will thank you!  —Jenny

This cookbook has it all, from scrumptious toasts to delicious dinners like Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mozzarella and Creamy Kale. More than 100 recipes for making quick dinners and fabulous brunches. There is an egg chapter, a vegetarian chapter, and one devoted entirely to meatballs! Tools, tricks, and shortcuts for all levels of chef make this a must-have in every kitchen.  —Jason

In her fascinating and compulsively readable mashup of a field guide, memoir, natural history, and cookbook, Lebo profiles 26 fruits—from aronia to osage orange to yuzu—that are troublesome in some way. Whether they are difficult to cultivate or harvest, have a tendency to rot or poison, or feature a short span of ripeness or invasive roots, Lebo lets her amateur curiosity about them loose and weaves obscure knowledge, deep research, and dark humor through her personal essays. This collection is a unique and highly rewarding read.  —S.B.

In acclaimed chef and Top Chef alum Kwame Onwuachi’s new cookbook, dishes like baby back ribs, sofrito, jollof, and jambalaya showcase the flavors of the African Diaspora and tell the story of his ancestry—from Nigeria to the Caribbean, Louisiana to the Bronx. Brimming with recipes that are new-to-me food (Egusi Stew) as well as more familiar (shrimp étouffée), My America’s personal stories and mouth-watering photos are an irresistible combination.  —S.B.

Fire was one of the most influential discoveries of humankind. In a world of stove cooking, Mallmann uses fire to create delicious dishes. The food photography itself is gorgeous enough without even getting to the fabulous foods! But don’t let these recipes go to waste—I suggest the Crispy Artichokes with Labneh and Limoneta. Make beautiful and surprisingly easy dishes and find out for yourself!  —MJ

One of the greatest living Gullah Geechee home cooks, 89-year-old Emily Meggett, shares the history, recipes, and stories of her community in her wonderful new cookbook. From seafood to vegetables, soups to sweets, “the matriarch of Edisto Island” shares the flavors of coastal South Carolina and the traditions of her ancestors. “Cooking is the way I take care of people, how I support my community, and how I love others,” she writes. Although filled with delicious food, it is clear from this book that generosity and heart are the most important ingredients in Gullah Geechee cooking.  —S.B.

Warning: You may end up as obsessed with salads as Jess Damuck is after reading her new book. Her passion for bright, crunchy, seasonal mixes of vegetables, fruit, herbs, and grains is contagious and had me considering eating salad for breakfast, as she does. Going well beyond greens, her recipes shine with combinations like beets, tomatoes, and cilantro or radicchio with blood oranges and turmeric dressing. Damuck, the self-described “Bob Ross of salads” has created a book filled with food that is exceptionally beautiful, healthy, and completely irresistible.  —S.B.

Reem Assil, Bay Area restaurateur and finalist for the prestigious 2022 James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef, shares her passion for Middle Eastern cuisine in her new book. Focusing on the dishes of Assil’s Syrian and Palestinian heritage, Arabiyya features 100 recipes and instructions for making delicious flatbreads, mezze, falafel, desserts, and so much more. Equally compelling are her essays and personal stories on community, culture, identity, and perseverance. “Through our food, we create home wherever we are.”  —S.B.

Want to learn how to make perfect General Tso's chicken? What’s the best way to stir fry vegetables? From the author of the bestseller The Food Lab comes yet another amazing cookbook, well-researched and full of easy-to-follow recipes. This is seriously one of the best cookbooks I have ever read.  —Jason