Laura Van Den Berg
[isbn]
Eleven surreal stories following middle-aged women on disturbing quests through lives that prove to be both mystical and mundane. While these are dark themes, there is always a thread of humor running across the pages. Every tale is an absorbing treasure.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Garrett M Graff
[isbn]
While reading The Only Plane in the Sky, my heart broke a thousand times. It is one thing to have witnessed (from the west coast on TV) the 9/11 attacks, yet quite another to see, smell, and hear the events as told by the survivors. My biggest takeaways are how much compassion was expressed for total strangers and how bravely many victims stepped forward into their deaths. Those brave people showed courage that pushed them past their... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Chris Whitaker
[isbn]
A story both beautiful and broken. Small-town people who surprise themselves by living in their town forever, and the tragicomedy that encompasses all our flawed lives no matter where we live. You'll be happy to meet these characters even as they break your heart.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Jason Reynolds, Ibram X Kendi, Sonja Cherry Paul
[isbn]
Stamped (for Kids) is a chapter book adapted from Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. A powerful, eye-opening introduction to racism and its roots that will teach kids to talk and think about racism, Stamped (for Kids) is an accessible and engaging social history for the family.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Katrina Rodabaugh
[isbn]
A slow fashion book for the thoughtful fashionista. Rodabaugh states: Start where you are. Start by looking at the clothes you already own before shopping for new. Can they be mended or remodeled rather than replaced? This isn’t just another closet advice book. Rodabaugh gives us inspiring ideas for rejuvenating our old togs into treasures to be proud of. I was a fan of her first book Mending Matters and I’m just as excited about... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Lucy Hutchings
[isbn]
Lucy Hutchings, innovative, trend-setting gardener shows us that gardening can be fun. Beginner and master gardener alike can find some exciting creative ideas in Get up and Grow. I’m most enticed by her container and wall growing ideas. I think a hanging garden filled with herbs is just what my kitchen garden needs this summer.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Hugh Amano, Sarah Becan
[isbn]
Mmmm. Shumai, xiaolongbau, mandu, and all those other dumplings whose names I don’t know that I usually just point to on a dim sum cart at my favorite Asian restaurant. This handy comic book cookbook introduces all you need to turn your kitchen into a dumpling cart. Includes pantry and equipment suggestions and best of all, simple drawings of how to fold your own dumplings. Dumplings from many Asian cultures are... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Matthew Raiford and Amy Paige Condon
[isbn]
Bress ’n’ Nyam is Gullah Geechee for “bless and eat.” CheFarmer (chef and farmer) Matthew Raiford raises food on the land that has been farmed by his family for six generations. This is as much a history of community as it is a cookbook about the lineage of African foodways. One of the first recipes in the book is for Reezy-Peezy, which I made for dinner. After having just one bite my husband said, “This is exactly what I was hoping to eat for... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Marcus Samuelsson
[isbn]
I can’t but help fall in love with every new Marcus Samuelsson cookbook and The Rise is no exception. The Rise is a global celebration of Black cooking and of Black cooks. Americans owe a great deal of our food history to unsung and forgotten cooks of yesteryear. Samuelsson brings back respect and a feel of history to these folks whom time and society have erased. Here are 150 Black American recipes will energize your kitchen.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Vivian Howard
[isbn]
Vivian Howard is one of my favorite TV chefs and I adored her first cookbook, Deep Run Roots. So naturally, I am looking forward to This Will Make It Taste Good. Who doesn’t want their food to taste good? She has an easy teaching style and her flavors are bright and often simple. Howard is an outstanding chef who makes your home cooking taste like her restaurant cooking. One hundred and twenty-five recipes, and I have deep love... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Jennifer Dasal
[isbn]
Move past the stodgily written museum labels to learn the quirky backstories of the art you visit at the galleries. Monet: not just a blotter of pretty paint, but a rebel badass! Norman Rockwell: painter of cheesy Americana, or really cool and socially conscious artist? ArtCurious is a fun and engaging look art history. No, really, it is!
