List

Best Cooking Books

A tight cooking shortlist - built for quick decisions, not endless scrolling.

Last refreshed 2026-02-27. We keep tuning this list as new titles land and reader interest shifts.

1. Heat
Bill Buford
Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany
2. Cork Dork
Bianca Bosker
Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste
3. Raw Dog
Jamie Loftus
Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs
4. The Billionaire's Vinegar
Benjamin Wallace
The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine
5. Make the Bread, Buy the Butter
Jennifer Reese
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should (and Shouldn't) Cook from Scratch to Save Time and Money
6. As Always, Julia
Joan Reardon
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto
7. The Soul of a Chef
Michael Ruhlman
The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection
8. Ottolenghi Flavor
Yotam Ottolenghi, Ixta Belfrage
Ottolenghi Flavor: A Cookbook
9. How to Share an Egg
Bonny Reichert
How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty
10. The Noma Guide to Fermentation
René Redzepi, David Zilber
The Noma Guide to Fermentation: Including koji, kombuchas, shoyus, misos, vinegars, garums, lacto-ferments, and black fruits and vegetables
11. Milk!
Mark Kurlansky
Milk!: A 10,000-Year Food Fracas
12. In-N-Out Burger
Stacy Perman
In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules
13. Skinnytaste Meal Prep
Gina Homolka
Skinnytaste Meal Prep: Healthy Make-Ahead Meals and Freezer Recipes to Simplify Your Life: A Cookbook
14. The Homemade Vegan Pantry
Miyoko Schinner, Isa Chandra Moskowitz
The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples [A Cookbook]
15. Milk Street: Tuesday Nights
Christopher Kimball
Milk Street: Tuesday Nights: More than 200 Simple Weeknight Suppers that Deliver Bold Flavor, Fast
16. Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen
Richa Hingle
Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen: Traditional and Creative Recipes for the Home Cook
17. Matty Matheson
Matty Matheson
Matty Matheson: A Cookbook
18. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Revised Edition
Jonny Bowden
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Revised Edition: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why
19. You Can’t Screw This Up
Adam Bornstein, Arnold Schwarzenegger
You Can’t Screw This Up: Why Eating Takeout, Enjoying Dessert, and Taking the Stress out of Dieting Leads to Weight Loss That Lasts
20. Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs (Best Simple Recipes, Simple Cookbook Ideas, Cooking Techniques Book)
Julia Turshen, Gentl & Gentl & Hyers
Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs (Best Simple Recipes, Simple Cookbook Ideas, Cooking Techniques Book): Hardcover – Illustrated, September 6, 2016
21. 100 Morning Treats
Sarah Kieffer
100 Morning Treats: With Muffins, Rolls, Biscuits, Sweet and Savory Breakfast Breads, and More
22. The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook
Nisha Vora
The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook: Wholesome, Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes
23. Good Things
Samin Nosrat, Aya Brackett
Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love: A Cookbook
24. Martha Stewart's Very Good Things
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart's Very Good Things: Clever Tips & Genius Ideas for an Easier, More Enjoyable Life

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