Shopping·6 min read

9 Cookbooks To Bookmark for All Your Meals

On your marks, get set, cook….
April 13, 2021

This post was originally published in April 2021 and has been updated.

Raise your hand if you’re in a committed relationship with your kitchen. Maybe you’re still on a sourdough kick, maybe you’re ready for something new. Either way, we could all benefit from some inspiration to shake up our meals now and then. So we rounded up our favorite cookbooks getting us through our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners right now. On your marks, get set, cook…

“Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food” by Julia Turshen

“Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food” by Julia Turshen

For when you want a book that you’ll go back to again and again...

This one can do it all. Ten chapters, 110 recipes, one instant classic we’ll refer back to forever. The beloved author’s latest cookbook is a healthy (read: body positive) guide to comfort food. Her chapters cover everything from sweets and salad dressings to things like go-to side dishes and make-ahead mains. Turshen also provides menu recs, recipe adaptations for dietary restrictions, and kitchen organizing tips along the way. Don’t mind us...we’ve already got the weeknight salmon salad in heavy rotation. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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“Rodney Scott's World of BBQ” by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie

“Rodney Scott's World of BBQ” by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie

For when you want some food that'll live in your mind rent free...

Take a few notes from legendary pitmaster and James Beard Award-winning chef Rodney Scott. In this BBQ bible of sorts, he walks you through the magic behind his famous recipes and details his journey from cooking with his family as a kid to running his own majorly successful (and world-famous) biz in Charleston. It’s the ultimate reference book filled with BBQ classics. And it’s one you’ll want to keep cooking out of all summer long. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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“Jew-ish: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch” by Jake Cohen

“Jew-ish: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch” by Jake Cohen

For when you go to bed dreaming about bagels and lox in the morning…

Make your dreams a reality. This NYT bestseller is an IG-friendly celebration of Jewish cooking. Cohen, who grew up eating Ashkenazi staples and whose husband is Persian-Iraqi, provides a roster of modern riffs on classic Jewish dishes. Think: cacio e pepe rugelach, pumpkin spice babka, and more. He’s got the typical stuff that’ll you want to nosh on come challah-days (helllooooo, matzo ball soup) and the dishes you’ll want to have on a regular Tuesday night. We’re so hungry-ish just thinking about it. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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“The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone's Favorite Thai Mom” by Pepper Teigen and Garrett Snyder 

“The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone's Favorite Thai Mom” by Pepper Teigen and Garrett Snyder 

For when you’re looking to spice things up...

In Pepper’s cookbook you’ll get about 80 recipes of mostly Thai dishes with a side of personal stories. She writes about growing up in Thailand, moving to the US, and living with John and Chrissy Teigen. Plus she has fun sections devoted to salads (not the boring kind), her pantry staples, and leftovers. It’s lick-your-fingers good. Trust us. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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“Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat” by Molly Baz

“Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat” by Molly Baz

For when you’re sort of a newbie in the kitchen… 

Start here. The former Bon Appétit star’s first book is devoted to teaching foundational kitchen info and basics that’ll help you cook efficiently. It’s filled with QR codes you can scan with that’ll drive you to online tutorial vids where Baz offers tips for things like carving meat and chopping veggies. The book has recipes for all the major categories. Think: eggs, snacks, salads, seafood, baking, and more. And it doesn’t hurt that the finished products look great on the gram. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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“The New York Times Cooking No-Recipe Recipes” by Sam Sifton

“The New York Times Cooking No-Recipe Recipes” by Sam Sifton

For when the thought of cooking dinner for your fam makes you break out in hives…

This book will help you through it. The founding editor of NYT Cooking has curated this book of accessible “no-recipe recipes.” If you’ve got your confused face on, we’ll explain. Sifton asks his readers to improvise. It’ll put the fun back in cooking and make you a more confident home chef along the way. The 100 recipes are structured differently than your normal cookbook’s: There are no precise measurements, but everything you need to know is still there. It’s perfect for busy parents and people who don’t always have the patience to follow detailed directions. You’ll basically be ready to star in an episode of “Chopped” in no time. Challenge accepted. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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“Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings” by Yossy Arefi

“Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings” by Yossy Arefi

For when you’re tired of spending your entire day in the kitchen…

Have your cake and eat it too. In “Snacking Cakes,” Yossy Arefi teaches you how to make one-bowl, no-fuss, single-layer cakes. Her recipes rely on pantry staples and don't require electric mixers, so you’ll be able to whip them up between Zoom meetings. Finally, an easy way to fulfill that 2 pm sugar craving without dirtying every single bowl imaginable. How sweet indeed. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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“My Shanghai: Recipes and Stories from a City on the Water” by Betty Liu

“My Shanghai: Recipes and Stories from a City on the Water” by Betty Liu

For when you want to judge an author by their social media presence…

Judge away. Because Betty Liu’s popular blog and drool-worthy Insta turned us into one of her biggest fans. Liu, a first-generation Chinese American, grew up eating Shanghainese food and wrote her book as a way to “bring more awareness to the regional cuisines of China.” In it, she pays homage to classic dishes from the region and shares her incredible family recipes too. It’s broken down by season (we’re particularly obsessed with spring’s scallion recipes) so you can easily find something that’ll fit your mood. Oh, and if these dishes weren’t impressive enough...she also wrote the book while in medical school. Casual. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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“The Food of Oaxaca: Recipes and Stories from Mexico's Culinary Capital” By Alejandro Ruiz and Carla Altesor 

“The Food of Oaxaca: Recipes and Stories from Mexico's Culinary Capital” By Alejandro Ruiz and Carla Altesor 

For when you book trips based on what restaurants you want to go to…

Bring the food of Oaxaca to your kitchen without hopping on a plane. Acclaimed Mexican chef Alejandro Ruiz divides his cookbook into three parts as a way to celebrate the city’s bustling culinary scene. The first covers classic dishes from his childhood. The second part’s all about food inspired by the coast. And the third section includes recipes from his restaurant in Oaxaca. The book also has a comprehensive glossary of terms and Ruiz’s personal recommendations on where to eat in the region. Can’t wait. (Amazon, Bookshop)

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