Five Cookbooks We Love And Recommend

Today’s Topic

In today’s blog post, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite cookbooks that encompass all kinds of different cuisines, techniques, skill levels, and even cookbook styles. To be honest, we don’t use cookbooks all that often, as we enjoy cooking from scratch and creating recipes on our own. This is true for both cooking and baking! But cookbooks are a great resource if you don’t feel like experimenting in the kitchen, or you are looking for some inspiration. They are also a wonderful way to learn about new cuisines and techniques to use in the kitchen. Personally, even though I don’t often cook a recipe out of a cookbook, I love to read them because you can always learn something new. And hopefully someday we can share our very own cookbook with you too 🙂

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1. The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

If you are looking to produce super high-quality bread at home and are open to using more complex techniques, then this is a great cookbook. Don’t worry about not having any prior bread science knowledge, as Peter Reinhart really breaks the bread-baking process down into very digestible steps. For me, this was a great way to understand the fundamentals of bread baking that I can then apply to my own recipes too. Plus, you get the chance to learn from a master how to make all kinds of things, including fancy French baguettes and Greek Easter bread. I made the most amazing bagels using his recipe, so I would highly recommend checking this book out if you are interested!

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, 15th Anniversary Edition: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread [A Baking Book] by Peter Reinhart

Learn the art of bread making through techniques and recipes for making pizza dough, challah, bagels, sourdough, and more!

LINK TO BOOK*

2. Quick & Easy by Deliciously Ella

We have previously highlighted this cookbook on our blog, as it is seriously great to use. All of Deliciously Ella’s recipes are vegan, which you might think would make the recipes more complicated or ingredients harder to find. However, she does her best to make everything very accessible. So while you may have to use miso paste and nutritional yeast more than you might otherwise, it is absolutely worth it for these delicious recipes. A favorite of mine is the tomato risotto, which is so incredibly rich and flavorful that you don’t even realize there is no meat or dairy in it. Check it out – even if you aren’t vegan (we aren’t even vegetarian!), it is a wonderful opportunity to challenge yourself in the kitchen and make slightly more environmentally-conscious decisions.

Deliciously Ella: Quick and Easy Plant-Based Recipes

Ella's new collection shows us that vegan cooking doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming. It's easy to embrace a plant-based lifestyle with her fuss-free, simple recipes that cater for our busy lives.

LINK TO BOOK*

3. The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen

This is one of Sofie’s favorites and most-used cookbooks at home. It is vegetarian, which means there are plenty of vegetables involved, so it can be a great way to practice more plant-based cooking. However, there is still a really good variety of recipes, which we find very important when it comes to vegetarian cookbooks. There is also a large reference section on essential ingredients, equipment, etc., so this provides a bit of information and a learning opportunity in addition to all the yummy recipes. Speaking of the recipes, they often include process photos in the recipes and plenty of detail, so if this is something that you prefer in a cookbook, it is definitely one to check out. Sofie has made the tomato tart, vegetarian meatballs, and poblano and black bean enchiladas (as well as a few others), and all have turned out great!

The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen

The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook is a wide-ranging collection of boldly flavorful vegetarian recipes covering hearty vegetable mains, rice and grains, beans and soy as well as soups, appetizers, snacks, and salads.

LINK TO BOOK*

4. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

If you are interested in learning more about an entire cuisine, in this case Italian, then this is a great cookbook. To be honest, this is more of an encyclopedia of Italian cooking, rather than a picture-heavy recipe book like some of the others on this list. There are lots and lots of recipes so you are getting a lot of content for your money. Also, it is a fantastic option if you love Italian food and already have the basics of cooking down but are looking to do a deep dive into this cuisine. You will learn a lot and have a whole lot of Italian recipes in your back pocket for any big celebratory lunches or dinners. Definitely one to take a look at!

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: 30th Anniversary Edition by Marcella Hazan

Marcella Hazan introduced Americans to a whole new world of Italian food. In this, her magnum opus, she gives us a manual for cooks of every level of expertise from beginners to accomplished professionals.

LINK TO BOOK*

5. Salt and Time: Recipes from a Russian Kitchen by Alissa Timoshkina

In college, I studied Russian and actually spent a semester abroad in Russia. When I was there, I gained amazing insight into the food of Eastern Europe, and can safely say that it is incredible! Of course, there are some things that I don’t love, like caviar (sorry), but there are countless things that I actually miss from my time there. This cookbook, which was actually given to me by my best friend who studied with me in Russia, is a fantastic introduction to many of the different dishes of Russia. You can find all kinds of soups and stews, as well as pickled vegetables, and my personal favorite, pelmeni (dumplings). The pine nut and honey cake is also one of the best cakes I have ever eaten in my life! I would highly recommend it, even if you aren’t nostalgic for Russian food like I am.

Salt & Time: Recipes from a Russian Kitchen

Salt & Time will transform perceptions of the food of the former Soviet Union, and especially Siberia—the crossroads of Eastern European and Central Asian cuisine.

LINK TO BOOK*

Thanks for Reading!

Thanks for reading today’s blog post. We hope that you feel inspired to check out some of these cookbooks, as they are some of our favorites. If you have any cookbooks that you love, we would also appreciate some recommendations! So feel free to leave a comment down below telling us about a cookbook that you use and maybe we can find some inspiration there too. See you in the next blog post!