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Sandro Miller
[isbn]
John Malkovich, truly like you’ve never seen him before, posing as famous photographs. Malkovich as Che Guevara. Malkovich in haunting despair as Migrant Mother in the Dust Bowl shot by Dorothy Lange. Malkovich as a surprisingly beautiful Marilyn Monroe. Both a paean to great photographers and to Malkovich’s simple yet deep acting style.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Nik Sharma
[isbn]
Nk Sharma’s stunning Flavor Equation deserves to be shelved next to your copy of Salt Fat Acid Heat. Sharma makes the science of cooking cool, fascinating, and completely relevant to growing your skills in the kitchen. Backed by over 100 recipes that exemplify the text and fill the belly.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Americas Test Kitchen
[isbn]
Like chocolate? You’ll love Everything Chocolate. This is made up of an impressive assortment of decadent chocolate recipes. Whether it is a recreation of an Oreo-type sandwich cookie (but with more chocolate flavor) or a classic chocolate tart (with a gorgeous blood orange gelée topping), these are recipes built to share and show off with. However, no one will blame you if you make the Magic Chocolate Flan cake without sharing it with... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Antoni Porowski, Mindy Fox
[isbn]
Antoni Porowski, the food guy on Queer Eye, has been wowing viewers with his kind approach to introducing newbie cooks to the pleasures of cooking for themselves. He often uses simple foods with complex flavors to excite the new cook into showing off their new mad skills for their family and friends. In his new cookbook, he takes these complex flavors a step further. With his Polish family background he blends Polish recipes with his... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Wataru Yokota and Makiko Itoh
[isbn]
Some of my favorite travel experiences comes from finding some hole-in-the-wall place that serves amazing small bites — a bittersweet event because you know that after you return home you’ll never have those meals again. Well, if you are missing Japan’s bar food, The Real Japanese Izakaya Cookbook is here for the rescue. These are authentic recipes meant to be made in American kitchens. If you don’t regularly keep a few items such as... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Mandy Lee
[isbn]
You know those cookbooks where upon first look through you start flagging recipes with sticky notes? The Art of Escapism Cooking is one of those. And you know how sometimes there is one recipe that draws you in so much that you know it’s the first recipe you are going to make? In this case, Lamb and Cheese Slab Pie (rubbed with cumin-chili oil) knocked it out of the park for me. This recipe is a perfect example of the book at large: a mixture of... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Taylor Jenkins Reid
[isbn]
Once I started reading this fictionalized rock-n-roll bio, I couldn't stop reading for anything. I was hooked. The story arc of these musicians during the days of stadium rock was incredibly realistic. Even the way the characters talked about building a song seemed true. I fell in love with these beautiful, broken, talented, and obsessed people.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Americas Test Kitchen
[isbn]
What is everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving dish? The sides! What do you take to potluck? A side dish! America’s Test Kitchen brings their fully tested finesse to the glory of side dishes. While not a vegetarian cookbook, the meat dishes are far and few between. (But remember, meat lovers, it’s easy to throw some grilled sausage into a veg side.) This cookbook gets an A+ AND a gold star.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Valerie Aikman Smith
[isbn]
Think you know how to cook with salt and pepper? Well, you probably do know how, but this cookbook will offer you some surprises and a lot of good recipes packed into a small package. Salt and Pepper is for when you want something just a little bit new, a departure from the same old meals.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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David Murphy
[isbn]
So many Instant Pot cookbooks are almost interchangeable, but this one really does seem magical. There are recipes here that I’ve never heard of before: Dampfnudel (a German cake that can be served either as an entrée or a dessert), Potato Candy (it’s a potato AND a candy), Squared Deviled Eggs (I think you can get the picture), and good old normal stuff like Funeral Potatoes and Detox Soup. Pull this cookbook off your shelves when you get bored... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Caitlin Doughty and Dianne Ruz
[isbn]
Mortician Caitlin Doughty is a death myth-buster. Will My Cat is made up of kids' questions about death. Her practical approach helps to normalize the post-life we will all face. Her informative answers are sometimes yucky but always funny, making this guide to death good for the whole (slightly ghoulish) family.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Questlove
[isbn]
Questlove: a musician who loves food as much as he loves music. In Mixtape Potluck, he invites celebrities, musicians, and chefs to share a favorite potluck dish. Questlove awards each dish a song that exemplifies the recipe and the person. (Martha Stewart gets Snoop Dogg’s "Life of the Party." Perfect.)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker and John Becker and Megan Scott
[isbn]
We welcome the new edition of Joy of Cooking. Based on consumer feedback from the past six years, the authors updated this edition to reflect our modern lifestyle. Included are 600 new recipes and 80 new illustrations, as well as recipes resurrected from previous editions. This is a must-have cookbook.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Ferrett Steinmetz
[isbn]
Picture a faraway space station, one with the most exclusive and imaginative restaurant in the universe. Mix together a flamboyant impresario and a starving young philosopher about to give up on life, and then give them the task of making the most exotic soup imaginable. Space Soup! I love a novel that makes me hungry.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Gayla Partridge
[isbn]
