Cookbooks We Love
The 10 Best Cookbooks For The Foodies On Your List
Updated on December 23, 2024
Whether you’re buying a gift for an expert chef or a beginner cook, we’ve rounded up our favorite cookbooks. From Martha Stewart to Matty Matheson, these are the hottest cookbooks of the year.
Top 10 cookbooks to give:
Martha: The Cookbook by Martha Stewart
Martha, the doyenne of home-cooked meals, has written a new cookbook that would make a great gift. Featuring the tastemaker’s 100 favorite recipes together with tales from her incredible career as a caterer, TV host, author and magazine publisher, this book is a must-read for a foodie.
Soups, Salads, Sandwiches by Matty Matheson
One of the stars of the hit series The Bear, Matty brings us his third cookbook, Matty Matheson: Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, perfect for anyone who is entertained by the charismatic chef and actor. This book is an ode to his lust for newness. “I need to be free. I need to hunt. I need to soar. I need to live through food,” he explains in the intro. These recipes are his favorite ways to serve mostly one-dish meals and sandwiches that are refined, flavorful and delicious.
Chuck’s Home Cooking by Chuck Hughes
When Chuck Hughes, the Montreal restaurateur and chef behind iconic restaurant Garde Manger, announced Chuck’s Home Cooking, it grabbed a lot of people’s attention. The recipes are an homage to the province of Quebec, making this book an ideal gift for anyone who loves French Canadian cuisine. Don’t miss the Sugar Shack chapter for traditional desserts like Maple Pecan Pie.
Le Sud by Rebekah Peppler
James Beard Book Award finalist Rebekah Peppler captures the essence of southeastern Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur in her newest cookbook. From Anchovy Choux to Pissaladière and Moules in Aïoli, the delightful recipes and photographs will transport whoever you buy it for right to France. Plus, you’ll find tips on local wine, market must-haves and wonderful places to visit.
Hot Sheet by Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine
As longtime New Yorkers, food editors and cookbook authors, Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine are used to the joys of cooking in tiny kitchens. Both former cookbook editors at Phaidon, Olga, now an assistant recipes editor at The Washington Post, and Sanaë, a cookbook author, editor and novelist, teamed up to write a fresh take on one-pan recipes. The result is an array of elevated dishes that are sophisticated enough for a party, but also work for a weeknight meal. A perfect present for a busy parent!
Does This Taste Funny? by Stephen Colbert and Evie McGee Colbert
For late-night show lovers, Stephen Colbert and his wife, Evie, have released their first cookbook. With nods to the Southern dishes they ate as kids in Charleston, S.C., and meals cooked together during Covid lockdowns, the book features recipes such as Popovers (enjoyed on family vacations in Maine), Stephen’s Salt-and-pepper Wings, nodding to NYC restaurant Poulette, and classic Southern dessert Chess Pie, inspired by Evie’s grandmother’s 100-year-old recipe.
Heydays at The June Motel: Beach Town Classics by Freddy Laliberté and Evan Baulch with Katie Laliberté and Emma Baulch
Heydays, a fab restaurant at The June Motel in Sauble Beach, Ont., released Heydays at The June Motel: Beach Town Classics earlier this year, a cookbook packed with fresh takes on retro beach classics. Give this book as a gift for standout signature recipes including Hot Lobster Rolls, Old Bay Fried Chicken and the incredible smash burger.
Cook with Confidence by Dennis Prescott
New Brunswick chef Dennis Prescott brings East Coast flair to his second book, including Maritime Chowder and Baked Oysters with Garlic Butter and Parmesan Pangrattato. An excellent present for someone with a little less experience in the kitchen, this cookbook is filled with step-by-step guides for shucking oysters, choosing sustainable fish and how to make the best fresh pastas.
Mad Love by Devan Rajkumar
Devan Rajkumar’s love lies in cooking online for his 183,000 Insta followers, signing off each video with the catchphrase “mad love.” This success led to his first cookbook, Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share which he wrote to bring his love for Guyanese and East and West Indian cuisines to the world. You’ll find recipes that are packed with root vegetables, spicy peppers and green herbs. “I’m a bold, big-flavored chef; I like to create bursts and pops of flavour,” he says. Give this book to a friend who loves spicy cuisine!
The Side Gardener by Rosie Daykin
House & Home readers know Vancouver’s Rosie Daykin from the many years she’s graced our pages as a baker, designer, gardener and cookbook author. For the green thumb on your list, Rosie’s new cookbook, The Side Gardener, makes a lovely gift. Featuring beautiful photography of her own kitchen garden and greenhouse, the pages are filled with fresh, creative recipes such as Cucumber & Prawn Noodle Salad and Rhubarb Panna Cotta.
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