I Try Dozens of Cookbooks Every Season—Here Are the 10 That Truly Stood Out This Year
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/RSBestCookbooks25-bae9fff41591450c959fae8847d80e43.jpg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "I Try Dozens of Cookbooks Every Season—Here Are the 10 That Truly Stood Out This Year")
Whether you read it like a novel or spatter its pages in the kitchen—or both—the best cookbooks are both inspiring and practical. We can get recipes anywhere these days; we publish amazing ones right here at REAL SIMPLE! But, the best cookbooks are more than just a collection of recipes. They’re a culmination of an author’s life experience and often a window into another culture. They’re a treasure trove of ideas, whether you’re meal planning for the week, brainstorming a party menu, or bringing a dessert to a bake sale. And, the cream of the crop are also great reads.
As part of my job as REAL SIMPLE’s food director, I look at allllll the cookbooks every year (or at least it feels that way) and cook from as many as possible. These are the ones that have earned their spot on my very crowded shelves, the ones that I reach for when I’m looking for culinary inspiration or just want to curl up with a wonderful book.
What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass
Courtesy of the Publisher
Author Casey Elsass wants us to live our “guest lives,” and gives us some genius potluck-ready recipes to help us get there. Let’s start with the Caesar Salad with Bouillon Croutons. Unlike most Caesar dressings, which employ raw egg or mayo as a base, neither of which enjoys hanging out on a buffet table, here the dressing uses hummus (!) to add a creamy texture (but virtually no flavor). And I could write a dissertation on the croutons. Before baking them, you toss torn bread in a mixture of olive oil and chicken or veggie bouillon to add major flavor. So smart! The Cheesy Breakfast Tart uses Cheez-Its for the crust; the quiche Lorraine version was so creamy and satisfying, easily the best quiche I’ve ever made. Oh, and did I make any of these things for a potluck? Nope. While the make-ahead and transport instructions for each recipe are super helpful, everything here is also straight-up delicious eaten at your own kitchen table.
Dinner by Meera Sodha
Courtesy of the Publisher
A few years ago, London-based cookbook author Meera Sodha found herself dreading cooking, unable to muster up the energy to chop one more onion or follow one more recipe. When she finally started to cook again, she instituted a new rule: she would cook for pleasure, not for work. The results are the simple, homey vegetarian recipes in this book. Sodha makes it easy to find something to prepare. In a brilliant move, there are three tables of contents, one divided by the ingredients you might have on hand (eggs, cheese, broccoli, etc.), a second by season, and a third by time required or technique (“Quick,” “One pot/pan,” “Bung it in the oven”) and dish type (such as curries and noodles). This is the book I’ve been turning to when I’m low on everyday dinner inspo; the Kimchi and Tomato Spaghetti is a keeper.
Mother Sauce by Lucinda Scala Quinn
Courtesy of the Publisher
Yes, this book features spot-on versions of all the old-school Italian-American standbys, including Chicken Cacciatore, Baked Ziti, Penne alla Vodka, and Stuffed Artichokes, plus creative riffs on classics, like Chicken Parm Meatballs. If you buy this book for the recipes, you’ll be one happy cook and eater. But, spend a little time with Mother Sauce, and you’ll discover that there’s a deeper story in the pages. It’s a tribute to the mostly anonymous women who immigrated from Italy and adapted the food of their homeland to what was available in America. In the process, they created some of our most beloved dishes.
Sweet Farm! by Molly Yeh
Courtesy of the Publisher
Here at REAL SIMPLE, we’re Molly Yeh super fans. She developed the recipe for our 25th birthday cake, shared her controversial cake opinions, and taught us to make candy and cookie salads. And, no surprise, her latest book is just as delightful as she is. Bursting at the seams with creative recipes for cookies, cakes, breakfast sweets, and more, it’s also the story of Yeh’s life on the Minnesota sugar beet farm she married into. This is one of those books you’ll want to bake from, of course, but it’s also an illuminating and entertaining read. Molly has thought deeply about sweets and how to improve them. She shares her knowledge, with plenty of wit along the way. Case in point, this headnote for Cardamom Frozen Coffee. “Cardamom, coffee, and speculoos: a throuple made in caffeine heaven, with Turkish, Belgian, and Delta airlines heritage.”