Gayla Partridge specializes in exquisite stitching and anatomical art. Stitchcraft is an exposition of her beautiful and creepy artworks. Super close-up photos help to almost get inside the stitches. For those inspired to recreate her designs, general patterns are included, but she encourages people to choose their own colors and stitches to make the art their own. Stitchcraft is a fun and gorgeous look at Partridge’s work.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Alexis Mersel
[isbn]
Nicely nuanced recipes for the home cook who likes a lot of flavor but less of the fuss of traditional cooking methods. Some pressure cooking cookbooks seem to think the home cook looking for an easier way to cook is willing to sacrifice multiple ingredients in the name of time-saving. Not so Alexis Mersel. Her recipes are packed with seasoning. The desert section is dreamy.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Chris Taylor, Paul Arguin
[isbn]
Is there anything new under the sun when it comes to the art of pie-making? Yes there is! Southern doctors and pie championship winners Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin have invigorated pie-making skills with inventive style. These pies are simply gorgeous and many are out-and-out showstoppers.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Ryan Alvarez, Adam Merrin
[isbn]
Oh these husbands who cook! They handheld their way into learning to cook, enjoying the process of cooking as much as the candle-lit dinners. There is so much personality in this cookbook that you’ll feel like a sibling or friend in the kitchen with them. The story behind the Communication Breakdown Carrot Cake will have you guffawing and teary-eyed at the same time. The Life-Changing Corn Bread will let you in on one family’s secret recipe.... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Anna Jones
[isbn]
A new Anna Jones cookbook is always a reason to celebrate. Her vegetarian recipes are luscious and elegant while also simple and easy to prepare. Early favorites of mine: Chocolate and Blood Orange Freezer Cake, Roast Leek Feta and Lemon Polenta Cake, and Grilled Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpeas. Sprinkled throughout are flavor maps to help guide us in making our own Anna Jones-inspired delicious meals. Oh, and the lovely photography is by Ana... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Diane Kochilas
[isbn]
Diane Kochilas’s companion to her TV series is a perfect blending of authentic Greek food with healthy American styling. She knows the history of this Mediterranean fare inside and out and brings this knowledge to the front in recreating these traditional recipes. Not just one but two recipes for Avgolemono soup (a comfort soup in my house) and a Avgolemono Risotto as well. The various sauces and dressings are worth the book alone. I love a Greek... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Lauren McDuffie
[isbn]
Award-winning blogger Lauren Angelucci McDuffie brings the down-home goodness of Appalachian cooking with its quiet Southern flair into your kitchen. Appalachian cooking comes from generations of salt of the earth folks making do with easily grown veg and fruit to make simple yet sumptuous meals. Moonshine, succotash, pimientos, and bourbon. This is a beautiful cookbook with soft and stark photos by the author. This is a perfectly giftable book,... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Linda Miller Nicholson
[isbn]
If you make pasta noodles, you will find Pasta Pretty Please a revelation. Using natural ingredients, author Linda Miller Nicholson makes vibrant, colorful noodles. She even makes this sound doable for the average home cook! Stars in your pasta, striped pasta, rainbow pasta, she’s done it all. There is even poo emoji image pasta that I wouldn’t make for myself, but I can think of a couple of kids I would love to surprise with a serving... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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America's Test Kitchen
[isbn]
If you know Cook's Illustrated then you know their scientific testing orientation toward cooking. You also know that their essays can be some of the finest food writing around. Revolutionary Recipes is made up of 25 years of some of the best of their innovative food articles. Revolutionary Recipes will make you cook smarter and better, and will entertain you along the way.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias S. Buckell
[isbn]
Cautionary tales from a fantasy land, and what a well-built fantasy land this is! This quartet of stories has me hoping for more novels set in this class-driven world where the rich dominate and the poor must submit (or fight back!). The two authors' stories blend easily together, and strong feminist characters provide welcome perspective.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Katrina Rodabaugh
[isbn]
Sustainable fashion. Slow fashion. Whatever your terminology, making, mending, reusing clothes, and avoiding factory fashion is Katrina Rudabaugh’s mission. If you like Natalie Chanin and her Alabama Chanin, you will adore Mending Matters. I loved Mending Matters from the moment it landed on my desk and had to fight off coworkers for the privilege to browse it first. Rodabaugh will inspire you to mend your old battered clothes... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Sonya Patel Ellis
[isbn]
Botanical Bible is an amazing book! A big fat book that could live on your coffee table for a couple of years and you’d still find interest in it. Filled with botanical history, art, recipes, and just a whole lot of beauty, this is a gardener’s dream book. I don’t often rave about books that are so cross-topic, but Botanical Bible really hits the sweet spot in being curated perfectly. My hat is off to author Sonya Patel Ellis... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Joel Gamoran, Katie Couric
[isbn]
Seattle author Joel Gamoran has given us a rare cookbook, one that makes use of kitchen scraps in ways that look amazing and taste delicious. Useless squash seeds turn into granola bars, stale potato chips become cookies, and herb stems make up a fancy salt. So many things that we all throw out (corn cobs, onion skins, fish skeletons) have a little more work to do before we compost them for good. Cooking Scrappy is a book for all home... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Kate Mcdermott
[isbn]
Did you like Art of the Pie as much as I did? Kate McDermott brings that same honest spirit to comfort food recipes. Full of tips and personality, my copy of Home Cooking was in my hands for only minutes before I began to litter the pages with post-it notes of recipes that I need to try: Mystery Squash Cookies, Deep Dish Ricotta Potluck Pie, and Playgroup Casserole. (Um, I don’t want to give anything away, but the mystery... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Naz Deravian
