Fall 2020 Cookbooks to Add to Your Shelves

Cookbook releases are as much of a fall constant as cooler weather and changing leaves. Each year brings a new crop (or harvest, if you’ll allow us to have multiple puns) to appreciate, whether it’s a baking book that gets you to turn on your oven after a sweltering summer, or a collection of cocktail recipes encouraging you to mix up (quite literally) your usual routine. Last year alone saw Toni-Tipton Martin’s Jubilee, Angie Mar’s Butcher & Beast, and a revised edition of the much-beloved The Joy of Cooking hit the market—this season, we’re making room in our bookcases once again. And by the end of it all, we might need to add more shelves. 

After weeks of gathering recommendations from our editors, we’ve come up with a list of 50 (yes, 50!) books, spanning late August all the way to mid-November. The Good Book of Southern Baking; The Mexican Home Kitchen; Chaat; In Bibi’s Kitchen; Xi’an Famous Foods; Modern Comfort Food; and so, so many more. There are cookbooks and drinks books and memoirs, too—even a dedicated book on wine pairings for all kinds of foods, from Sour Patch Kids to shrimp cocktail. We can’t wait to not only cook with them, but learn from them, travel through them, and find new ways to nourish both ourselves and our loved ones. The list is certainly long—but so too are the cold-weather seasons. Read on for everything we’ll be using to keep our kitchens warm this season.

“Kieffer’s book is a baker’s baking book, but it’s also completely unpretentious. There are cookies for when you just want a good cookie, and more ambitious recipes for when you want to attempt palmiers or breaking out a culinary torch.” –Margaret Eby, senior editor

100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More, $25 (list price $27.50) at amazon.com 

“Part cookbook, part memoir, chef Alvin Cailan’s cookbook Amboy is an incredibly vulnerable account of his life that covers not only his inspirations and successes but his biggest challenges and failures, too. The recipes pay homage to his Filipino-American upbringing — where he recommends pairing creamy champorado, or chocolate rice pudding, with Cool Ranch Doritos—his career cooking breakfast favorites at Eggslut, and his lifelong infatuation with burgers. By the time you’re done flipping through the book, you’ll feel like you’ve known Cailan your whole life.” –Khushbu Shah, restaurant editor

Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“Chef and Top Chef Canada host Eden Grinshpan’s first cookbook, Eating Out Loud, offers over 100 recipes, ranging from lamb shakshuka with lemony yogurt to a sesame schnitzel sandwich with harissa honey and tartar slaw, which she writes are “influenced by my experiences in Israel, my travels, and my Jewish background.” There are 10 different sections: Your New Middle Eastern Pantry, The Essentials, Eggs All Day, Baked at Brunch, Salads and Fresh Bites, Handheld Meals, Making Veg the Star, “Meat and Fish, So Delish,” Big Bowls of Grains, and Gimme Some Sugah to round it all out. I’m eyeing the baba ghanoush with za’atar, pomegranate, and mint, and the seared scallops with basil-turmeric butter, too.” –Bridget Hallinan, digital reporter

Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavors for All Day, Every Day, $24 (list price $32.50) at amazon.com

“Big Love Cooking comes from Joey Campanaro, the chef behind Little Owl in New York City, and it’s packed with 75 recipes “infused with Mediterranean flavors inspired by Joey’s Italian-American family,” including some family recipes and Little Owl dishes as well. Think fontina sausage biscuits with poached eggs, Italian greens, and hollandaise; Little Owl pork chops with Parmesan butter beans; and farfalle with broccoli rabe pesto, fried salami, and burst tomatoes. For dessert? Vanilla bean panna cotta with citrus and mint, snickerdoodles with salted caramel, and more.” –B.H.

“There is nothing fragile or careful about these recipes,” Campanaro writes at the end of the introduction. “They are not a peck on the cheek. They are a warm embrace. After a lifetime of cooking, I have come to know this to be true: Big love has a following. So let’s get that gravy going.”

