The trees are starting to flower. Strawberries are starting to fill the shelves at the grocery store. Easter candy is taunting me at every turn. The combination of cut grass and sunshine feels extra special. It’s Spring, y’all!
(Still experimenting with the word y’all. Hold on tight.)
Now, it’s not that I need any more cookbooks on my kitchen shelves. It’s just that I can’t help myself. These cookbooks feel like works of art to me and everyone needs some kitchen inspiration.
Here’s what I’m loving, besides Pistachio Crusted Asparagus with feta and parsley… just sayin’.
• Date Night In This thoughtful cookbook from Ashley Rodriguez of Not Without Salt is exactly the right book to reach for when it’s time to open a bottle of wine, hop in the kitchen, and chat-cook… a technical term for getting all up in the kitchen and connecting. Wonderful for both romance and friendship.
• Seven Spoons from Tara O’Brady is just gorgeous! The recipes are unique, but not too outside of the box to not feel comforting. I have the Braised Beef Short Ribs on my shortlist.
• Food 52’s Genius Recipes is a staple in my kitchen. This book understands my needs for the perfect pasta sauce on a Wednesday night when all I want to do is eat popchips and pink wine. This book inspires dinner everyday.
• I’m very protective of my good bowls. I have three of them. They’re almost as wide as a place, with a shallow but helpful lip. Perfect for when you want to eat aggressive amounts of pasta, or an embarrassing amount of beans and rice. These bowls + The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon. I’m all set.
• I was in Charleston, SC last week and wandered into biscuit heaven: Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits. So buttery. So fluffy. So substantial. It was pretty perfect. So… Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions
• We can never go wrong with a good cookie. Cookie Love from Mindy Segal. Elevated, fool-proof and extra delicious cookies. Don’t forget the salt.
• Aimee Wimbush- Bourque of Simple Bites has written a lovely book about food, homesteading, and family. It’s enough to just abut convince me to plant a tomato tree. I have a black thumb… are they even called tomato trees? Brown Eggs and Jam Jars
• The amazing and brilliant Christina Tosi and her sweet sweet life. Milk Bar Life: Recipes and Stories
• It’s exactly what you need it to be sometimes: Dessert For Two, the pretty and practical new book from Christina Lane. Me and Tron and set for dessert into the future.
• Sasha Martin cooked a meal and fed her family from every country in the world over the course of 195 weeks. It’s the story of food and forgiveness and it’s really beautiful: Life From Scratch
• It turns out that photographers and indie rock stars can make some pretty beautiful and inspiring cookbooks! I have this book pre-ordered and would like to invite you to dinner. K? Twenty Dinners
• Also on my pre-order list is The Dirty Apron Cookbook. Simple dinners, confidence building technique, and plenty of flavor inspiration.
Oh, also… here are some of my favorite cookbooks from last summer. And… now I want ceviche and donuts, separately but in abundance.
alexis horn
I bought the Dessert for Two. I would argue that her brownie for two is definitely for more than two people. Of course, I ate the entire thing myself, so there’s that.
I’m thrilled to see that a few I recently ordered made your list. They must be good!!
Jodi
Take a look at this one and let me know what you think!
http://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Wholesome-Jodi-L-Rhodes/dp/1500557846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428756735&sr=8-1&keywords=homemade+and+wholesome
Jessica
AH! I have two of these ordered from Amazon before I even read this post! awesome-sauce! Great taste in cookbooks and cats! Also, You are my New Orleans inspiration and I am heading there in two weeks for vacation. I am so excited for all the food!
Kate
Thanks so much for giving ol’ Cookie Love a mention. Mindy’s ideas certainly had me baking in ways I hadn’t thought of before during the testing phase. And seriously, you can’t forget the salt.
