Cookbooks that made us better home cooks! Our top 10 favorites

Have you ever wondered which cookbooks truly deserve a spot on your kitchen shelf?

Whether you’re dreaming of wowing guests with holiday-perfect cinnamon rolls or mastering a melt-in-your-mouth pot roast, the right cookbook can be a game-changer for any home cook.

In this episode, we’re diving into the cookbooks that have shaped how we cook—well-loved gems with splattered pages, the ones we gift over and over, and the timeless classics that every home chef should own.

By the end of the episode you’ll discover:
Why a cookbook with a collection of diverse recipes can be just as (if not more) supportive than one from a single author’s voice
How a chef from a top restaurant can teach you professional techniques that transform home cooking

The standout recipes from best-selling cookbooks that you’ll want to make on repeat
Hit play to uncover how these books spark joy, build confidence, and turn your everyday cooking into something extra special in the kitchen!

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Links:

Kari’s top 5:

Most cooked from: The 150 Best American Recipes, by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens - https://www.mollystevenscooks.com/the...

Most inspiring: Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies, by Najmieh Batmanglij - https://www.najmieh.com/book/food-of-...

Gifted the most to others: Sonya’s cookbook Braids, https://www.sonyasanford.com/book and The Cooks Illustrated Cookbook https://www.powells.com/book/-9781933...

Life changing: The Improvisational Cook, by Sally Schneider - https://www.harpercollins.com/product...

Biggest influence: The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook, by Amelia Satlzman
Sonya’s top 5: https://santamonicahistory.org/produc...

Most cooked from: Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

Most inspiring: Summer Kitchens by Olia Hercules
https://oliahercules.com/books/summer...

Gifted the most ot others: Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - https://www.powells.com/book/-9780394... and Julia Turshen’s Small Victories -https://www.juliaturshen.com/small-vi...

Life changing: The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

Biggest influence: Prune: A Cookbook, by Gabrielle Hamilton https://www.amazon.com/Prune-Gabriell...

Recipe links from this episode:
Diana Kennedy’s Mexican corn soup https://dianescookbooks.wordpress.com...

Butternut squash tahini spread from Jerusalem
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...

Fresh Herb Khoresh (Khoresh-e qormeh sabzi) from Food of Life
https://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/fre...

Julia Turshen’s turkey meatball recipe from Small Victories https://www.thekitchn.com/turkey-rico...

Toasted manti https://dish.co.nz/recipes/toasted-ma...
and cold candied oranges - https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/go... by Gabrielle Hamilton from Prune

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