Off the bat, something to know is that I love cookbooks. I just counted and literally own 30 books. Some (my boyfriend) may find it weird, but those that get it, get it. There is something so satisfying about them, from the glossy pages and writing to the food styling and photography. I personally love seeing the different ways the same dish can be made across various cookbooks. I genuinely enjoy reading them, cover to cover. I appreciate the time and effort an author put into creating the book, which is often more than just a collection of recipes.
A final thing I’d like to mention that may not be cool and sexy, but .... you can check cookbooks out from your local library, and I highly recommend doing that before committing to the purchase!
I’ll shut up now and list out my favorite cookbooks and who they’d be best for. Read ahead if you care!
My favorite baking book: Baking with Dorie, Dorie Greenspan
This book has never failed me, literally ever. Full of simple, easy to follow recipes with a good amount of “more advanced” recipes in an incredibly simple format that makes me actually feel capable of finishing them! The best part is that so many recipes include notes on how to ‘play around’ with the recipe. I can’t say enough good things about this book, but if you enjoy baking, or want to get more into it, I highly recommend this one. The savory recipes are also stellar. Just know, while you don’t need a scale, I am a strong believer in baking by weight and want to say (once again) it’s way faster and easier!!
The cookbook for the dedicated farmer’s market shoppers: Six Seasons, Joshua McFadden
Do you love produce? Do you love a veg on the table? Do you want simple recipes that always satisfy and are easy to follow? You need this book! Reading through this screams, “Go to the farmer’s market and buy everything!!!” And I will! The recipes feel so approachable, and I love the way the book is organized, by season and produce purchase. This really inspires me and comes in handy when I’ve been too ambitious with veggie purchases.
The cookbook for those that love to host: Appetizers, Martha Stewart
The number of times I use and reference this book when I’m going to have people over is borderline absurd. These recipes aren’t anything overly fancy or a ton of work, but just a collection of some great party food for all different types of gatherings. Also, there’s a whole section on cocktails (and mocktails)! Highly recommend, especially for the little hosting tips she provides throughout.
The cookbook for new cooks: Where Cooking Begins, Carla Lalli Music
This book won a Beard Award for a reason! It’s a wonderful resource that not only lays out recipes for you but focuses on actually teaching the reader how to cook. I constantly refer to this book and love its layout. The cauliflower pasta recipe in here is something I make all the time, and as a soup lover the pasta e fagioli is incredible. If you’re new to cooking this is a great place to start because it goes through all the different methods of preparing ingredients like steaming, roasting, frying, confit and more.
The cookbook for those who want to understand flavor: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat
This is actually one of the best books I have ever read. This book is much more of a resource and almost textbook in nature, but don’t let that scare you away. I highly recommend watching the series on Netflix and then buying the book because it’s quite large. I love it, think it’s amazing, and makes the perfect companion for cooks of all levels. I fully attribute my “level up” in cooking to this book/Netflix series.
The cookbook when you want something simple and reliable: Go-To Dinners, Ina Garten
I love Ina and have a few of her books at this point. While they’re all great, Go-To Dinners is one of the most used in my entire collection. It’s not very long but has everything you need, from breakfast through dessert. Because this book is shorter than others, it helps me so much when I’m feeling decision fatigue. I regularly make the teriyaki salmon and the recipe for chicken in a pot with orzo is truly one of the best things I’ve ever made. Also, I just made the greek salad from this book and my friends went crazy for it. 10/10.
Major honorable mention for Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz, a book I use a ton. It was one of my first cookbooks so it holds a very special place in my heart. I didn’t mention it above because while I do love it, the recipes sometimes call for random ingredients that aren’t reused frequently in other recipes and a lot of the recipes can be quite involved. That being said, I still highly recommend it and use it very frequently!
That’s all for now! Would love to know your favorite cookbooks if you have any! Happy reading, besties. xx
I love your collection!! These are incredible books!! I share with you the same passion; i love vintage cookbooks from the 90's and 80's. I don't own as many books as you but i have few cookbooks mainly about jam ( i love jams ). I personnaly write recipes in a note book (old tradionnal recipes) maybe one day i'll publish it and send to you a copy for you collection (jiggling about the idea😭). Sending you all the love and the flavours. Xoxo
Adding so many of these to my library wish list! Thank you for sharing 🫶