I have always loved cooking. I find it to be nothing short of magic that different ingredients that have nothing in common and seemingly shouldn’t even be together on the same shelf in the fridge can be transformed into something that nourishes you and gives you pleasure.
As soon as I moved out of my parent’s house and got my first taste of freedom (pun unintended but taken credit for), I started experimenting. I would search for recipes online or, if I was too tired or too lazy, just throw together a bunch of stuff I had at home. Not to brag, but I soon realized I was pretty alright at this, especially if you consider that back home no one really taught me how to cook.
Then came the day when I decided to try one of the dishes my mom and gran used to make. Total disaster. I tried another one from my family’s traditional repertoire. Same story. After the third try I gave up. To this day – and that was a long time ago – I have no explanation for this phenomenon, but it urged me to turn to cookbooks.
Cookbooks are not just collections of recipes. Many of them will also give you some tips around the kitchen, explain what that weird appliance in the home section is actually for, and even inspire you to experiment. Many famous cookbooks include great photos and step-by-step infographics to make the process easier.
Below you will find so many cookbooks for men and women, professional chefs, and home-cook enthusiasts. If you are anything like me and prefer cookbooks to oral instructions, give them all a try and make sure to let us know in which one you found the recipes you’re going to include in your regular cooking.
#1 “Joy Of Cooking” By Irma S. Rombauer
Joy of Cooking
Author: Irma S. Rombauer
Who would have thought that America’s most published cookbook came, in fact, out of grief? When homemaker Irma Rombauer lost her husband at the age of 52, her children encouraged her to put all her thoughts and recommendations on cooking into a recipe book. Rombauer not only included her own tested recipes but also continued looking for new ones around St. Louis. Since then, the Joy of Cooking has seen nine editions and remains very popular.
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#2 “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering The Elements Of Good Cooking” By Samin Nosrat
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Author: Samin Nosrat
This book is not just a collection of recipes. Author Samin Nosrat, who is also a cooking instructor, focuses on teaching techniques that focus on understanding the four elements mentioned in the title and how to work with them. And of course, there are recipes to test your newly acquired knowledge in practice. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat has no photos but is instead illustrated with watercolors by Wendy MacNaughton, with lots of infographics and hand-lettering.
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#3 “Mastering The Art Of French Cooking” By Julia Child
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Author: Julia Child
It’s easy to learn French cuisine if you live in France and have first-hand access to the knowledge and experience that has been accumulated for centuries. However, if that’s not your case, you still have Julia Child’s fantastic Mastering the Art of French Cooking to learn from. After WWII more and more people in the US were taking interest in French cuisine. French chefs Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck partnered up with Julia Child to create a cookbook specifically for the American market. Even though it was initially aimed at middle-class households, Mastering the Art of French Cooking can be as effectively used by professional chefs.
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#4 “How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes For Great Food” By Mark Bittman
How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
Author: Mark Bittman
How to Cook Everything might seem like a bit of an overpromising title, but Mark Brittman, food writer for New York Times, does give you a guide on virtually any dish for any occasion. It is oriented to American home cooks and opens a series of books on a narrower range of subjects. Besides actual recipes, the book also includes instructions on techniques and basic kitchen equipment.
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#5 “Plenty” By Yotam Ottolenghi
Plenty
Author: Yotam Ottolenghi
If you find yourself often complaining that classic cookbooks don’t include enough vegetarian recipes, you will definitely love Plenty. Drawing from his Mediterranean background that emphasizes the use of fresh ingredients, Ottolenghi first created a column in The Guardian, and then a book of amazing recipes with a novel approach to vegetarian cuisine.
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#6 “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” By Deb Perelman
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Author: Deb Perelman
With her book The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, Deb Perelman proves that you don’t have to be a professional chef to cook well. What started as a food blog for people who, just like Perelman herself, feel too overwhelmed by the amount of information available online, turned into a great cookbook for beginners as well as for more experienced food enthusiasts who are looking for something new.
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#7 “The Moosewood Cookbook” By Mollie Katzen
The Moosewood Cookbook: Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant, Ithaca, New York
Author: Mollie Katzen
Back in the 1970s when The Moosewood Cookbook was created, vegetarian recipes were not as elaborate and diverse as they are today. Including original recipes created by the restaurant staff, as well as photos and drawings, it absolutely qualifies as a passion project because the first edition was self-published with a spiral-bound paper cover by the staff themselves. Presently, it is considered a must-read book for any chef who works with vegetables.
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#8 “Jerusalem: A Cookbook” By Yotam Ottolenghi And Sami Tamimi
Jerusalem: A Cookbook
Author: Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Both authors were born in Jerusalem in the same year. Both left the place at a certain moment in their lives. And both came back to explore the vivid cuisine of their homeland. Ottolenghi and Tamimi, who also own a famous restaurant chain, collected 120 recipes for this book. Jerusalem: A Cookbook is a true reflection of the multicultural cooking traditions and cuisine fusion in the ancient city.
