Cookbooks & Food Writing

Ruth Reichl has enjoyed a decades-long career as a food writer, so it’s no surprise that her latest memoir is a delight to read. Focusing on her years as the editor of Gourmet magazine, Reichl chronicles the trials and tribulations of revamping the magazine and transforming it from old and stuffy to a publication that modern readers would enjoy. Sprinkled throughout the narrative are some of her favorite recipes; I recommend the drop biscuits. This was my first time reading Reichl and I suspect that it won’t be my last.

Beyond its title’s unexpected relevance, Always Home is the perfect book to curl up with in these times. Fanny Singer has written a warm, lovely memoir about growing up as the daughter of culinary icon Alice Waters, who raised her to appreciate beauty in the world and to be grateful for good food, family, and friends. Singer writes with humor and grace and an awareness of the privilege she enjoyed growing up at Chez Panisse and traveling the world on culinary adventures. Although she clearly adores her mother, she thankfully does not shy away from including her foibles—such as her insistence on highly curated spaces (leading to hiding clothing and items deemed too garish) and her complete lack of baking talent. This book is a total delight (the description of Fanny’s school lunches had me in stitches) and even includes recipes.

You don’t need to be a vegetarian to love Bryant Terry’s books. His food is personal, unpretentious, packed with flavor, and absolutely delicious. In Vegetable Kingdom, he continues to showcase plant-based recipes with roots in African food traditions and even pairs them with music. Terry, renowned for his activism to create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system, eschews meat substitutes, and instead showcases the tastiness of affordable ingredients like carrots, corn, and green beans. This is a joyful book where vegetables reign supreme.

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.