Essential Cookbooks: The CODES List

Make bagels at home? Sure! Easy straightfoward recipes for bagels, bialys, pretzels and more from all regions are abundant here. But if you are happy buying your bagels, explore all the things to put on them; spreads, salads, pickles, and fish can all be made with minimal time and effort. Try the basic Schmear recipe, make your own lox, and you may never visit the deli again.

The contributors begin by reminding us that food is not a neutral subject; this book simultaneously provides opportunities to find comfort in its cuisine and discomfort with its context. That is not to say that the books sacrifices taste for message; Ghetto Gastro offers plenty of both. The recipes are nestled between vignettes of Black history and culture; and yield enticing and creative dishes. Try the Maroon Shrooms for a satisfying, plant-based application for Jamaican jerk that honors the self-determination of “the OG freedom fighters,” the Maroons.

Ms. Emily epitomizes Gullah cuisine and culture with her mouth-watering recipes and fascinating stories of her lifelong residence on the island. Incorporating West African tradition with American influence, her recipes are accessible and intuitive, showcasing regional delicacies like fresh oysters, collards, and grits. Listening to her voice and following her lead, cooks of all experience will feel they are working alongside this beloved and admired treasure. Her Hoppin’ John recipe calls for multiple repeats and variation.

Flawless fusion of flavors of India and the American South, both familiar and unique, is the signature of Chef Bhatt’s dishes and also the basis of a wealth of personal stories in a life’s journey with food, family and friends.  The practical design and large format paired with irresistible photography gives this alluring appeal.  The Shrimp Salad is a surprise you will relish.

If you are looking for encouragement, comfort, or perhaps only a really great meal, this is the source for you. Flavor and simplicity are the hallmark of these can’t miss recipes. Organized by main ingredients, and beautifully illustrated, Slagle creates joyful dishes without constraint. The Skillet Broccoli Spaghetti is sure to find happy eaters.

In addition to being a purveyor of high-quality ingredients, this employee-owned institution is a leader in culinary education.  The book provides friendly, clear, step-by-step illustrated instructions that allow the reader to succeed in making the basic, essential recipes in each category:  yeast breads; sourdough; laminated pastries; pies and tarts; cookies; quick breads and cakes. If you have to choose only one bake, go with the Oat Chocolate Chips Cookies.

Food stylist and author Pons, now Seattle-based but born in Guanajuato, Mexico, takes readers and cooks on a heartwarming trek through her families’ life in food and their immigration process. Every recipe tells a story, and the charm (and ease) behind Crema de Chile Poblano and its sumptuous texture will have it on replay. All the basics are covered, yet Pons goes deeper with accessible regional ingredients as well as local specialties.

Martínez takes the reader on both a personal and literal exploration in Mi Cocina, beginning with a compelling narrative about the role of Mexican food in his life, and continuing through an odyssey of recipes for each state in the country. The offerings are comprehensive distillations of geography and culture, and Martínez discusses both what binds these disparate places – like salsa and tortillas – and what sets them apart. The recipe for Mole Coloradito is less intimidating than many, and it would be a perfect Saturday afternoon project. 

Popular food blogger, Perelman, offers up her best tried and true recipes in this delectably photographed volume. Each entry begins with a warm and witty headnote, like your best neighbor friend is telling you about a favorite dish. From breakfast and salads (and even breakfast salads), to an extensive vegetable section, to sweets and snacks, these no-fail concoctions deliver. Ingredients and techniques are very doable, and with consistently good results, this is certainly a book to keep. Make the Double Shallot Egg Salad for an unforgettable twist on a classic. 

Sheehan approaches baking with great humor, honesty, and a knack for storytelling.  This book guides the reader in making fantastic no fuss treats with pantry ingredients that are easy to find, quickly assembled and baked, with little kitchen clean up.  From savory to sweet there are loads of yummy options to whip up lickety-split. If you are “team coconut”, don’t miss the Coconut Loaf Cake.