Hannah
I am so excited for Bowl + Spoon!!!! I haven’t heard of all these so this makes me so excited to find some new ones! :) Thanks, Joy! Always a pleasure
Gracious Store
Every cook book has something unique to offer and that is the author wrote in in the first place. If you like to try out something new always, it is always a good idea to have different versions of recipes as seen in different cookbooks
joythebaker
I love the way you think! I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Jessica
I want them all. Going to need to build an addition just for my cookbook collection soon! Beautiful books- added every single one to my wishlist!
anna@icyvioletskitchen
i am full of envy and discontent. curse you joy the baker! (not really though, universe, she’s great!)
Aimee Wimbush-Bourque
You’re the best, Joy! Thanks so much for the love. So far, 2015 is rocking it in the recipe department.
It’s a tomato plant. Plant.
Lynn @ The Actor's Diet
Yay Christina! I text her whenever I have a stupid baking emergency (which is often).
Kaitlin
Omg the Food52 cookbook I can only imagine what that looks like inside! I’m kinda obsessed with just flipping through and looking at cookbook photos in awe. I could spend hours in the B&N cookbook section…it’s kind of a problem. I just love beautiful food photography! Excited to check out sprouted kitchen too. So many good choices, Joy!
Lydia
I always end up adding lots of cookbooks to my Amazon wish list when you do these sorts of posts! :) Have you heard of the book coming out in September called “The Jemima Code”? It’s about the great–and undercredited–contribution of African American cooks to the Southern food culture. I can’t wait to read it! I think it’s being done through the Southern Foodways Alliance.
DessertForTwo
YAY! THANKS so much for including my book :) I’m so glad I could keep you and Tron up to your paws in sweets :) Does Tron like powdered sugar? I have a feeling…
Chrissy
As a Northerner/Midwesterner, when I went down to NOLA for grad school I could not get on board with “ya’ll.” Then I got a job at Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro (you know it) as a server and was forbidden to say “Hey ‘you guys'” when I approached a table of mixed men/women since apparently that’s offensive. I started saying ya’ll and 11 years later living in Chicago-I still do. You can do it!
Juju Sprinkles
What a wonderful collection of new inspirations! It’s hard to pick cookbooks nowadays because there are so many of them, so thank you for sharing your favorites!
Juju Sprinkles
http://www.jujusprinkles.com
Jenna
Thanks for sharing your cookbook pics! I am totally obsessed with cookbooks and cannot get enough! I’d like to read Dessert for Two so I can make small batches and not eat a dozen cookies, not that there’s anything wrong with that!
Rachelle
I’m a fellow Californian that’s been experimenting with y’all for most of my life. I like it, but feel like such a fraud saying it out loud.
Jenna
Thanks for sharing your cookbook pics! I am obsessed with cookbooks and always want to buy more! I’d really like to read Dessert for Two so I can bake small batches and not eat a dozen cookies (even though totally want to).
Elly K
Great recommendations, Joy! A quick note on “Callie’s,” though: Charleston is in SC, not NC. :)
Brittany
These all look so good and beautifully illustrated. Thanks for the recommendations!
Brittany–http://bebrittany.blogspot.com/
Ashlyn @ Pedantic Foodie
Thanks for the list! I am always excited to add some new cook books to my ever-growing library! Excited to get my hands on a couple of these!
Wesley at Library Educated
Tomato tree? Tomato bush? Now I’m curious.
Erin@WellPlated
I always love seeing your picks Joy. Dessert for Two is on my shelf (my pants are thanking me), and I just added Food52’s to my Amazon cart. Can I ever have too many cookbooks? (That question isn’t meant to be answered).
rebecca
These look great! I don’t own many cookbooks but I should definitely start collecting ??
munchies&musings
Emmy Bradley
Nithing excites me more than the title of this post. I stopped everything I was doing when the post popped up on my phone. ???? I collect cookbooks as well, It’s where my heart will always be. These are great recommendations that I can’t wait to try! Thanks for sharing
Emily @ Life on Food
I collect cookbooks like it is my job. I love date night in. There are some new ones in this list that I need to check out now.
kari
It is Charleston. SC. Bless your heart.
joythebaker
hahahahha! i’m the worst.