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#9 “Better Homes And Gardens” By Better Homes And Gardens
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Author: Better Homes and Gardens
Whether you are just uncovering the secrets of cooking or are looking for new recipes to enrich your repertoire, New Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens will make sure you get it right. With an impressive collection of over 1200 recipes, everyone will definitely find something to their taste and occasion. Not only that, the book also contains general instructions and food safety tips.
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#10 “Bad Manners: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give A F*ck” By Michelle Davis And Matt Holloway
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#11 “Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” By Isa Chandra Moskowitz
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#12 “Barefoot Contessa At Home: Everyday Recipes You’ll Make Over And Over Again” By Ina Garten
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#13 “Cravings: Recipes For All The Food You Want To Eat” By Chrissy Teigen
Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat
Author: Chrissy Teigen
Food has always had its significant share on Chrissy Teigen’s Instagram account. As the author admits herself, there is no difference between cooking, life, and love. For Cravings, she collected recipes that represent different cultures from all over the world, from her husband’s specialty fried chicken to her mother’s traditional Thai cooking and beyond. If you thought that models don’t like eating, this book will totally change your mind.
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#14 “The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science” By J. Kenji López-Alt
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#15 “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl” By Ree Drummond
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#16 “Essentials Of Classic Italian Cooking” By Marcella Hazan
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#17 “Everyday Italian: 125 Simple And Delicious Recipes” By Giada De Laurentiis
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#18 “How To Be A Domestic Goddess: Baking And The Art Of Comfort Cooking” By Nigella Lawson
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#19 “How To Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes For Great Food” By Mark Bittman
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#20 “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” By Ina Garten
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#21 “Bangkok: Recipes And Stories From The Heart Of Thailand” By Leela Punyaratabandhu
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#22 “Chinese Takeaway Cookbook: From Chop Suey To Sweet ‘N’ Sour, Over 70 Recipes To Re-Create Your Favourites” By Kwoklyn Wan
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#23 “Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day” By Jeff Hertzberg And Zoë François
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#24 “Grist: A Practical Guide To Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds And Legumes” By Abra Berens
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#25 “Rodney Scott’s World Of BBQ” By Rodney Scott And Lolis Eric Elie
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#26 “Cookies: The New Classics: A Baking Book” By Jesse Szewczyk
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#27 “Lemon, Love & Olive Oil” By Mina Stone
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#28 “Rice: A Savor The South Cookbook” By Michael Twitty
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#29 “My Shanghai: Recipes And Stories From A City On The Water” By Betty Liu
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#30 “Super Natural Simple: Whole-Food, Vegetarian Recipes For Real Life” By Heidi Swanson
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#31 “Sheet Cake: Easy One-Pan Recipes For Every Day And Every Occasion” By Abigail Johnson Dodge
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#32 “Middle Eastern Sweets: Desserts, Pastries, Creams And Treats” By Salma Hage
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#33 “Cook Real Hawai’i” By Sheldon Simeon With Garrett Snyder
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#34 “Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen: An Introduction To New African Cuisine — From Ghana With Love” By Zoe Adjonyoh
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#35 “Ripe Figs: Recipes And Stories From Turkey, Greece And Cyprus” By Yasmin Khan
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#36 “The Magic Of Tinned Fish: Elevate Your Cooking With Canned Anchovies, Sardines, Mackerel, Crab And Other Amazing Seafood” By Chris McDade
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#37 “Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home” By By Eric Kim
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#38 “A Good Day To Bake: Simple Baking Recipes For Every Mood” By Benjamina Ebuehi
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#39 I Dream Of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To): Low-Effort, High-Reward Recipes” By Ali Slagle
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#40 “Snacks For Dinner: Small Bites, Full Plates, Can’t Lose” By Lukas Volger
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#41 “Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair In Smoke And Soul” By Kevin Bludso And Noah Galuten
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#42 “Watermelon And Red Birds: A Cookbook For Juneteenth And Black Celebrations” By Nicole A. Taylor
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#43 “Mabu Mabu: An Australian Kitchen Cookbook” By Nornie Bero
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#44 “My America: Recipes From A Young Black Chef” By Kwame Onwuachi And Joshua David Stein
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#45 “The Cook You Want To Be: Everyday Recipes To Impress” By Andy Baraghani
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#46 “For The Table: Easy, Adaptable, Crowd-Pleasing Recipes” By Anna Stockwell
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#47 “Mi Cocina: Recipes And Rapture From My Kitchen In Mexico” By Rick Martínez
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#48 “Dishoom: The First Ever Cookbook From The Much-Loved Indian Restaurant” By Shamil Thakrar
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#49 “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier” By Ree Drummond
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#50 “The Wok: Recipes And Techniques” By J. Kenji López-Alt
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