Big Love Cooking: 75 Recipes for Satisfying, Shareable Comfort Food, $30 at amazon.com

“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started reading Dave Chang’s Eat a Peach. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t prepared for it to be just another volume of bro-y chef glory days fueled by booze, drugs, and testosterone. But as much as this is a book about cooking, restaurants, and hospitality, it’s equally focused on the reality of grappling with mental illness, anxiety, fear, and depression. Chang’s vulnerability truly resonated with me, making this a chef memoir that I think non-food folks will find just as compelling as those familiar with the industry.” –Oset Babür, associate restaurant editor

Eat a Peach: A Memoir, $17 (list price $28) at amazon.com

“You know when you first get your hands on a cookbook and litter almost every other page with Post-It notes? That’s what happened when I first held Kelly Fields’ debut cookbook. If you’ve ever had the chocolate chip cookies at Willa Jean in New Orleans, you’ll be thrilled to find the recipe in this book, but I’d also highly recommend making her dark chocolate pecan bourbon pie. This is a voicey, relatable book from one of the country’s very best pastry chefs, and it’s one I definitely plan to give to friends and family this holiday season.” –O.B.

The Good Book of Southern Baking: A Revival of Biscuits, Cakes, and Cornbread, $26 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“If you’re the kind of cook who prefers loose ideas of recipes instead of step-by-step granular instructions, Nigel Slater’s newest is for you. The recipes are inspiring and simple, begging for riffs and creativity inspired by whatever looks good at your local grocery store or farmers’ market. Plus, the photography is absolutely stunning.” –O.B.

Greenfeast: Autumn, Winter, $20 (list price $26) at amazon.com

“Mely Martínez grew up in Mexico in the city of Tampico, Tamaulipas, and spent her childhood summers cooking at her grandmother’s side in Veracruz. As an adult, she worked as a teacher in Tabasco and states in the Yucatán Peninsula. These experiences sparked an abiding curiosity about and love for the regional diversity of Mexican homestyle cooking—an interest that she began to explore on her popular blog, Mexico in My Kitchen, in 2008 after moving to the United States. Her debut cookbook, titled The Mexican Home Kitchen, is a loving celebration of how Mexican families cook every day. She writes: “These are all meals that bring back memories for many Mexicans who, like me, miss our culture. When we cook them, it’s almost as if we take a little trip back home and sit down with our grandma or mom to enjoy a meal that they prepared with lots of love.” Each page offers something simple, nourishing, and delicious, from everyday favorites, like carne con papas, beef and potatoes simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served with warm, fresh tortillas, to special-occasion favorites, like a layered birthday cake with a tender yellow crumb and a fluffy meringue topping. Whether these dishes tap into your own memories or become the basis for brand-new ones you make with your families, Martínez will make you feel well-cared for—and very well fed—this fall.” –Karen Shimizu, executive editor

The Mexican Home Kitchen: Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico, $25 (list price $28) at amazon.com

“Chef Jay Ducote, Baton Rouge native, radio host, and former contender on Food Network Star, knows southern Louisiana cooking as only a native could. Ducote got his start cooking at LSU football tailgates—eventually for several hundred people per game—before becoming a full-time food blogger, radio talker, and restaurant owner (of the popular Gov’t Taco in Baton Rouge), but has always channeled his grandmother’s deep knowledge of Cajun cooking into his food. If you need smart, delicious recipes for chicken andouille gumbo and crawfish rolls, or less traditional but no less addictive variations like crawfish étouffée arancini and wild duck and oyster gumbo, look no further. And do you need to cook them outdoors? Not necessarily; but then again, even in the fall, the grill often beckons.” –Ray Isle, executive wine editor

Jay Ducote’s Louisiana Outdoor Cooking, $35 at amazon.com

“If you tuned into the Food & Wine Classic at Home back in July, you know that food personality and restaurateur Ayesha Curry makes an expert banana fritter and she flavors most of her desserts with homemade vanilla extract, an homage to one of her kitchen heroes Ina Garten. You can find the recipe for that vanilla extract and more family-friendly recipes, including plenty of dinners that cook on sheet pans, in The Full Plate, her second book that is engineered for busy cooks.”–Hunter Lewis, editor-in-chief

The Full Plate: Flavor-Filled, Easy Recipes for Families with No Time and a Lot to Do, $18 (list price $30) at amazon.com