Centuries-old Chinese traditions of vegan cooking are rediscovered for today’s kitchen and paired with deeply imbued photography in this stunning cookbook.  Steeped with knowledge of time-honored ingredients and techniques, Che masterfully furnishes a vast array of recipes that are full of umami and can be executed by all levels of home chefs.  Start simple with the Smashed Cucumber Salad. 

Sure to be the definitive guide to wok cooking for years to come, Lopez-Alt’s book inspires as much as it informs with science at its core. A thorough introduction, including everything from buying a wok and seasoning it, to history and stocking a wok-friendly pantry, prepares the reader for success. Throughout, step-by-step instructions with well-documented photos will have even the most apprehensive cooks feeling confident. For a lightning-fast meal, try Soy-Glazed Mushrooms for a wok first foray. 

In a snappy, stylish book, Molly Baz offers tasty recipes that satisfy while teaching readers to be experimental. Lovely pictures, straightforward instructions, and handy QR codes that offer demonstration videos to the uninitiated make this ideal for novices, experienced cooks, and all those in between. This is a full-service cookbook: meat, veg, salads, desserts, and snacks included. Pacchieri with Pork and Lentil Ragu deliciously combines meat and legumes in a quick and flavorful pasta dish you will love.

ine from a diverse set of cultures across the Americas. These modern interpretations will make mouths water while introducing readers to the cultural heritage of Native regional cookery. Readers and cooks alike will relish exploring recipes that feature staples valued by cultures for millennia. Start your culinary exploration with the Manoomin Rice Salad. Mitsitam!

This unique, practical book, full of authentic tastes, covers a wide range of Chinese cooking techniques and uses easily findable ingredients. Instructions are clear and inviting, and will make home cooks feel comfortable while in the kitchen and help them be delighted with the results. Vegetarians and omnivores alike will enjoy the rich and savory dishes. Seared Tofu reworks a familiar pork-based preparation and is well worth trying.

Welcome to cake school, a sweet, lovely place where Zoë takes students by the hand and teaches each step in the cake making process. With a tone of welcome and you-too-can-bake-great-cakes, she addresses everything from mixer speed to temperature, detailing what to do and why. Upon graduation, she introduces cake after cake that suit all occasions and tastes, from knockout batters for birthdays to unusual delights perfect for a cup of chai tea and a chat. Readers will be better bakers, knowledgeable, confident, and keen, after spending time with Zoë. Don’t miss the Pumpkin-Mocha Swirl Bundt Cake.

Dorie, a beloved cookbook author, talks to you as if she’s across the table in this breathtaking book. She “plays around” with variations of her many sweet, salty, and simple offerings. Mixing classics and innovations, she provides a strong balance of irresistible bakes. If you love chocolate layer cake, her Devil’s Food Party Cake won’t disappoint.

Veteran cookbook author, Kimball, takes readers on a culinary Mediterranean tour that reaches beyond Spain, Greece, and Italy and into Northern Africa and the Middle East. Lavish illustrations accompany tidy and smartly designed recipes making use of common ingredients. Accessible, yet never dull, these recipes will help get dinner on the table on a Tuesday night or any night. Try Tunisian Chickpeas with Swiss Chard for a hearty dish utilizing pantry staples.

Oats, quinoa, barley, and more. McFadden helps home cooks make the widest use of these powerhouse pantry staples. Arranged by grain, this beautifully photographed and delightfully designed book offers clear cooking guidance and then spills forth a range of dishes for vegetarians and meat-eaters that are suitable for both Sunday meal-prep and Wednesday night dinner-in-a-hurry. Thoughtful, useful, simply delightful, McFadden’s book is destined to become one of those books with pages spotted with tomato juice, butter, and deep abiding happiness. Try the Pilafs for Every Season.

