As I reflect on how many amazing cookbooks have been released this spring, I realize that I wish I had Belle’s library from Beauty and the Beast. Wouldn’t it be magical to have endless shelves filled with amazing culinary knowledge?
Obviously I (and we) have to be realistic. Thankfully, I have a Kindle to save on space for some cookbooks, but there’s something about owning a physical copy that seems more superior. That’s why I had to make a list of a few cookbooks that I absolutely fell in love with this spring. I think you’ll love them, too.
(Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you)
Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus
by Yasmin Khan
I love grabbing Mediterranean take-out, but I have hardly tried cooking authentic Mediterranean dishes. The Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus cookbook is a fantastic start.
Not only is Mediterranean food typically friendly for those who have dietary restrictions, this cookbook enhances that feature by offering many animal product free, gluten-free, nut-free recipes throughout. Khan has even included a whole section in the back of the book that lists all the gluten-free and vegan dishes so you can more effectively plan your meals throughout the week using only this cookbook.
The Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus cookbook is easy to navigate and includes chapters for all parts of the day. Some of the sections you will find are soups, salads, mezze, mains, desserts, breakfast, and more. There’s also a chapter for pantry essentials before you begin your Mediterranean adventure.
The photography is vibrant and gorgeous – the food draws you in. It’s hard to resist such fantastic looking food!
Along with the gorgeous recipes and photos are stories from many parts of the Mediterranean. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the many regions and what flavors they bring to the table! Plus, it gives us a little insight to Mediterranean culture and the lifestyle we don’t usually see.
The Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus cookbook is an authentic look into Mediterranean food!
Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat: A Cookbook
by Molly Baz
If you feel like cooking is a bit of a drag, the Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat: A Cookbook by Molly Baz is going to change your world!
This isn’t just a cookbook filled with recipes (it is, but wait – there’s more!) Baz understands how busy and hectic our lives are, especially for millennials.
One thing many of us learned during 2020 is how to use a QR code. This definitely comes in handy while using Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat: A Cookbook. Molly has provided QR codes in her cookbook that will direct you to video demonstrations she’s provided for common cooking snags. She is literally holding our hands through the cooking process.
The recipes seem very sophisticated, but Molly makes cooking super easy. The ingredients are also very easily available!
I’ve been enjoying cooking out of this book, mostly because it takes me out of my comfort zone and encourages me to explore different kinds of dishes! Definitely take a peek.
Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health
by Gregory Gourdet & JJ Goode EdD.
I am excited about the Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health cookbook. It is plant-forward, but free of grain, gluten, dairy, soy, and legumes.
As someone with celiac, this cookbook is very helpful! There are recipes with meat in it, but Gourdet really showcases the veggies for his dishes.
Each dish is packed full of flavor. Finding ingredients can be really hit or miss depending on where you are at. The level of proficiency needed for each dish varies as well.
Even though many of the recipes are “healthy,” they do not sacrifice flavors. That includes the desserts, which don’t have any processed sugar or traditional cake flour.
I was astounded by how many recipes are provided in Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health cookbook – 200! Not only that, but there is a picture for each recipe!
Of all the health oriented cookbooks that came out in spring, this is by far my favorite!
The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone’s Favorite Thai Mom
by Pepper Teigen
I will never forget the first time I ate Thai food. It was sincerely life changing! Aside from going to Thailand myself, I’ve wanted to bring Thai cuisine into my life since first bite. This is why I have been looking forward to learning from The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone’s Favorite Thai Mom for months!
There are 80 Thai-inspired dishes in this cookbook filled with flavor. Pepper grew up in Thailand, but has lived in the United States for a long time. If the recipe isn’t authentically Thai, she’s been able to give it a Thai twist throughout her cookbook.
Pepper is a fun narrator. I love reading some snippets in The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone’s Favorite Thai Mom. She’s very assuring and understanding – just like a mom. She’s also very fun!
For those who live further away from the city, it can be hard to find ingredients for Thai food, but Pepper’s book is designed for you. She’s experimented with common ingredients in the U.S. and incorporated it into what are traditional Thai dishes. So, don’t fret! This cookbook is designed just for you.
Pepper Teigen is wonderful and her cookbook is an absolute delight! It’s no wonder people are turning to her to learn how to cook Thai cuisine.
Everyday Dinners: Real-Life Recipes to Set Your Family Up for a Week of Success: A Cookbook
Jessica Merchant
I have a confession, the cover of this book is what sold me on Everyday Dinners: Real-Life Recipes to Set Your Family Up for a Week of Success: A Cookbook. This cookbook is from the author of the How Sweet Eats blog (one of Carrie’s favorite blogs ever!)
It is filled with all kinds of easy weekday recipes for those with busy lives. It covers everything: one pot, plant-based, and slow cooker recipes.
Another great feature about this book is that it provides meal plans and cook times for each one. Jessica also includes a bunch of tips and tricks throughout to make cooking extremely easy!
There are recipes for tuscan cheese tortellini soup, honey ginger chickpeas with tahini roasted sweet corn, grilled peach and BBQ pork chops, and garlic and chive butter smashed potatoes.
In the table of contents we see: sauces and dressings, meatless meals, beef, chicken, pork, and side dishes. Perfect for all families!
The Chef’s Garden: A Modern Guide to Common and Unusual Vegetables–with Recipes
by Farmer Lee Jones
I have a vision where my backyard is self-sustaining. I want to learn how to grow different kinds of produce and what to do with it. This is why I adore the The Chef’s Garden: A Modern Guide to Common and Unusual Vegetables–with Recipes cookbook.
This is a massive cookbook perfect for farmers and chefs. It spans almost 650 pages with full colored photos that are going to make you fall in love with vegetables if you haven’t already.
We learn about specific produce and what the differences are in flavor. It is all listed together so it’s easy to navigate. For example, there’s a whole chapter on nightshades that divide specific breeds of tomatoes (in photo) based on color, flavor, shape, size, relation to other tomatoes.
I think the layout of The Chef’s Garden: A Modern Guide to Common and Unusual Vegetables–with Recipes is noteworthy. Since it is such a hefty book, they’ve done a fantastic job dividing sections out for us to navigate.
Each chapter is a genus of the produce (i.e. allium, stalks, stems, roots, pods, etc). Farmer Lee has given us recipes that are trickled throughout that showcase the produce you are growing/cooking with. Thankfully, there is an index to help better find specific products!
If you’re interested in learning the process of cooking, farming, and about each fruit, vegetable, herb, and more, this cookbook was meant for you!
Bavel: Modern Recipes Inspired by the Middle East
by Ori Menashe & Genevieve Gergis & Lesley Suter
I don’t think I’ve flipped through so many gorgeous photos more than the Bavel: Modern Recipes Inspired by the Middle East cookbook. It is a magnificent piece of art.
Admittedly, some of the recipes are fairly complicated. Many ingredients are specialized, such as orange blossom water, champagne vinegar, and purslane. There are also recipes provided to enhance your pantry essentials, but they would only apply to this cookbook.
The Bavel: Modern Recipes Inspired by the Middle East cookbook is perfect for experienced cooks. It’ll provide a challenge and has unique recipes that are not exclusively Middle Eastern.
Some recipes included are scallop crudo with Serrano chili oil, speckled lettuce salad + rosewater buttermilk, pepita + white sesame dukkah.
Overall, this is a gorgeous cookbook. I would definitely use it as a coffee table read since the photography is so elegant.
What are some of your favorite spring cookbook finds this year? Let us know in the comments!
~Kaiti