“Pre-COVID, I would always find excuses to run errands on the Lower East Side just so I could swing into Petee’s for a slice of any of their chess pies. The tiny shop makes some of the best pies in New York City, with the most tender and buttery crusts. I recently moved and no longer have regular access to Petee’s, so I will be using this book—filled with Petra, a.k.a. Petee’s best pie secrets—whenever the craving hits. From standards like chocolate cream to more unique fillings like chestnut custard with rum-soaked cherries, and even a few vegan options, there really is a pie for everyone.”  –K. Shah

Pie for Everyone: Recipes and Stories from Petee’s Pie, New York’s Best Pie Shop, $27 (list price $30) at amazon.com

“Dale DeGroff’s The Craft of the Cocktail has long been one of the bibles of cocktail culture, not least because DeGroff is a living legend in that world. And the book is that useful: it covers the history of cocktails (extremely engagingly), every tool or ingredient one might need, and distills DeGroff’s vast knowledge of technique into succinct and very useful tips. This new edition, the first in 18 years, has 100 all-new cocktail recipes to supplement an already comprehensive collection, plus adds DeGroff’s take on the changing landscape of cocktails. It’s a must-have for anyone invested in making (or drinking) great cocktails.” –R.I.

The New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Think Like a Master Mixologist, with 500 Recipes, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“There was so much NYC love for chef Jonathan Waxman’s West Village Cal-Ital restaurant Barbuto that when he closed it in May 2019, there were literally lines around the block to get in for its last week. The good news is that Waxman decided to reopen in a new space in Feb 2020—unfortunately, just in time to get smacked by the COVID-19 crisis. Well, fans maintain faith that Barbuto will seat customers once again when this pandemic ebbs, and in the meantime, they (and everyone else) can spring for this new cookbook. The JW Chicken is here—if you don’t know, you need to—along with other favorites such as fresh trout sauteed with hazelnuts, hanger steak brightened by a salsa picante of toasted Fresno & jalapeño chiles, garlic, and shallots, and the irresistibly crunchy JW potatoes, tossed with pecorino and rosemary. Buy it, cook from it, then bide your time until, once more, you can make a reservation.” –R.I.

Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking from Jonathan Waxman’s Beloved West Village Restaurant, $28 (list price $40) at amazon.com

“Cathy Erway gives new meaning to winner-winner-chicken-dinner in this collection of one pan roasted chicken recipes. While more than half of the recipes are quick to execute, she digs deeper with her signature sharp and delicious prose to show the real reason to rely on sheet pan cooking: a “metamorphosis” of ingredients cooked together, concentrating and mingling flavors—all while bathing in chicken drippings!” –Mary-Frances Heck, senior food editor

Sheet Pan Chicken: 50 Simple and Satisfying Ways to Cook Dinner, $17 (list price $19) at amazon.com

“Chaat is a category of Indian cuisine that roughly means “snacks.” Maneet Chauhan guides us through the world of chaats in this book, taking us all over India. In the May 2020 issue of Food & Wine, Chauhan wrote this about chaats: “They can be sweet or savory, crunchy or creamy, spicy or salty…though to tell you the truth, many of my favorites are all of those things at once!” Beyond the mouthwatering recipes, the gorgeous images throughout Chaat serve as a pseudo escape in this time when real travel isn’t an option.” –Nina Friend, assistant editor

Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India: A Cookbook, $29 (list price $32.50) at amazon.com

“Full disclosure: I worked for best-selling Aussie cookbook ninja Donna Hay in a former life. Regardless, I’d still buy her damned gorgeous books like Everyday Fresh, out this Fall, which is equal parts practical, approachable cooking instruction, and stupidly glamorous food hedonism. Con Poulos’s vibrant photography and Hay’s ethereal food styling doesn’t just leap off the page; it rattles your eyeballs. Forced into cooking every night this pandemic year like so many others, chapters such as ‘Almost Instant Dinners’, ‘Quick Fix’, and ‘One Pan’ (hello, Maple- and Chili-Roasted Pumpkin with Quinoa Tabouli!) are going to be my saviors.” –Melanie Hansche, deputy editor

Everyday Fresh: Meals in Minutes, $30 at amazon.com

“I’m downright giddy every time I walk into a restaurant or a bar and find a creative, thoughtfully curated non-alcoholic beverage list. Julia Bainbridge should be everyone’s go-to expert for all things NA (her Instagram alone is a gold mine of spirit and flavor pairing recommendations in the category). This book is really a must-read for everyone, whether you’re looking to imbibe less while still indulging your senses, or want to explore broader, sober-er horizons with your bar cart.” –O.B.

Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason, $21 (list price $23) at amazon.com

“Take one look at Asha Gomez’s Instagram feed, and it’s easy to want to disappear into her technicolor world filled with stunning floral arrangements and lush platters of food that you can almost smell through the screen. Her approach to life is vibrant and full, and this cookbook shows you how to bring that exuberance into your life via your kitchen. Nothing is boring or monochromatic, and she embraces spices in everything from a seafood-laden paella to a leg of lamb smothered in za’atar and crowned with stewed dried apricots. They say you should ‘eat the rainbow’—Gomez will introduce you to colors you didn’t even know existed.” –K. Shah

I Cook in Color: Bright Flavors from My Kitchen and Around the World, $32.50 at amazon.com

“Even Jacques Pépin needs quick dinner ideas, and this collection of 250 recipes is sure to be the boost your weeknights need. A revised edition of his 2001 The Short-Cut Cook, the recipes stand the test of time; this book will become a classic in your kitchen.” –M.F.H.

Jacques Pépin Quick & Simple, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“Ina Garten’s Modern Comfort Food couldn’t be coming at a better time. I’ve been excited for the launch ever since I first learned about it in March—I grew up watching Barefoot Contessa on the weekends with my mom—and now that fall’s officially here, I can’t wait to dive into these recipes. I’ve already got my eye on a few (ok, a lot), including waffle-iron hash browns, fig & cheese toasts, truffled mac and cheese, frozen Palomas, and roasted butternut squash with brown butter & sage. A big bowl of chicken pot pie soup sounds pretty good right now, too. And you can bet I’ll be taking a cue from the “Good Ingredients” section for some pantry recommendations. After all, sometimes store-bought is fine.” –B.H.

Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, $24 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“If you’ve ever wondered what wine to pair with some of your favorite foods, like, say, Cheez-Its (I certainly have), check out Big Macs & Burgundy. Based on Vanessa Price’s Grub Street column “Wine Pairing of the Week,” the book explores all different kinds of combinations, including breakfast pairings like avocado toast and Rueda Verdejo, pairings for entertaining like shrimp cocktail & Valdeorras Godello, and even some pairings with popular Trader Joe’s items—the dark chocolate peanut butter cups are recommended with Oloroso Sherry, FYI. There are over 300 pairings total, with helpful sections on “Wine 101” and “Pairing 101” as well.” –B.H.

Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World, $20 (list price $25) at amazon.com

“Loring Place is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City, so when I heard that the chef/owner, Dan Kluger, was coming out with a cookbook, I honestly think I screamed. Kluger, a 2012 Food & Wine Best New Chef, is known for his innovative approach to cooking with vegetables. I love how Chasing Flavor begins with techniques and an understanding of flavor combinations throughout the book. I’m especially excited to make Kluger’s Celery Root Caesar Salad and his Crispy Potatoes and Sunchokes with Carrot-Hazelnut Romesco.” –N.F.

Chasing Flavor: Techniques and Recipes to Cook Fearlessly, $35 at amazon.com

“Chi Spacca, L.A. chef Nancy Silverton’s new cookbook based off her restaurant of the same name, was originally supposed to come out this spring. Now, it’s finally here, and it’s just as meaty as you’d expect. Moroccan braised lamb shanks, coffee-rubbed tri-tip, beef cheek, and bone marrow pie—plus, a “Chi Spacca Grilling Class”  and meat tutorial from executive chef Ryan DeNicola. There’s also a “Spacca Pantry” section packed with recommendations and more recipes, such as “Dario Salt,” a recreation of Italian butcher Dario Cecchini’s recipe, which is said to be “a great seasoning for any grilled meats or vegetables.” –B.H.