Raiford traces his family’s agricultural and food traditions as well as the history of the Gullah Geechee heritage corridor in this farm to table cookbook that reflects both his journey as a chef and his return home. Fresh from the earth or sea and straight to the pot or pit, Raiford delivers fresh recipes, bucolic photos with the warmth and love that can only come from telling your family story. Bring your loved ones together over the Smokin’ Hot ‘n’ Sweet Crab Dip.

The culinary heritage of Hawai’i is built on the history and traditions of all of the peoples who have lived and cooked there, and Sheldon Simeon’s introduction to this worldly-yet-local cuisine is a pleasure to cook from and read. These delicious, approachable recipes are accompanied by an engaging narrative about Simeon’s experience growing up on the islands and the wider context in which his life and food are shaped. Especially interesting are the introductions to “The Influencers,” from Native Hawai’ians to Japanese and Portuguese immigrants. The Spam Musubi is a winner and may be a new standard for your desk lunch.

This is so much more than a cookbook; it is a cultural keystone that documents where food and nourishment intersect with many facets of Black lives. It is essays, poetry, art, and recipes by more than a hundred contributors who come together to celebrate a collective legacy of cultural contributions from the African diaspora. Enjoy some musical selections from the playlist while you get the Collards with Pot Likker, Cornbread Dumplings & Green Tomato Chowchow on the stove, and then take in some essays while they bubble away and become a tender, flavorful centerpiece for a vegetable-forward meal.

Comfort foods get a healthy work over and the flavors are anything but simple. Home cook, Turshen’s easygoing style and personal voice emphasize cooking as an expression of care and love. Techniques and ingredients are approachable and handy tips and lists, such as “7 Ways to Use Leftover Buttermilk,” round out the book. Start at the beginning with nutrient-dense Llubav’s Green Spaghetti and cook your way through these satisfying dishes.

Ingredients take center stage in a primer written by the heir to a middle-eastern grocery legend. What to look for, how and where to buy, and how to use these culinary staples combined with beautiful pictures, great recipes, and wonderful lists of “ten more ways to use” each highlighted item makes this an all-time reference. Drinks, salads, entrees, and sweets are organized by the type of flavor the special ingredients will add. The Za’atar Roasted Vegetables offers a new spin on an old favorite.

Homey and yet polished, this small gem delivers a flavorful journey through southern Arizona cuisine. Bright, vivid photos and rich context convey the unique culture and spark any appetite.  A glossary of pantry items, cheese, and most importantly peppers, round out this title, that while specific to a region, will be a pleasure to all. Barrio Sonoran Sourdough Bread with Pistachio Compound Butter is a treat.

Combining a James Beard winner with a travel writer creates an exciting culinary tour of India without leaving your home. No lack of diversity here. The vivid pictures of the locations and the food makes readers want to cook their way through the book. Use the recipe for chai tea and make it an essential part of your day.

Well-known food writer Clark brings the delights and challenges of French cooking (by way of Brooklyn) into everyday home kitchens. From solid mains to a range of sides, soups, desserts, and more, her well-selected range of recipes delivers clear instruction, interesting personal detail, and multiple get-dinner-on-the-table options. Bake the French Yogurt Cake with Cherries and Cardamom, a versatile lovely loaf.

Eden’s gorgeously conceived and designed guide to the cuisine and culture of the lands surrounding the Black Sea is a multisensory immersion into place, a stirring and evocative mix of memoir, travel tale, history, literary gazetteer, and cookbook. It reads like the journal of an intrepid and knowledgeable adventurer obsessed with food and is such a pleasure to delve into that you might forget to stop reading and start cooking. Try the Black Sea Börek.

The friendliness and generosity of spirit that characterizes the South is a major part of this wonderful collection almost as if baker Fields were in the kitchen offering advice. From savory to sweet, to very sweet, these recipes are the result of years of family tradition and time spent in major bakeries. While all parts of the south are included, there is a distinct NOLA spin. Be seduced by the Fig and Brown Butter Custard Tart when figs are in season.

