Flyleaf's Favorite Cookbooks and Food Writing 2023
Let's start off by being honest with ourselves. You don't pick up a cookbook and think "oh yeah I'll totally use this." You think "this is pretty" or "this will look nice on my coffee table." Molly's book is 100% both of those things, BUT I guarantee you'll use it. No, seriously. Her cookbook is chock-full of recipes (ones you can manage with your minimal cooking knowledge) that will impress your friends AND your taste buds. --Jamie K.
As a notoriously terrible recipe-follower and aspiring no-waster, this book arrived when I was at the intersection of low kitchen creativity and peak summer bounty. With foundational recipes, smart tips, and endless flexibility, it's given me new lenses through which to view my fridge, freezer, and pantry. This cookbook now sits atop my curated "If You Only Have Three Cookbooks, Let This Be One" list. --RC
A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese) (Hardcover)
As Anya von Bremzen uncovers the origins and permutations of iconic dishes, she contextualizes the seeming immutability of these foods within a larger framework of cultural change across time. A sumptuous, layered treat of a book. --Talia
There's nothing quite like a Jewish deli—the flavors, ingredients, and methods of these beloved foods tell a unique history of the Jewish diaspora. This book gives a detailed evolution of Ashkenzai cuisine's top hits through witty storytelling and delightful illustration. You'll learn the differences among pickles, lox, kosher designations, and why black-and-white cookies aren't cookies. It'll make your stomach growl, so be sure to nosh while you read! --RC
Culinary veteran Spungen delivers 102 recipes that put vegetables at the forefront of the meal, organized by season and beautifully photographed by the author (on her iPhone!) --Tony