Chi Spacca: A New Approach to American Cooking, $35 at amazon.com

“The Great British Baking Show finalist Kim-Joy’s first cookbook, Baking with Kim-Joy: Cute and Creative Bakes to Make You Smile, was a delight, with recipes for colorful, adorable baked goods you couldn’t help but, well, smile at. (I still want to make those “lavender & lemon pandaleines.”) Christmas with Kim-Joy is a festive follow-up—think melting snowman cake pops, yuzu curd Santa tartlets with strawberries & cream, penguin mincemeat bao, hedgehog German cookies, and eggnog mug lattes (the “mugs” are made of cake and have pretzel handles). The holidays might be a long way off, but I’m all for getting in the spirit early.” –B.H.

Christmas with Kim-Joy: A Festive Collection of Edible Cuteness, $20 (list price $23) at amazon.com

“Lara Lee’s debut cookbook is a love letter to Indonesian cuisine and a wonderful introduction to the dishes of the world’s fourth most populous country. Coconut & Sambal is as gorgeous as it is useful, and it’ll have you getting in the kitchen to make beef rendang or caramelized shallot sambal or a multi-layered, appealingly mint green pandan cake.” –M.E.

Coconut & Sambal: Recipes from my Indonesian Kitchen, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com 

“Chef, TV personality, and cookbook author Alex Guarnaschelli’s third cookbook, Cook with Me, features 150 recipes, a mix of “dishes new to her repertoire,” dishes she grew up eating, and “recipes for foods that she wishes she grew up with,” too. There are chapters dedicated to working with a slow cooker and Guarnaschelli’s favorite soups, “Egg Dishes for all the Moments,” and the punnily named “Lettuce Show You How Good Salad Is!,” among many, many others. As for the recipes themselves? I’m intrigued by the flaming broiled provolone with garlic-parsley toasts, which sounds like a simple-yet-impressive snack perfect for a weekend wine or cocktail night.” –B.H. 

“Truth is, no matter what I’m making, all I really care about is flavor and getting the most of it from whatever I cook,” Guarnaschelli writes in the intro. “In this book, I teach you how to bring that approach into your home kitchen. You’ll find lots of ‘chef’ tricks, like dehydrating Parmesan cheese to make Parm dust for popcorn. I’m taking years of cooking experience and personal history and distilling it into a collection of 150 recipes for you to enjoy, conquer, and play with. So, let’s cook.”

Cook with Me: 150 Recipes for the Home Cook, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“Do dumplings equal love? Well, ask anyone you give a plateful of the pork-and-homemade-kimchee mandu or gingery pork-and-cabbage gyoza from this cookbook, and you’ll probably get the answer, “Are you kidding? Of course!” Food writer (and dumpling fanatic) Liz Crain guides readers through the key steps of making great dumplings—what tools and ingredients they’ll need, how to form different shapes, the nature of different dumpling doughs—before diving into a plethora of recipes (for both dumpling and dipping sauces) derived from cultures around the world. Classics like pork & shrimp shumai are present; so are pillowy Italian-inspired goat cheese dumplings in arrabbiata sauce, and shrimp & grits dumplings spiced up with homemade sambal.”–R.I.

Dumplings Equal Love: Delicious Recipes from Around the World, $23 at amazon.com

“This book is a beautiful ode to grandmothers, the dishes they cook, and the knowledge that they carry. It focuses not only on the culinary traditions of eight African countries — South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, and Eritrea — that are deeply involved in the spice trade, but the stories of the women themselves. Most importantly, it allows you to see their homelands through their eyes and taste it through their recipes. It’s as if you yourself have been given the honor of sitting in their kitchens.”–K. Shah

In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“The Editors of Martha Stewart Living are back with Cake Perfection, which, as you can imagine, is all about cakes, covering everything from show cakes (s’mores cake! pistachio cannoli cake!) and layer cakes to everyday cakes and cupcakes. It kicks off with seven “Golden Rules”—including prep before you begin, bake in the center of the oven, and decorate with aplomb—before diving into essential ingredients and tools to have on hand. Next up is basic frosting techniques, and then, you reach the recipes. With 125 to choose from, you’ll have plenty of ideas for upcoming occasions.” –B.H.

Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection: 100+ Recipes for the Sweet Classic, from Simple to Stunning: A Baking Book, $26 (list price $29) at amazon.com

“No matter what I’m in the mood to make, I can always find something new and exciting within Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks. His newest book, Flavor, is no exception, and I love how it looks at vegetable-centric cooking from all different angles. I truly want to make every single recipe in Flavor, starting with the Butternut, Orange, and Sage Galette.” –N.F.

Ottolenghi Flavor: A Cookbook, $21 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles and cilantro-heavy Tiger Salad season my memories of living in New York City as much as any fine dining dinner or Sunday morning bagel. In my most-anticipated cookbook of the season, entrepreneur Jason Wang tells the story behind Xi’an Famous Foods and how his family’s recipes became an essential part of New York’s restaurant scene. The keys to menu favorites like Spicy and Sour Spinach Dumplings, Concubine’s Chicken, and the universal balm that is XFF’s Chili Oil are interspersed with family recipes like Brussels Sprouts with Shrimp Sauce that will keep you warm all winter long.” –M.F.H.

Xi’an Famous Foods: The Cuisine of Western China, from New York’s Favorite Noodle Shop, $28 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“In this gorgeous book, food and music hit a high note. Snacky Tunes draws from the food and music podcast of the same name, founded in 2009 by brothers Darin and Greg Bresnitz. In the same way that the podcast was a platform for chefs and musicians to discuss their relationships with food and music, Snacky Tunes the cookbook explores the intersection between food and music through recipes and playlists that reflect each chef’s process for cooking that dish. Plus, the typography is amazing.”–N.F.

Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingredient, Chefs and Their Music, $25 at amazon.com

“If you’ve been baking a lot over the past few months as I have, this season’s cookbook release schedule includes plenty of books to be excited about, including Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz. Saffitz, known for starring in “Gourmet Makes” on Bon Appétit’s YouTube channel, brings us all kinds of treats in her debut book, including malted forever brownies, apple and Concord grape crumble pie, and soft and crispy focaccia. There’s over 100 recipes total, as well as tips, do’s and don’ts, and more.” –B.H.

Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“There are cookbooks that are pretty to look at, and then there are cookbooks that you destroy with oil splatters and stains because they are so endlessly cookable. Meera Sodha’s newest cookbook, East, is most definitely the latter. Sodha draws inspiration from East and Southeast Asia for recipes, including satisfying and unfussy dishes like kimchi pancakes, black dal, and kung pao cauliflower. I personally can’t stop making her smoked tofu and mushroom kheema and eggplant laarb. The book, which happens to be meatless, is a celebration of how vibrant and delicious vegetarian and vegan cooking can be, and is a great addition to any kitchen—whether you love meat or not.” –K. Shah

East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Beijing [American Measurements], $31.50 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“Like many UGA alums, I was lucky to have my college years bookended with special occasions at Hugh Acheson’s restaurants in Athens, GA. I’m ordering his latest cookbook for far-flung loved ones who have needed to cook at home more often than ever. How to Cook has 100 simple recipes that make cooking approachable and fun. There are plenty of ideas to keep in your back pocket (I’m eyeing the pork and chickpea stew), as well as weeknight staples to make again and again.” –Megan Soll, associate digital editor

How to Cook: Building Blocks and 100 Simple Recipes for a Lifetime of Meals: A Cookbook, $20 at amazon.com

“In this engagingly written, gorgeously photographed cookbook, the story of Nom Wah, a 100-year-old dim sum restaurant in New York’s Chinatown, comes to life in recipes and stories from Wilson Tang, as told by co-author Joshua David Stein. Tang took over Nom Wah in 2010 and reinvigorated it, keeping one foot in its past while stepping into the future. The Nom Wah Cookbook is in keeping with that vision, marrying a lesson in dim sum fundamentals (ingredients, cookware, techniques) with smart shortcuts and refreshed recipes that help the restaurant’s greatest hits (ranging from dim sum snacks like har gao, shrimp dumplings encased in glistening, translucent wrappers, to serves-a-crowd feasts like a hearty Cantonese style taro and pork belly casserole) stride gracefully from the restaurant and into the reader’s home kitchen. Just as essential as its recipes, the cookbook is suffused with lively storytelling that imparts a deep appreciation for the people, the history and hard work behind each dish, behind Nom Wah, and behind Chinatown itself.”–K. Shimizu

