Best Cookbooks With Recipes That Will Make Your Mouth Water (2024)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alan J Sommerman

Fuchsia Dunlop should be part of this list.

Huddo's sister

The one my mum swears by and is known as the red bible is The best of Alison Holst.

Corey Smith

Needs to include Jacques Pépin - Essential Pepin. This man can do no wrong. He is my spirit animal.Also, America's Test Kitchen books. Every recipe is good.

Alan J Sommerman

Fuchsia Dunlop should be part of this list.

Huddo's sister

The one my mum swears by and is known as the red bible is The best of Alison Holst.

Corey Smith

Needs to include Jacques Pépin - Essential Pepin. This man can do no wrong. He is my spirit animal.Also, America's Test Kitchen books. Every recipe is good.