[isbn]
Bottom of the Pot is a lovingly written and beautifully photographed paean to Iranian cooking and family memories. This is a cookbook you want to spend some time with, even when you are not in the kitchen. Author Naz Deravian (of the Bottom of the Pot blog) brings a little something new to this ancient cuisine in dishes like Roasted Squash With Grapes, Baked Feta With Cranberry Quince Sauce, and Honey and Vinegar Sharbat.... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, David Kaplan
[isbn]
Cocktail Codex is the bartending bible for cocktail enthusiasts. The authors of Death and Co teach the basics of six cocktails and then show how all the other cocktails in the world can be created from them. Cocktail Codex is a smart, elegant book.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Kristen Miglore
[isbn]
Food52 Genius Desserts is a collection of wicked delicious recipes, suggested by the community of the Food52 blog and vetted by the blog staff. The icing on the cake? All of these recipes are designed for an average family kitchen, no fancy equipment required.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Yotam Ottolenghi
[isbn]
Ottolenghi Simple features pared-down recipes with full Ottolenghi flavor. The recipes are fast to make, or have few ingredients, can be made ahead, or are made from items already in your pantry. Color-coded recipes help direct cooks to their own styles of cooking and entertaining.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
[isbn]
Rose Levy Beranbaum is well recognized as a premier American baker and cookbook author. Her cookbooks aren’t just a collection of recipes — they are an entire classroom in a book. As a bookseller, I always feel confident in handselling her cookbooks because they are so deeply reliable: the recipes will be good, the photography will be helpful, and there is something for everybody to learn. Rose’s Baking Basics is a welcome addition to my... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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PCC COMMUNITY MARKETS
[isbn]
Long before Seattle became a food destination, local hippies were experimenting with new grains and organic vegetables. When they weren’t buying from Pike Place Market, they were shopping at the co-op. PCC was (and is) the greatest co-op of them all. Sixty-five years of grocery and deli experience has gone into developing these recipes. Cooking From Scratch features sound, wholesome food, with a touch of PNW flair. (P.S. It’s not just... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Jacqueline Chio Lauri, John Birdsall, Rowena Dumlao Giardina
[isbn]
What is Filipino cooking? Not all of us have been introduced to what is essentially global cuisine. Every group of settlers to the 7,000-island country has left its mark on Filipino cuisine. In kind, the contributors to NFK provide recipes with written personal narratives that almost make mini-chapters. These are recipes with backstories, with connections across time to family lore and history. This is a lovely, informative, and... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Andrea LeTard
[isbn]
This is good Southern eats, Memphis-style. Just when you think the world is too small for another Southern cookbook, one will come out that you need to have. Andrea's Cooktales is such a cookbook. Let me tell you about the Pork Rind BBQ Nachos recipe. Oh, but I guess I don’t need to tell you anything as the recipe title says it all. Well, do let me tell you about Super Southern Salad: this is a salad of greens topped with fried grits... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Matt Basile, Kyla Zanardi
[isbn]
Yahoo! Two of my favorite things: armchair travel and brunch. Brunch Life is for when I can’t travel to faraway places to have breakfast out every day. Getting to read about North American (read: Canadian and American) restaurants is good planning for a future vacation. These restaurants seem to have inspired the coauthors' comfort food recipes. Mac ‘N’ Cheese Waffles! Orange, Ginger, and Honey Bacon! And the irresistible, great Canadian... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Madeleine Albright
[isbn]
If, like me, you don’t know much more than the basics about Mussolini and his regime, you'll find this book fascinating. While Albright doesn’t directly compare Trump with WWII fascist leaders, I couldn’t help but see little revelations everywhere. Albright says she wrote Fascism: A Warning thinking it would be published during what she expected to be Hillary Clinton’s first administration, yet I can’t help but see a mirror held up to... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Virginia Willis
[isbn]
It’s important to read the subtitle to understand this cookbook: "A Food Lover's Tour of the Global South." It’s easy to think of Southern cooking as being primarily a mix of African, French, and British cooking. But many other immigrants (Lebanese, Greek, Mexican) started their American lives in the South and brought their own foods and cooking styles into the Southern foodways. Chef Virginia Willis celebrates the multicultural South with deep... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Ivy Manning
[isbn]
Oh boy! This is a welcome triumvirate! Instant Pot + Ivy Manning + Italian food = a bunch of excellent recipes. I’ve never seen an Ivy Manning cookbook that I didn’t love (Crackers and Dips, Easy Soups From Scratch) and Instant Pot Italian is no exception. Manning always brings a thoughtful approach to her recipes. So, if you have an Instant Pot and you like Italian food, there is no reason you shouldn’t give this book... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Justin Chapple
[isbn]
TV celebrity cook, Food and Wine culinary director, and all around swell guy, Justin Chapple, has a sassy style and knows his way around a kitchen. You have to love an author who dedicates his book to his grandma. I’m a big fan of grandma food, so I started out with high expectations. And my expectations were met! This is definitely a cookbook for the comfort food fan and flavor-loving home cook. Little twists on traditional recipes are... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Heather Schlueter
[isbn]