The Nom Wah Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from 100 Years at New York City’s Iconic Dim Sum Restaurant $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“Vivian Howard’s first cookbook Deep Run Roots and her PBS show A Chef’s Life made the Eastern North Carolinians in my life (and there are a lot of them) chest-swell with pride, seeing their often dismissed cuisine and culture properly and rightfully celebrated. In her newest book, Howard brings that same storyteller sensibility—paired with serious restaurant-honed kitchen chops—to teach home cooks easily achievable building block recipes and techniques that lend an extra level of pleasure to the simplest dishes, while letting the ingredients shine through. Some are quick fixes for those nights when you need to get yourself fed but don’t wish to suffer the indignity of blandness, while others allow you to sprawl out and settle into a project. And because Howard wants everyone to feel comfortable and satisfied at her table, the shopping list could be knocked out in a local grocery store, and more than half of the recipes are gluten-free or vegetarian.” –Kat Kinsman, senior editor

This Will Make It Taste Good: A New Path to Simple Cooking, $31.50 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“Donna Lennard, the restaurateur behind il Buco in New York City, captured the feeling of il Buco perfectly in her new cookbook: “Crossing the uneven cobblestones and entering the rickety, turn-of-the-century wooden doors, one has the sense of being transported across the Atlantic into another world.” The Il Buco cookbook accomplishes a similar feat, with stories, recipes, and images that draw upon all different regions of Italy and Spain. I can’t wait to make the Carciofi Fritti, one of my all-time favorite Roman dishes, and everything in the “Pane, Pizze, e Crostini” section—from a Sesame Filone Loaf to a Chanterelle & Ricotta Crostini.” –N.F.

Il Buco: Stories & Recipes, $28 (list price $60) at amazon.com

“Building upon the principles of their best-selling book The Flavor Matrix, James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst lean on “flavor pairing,” the idea that surprisingly delicious combinations can be found on the molecular level by marrying complementary aromatic compounds. With 100 creative recipes, these dishes will be the talk of your next dinner party.” –M.F.H.

Flavor for All: Everyday Recipes and Creative Pairings, $27 (list price $30) at amazon.com

“Everything Nik Sharma touches is suddenly more delicious, and I’d say it’s magic, but he’s more than delighted to have you know it’s science—and generous enough to share the knowledge. In this sequel to his much-beloved Season, the former molecular biologist brings the rigor and principles of his lab days into the kitchen, breaking down techniques and ingredient combinations that are maximally delicious and endlessly repeatable. Yes, you’ll come away from this with 100-plus new recipes in your repertoire—but you’ll also transform into a better cook along the way.”  –K.K.

The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes, $31.50 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“2020 is, without a doubt, a horrible year, but it’s also the year of bread, which is why we should all be stocking up on references and resources to spend the colder months filling our freezers with loaves crying out for apple butter, jam, and olive oil. This offering from 1999 Food & Wine Best New Chef Marc Vetri feels like a must-have for any serious bread baker, and I’m especially looking forward to getting more comfortable with yeasted bread as a result.” –O.B.

Mastering Bread: The Art and Practice of Handmade Sourdough, Yeast Bread, and Pastry, $24 (list price $32.50) at amazon.com

“There is no concept I enjoy more than that of the snack cake. Why should cake only be reserved for special occasions? They don’t always need to be fussy, multi-layered affairs with complicated frostings. Yossy Arefi’s new book proves that cake can very much be an everyday food with easy but elegant recipes like a fudgy chocolate and zucchini cake, or a tender loaf of pumpkin olive oil cake with a drippy maple glaze.” –K. Shah

Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings: A Baking Book, $19 (list price $24) at amazon.com

“Fact: There would be no American cuisine without the 400-plus years of contributions of Black cooks. Co-written with Osayi Endolyn, Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s long-awaited cookbook, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, profiles the next generation of Black chefs and creators like Kwame Onwuachi and Adrienne Cheatham shaping America’s culinary future. We cannot recommend this book highly enough.” –H.L.

