So many delicious ideas in Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren's book featuring the flavors of the south of Italy as expressed in their San Francisco restaurant. The recipes are approachable and delicious. Sample a recipe.

$35 at Bookshop - buy now

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Renowned culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris travelled throughout Africa to research this engaging book. It's a marvelous overview of the foods of the continent — a must-have reference for anyone interested in the roots of Black American cooking.

$20 at Bookshop - buy now

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Did you think rolling out your pasta dough in an Atlas pasta maker was making pasta by hand? Evan Funke doesn’t: For the Los Angeles chef, the only legit way is rolling it out with a mattarrello and cutting it with a knife. OK, he’ll let you use a rolling pin instead of the mattarrello, if you don’t make pasta regularly. Thickness is measured in Post-Its — yep, he wants that tagliatelle only 4 Post-Its thick. Learning this traditional way is incredibly tactile; it’s worth doing at least once if you’re serious about Italian cooking. The sauces are approached with insane devotion to bolognese tradition. The seven-hour ragù, which is the one Funke’s mentor Alessandra Spisni taught him at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese, begins with grinding all the meats you’’ll need — beef chuck, pork shoulder, pancetta, prosciutto and mortadella. They get browned in strutto (pork fat); butter is swirled in at the end. Let’s just say it’s the richest ragù ever to come out of our kitchen — a fitting partner to voluptuous tagliatelle. Like to geek out? This book’s for you. It’s also gorgeously photographed.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

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Claudia Roden’s beautiful 2006 book focuses on three Mediterranean cultures, explored one after the other: Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon. If we’re looking for an excellent, straight-ahead version of any given dish from the three, this is often where we start. “Trust your taste and allow yourself a certain freedom in the preparation of the dishes,” writes Roden in the Introduction. “This is in the spirit of these cuisines that, although faithful to tradition, have no absolute rules and are rich in variations and poor in precision." Who doesn’t love that?!

$45 at Bookshop - buy now

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Reem Kassis has created a fabulously rich collection of recipes and stories that ground us in the culinary traditions of the Arab world — particularly the Fertile Crescent (a.k.a. the Levant or the Middle East). At the same time, she paints an evocative picture of her Jerusalem childhood through food and her family traditions. Many of the recipes have a very personal stamp, such as a tangy, olive-y eggplant salad set atop tahini that’s not to be missed. Read our review.

$37 at Bookshop - buy now

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Dorie Greenspan brings her charm and great taste to the table with more than 300 French recipes, a delicious combination of traditional dishes, things of her own creation and recipes from friends all over France (she maintains a residence in Paris). Greenspan is one of the the best in the biz; her recipes work and they are outstanding. You might know her for her baking books, but she’s just as wonderful at the savory side of things. Read more.

$39 at Bookshop - buy now

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Lots of people make their own dumplings and wontons, but what if you want to take it to the next level, and make the wrappers from scratch? Andrea Nguyen’s 2009 book is your ticket. It’s a must-have for anyone serious about the craft.

$28 at Bookshop - buy now

$18 at Amazon - buy now

Award-winning, best-selling cookbook author Dorie Greenspan is one of America’s most outstanding. Her 14th book, partly inspired by her travels and filled with must-bake recipes, encourages home bakers to riff and play. Read our review.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

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Thomas Keller presents his elevated take on bistro food in his gorgeous 2004 classic. The recipes are super cheffy and involved, so I use it more for inspiration than anything else. But if you do take the time to make one of elaborate dishes — such as an out-of-this-world Leg of Lamb with Flageolets in a Thyme Jus that involves separating all the muscles of a lamb leg and removing all the connective tissue so that each of the three pieces (top round, bottom round and knuckle) can be cooked to the perfect temperature, the rewards can be really great. (If that sounds good but too much trouble, try this.) We always wonder if a mistake in the first edition (which is the one we have) got subsequently corrected — a recipe for Quiche Batter (enough for a 9-inch quiche) calls for 1 tablespoon of salt. One teaspoon tastes just right, and the quiche is unbelievably luxurious.

$55 at Bookshop - buy now

$47 at Amazon - buy now

Grace Young's award-winning 2004 book approaches cooking as a poet might, looking deeply into the soul of the cuisine. For Young, it all starts with the wok, and she walks readers through everything about it, from how to choose one to purchase, to "opening" the wok, to seasoning it with dishes early in its life. She then teaches us to stir-fry with wok hay — that ineffable "breath of a wok" that distinguishes the best Chinese cooking. Read all about it in our roundup of outstanding Chinese cookbooks.

$35 at Bookshop - buy now

$28 at Amazon - buy now

Anna Voloshyna’s delightful book joyfully explores Unkrainian cooking — with all its Eastern European flavors. Read our review.