Do you have a tiny kitchen? Do you still want that new workhorse of the countertop, the Instant Pot? Bring on the Instant Pot Mini. And next, bring on the cookbook: Cooking With Your Instant Pot Mini. The recipes are simple and easy to prepare. Cooking has all the basics needed to get started with the IPM, from Easy Hard Boiled Eggs (this is a minor miracle, trust me) to Mini New York Cheesecakes (my favorite thing to make in an... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Perre Coleman Magness
[isbn]
Southern Sympathy Food is at once a primer on being a civilized and proper Southerner and a cookbook of excellent potluck recipes. The South is a land where deviled eggs are called stuffed eggs, because bringing the devil to a funeral doesn’t sound nice. You may want to try Pimento Cheese Macaroni Salad — with bacon! You may want to give Southern-Style Baked Kibbeh a try (the South has welcomed many a Lebanese immigrant into their... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Sam Kass
[isbn]
Eat a Little Better is perfectly in tune with what many Americans want to eat today: healthy food with all the flavor, and fairly simple to make. Grains, veggies, and yes, meat recipes, but the meat section starts out with the statement, "Eat More Fish." If you think the Obamas look healthy and fit, author Chef Sam Kass can take some responsibility for that. Kass had various roles in and around the White House kitchen for 6 years during... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Sara B Franklin
[isbn]
Edna Lewis: chef, political activist and an early farm to table appreciator. She was born in 1916, just two generations out of slavery, and died in 2006. Miss Lewis was the real deal and our lives are less without her. Luckily, we still have her words and her recipes (Taste of Country Cooking, The Edna Lewis Cookbook), and now we have this book of essays about her too. This wonderful collection includes essays by Deborah... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Eddie Hernandez, Susan Puckett
[isbn]
Eddie Hernandez does not follow the rules. He sidesteps traditional cooking styles and brings a mix-and-match quality to his cooking. He follows his grandmother’s advice: “Be creative. Don’t be wasteful. Take pride in your work.” The recipes that result from this grandmotherly training give us some delightful Southern and Mexican crossover dishes. What’s more southern than fried chicken? Hernandez pairs Blue Cornmeal Crusted Chicken with a Mint... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Jennifer Segal, Alexandra Grablewski
[isbn]
This is one of those unpretentious cookbooks where none of the recipes clamor for attention, yet every recipe wants to get into your belly. Former chef and current food blogger, Jennifer Segal, has the touch to make the common recipe a bit more special and a lot more delicious. The beautiful Golden Orange Gazpacho is a lovely version of the traditional red and green soup. Baked Broccoli Tots are intended as a little trickery to induce kids to eat... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Paula Disbrowe
[isbn]
Any Food52 cookbook requires attention. Food52 Any Night Grilling turns out to be one of those cookbooks where every recipe you turn to looks delicious. So many smoky recipes! Smoky Fattoush With Buttermilk Dressing, Smoky Beets With Lentils, Sweet and Smoky Drumsticks, not to mention The Smoky-Sweet Charm of Grilled Desserts. But first on my grill will be the easy and beautiful Halloumi With Blood Oranges, Green Olives, and Pistachios.... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Martin Nordin
[isbn]
The best vegetarian cookbooks are those whose recipes are so good that carnivores forget about missing the meat. Martin Nordin has done just this by approaching burger design from a what-tastes-good perspective. If deep-fried plantains with crushed peanuts tastes good as an entrée, why wouldn’t they taste just as good between two buns? This outlook brings a slightly different and fresh take on vegetarian burgers. Normally I faint at the... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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James Briscione, Brooke Parkhurst
[isbn]
Do you want to win big on a cooking show? Here is some free and incredibly valuable advice: Pay attention to Chef Watson, the supercomputer. Watson calculates flavors and suggests seemingly crazy combos — but "he's" crazy like a brainy fox. The Flavor Matrix is based on Watson's findings, and filled with beautiful infographics that show multiple flavor combinations for specific foods. Take the earthy Jerusalem artichoke: I’m sometimes at... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Melissa Fehr
[isbn]
Tired of wearing the same old bike shorts, leggings, and tank tops that everyone else has bought? Do you dream of glamming up hoodies and jackets just a touch? Sew Your Own Activewear will get you off on the right foot with sewing your own, with both patterns and helpful hints from experienced sewist (and marathon runner) Melissa Fehr. The patterns provided work for a number of styles, and Fehr walks through pattern manipulation in each... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Ali Rosen
[isbn]
I love a potluck, but some dishes are better than others to trot around town with. Too liquid a dish will spill, and a dish too delicate will self-destruct on the way to the party. Potluck aficionado Ali Rosen (food contributor to Huffington Post and host of Potluck With Ali, an NYC TV show and food website) has all the suggestions and tips you’ll need for a successful and delicious feast outing. Each recipe includes helpful... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Shelly Westerhausen and Wyatt Worcel
[isbn]
Take a break from planning your party and let Shelly Westerhausen (of blog Vegetarian Ventures) and Wyatt Worcel (meat expert, food hand model, leftover eater, and partner of Westerhausen) pull together menus that are tasty, beautiful, and easy to make. Meant to be served simply on a board, charger, or tray, the meals run the gamut from Brunch for a Crowd to the Date Night Spread. Each platter is filled with easily found premade grocery items,... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Melissa Coleman
[isbn]
If you are Martha Stewart, maybe you don’t need this cookbook. If you are any cook other than Ms. Stewart, you should find worthy advice and helpful household and cooking tips in Minimalist Kitchen. Who hasn’t pulled open the kitchen accessory drawer to search fruitlessly for an item that is hidden in plain sight? (I did this just last night. How did my blender beaters get tucked all the way in the back corner?) Melissa Coleman refers to... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Amanda Ruben