The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, $34 (list price $38) at amazon.com

“As someone with plenty of baking aspirations, Erin McDowell’s sweet creations are the ultimate inspiration. Lucky for us, she has written an entire pie cookbook, breaking down technique for all styles and classic flavors, as well as new favorites I can’t wait to try (hello, cardamom crème brûlée pie!).  From the fluffiest meringue peaks to stunning lattices and jammy fillings, The Book on Pie covers every recipe I can’t wait to bring to the table this holiday season and beyond.” –M.S.

The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

“Chef memoirs are, admittedly, one of my favorite genres of books to read––something about the thought process, chaos, and sheer willpower that goes into running a restaurant as told by the person driving the business forward really fascinates me. As a lifelong fan of Deborah Madison’s cookbooks (not to mention her reverence and mastery of simple, vegetable-centric dishes), this is sure to be one I blow my way through.” –O.B.

An Onion in My Pocket: My Life with Vegetables, $27 at amazon.com

“The US release of Nadiya Hussain’s latest cookbook, Time To Eat, couldn’t be better timed. Like The Great British Baking Show winner’s Netflix show of the same name, it’s full of smart shortcuts and store-bought “cheats” that don’t scrimp on quality for time-strapped home cooks, in the form of 100 delicious, beautiful, wallet-friendly recipes that can be whipped up on a weekday. Wherever your home-cooking-thon is stuck in a rut, be it breakfast (yes, you need giant peanut-butter and jelly sheet pan pancakes in your life right now) lunch (a lentil soup, perked up with orange zest and juice) or dinner (hasselback butternut squash with garlic rice, anyone?), Hussain has you covered.” –K. Shimizu

Time to Eat: Delicious Meals for Busy Lives, $30 at amazon.com

“When Magnus Nilsson announced that he was closing his world-renowned restaurant Fäviken, much of the world was shocked—but I sure wasn’t. I’ve had the privilege of seeing Nilsson speak at several events over the past few years and what’s always struck me is the way that he’s so intensely attuned to the rhythms of nature in his native Sweden, and how gradually he turned that same focus toward his own internal ecosystem and what it needed to thrive. Nilsson’s meticulous chronicling of the full life cycle of Fäviken—including a list of every dish ever served at the restaurant—and its place in the dining landscape is a must-read for anyone obsessed with the past and future of restaurant culture, or exploring a life in better balance.” –K.K.

Fäviken: 4015 Days, Beginning to End, $60 at amazon.com

“The first time I had one of Melissa Weller’s bagels at High Street on Hudson, I was absolutely floored. I’m not the most confident baker, which is why I’m especially thrilled to make my way through Weller’s carefully constructed only-what-you-need-to-know recipes for pies, cakes, cookies, and more. It’s a hefty volume––nearly 500 pages––which is good, because I’ll have a lot of time on my hands this fall and winter.” –O.B.

A Good Bake: The Art and Science of Making Perfect Pastries, Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Breads at Home, $36 (list price $40) at amazon.com 

“In Red Sands, her follow-up to Black Sea, Caroline Eden focuses on Central Asia, exploring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan (Turkmenistan, she notes in the “Prelude and Setting” section, was not included in the book because “reporting freely there is problematic.”) The book is divided into two parts—Spring and Autumn—beginning in Aktau, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, in western Kazakhstan, and ending in Tajikistan in the fall, “in the knot of the Fergana Valley, shared by three countries: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.” Along the way, you’ll find essays, photos, and of course, recipes, including mushroom khinkali, shashlik with bottled tarragon vinegar, kulich (Russian Easter bread), non puju, Dushanbe sambusa with chickpea, spinach and mint, and more.” –B.H.

“My mission for this book is twofold: firstly, to preserve on paper something of these countries as they rapidly develop and open up further to the world,” she writes. “To record them before further changes come and more disappears for good via bulldozers, the march of globalisation and increased tourism. And, secondly, to reveal a unique and different portrait of Central Asia, using food as an agent, device and theme.”

Red Sands: Reportage and Recipes through Central Asia, from Hinterland to Heartland, $37 at amazon.com