If cooking is fun for you like it is for these eight talented chefs, you have our utmost respect, support, and adoration (not to mention, our hungry bellies, ready to taste test for you). Some people were born to make truly creative, delicious, and nutritious foods that are more akin to works of art, and we love them. Here are eight deliciously good cookbooks written by executive chefs, TV personalities, and home cooks who have amazing taste buds and culinary flair.
1. The Home Cook by Alex Guarnaschelli
A frequent guest on the hit Food Network show, Chopped, infamous Iron Chef winner, and restaurateur of Butter Midtown. Is there anything Alex Garnaschelli can’t do?
Guarnaschelli is no stranger to cookbook writing. Recently, she’s come out with Cook with Me. But we decided to look at The Home Cook because it’s filled with over 300 recipes!
Here are a few yummy meals you can make from Guarnaschelli’s book:
- Glazed Five-Spice Ribs
- Roasted Eggplant Dip with Garlic Butter Naan
- Roasted Beef Brisket with Pastrami Rub
- Fennel and Orange Salad with Walnut Pesto
- Quinoa Allspice Oatmeal Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Rum Pie
2. Cooking From the Spirit by Tabitha Brown
Perhaps you or someone you know is thinking about becoming a vegan? Or maybe you just want to try something new? #1 New York Times bestseller Tabitha Brown from Feeding the Soul wrote her first cookbook, Cooking from the Spirit. With her humor and positive outlook on life, Brown shows the fun of becoming vegan. Unfortunately, Brown’s discovery stemmed from an undiagnosed illness. After over a year and a half, she decided to try veganism for thirty days. What appeared to be a challenge at first, soon became a chosen lifestyle.
Plant-based recipes are shared across her YouTube channel. Now, you can read about these great foods! Brown makes sure you don’t have to follow the rules – be creative and flexible for your liking. In other words, cook for the Spirit.
Here are some dishes you can find in Cooking From the Spirit:
- Yam Halves Topped with Maple-Cinnamon Pecan Glaze
- Stuffed Avocado
- Jackfruit Pot Roast
- Crabless Cakes with Spicy Tartar Sauce
- Kale and Raspberry Salad
- Strawberry Cheesecake Cups
3. Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One by Anita Lo
Another Iron Chef, another badass chef! Anita Lo is not only an Iron Chef, but she’s a Michelin-starred chef. Unlike most cookbooks, this one is filled with hilarious words, with Lo’s personality splayed across in Solo. This one is fit for one, so no worries if you are not prone to eat leftovers.
Lo expresses the loneliness of being a chef. Some people can get down in the dumps cooking and eating alone, but she honors this way of dying by showing how empowering it is. This book is a guide between self-love and delicious foods.
Even if it’s a party for one, Solo has an amazing palette, including:
- Steamed Seabass with Shiitakes
- Smoky Eggplant
- Scallion Frittata
- Duck Bolognese
- Chicken Pho
- Slow Cooker Short Rib with Caramelized Endive
- Broccoli Stem Slaw
- Chicken Tagine with Couscous
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie
4. Vibrant & Pure by Adeline Waugh
Want something healthy and delicious to chew on? Adeline Waugh’s Instagram feed is filled with healthy treats. Luckily for you, her book has over 80 recipes included. They aren’t your boring, usual “rabbit food” like grilled chicken and broccoli. Vibrant & Pure is a colorful palate of fruity foods, smoothies, and pressed choices.
Some main courses you can have on your plate via Waugh’s cookbook include:
- Sticky Sumac Salmon with Pomegranate Chimichurri
- Coconut Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
- Pink Caesar Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Taco
Waugh’s purpose with these unique recipes is to boost your nutrition while also eating whole-good foods.
5. A Taste of Latin America by Patricia Cartin
Want to travel around South America but don’t have the money? Try it through food! In A Taste of Latin America, Patricia Cartin takes you on a journey of spice and citrus plates. You’ll start in Peru and make your way through Colombia, Costa Rica, and more.
Get inside dessert territories like sweet dulce le leche or different meaty plates like Ropa Vieja, Fajitas de Pollo, or Lechón Asada. Cartin invites all skill levels to make their special cuisine. Your eyes will be as hungry as your belly. While reading each recipe from different countries, you’ll learn about the backgrounds and special traditions of each country.
6. Carla Hall’s Soul Food by Carla Hall
You might know Carla Hall from your TV screens, having starred on the Emmy Award-winning show The Chew and Top Chef.
In this cookbook, Hall takes us back to her Nashville roots, where she shares her favorite comfort and soul foods, and discusses the history behind soul food from Africa and the Caribbean to the American South. Soul food is more than just your typical barbecue and mac and cheese.
From plant-based options to more decadent traditions, here is what you can find in her book:
- Cracked Shrimp with Comeback Sauce
- Ghanaian Peanut Beef Stew with Onions and Celery
- Caribbean Smothered Chicken with Coconut, Lime, and Chiles
- Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins and Lemon-Pepper Millet
- Field Peas with Country Ham
- Chunky Tomato Soup with Roasted Okra Rounds
- Sweet Potato Pudding with Clementines and Poured Caramel Cake
Soul, love, heart, and stories made to share the joys of the past and present are what Hall revels in.
7. Food of Life by Najmieh Batmanglij
This new edition of Food of Life shares the treasures of recipes from the way back when to now. Here, we can understand Persian and Iranian history through food along with pictures of art, and history snippets. Along with folktales, and poetry excerpts to immerse yourself fully.
This isn’t your typical cookbook— it was originally made after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Recently, Najmieh Batmanglij’s children goaded her to redesign this work of art. Thirty-some odd years later, traditions have changed but the taste still remains the same. And with each new edition, there are more and more recipes with different eating styles and vegetarian options.
8. Midnight Chicken & Other Recipes Worth Living For by Ella Risbridger
As we make it to the end of our list, you may begin to realize these cookbooks are more than just beautiful pictures of food and delicious recipes. Ella Risbridger’s Midnight Chicken is a book for people that need to slow down. One night, Risbridger was lying on her kitchen floor, unable to find a valid reason to get up. That is, until the thought of cooking chicken crossed her mind. The seasonings, smell, and the way it would roast got her moving.
You’ll find nurturing foods while also reading moments in the book that will make you feel like life is worth living for. It’s the little moments that keep us going— like making and enjoying a delicious meal! This cookbook will make you fall in love with the idea of living again.
In this cookbook, you’ll find recipes like:
- Roast Garlic and Tomato Soup
- Chili-Lemon Spaghetti
- Charred Leek Lasagna
- Squash Skillet Pie
- Spicy Fish Finger Sandwiches
- Burnt-Butter Brownies
You’ll find yourself reading more than using it as a recipe guide. Have a gander at this self-help and cookbook pick!
I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry after reading this list!
For more cookbooks, click here! For more women reads, click here!