[isbn]
Feasting is traditional Jewish fare but with a multiethnic flair. Australian deli owner Amanda Ruben presents a mix of recipes from her café and from her own holiday table. Ruben has an excellent eye for blending modern global ingredients with old-style Jewish dishes. Examples: Brined Roast Chicken with Chimichurri, Buffalo Mozzarella With Fig and Candied Walnuts, and Halva Cheesecake. Surprise your family and friends at your next... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Natalie Chanin, Sun Young Park
[isbn]
Natalie Chanin of Alabama Studio fame presents a concise guide to hand stitching. This is a bit of a revelation! Instead of free stitching, Chanin provides plastic templates for tidy-beautiful grid stitching, making for easy stitchery. Chanin provides a wealth of knowledge, combining easy to comprehend diagrams with photos of stitched samples. This how-to book is glorious in its simplicity, just like a Chanin-inspired embroidered garment.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Bill Yosses
[isbn]
Eat dessert like the Obamas! Former White House pastry chef, Bill Yosses, developed dessert recipes for the Obama family that kept the flavor but reduced the sugar content. So if cutting out dessert is not an option, this sugared-down cookbook is a great choice. This isn’t just a good reduced sugar cookbook, it’s a damn fine dessert cookbook.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Timothy Snyder
[isbn]
America in 2017 is a traffic accident I can’t tear my eyes from. Timothy Snyder offers short history lessons on how Americans have survived difficult times before, and suggests that with thoughtfulness and a moral compass we can survive them again. These examples give me a certain amount of hope that we can get through the current sundering of our democracy and social fabric, and that we can arrest the destruction of America’s fundamental... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Candice Hutchings, James Aita
[isbn]
Here you go: carnivore comfort food served vegan style. This junk food is good for you! Author and YouTuber Candice Hutchings gives us a fun read and seriously stick-to-your-ribs vegan food. These are the kind of vegan dishes you can serve your meat-eating friends without having them roll their eyes. Edgy Veg is a welcome entry into the vegan cookbook arena for longtime vegans looking to punch up their regular dining repertoire, as well... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Hollie Chastain
[isbn]
This is a sort of Design 101 for crafters who may want to up their art skills. The techniques section is inspiring as it shows how to meld various multimedia aspects. The composition chapter offers up small doses of easy to understand design lessons. The charm of If You Can Cut is that it balances a perfect line between being informative and being inspirational. Not just good for paper art, I found a lot of inspiration for quilt design... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Scott Baron
[isbn]
What a fun weekend/beach/winter storm read. Is the protagonist a madwoman or is she Death? Well-balanced writing kept me going back and forth between the two concepts until the book's ending. I laughed — I cried! I even love the cover. If you like the cover as well, you'll probably like the book.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Karen Page
[isbn]
Inspirational, practical, and often philosophical, Kitchen Creativity is a compendium of advice from dozens of chefs and is a cookery book unlike any other. This is not a book of recipes to keep in your kitchen; this is a book to keep in your favorite reading spot for some daily food-oriented, aspirational reading. Kitchen Creativity is truly unusual and has managed to put in book form the spirituality that many cooks feel when... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Deb Perelman
[isbn]
If you love the first Smitten Kitchen cookbook, you’ll love the new Smitten Kitchen Every Day even more. With kids now in her house, Perelman needed a quicker way to cook the joyous meals she prefers. This means we reap the rewards of “triumphant and unfussy” recipes. You’ll want to jump right into Perelman's recipes, but be sure to read her introduction to each one. She has a smart, chatty style that makes you feel like you're... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Melissa Clark
[isbn]
Dinner in an Instant is one of 2017’s most anticipated cookbooks. Those with multi-cookers have been chomping at the bit to finally have Melissa Clark’s new cookbook in their kitchens. Clark’s recipes elevate the cookers' provender into slightly fancier meals such as Saffron Risotto, Tuna Confit, and Coq au Vin Rose. Clark includes recipes for some of the basics that multi-cookers are amazing at, like yogurt, ricotta, and easy-to-peel... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Wylie DuFresne and Peter Meehan
[isbn]
This is a Coffee Table Cookbook. Notice all the caps I used there? It's because this cookbook is fancy-pants! From Anthony Bourdain’s imprint, cutting-edge chef Wylie Dufresne has written one gorgeous cookbook. It is a love letter to the NYC restaurant, WD-50 (now closed), and an inspiration for dramatic kitchen creations. While perfect for people who like to be bold in their kitchens, for me, WD-50 is more about techniques and styles... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Elizabeth Heiskell
[isbn]
Do you hate showing up to a party empty-handed? Me too. Southern caterer Elizabeth Heiskell has delicious down-home recipes to fit every occasion. Whether it's for a simple potluck (Garlic Cheese Grits Souffle), a weekend getaway (Fudge Cake), or cooking for an ill friend (Chicken and Artichoke Casserole), Heiskell has your back. I love a potluck, and I heartily recommend What Can I Bring to all of my fellow potluck lovers.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Rocco DiSpirito
[isbn]
Award-winning celebrity chef (and Dancing With the Stars contestant) Rocco DiSpirito has stuffed this cookbook with health-conscious meals. While some are traditional recipes with the gluten, dairy, and refined sugar removed, others are a little mind-bending. There is Protein Pasta — made with absolutely no flour. Microwave Buckwheat Bread that cooks in your coffee cup and then turns into a Breakfast Reuben — awesome. Also, Snickerdoodle... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Lauren Wilson, Yunhee Kim