Salsa Daddy by Rick Martínez
Alex Lau, Courtesy of Clarkson Potter/Publishers
A book about salsas may feel limited, but actually it’s world-expanding. Through seven chapters, Martínez coaxes us into making homemade salsa, a category that is so much broader than the standard red or green jarred stuff. Then, in the last chapter, he puts it all together with a collection of easy meals like enchiladas, chilaquiles, meatball subs, and the sublime Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo. But, as much as I love these complete recipes, they’re kind of beside the point. What Martínez wants is for all of us to have some homemade salsa stashed in the fridge and freezer to perk up even the most basic meals—think sautéed shrimp, omelets, or chicken soup. It’s salsa as a way of life, and I’m a convert.
Hot Date! by Rawaan Alkhatib
Courtesy of the Publisher
I love a good date, and if you do too, then this cookbook is for you. And by “date,” I mean the sticky, succulent fruit, of course. Every recipe in this gorgeous (GORGEOUS! more on that in a sec) cookbook contains dates or a date product like date syrup. Stand-outs include the fragrant Malai Chicken with Creamy Stuffed Dates, Tater Tots Tossed in Hot Date! Butter, and Sesame-Crusted Halloumi. But, this book contains so much more than recipes; it’s an experience. The author, who’s also an artist, includes hand-lettered poems that mention dates, colorful botanical illustrations of date plants, and evocative historical references. Plus, the book’s page edges are hot pink. Enough said.
Mostly French by Makenna Held
In 2015, Makenna Held read that Julia Child’s vacation home in the South of France was for sale. Almost on a whim, she bought it. Held established a cooking school there, and now she’s published a cookbook inspired by the house and the easy-going, ingredient-driven lifestyle of the region. The book is full of sunny photos of casual, yet bountiful spreads; you’ll want to throw a party immediately. And don’t miss the Vinegary Green Lentil Salad. It might not sound like a stand-out, but it’s hands-down the best lentil salad I’ve ever tasted.
Potluck Desserts by Justin Burke
Courtesy of the Publisher
Yes, another potluck book! And another that you can use even if you have no get-together to get to. I love a lot of things about this book, starting with the recipes. They’re refreshingly down-to-earth and endlessly appealing, ideal for beginning or advanced bakers. I’ve made and devoured the Strawberry-Zucchini Quick Bread and Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Bars; the Snickerdoodle Peach Cobbler, Gooey Butter Corn Cake, and Saucepan Brownies are next on my to-bake list. The book’s organization is also helpful. Potluck Desserts is divided into chapters by baking vessels (think Sheet Pans, Loaf Pans, and Rectangular and Square Pans), and each recipe includes the amount of time you’ll need start to finish and plenty of helpful tips. Finally, woven throughout are reflections on the importance of potlucks and gatherings in the LGBTQ community. It’s a welcoming and generous book that I’ll be reaching for all year long.
Setting a Place for Us by Hawa Hassan
Courtesy of the Publisher
I think of this book as part documentary, part cookbook…or maybe a documentary cookbook? Setting a Place for Us shines a light on the culinary ties that bind together refugees and displaced persons no matter where they are in the world. Author Hawa Hassan was a refugee herself—she fled war-torn Somalia as a child, eventually making her way to the United States—so the writing is both clear-eyed and empathetic. The book features dishes from eight countries impacted by conflict: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, and Yemen. In addition to recipe photos, the book includes location photos—images of the landscapes, cityscapes, and people from these places. But the recipes are no afterthought. I found myself drawn to the Afghanistan chapter and prepared a feast of Doogh (a cucumber and yogurt drink), Bolani (potato and spice-stuffed flatbread), and Borani Banjan (stewed eggplant with garlic yogurt). Each was made with easy-to-find ingredients and truly delicious.
Sesame by Rachel Simons
Courtesy of the Publisher
Written by the co-founder of Seed + Mill, a company that makes excellent tahini and halva, Sesame is a celebration of the small but mighty seed that’s integral to so many world cuisines. Just the names of the recipes make my mouth water: Pull-Apart Date & Tahini Rolls; Spicy Green Tahini Sauce; Brown Butter, Sage, and Halva Sundae; and Bittersweet Chocolate Tahini Tart. As for the ones I’ve made so far, I brought the Pistachio Whipped Feta to my cookbook club, where it earned raves. The recipe for the Rhubarb and Strawberry Galette with Halva Cream made for a deeply impressive (but surprisingly straightforward to prep) spring dessert. Last but not least, the photos are luscious. You’ll want to make everything.
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