$37 at Bookshop - buy now

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Somehow we’ve never gotten around to reviewing this 2017 collection from the owner of the famed San Francisco restaurant of the same name, but we have tested a nice selection of its recipes — and they’re wonderful. (Try this preternaturally refreshing Ginger Salad, with or without its suggested accompaniment, Chili Lamb. Both are superb. Desmond Tan did well to bring on Kate Leahy as his co-author; she’s one of the best, and Burmese culinary culture comes vividly to life in the book’s pages.

$28 at Bookshop - buy now

$22 at Amazon - buy now

True to its subtitle, “The Pleasure of Good Food,” this 2014 book from New York City chef Jody Williams draws you in with its stunning images and irresistible ideas. Like Via Carota, Williams’ 2022 book with co-author (and life partner and business partner) Rita Sodi, it’s one of the rare cookbooks that encourages you to slow down and take pleasure in the feel of the ingredients and delightfulness of the process. It’s best for chefs and serious home cooks looking for inspiration; most of the handful of recipes we’ve tried (Croque-Monsieur, Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino and Walnuts, Tarte Tatin) wanted a little tweaking. We did straight-up love a salad of Mushrooms, Shaved Celery and Parmigiano-Reggiano that perfectly exemplifies the incredibly appealing aesthetic.

$30 at Bookshop - buy now

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Paul Bertolli's 1994 book feels as relevant as the day it was published; it makes you want to drop everything, roll up your sleeves and get cooking. Take it to the farmer's market with you and let your imagination fly. Co-written with Alice Waters. Read more.

$26 at Bookshop - buy now

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If we could only keep one dessert book from our entire collection, it might be this one — which has been in print for nearly 40 years. (The hardcover edition, with a delightful Wayne Thiebaud painting of cakes on the jacket, was published in 1985.) Author Lindsey Shere, who was the original pastry chef at Alice Waters’ famous restaurant, loves fruit, and the book is filled with tarts, crisps, ice cream, sorbets and soufflés, with only a few cakes and cookies — and no photos; instead a few sweet little Thiebaud illustrations. Oddly, we’ve never reviewed it (maybe we should!). You can try this recipe, inspired by one in the book. Shere’s Lavender Honey Ice Cream is one of our faves, and her Short Crust recipes is our go-to.

$23 at Bookshop - buy now

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We’ve cooked quite a bit from this encyclopedic book, published more than four decades ago, leaning on it when we want to remind ourselves of basics like the best way to make basmati rice, or making a wonderful rogani gosht (lamb braised in aromatic cream sauce). Sahni’s recipes work brilliantly, and she gives plenty of valuable context, including how to make them part of a meal. Here’s a sample recipe — for Yerra Moolee, a gently spiced, herbal dish of shrimp poached in coconut milk from Kerala.

$27 at Bookshop - buy now

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One of the revered author’s greatest works, this reprises the Cairo-born author’s cooking life and travels over the last three and a half decade. While her earlier works tend to adhere very faithfully to tradition, here she allows herself a bit more creative freedom, and so the book feels more personal. Roden has a wonderful palate and a incredible wealth and breadth of knowledge, so the results are absolutely delicious. Read the review.

$37 at Bookshop - buy now

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Paula Wolfert’s 1983 classic was revised in 2005 — it’s by far the best book we know of about a region that’s dear to our hearts. Included are regional favorites, such as Garbure (a wonderful stew of tarbais beans, duck and vegetables). Pommes de Terre à la Sarladaise —potatoes cooked on top of the stove with duck fat or goose fat and finished with garlic and parsley — crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, it’s wonderful, though a little tricky to pull off. One of my all-time favorite desserts is Wolfert’s Croustade with Apples and Prunes in Armagnac.

$20 at Amazon - buy now

Published in 2007, this is the magnum opus of Anne Willan, who founded France’s famed École de Cuisine La Varenne. When I’m looking for authoritative versions of brandade de morue (salt cod purée to spread on toasts), it’s one of the first books I pull. Terrific versions of all the classics are here: In the chapter on pork and charcuterie, Choucroute Alsacienne, Jambon Persillé and le Cassoulet de Toulouse are on consecutive pages. Sections on ingredients are excellent, and the photography (by France Ruffenach) is gorgeous. French food lovers, you need this in your library.

$55 at Amazon - buy now

$17 Kindle version at Amazon - buy now Also available at Apple Books

Back in the day, I loved the cooking at New York City's erstwhile Café Boulud, which was more laid-back than the more formal French at Boulud's flagship, Daniel. And as much as I revere the flagship restaurant, the Café Boulud style is much more appropriate for home cooks. One of my all-time favorite recipes is in this book: Braised Short Ribs with Celery Duo. Try the recipe. The book is out of print; if you love French cooking and you can get your hands on a used copy, it's well worth grabbing.

$29 at Amazon - buy now