As someone who lives in a tiny studio apartment, you’d probably not imagine I have an extensive arsenal of cookbooks. But as a food journalist and also an eager amateur home chef, I am passionate about maintaining and growing my collection of the works of the chefs who I admire the most.
As a food writer and also a home chef, I can tell you these books are a lot more to me than a collection of recipes. Sometimes, I read them as if they are novels, getting lost in the pages and understanding the background behind the stories and ingredients that came together in such a way they created now-classic dishes from legendary chefs.
A great cookbook is more than the recipes or ingredients. They are a breeding ground for ideas and inspiration, and have long been a foundation to every date night menu or dinner party or meal planning blueprint I’ve created. But as much as I appreciate my vast treasure trove of beloved cookbooks, there’s some that are the absolute most cherished on the shelves. These are the ones that I would recommend as amazing gift ideas for any other food writers, foodies, or aspiring chefs on my holiday wish list.
The Joy of Cooking
This book is seen as something of a foundational guide to cooking, and it has an incredible collection of recipes. More than a cookbook, it’s something of a blueprint of being a home chef and a must-have for their kitchen. This book is simultaneously a bible of cooking and incredibly user-friendly and approachable, making it perhaps the most important gift for any home chef to add to their collection.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Julia Child’s book was the original guide to mastering French cooking techniques, and the first cookbook I ever owned. I can’t imagine not having it in my home kitchen to this day! I think my love of cooking and learning about food was perhaps born when I watched Julia Child on PBS when I was just a toddler, and for that reason, this book will always be the most cherished on my book shelf.
Salt Fat Acid Heat
Largely science-based, this is a great book for fine-tuning technique through the eyes of those four essential elements. It’s a great guide to the fundamentals for a chef at any point in their journey. This book was incredibly influential for a reason, and will be a great foundation for learning any recipe, ingredient, or technique going forward.
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Rarely does a week go by that I don’t use an Ina Garten recipe in my personal life. Her roast chicken, for example, is one of my very favorites. She inspired decades of home chefs and this book contains some of her most cherished recipes.
The Pioneer Woman Cooks―The Essential Recipes: 120 Greatest Hits, New Twists, and Perfected Classics
The type of culinary influence that Ree Drummond offers can’t be underestimated. She empowered home chefs and made recipes more approachable and incredibly delicious. I make a lot of her recipes as part of my usual rotation at home and with meal planning.
Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.)
The influence Anthony Bourdain had on food and travel is one that can never be adequately stated, and his book about life in the culinary world is an absolutely timeless, incredible read.
Martha: The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen
There’s only one Martha, and this book is an intimate collection of some of her most beloved and cherished recipes, some of which span decades of work.Bobby Flay: Chapter One: Iconic Recipes and Inspirations from a Groundbreaking American Chef: A Cookbook
Bobby Flay: Chapter One: Iconic Recipes and Inspirations from a Groundbreaking American Chef: A Cookbook
Bobby Flay is one of the most cherished, respected chefs of our generation and has an incredible body of work. This book includes 100 of the most timeless, requested recipes.
The Home Cook: Recipes to Know by Heart: A Cookbook
Alex Guarnaschelli was born into a food dynasty — her mom was editor of The Joy of Cooking — but Guarnaschelli herself is a brilliant, formidable chef and this book, an early work of many, contains 300 recipes for everything from simple vinaigrettes and cocktails to a perfect roast chicken.
Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat: A Cookbook
I’ve always been a fan of Chrissy Teigen, but I’d had no idea how obsessed I’d be with her first cookbook. I used and loved it so often that I ended up also buying every one that came after, but this remains my favorite and has a top spot on my kitchen book shelf.
Dining and Cooking