Best Cookbooks of 2018

After perusing several different food and lit sites, including Delish, The New York Times, Epicurious, and Food & Wine, all claiming to have “the” list of the best cookbooks of 2018, certain culinary tomes kept popping up again and again, which is how they made the cut to this list, “the” list. So, if you’re looking for a last-minute gift for that favorite foodie/cook in your life, no need to sift through the internet mire. Here you go, in no particular order.  Just pick what suits your (or their) food fancy. You’re welcome.

Cravings: Hungry For More, by Chrissy Teigen

If you loved Teigen’s first book, or even if this is the first you’ve heard of it, this follow up is delightful for all the food-obsessed home cooks and the joy that cooking can bring.

 

Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook, by Dorie Greenspan

A glimpse into the everyday cooking habits of a culinary icon, made simple and fun for everyone to enjoy and follow.

 

Cook Like A Pro, by Ina Garten

The Contessa breaks it down and simplifies recipes for home cooks everywhere. Yes, please!

 

Chasing the Gator, by Isaac Toups and Jennifer V. Cole

If you have always wanted to cook Cajun but were scared to try, this is the book for you.

 

Now & Again, by Julia Turshen

This book will be a lifesaver for any hurried and harried parent out there. It shows you how to do inexpensive, wholesome recipes, repurpose leftovers, and corralling your clan around the dinner table.

 

Sister Pie, by Lisa Ludwinski

This cookbook from a pie pro, gives 75 recipes that show you all the myriad of combinations you can bake inside a crust, any time, and any season.

 

I am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook, by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad

“I want people to taste the pungent unctuous, real Filipino flavors,” write Ponseca. And these flavors run the gamut from pansits to piaparan manok and ginataang tambo. Don’t know what pansits, piaparan manok and ginataan tambo are but they sound fun, funky and possibly delicious? Buy the book.

 

Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse: Another Cookbook of Sorts, by Frederic Morin and David McMillan with Meredith Erickson

If you’re ready to go on a joy ride with these food pranksters, this is the book for you. From compound butter with BBQ flavored potato chips, to marrow pilaf to Hallifax lobster curry, this one is a little out there, but you just might love it.

 

Korean Home Cooking, by Sohi Kim with Rachel Wharton

Kim compares Korean food to Southern Italy’s in that both make good use of humble ingredients, with delicious results.

 

Ottolenghi: Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi

Anyone who has tried cooking from Ottolenghi’s previous cookbooks, Jerusalem and Plenty, know that this London chef’s recipes can sometimes be intimidating, but in this one, he offers recipes for all kinds of home cooks with a “simple style.”
Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food, by Nik Sharma

In Sharma’s debut cookbook, his writing is so clear and approachable, you too can master and relish the richness of Indian cuisine as Sharma brings together Indian flavors from his hometown of Bombay with those he encountered after he moved to the U.S. with equal flair and skill.

 

Food 52 Genius Desserts, by Kristen Miglore

Miglore expands on her James Beard Award-nominated column by rounding up recipes and techniques from chefs, recipe developers and home cooks to give you “100 recipes that will change the way you bake.”

 

Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One, by Anita Lo

“Cooking and dining alone can be one of the most blissful and empowering experiences you can have,” writes Chef Lo. Her book is full of stories, illustrations and recipes that will make you seek your own solo bliss.

 

All About Cake, by Christina Tossi

The confectionary wizard behind New York’s Momofuku Milk Bar has “baked my way into a now deep and abiding love of cake,” and you will, too.

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