[isbn]
I know the first recipe you're going to look for! It’s Carl’s Chocolate Pudding, isn’t it? Who didn’t envy Carl, just a little, when he sat on a rooftop eating a big ol’ can of pudding? Or maybe it's Carol’s stone-cold killer instinct packed inside a housewifely shell that has you scared into wanting her Beet and Acorn Cookies? And who among us would turn down Jerry’s Georgia Peach Cobbler/Crumbler? But it’s not all about the food. Walking... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Simon Hall
[isbn]
Wow, 1956, I had no idea you had so much going on! Simon Hall’s attention to the significant events of the year as they relate to both the past and present is fascinating. I love an accessible history book — one that entertains as well as edifies — and 1956 is a perfect example.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Hugh Acheson
[isbn]
This is what slow cookers have needed: a serious chef giving serious attention to this workhorse appliance. While his recipes and knowledge are serious, Chef Hugh Acheson is not. He is one hella funny guy. Chef Acheson uses his kitchen expertise to develop modern recipes perfect for a low, slow cooking process. The Chef and the Slow Cooker is a must-have for everyone with a slow cooker or modern multi-cooker.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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David Tanis
[isbn]
David Tanis, formerly chef for Chez Panisse and now a great American home cook, brings us a cookbook that extols French market cooking. It’s simple enough: go the market, buy what looks good, and then figure out how you want to prepare it later. That's where Tanis’s new cookbook comes in, starring recipes that he likes to prepare in his kitchen. These are recipes that let the vegetables shine. I sometimes like to judge a cookbook by its... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Bonnie Frumkin Morales
[isbn]
Get ready to cook like there's a babushka in your kitchen! Kachka combines Russian home cooking with PNW farm-fresh style. Chef Morales’s dumplings and pickles are much loved in Portland, and we are excited to make them at home.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Julia Turshen
[isbn]
For many Americans, resistance is the new normal. Activism takes many forms, and one of the most basic takes place around the kitchen table, sharing opinions and plans while eating simple, easy to make food. Well-regarded food author, Julia Turshen, walks her talk with a cookbook that presents recipes that will keep your energy high, no matter how long the march is. Curated with short, encouraging articles from activists, this little cookbook... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Jim Meehan
[isbn]
Meehan’s Bartender Manual is an inspiring craft cocktail book from famed barman, Jim Meehan (The PDT Cocktail Book). Expect to learn a little cocktail history and some righteous bar hospitality. MBM is a treat for craft cocktail aficionados, and a good armchair read for foodies.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh
[isbn]
Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi is one of 2017’s most anticipated cookbooks, and just like all of his cookbooks it’s a charmer and a keeper. Ottolenghi, in collaboration with pastry chef (and psychotherapist) Helen Goh, has developed an exuberant cookbook filled with a joyful exploration of flavors, this time in the form of baked goods and desserts. Some recipes are simple, like the humble Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies, while others require... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Donna Hay
[isbn]
Donna Hay fans can rejoice. Her new cookbook, Basics to Brilliance, is a beauty! The food photography is among the best I’ve seen. Basics is an import from Hay’s Australia, and the recipe measurements reflect this. Get out your scales so you can measure the grams, and remember that an American cup measures a bit less than an Australian cup, and you’ll be good to go. These recipes are Hay’s tried and true classics from her own... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Christopher Kimball
[isbn]
With a nod to America's ever-growing ethnic blurring, Christopher Kimball presents a cookbook that mixes and matches various international spices and techniques to come up with modern recipes that build a new American cooking repertoire. Kimball's large fan base will not be surprised by the thoughtfully developed recipes, and will no doubt scurry to make room on their kitchen shelves for a new Kimball tome. However, with its big, bold... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Gabi Moskowitz, Miranda Berman
[isbn]
You trust Mindy Kaling, don’t you? Of course you do. Mindy Kaling likes this cookbook. She calls Hot Mess Kitchen ”a great gift for your young, coolest friends." The authors are legit comedians as well as foodies. HMK is both tasty and funny, and will do best in a millennial kitchen where the cook isn’t afraid of a few swear words, but does want some hand-holding while learning how to expand their cooking prowess. Recipes... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Daniel Patterson, Mandy Aftel
[isbn]
Learning to follow a recipe can be an art unto itself. Sometimes the commands are baffling and we're tempted to take shortcuts. Is the recipe written badly, or is there some arcane kitchen reason for extra or seemingly onerous tasks? Chef Daniel Patterson and perfumer Mandy Aftel explain the hows and whys of flavor-wrangling by looking at how flavors work. Their twin approach, stemming from a chef’s knowledge and a perfumer’s background, provide... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Josef Centeno, Betty Hallock
[isbn]
Bäco is like a playground for your kitchen. Chef and author Josef Centeno of Los Angeles restaurant Bäco Mercat has an amazing way with flavor combinations. The first chapter, "Spicy Salty Pickled Preserved," has my mind reeling with pleasure from the surprising food combos. Cherries with horseradish? Honey with fennel? His unusual seasonings remind me of Yotam Ottolenghi’s similar skill in mixing ethnic flavors. Do expect to make trips... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Annalee Newitz
[isbn]
Kudos for excellent world building. The hard science-techno stuff was sometimes beyond my understanding, but most of the time I could keep up. More robots! Paladin and her/his/their questioning of existence was the best. A fine entry into AI science fiction.