Food writer Priya Krishna chronicles the personal food journey of her mother, Ritu, as a new American and working mother of two. The result is a bold, exuberant, and delectable cookbook teeming with complex and diverse flavors. While Indian cuisine is the cornerstone of the Krishna kitchen, a world of influences and family experiences are reflected in their recipes. There is only one chicken recipe in this book for a reason, try Garlic-Ginger Chicken with Cilantro and Mint.

The conversations with the bibis (grandmothers) provide a unique and endearing perspective into their personal family cooking and the various foodways of these regions of Africa. The 75 recipes use simple procedures, simple ingredients to create incredible flavors. The Somalia Beef Stew and Malva Pudding Cake are winners.

Serving first timers and old hands alike, Kieffer steps bakers through solid basics such as ginger, oatmeal raisin, and multiple iterations of chocolate chip, before moving on to innovative techniques such as pan-banging and masterpiece recipes such as the Neapolitan. On top of its elegant and lovely design, accompaniments include ice cream and fillings. Make the Chocolate Sugar Cookies for a delightful twist on a classic.

At nearly five pounds, this ninth revision in its 90-year history poses one question: does this new edition warrant purchasing? The answer is a resounding yes. While the new Joy includes many classics (Creamed Spinach), this volume offers over 600 new recipes. More importantly, it responds to the way we cook today, with recipes for the Instant Pot and sous vide, while paying attention to food safety, fermentation, and gluten-free dough. Don’t miss the Apple Dumplings.

For those who think of Polish cuisine as merely potato pancakes and cabbage rolls, this charming collection will be an eye opener and a treat to the palate. Poland’s strong agricultural tradition is reflected in vegetarian sensibilities and the use of modern seasonal ingredients. The photographs show the finished dish, and for some, like pierogi, are instructive as well. Try the Barley Risotto with Asparagus, Cider and Goat Cheese.

This fresh collection delivers Asian inspired flavors married with a California family vibe. Perfect for anytime, Lewis covers it all, from coffee and tea to multipot cooking, while also providing tips, menus, and one-hour favorites. Most importantly, delicious recipes and mouth watering photography will make this book a new go-to in the kitchen. Enjoy the slow-cooked pork Bahn Mi Sandwiches.

Saffitz eases the complexity of sweet and savory bakes with streamlined recipes and helpful hints. Going deeper than most cookbooks, she provides guidelines for time and difficulty and even the seasoned baker will benefit from the captivating and instructive photos. Experience the Babkallah, two familiar recipes unexpectedly combined.

Shuldiner and his Institute of Domestic Technology have resurrected the lost art of domestic science in this clever and informative book that covers all varieties of kitchen staples and is a nostalgic read from cover to cover. Curious culinarians and mixologists will be inspired to create, rather than buy, what is needed to fill their pantry. Refresh your larder with homemade mustard.

In an ode to Palestinian culture and cuisine, two cookbook veterans have brought together 120 recipes that reflect the geography and identity of a small piece of the Mediterranean landscape. The beautiful illustrations honor both the food and the place; the vibrant dishes reflect tradition and modern kitchen realities. Ingredients are readily available and techniques basic. The Eggplant Chickpea and Tomato Bake is a great place to start.

With a playlist that spans two pages and a suite of vegan-cool dishes, Terry’s offerings turn a head of broccoli or an ear of corn into a meal to savor and delight. His choice to organize recipes by base ingredient helps cooks find endless inspiration for dinner. Try the Barbecue Carrots with Slow-Cooked White Beans one cold, rainy weekend.

In a vibrant celebration of Israeli cooking, Admony and Gur present a compelling exploration of this multi-ethnic cuisine with ancient roots. While specialists, they make accessible the sights, sounds, smells, and foods of the region. From the sensuality of shopping in open-air markets to preparing generous amounts of food for the family table, the journey Shuk takes cooks on is vivid and enticing. Try the Red Wine Lamb Tagine with Dried Fruit.

