Credit: Excerpted from My Jamaican Table by Andre Fowles (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2026. Photographs by Michael Condran
To determine our favorite cookbooks of winter 2026, the Food & Wine team tested dozens of weeknight-friendly recipes, from simple stews to low-maintenance braises. We were looking for dishes that were easy and relatively quick to prepare, but that still felt special.
Not only are these nine recipes so good that they should become part of your rotation, but, like the cookbooks they’re from, they also contain smart tips and techniques that will make you a better cook.
01 of 09
Credit: Excerpted from The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook: Seasonal Home Cooking from South Asia’s Best Spice Farms by Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy. Photography © 2026 by Melati Citrawireja. Reproduced by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
Created after a formative trip to Dehradun, Uttarakhand, this refreshing salad comes from the minds of Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy in The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook. Sesame and cumin are gently toasted to make the earthy dressing, balanced with a finishing swoop of tangy labneh.
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02 of 09
Credit: Excerpted from Everyone Hot Pot by Natasha Pickowicz (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2026. Photographs by Alex Lau and illustrations by Li Huai.
True to its name, this appetizer from Natasha Pickowicz’s cookbook, Everyone Hot Pot, is filled with more than just scallion. It could have basil, parsley, mint, tarragon, cilantro — any tender herbs you have on hand. The dough is brushed with sesame oil, rolled, flattened, and pan-fried one at a time until it becomes crispy and crackly.
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03 of 09
Credit: Courtesy of Simon Element/Simon & Schuster, LLC
Published in We Fancy by Jerrelle Guy, this recipe takes the classic combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese up a notch — and it only takes 30 minutes to prepare. The soup comes together in a blender with just four ingredients (including an entire jar of sun-dried tomatoes) and the sandwich-style, jalapeño popper-inspired “breadsticks” are simply baked on a sheet pan.
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04 of 09
Credit: Excerpted from My Jamaican Table by Andre Fowles (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2026. Photographs by Michael Condran
This vegetarian stew from My Jamaican Table by Andre Fowles pays homage to Ital, a plant-based cuisine originating in the Rastafarian movement. The comforting, spicy base of coconut milk, Jamaican curry powder, and Scotch bonnet pepper pairs perfectly with chickpeas, calabaza squash, bell peppers, and really any other vegetables you have lying around in your fridge.
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05 of 09
Credit: Courtesy of Abrams
Down South + East by Ron Hsu is loaded with approachable recipes that blend Southern and Asian flavors, like this one-pan casserole with chicken, coconut rice, mushrooms, lemongrass, and ginger. It’s finished with fresh herbs and lime for a hit of brightness.
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06 of 09
Pollochón (Lechón-Flavored Roast Chicken)
Credit: From the book Cocina Puerto Rico: Recipes from My Abuela’s Kitchen to Yours by Mia Castro. Copyright © 2026 by Mia Castro. Reprinted by permission of Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved. © Photograph by Johnny Miller
Inspired by Puerto Rican lechón — traditionally, a whole suckling pig cooked over an open-flame — Mia Castro’s recipe from Cocina Puerto Rico was called “life-changing” by senior food editor Ann Taylor Pittman. Bone-in chicken is rubbed with adobo paste, providing savory, tangy flavor as the chicken roasts to a buttery-tender texture.
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07 of 09
Credit: Courtesy of Abrams
Published in Colu Henry’s new cookbook, Better At Home, this is a set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal, with only 20 minutes of active hands-on time. English-style short ribs are seasoned, seared, and then braised with coconut milk, garlic, and chiles for about two hours until they’re meltingly tender.
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08 of 09
Credit: From Will This Make You Happy: Stories & Recipes from a Year of Baking by Tanya Bush, © 2026. Published by Chronicle Books. Photograph © Tanya Bush
These cookies from Will This Make You Happy by Tanya Bush are big, spicy, and look and taste as if they were made by a professional bakery. Olive oil gives them a fudgy interior and a crunchy outside, and crystallized ginger — dotted throughout every bite — adds textural variability.
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09 of 09
Credit: 2026 by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott. Reproduced by permission of William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
After testing dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes for her debut cookbook, Obsessed With the Best, Ella Quittner developed these bars as a shortcut to achieving complex flavor thanks to the addition of malted milk powder. Gooey but still sliceable, the texture is akin to the inside of a slightly underbaked cookie.
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