Cookbooks & Food Writing

African American cooking is almost always covered as soul food, and yet its history is much richer, more varied, and deeper than that one part of it. In the hands of Toni Tipton-Martin, author of the essential The Jemima Code, the history of this food unfolds as one of skill and ingenuity, adaptation and inspiration. “Equal parts historical highlight reel and cookbook, Jubilee captures centuries’ worth of joy, pain, and effort from Black chefs across the diaspora and distills them into recipes that carefully guide and educate.” —Bon Appetit

“I’ve been cooking and studying recipes for 20 years, but I could spend the next 10 with Fuchsia Dunlop’s The Food of Sichuan—an updated version of her seminal 2003 book, Land of Plenty—and I’d learn something new every single day. Dunlop’s scholarly expertise is tempered by the clarity of her writing, and she’s actually got me thinking I can make numbing-and-hot dried beef, fish-fragrant cold chicken, and traditional dan dan noodles. This book reminded me of how little I know and made me thankful that experts still exist.” —Bon Appetit

Bring the glorious cuisine of New Orleans into your home kitchen with this comprehensive instructional cookbook from award-winning chef Justin Devillier. I grew up in the rich food culture of New Orleans and I’m here to tell you that this is the real deal. Mouth-watering classic recipes that have been updated with practical modern techniques. New creative favorites that are sure to please. Duck and Andouille Gumbo. Crawfish Etouffée. Sticky Chicken. Blue Crab Beignets. Café au Lait Ice Cream. Laissez les bons temps rouler! -Trey

Joy of Cooking, a kitchen bible since 1931, has been thoroughly updated and revised by Irma Rombauer’s great-grandson and his wife, who also developed 600 new recipes for this edition. “Generation after generation, Joy has been a warm, encouraging presence in American kitchens, teaching us to cook with grace and humor. This luminous new edition continues on that important tradition while seamlessly weaving in modern touches, making it all the more indispensable for generations to come.” —Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

No one makes better pasta than Italian grandmothers, but what happens when their skills are not passed onto younger generations? Vicki Bennison set out to record nonne from all over Italy making traditional, handmade pasta before their techniques were lost. The result is Pasta Grannies, a hugely popular YouTube channel, and now this new book—a collection of perfected Italian recipes from the people who have spent a lifetime cooking for love, not a living. Authentic and awesome! - SB

True to its name, this cookbook has taught me how to cook every kind of meatless delight, from homemade veggie burgers that taste better than any restaurant’s, to pizza dough, stir fries, and stuffed zucchinis. I flip through this book whenever I need a little inspiration -- either for a quick dinner, or an entire dinner party menu. Great for beginner chefs and fledglings ready to stretch their wings! - Jess

In 2017, Hurricane Maria tore through the United States territory of Puerto Rico, destroying homes, power and water, ultimately causing 2,975 deaths. Chef Jose Andres vividly brings the disaster to life, depicting weeks of building a network of private chefs and restaurants that ultimately fed thousands a day, as the US government failed. Part memoir, part manifesto, reading this re-ignites outrage, but also provides guidance for a better way to help the survivors of future disasters. - Jocelyn

Ryan Jacobs takes the culinary grail of the black truffle, and lays out not only the the science behind the scarcity of this unique fungi, but also why those truffle fries probably have exactly zero truffle in them. Jacobs guides you on an evocative tour of the past and present world of the truffle trade, with stories exciting, hilarious, and heartbreaking, of the lives and crimes petty and pivotal seeking to grow rich off truffle. - Jocelyn

In this beautifully written food memoir, Thielen traces her journey from small town Minnesota to New York City. Thielen’s love of food transcends its usual function of taste and satiation, she uses is as a memory anchor and it serves as a deep connection to her family and her broader heritage. Heartfelt and often funny, this is a true love letter to food if there ever was one. - Jade

Queer Eye, for those not already completely obsessed like me, is the most wonderfully encouraging and radically empathetic makeover show to ever exist. Antoni Porowski, the resident Food & Wine Expert of the show, is best known for his quiet demeanor, intense love of guacamole, and modelesque looks. This book is full of wonderful recipes for any food lover in your life. Antoni has the incredible ability to teach even a novice chef how to make wonderful hors d’oeuvres and prove to more advanced chefs that even the simplest of dishes don’t have to taste simplistic. - Nicole