Burtka–chef, actor, and entertainment guru–puts the glitter in party planning with sixteen seasonally themed events. Colorful photos, inventive menus, easy tips, and great ideas for engaging the guests are its calling card but the delicious recipes might just become staples of your weeknight rotation. Burtka makes it easy to turn any party into a memorable occasion. Pecan Streusel-Topped Baked Apples are perfect for a fall party brunch or any day of the week.

Chaplin, a James Beard and IACP award winner, guides readers through the foundations of vegetarian cooking while avoiding dietary sensitivities. Chapters highlight a core recipe and then provide variations on it. This hefty resource offers rock solid instruction, inspiration, and useful overviews of key methods. The tone is both expert and can-do. Even if you are happy to eat meat, gluten, dairy, or refined sugar, try the Spicy Miso-Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant.

Eden’s gorgeously conceived and designed guide to the cuisine and culture of the lands surrounding the Black Sea is a multisensory immersion into place, a stirring and evocative mix of memoir, travel tale, history, literary gazetteer, and cookbook. It reads like the journal of an intrepid and knowledgeable adventurer obsessed with food and is such a pleasure to delve into that you might forget to stop reading and start cooking. Try the Black Sea Börek.

Truly one of a kind, designed to support those living with, treating and recovering from cancer, Living Kitchen provides targeted advice, nutritional wisdom, and recipes. Those struggling with side effects will appreciate the thorough indexing and how recipes are cleverly coded with icons to aid in meal choice. Don’t think dietary restrictions equal a lack of flavor, recipes are nourishing and delicious and encourage healing as much as the enjoyment of food. The Coconut Chicken Fingers will be a hit for the whole family.

Food writer Priya Krishna chronicles the personal food journey of her mother, Ritu, as a new American and working mother of two. The result is a bold, exuberant, and delectable cookbook teeming with complex and diverse flavors. While Indian cuisine is the cornerstone of the Krishna kitchen, a world of influences and family experiences are reflected in their recipes. There is only one chicken recipe in this book for a reason, try Garlic-Ginger Chicken with Cilantro and Mint.

Millennial cooking comes of age with this lively, energetic cookbook from rockstar chef Lazarus Lynch. His Queen’s based spin on Soul food with Caribbean, West African, and Southern influenced recipes is punctuated by high concept, flamboyant photography that highlights the flash and fun in his fresh, modern cooking. More than just a cookbook, this is an experience. Indulge yourself with his decadent Dulce De Leche Banana Pudding.

“This is not a cookbook in the classic sense,” writes author Daniel Paterna in what may be the understatement of the year. The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a delightful, personal tour of Italian American cooking, based on Paterna’s Brooklyn family. Weaving memories, recipes, and profiles of Bensonhurst bakers and butchers, this is a visually intoxicating love letter to an era, a way of life, and above all a cuisine. Make the Eggplant Parmigiana tonight.

At nearly five pounds, this ninth revision in its 90-year history poses one question: does this new edition warrant purchasing? The answer is a resounding yes. While the new Joy includes many classics (Creamed Spinach), this volume offers over 600 new recipes. More importantly, it responds to the way we cook today, with recipes for the Instant Pot and sous vide, while paying attention to food safety, fermentation, and gluten-free dough. Don’t miss the Apple Dumplings.

An encyclopedic work, sure to be a classic, this book takes all the guess-work and intimidation out of shopping for, storing, and preparing over 100 types of fish. Organized by species, including aliases, it offers multiple recipes for each fish (salmon alone has 30!), including both traditional preparations as well as the innovative. Don’t be put off by this book’s reference demeanor; Seaver writes with passion and enthusiasm. Start with the Citrus-Crusted Fried Halibut.

Sever has delivered a baker’s dream. Filled with well researched recipes that seem to come straight from your grandmother’s recipe box. It’s so good you will want to read it cover-to-cover but the stunning photography halts you and sends you straight to the kitchen to start baking. Readers will be enchanted by this truly masterful collection of recipes. Attempting to decide what to make first is a challenge but try My Go-To Chocolate Chip Cookies.