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Stella Parks, J Kenji Lopez Alt
[isbn]
Wow! BraveTart is a dessert book that every American cook needs to put on her Forever Shelf. Dedicated to recipes as American as Apple Pie (and cake, crisps, and turnovers), there are bound to be recipes that will tug at the souls of all dessert eaters. Recipes for Thin Mints, Chocolate Crunch Bars, and Devil’s Food Cake almost brought me to my knees. Come for the recipes, stay for the well-researched and entertaining history shared on... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Martin Chiffers and Emma Marsden
[isbn]
Why, oh why, can’t we Americans get more Great British Bake Off shows? Now I hear they have a spin-off series featuring chefs — the crème de la crème, as it were. While we may not yet have access to this series, we are lucky enough to have the cookbook, featuring the best recipes from the new show. Learn to make a bunch of fancy European pastries with simple names like "Apple Domes," crazy names like "Pineapple Tiger Skin Rolls," and, of... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Joe Beddia
[isbn]
Bon Appétit once labeled author Joe Beddia’s pizza as "The Best Pizza in America." If you can’t get to Philadelphia to snag one of the 40 pies he makes a day, you can make one yourself! Start out by making the fermented dough recipe. This is important, because, in the words of Beddia, “The reason why I think my pizza is good in the first place is because the dough is good." From there, move onto making the sauce and blending the sausage. Or make... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Andreia Gomes
[isbn]
Do you want to take up weaving, but aren't ready to commit to the cash and floor space a loom requires? Little Loom Weaving is for you. Starting with building your own super easy frame loom, author Andreia Gomes walks the reader through the basics of weaving — basics you can take with you even if you move onto bigger looms. In addition to the beginning steps, Gomes teaches some advanced techniques for further embellishing your textile.... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Elisabeth Prueitt
[isbn]
Tartine All Day is good for when you want to make a regular family meal just a tiny bit extra special. Sure, you could make BLTs, but why not go a small step further and make Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Panzanella (bread salad)? Did friends drop by for an unexpected visit and all your crackers have gone stale? Pour some wine and make up a batch of Cheese and Pepper Crackers. Chef Prueitt even includes restaurant tips to amp up your recipes.... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Julie Piatt
[isbn]
Next level plant-based cheesemaking! Julie Platt provides recipes for Smoked Gouda, Burrata, Gorgonzola, and more. Besides cheese and sauces recipes, there
are sweet and savory recipes to serve with cheese. Beautiful photography
(including pretty pictures of happy cows) is enticing even to non-vegans. This
book is dedicated "For Gaia and All Her Children," so this cookbook is for
you!
Recommended by Tracey T.
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George Geary
[isbn]
Deep Fried Oreos. Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots. Pickle Dogs. Funnel Cakes. Corn Dogs. We go to fairs as much for the food as for the amusement rides/farm animals/4-H projects. But the
fairs only happen once a year, in summer. What do you do when you get that Deep
Fried Butter craving in February? You pull out your copy of Fair Foods, that’s
what you do. These recipes are a lot of fun and would make good choices for
entertaining, unless your... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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Suzanne Lenzer
[isbn]
These recipes, mostly tapas with a Provençal flair, are generally simple to prepare, but don’t be surprised by a few two-page recipes in the chapter, helpfully titled, "Worth the Effort." These recipes are fully vetted by Lenzer, and she talks about the background of each offering. Her comfortable chat makes the cookbook feel like a visit with a friend. (A friend who is a very good cook.) Try one of Lenzer's recipes for your next gathering, or... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
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