James Beard winner Tipton-Martin offers recipes that explore the vast African American foodways in which she is so expert. Mixed in with recipes for Spoonbread and Pork Chops in Lemon-Caper Sauce are stories and gems that deepen what is already an astounding and important collection of history, culture, and cuisine. This most important, and kitchen-worthy, guide is destined to be a core title for decades to come. Make the Coconut-Lemon Layer Cake.

The perfect book for the fledgling cook, this super-well organized volume provides complete menus for 175 meals, including sides. Much like the popular meal kits, every step is broken down and photographed. This global collection of recipes also includes many vegetarian options. Try the black bean and sweet potato tacos.

Epitomizing the best features of cookbook-as-memoir, Deravian offers stories seasoned with joy and melancholy, underscoring how food conjures home. Her wide-ranging and deeply authentic debut showcases dishes made redolent by rose petals, limes, fenugreek, and saffron. Savor the Roasted Squash and Grapes.

Everyday Dorie is stunning and accomplished but unpretentious enough for a Monday night. Delight in discovering how to take Dorie’s classics and make them your own. Give the Gingered Turkey Meatball Soup a try.

Located at the intersection of culture, cuisine, and history, Feast is as joyful and accessible as it is far-reaching and authoritative. Over 500 pages, the recipes range from pita and chapati to rich curries and fragrant biryanis to more complex dishes as Helou explores South Asian, Arab, Persian and North African cooking. Don’t miss the Ramadan date cookies.

Delivers elaborate flavors in a down to earth package that is pure Bill Kim. You don’t need a grill to enjoy these recipes, just a sense of fun and adventure. Fire up your grill for the Sesame Hoisin Chicken Wings.

Feel confident that you can make pie crust, and baked goods, with the aid of this warmly supportive cookbook. A feeling of community and empowerment flows out of charming pages that are as rewarding to read as to cook from. Roll up your sleeves and bake the Honey Lemon Meringue Pie.

Great storytelling and even better recipes from Toronto- based Matteson, a YouTube sensation and the star of Viceland’s It’s Suppertime and Dead Set On Life. While the recipes range from the simple to the complex, they’re all as full of flavor as Matheson is full of personality. Start with the Mussel Stew and end with the Blackberry Coffee Cake.

Simple is not a word generally used to describe Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes, but it’s an apt title to his latest cookbook. That’s not to say the recipes are all easy, but rather they hone in on the essence of the dish without fussiness. Add to the fact that many dishes can be made ahead of time or under 30 minutes and you’ve got a keeper. See for yourself with the Pasta alla Norma.

As the name of his cookbook suggests, Richards’s delivers the pure life force of southern cooking. Call your friends and family, turn up the radio and head to the kitchen. Amp up your entertaining with the Grilled Peach Toast with Pimento Cheese.

Nothing about Nik Sharma’s debut fits neatly into a cookbook category. Sharma is not a professionally-trained chef nor does the food subscribe to any one type of cuisine. But there lies its appeal: the recipes are unique, creatively (ahem) seasoned and Sharma’s voice is passionate and inspired. A welcome addition. The Bombay Frittata should convince you.

This gathering of classic dishes and culinary history is a jubilant, expanding romp, as the award winners behind acclaimed Philadelphia restaurant Zahav take readers onto the streets of Israel and then urges them into their home kitchens to cook. Step-by-step directions, a litany of variations and dish toppings, and a strong point of view make the collection deeply inviting, and engaging. Give the 5-Minute Hummus a test-run.

Tiffin is more than just a cookbook. It’s a tour through India that sheds light on the country’s regional specialties and nuanced flavor combinations to demonstrate the culinary diversity of the country. As much a reference title as an indispensable cookbook. Seize the day and start with dessert; make the Banana Coconut Bake.