Our favorite picks from this year’s food-related books range from the appliance-specific (slow cooker, Instant Pot) to classic cocktails to a compilation of favorite recipes from across America.
“The Chef and The Slow Cooker” by Hugh Acheson. The chef and restaurateur goes old-school with his ode to the slow cooker, while promising to buy you more free time. It’s hard to resist such a proposition with recipes like beer-braised pork tacos or refried beans with duck fat. $29.99
“3-Ingredient Cocktails” by Robert Simonson. The journalist takes on the cocktail canon, with three being the magic number that encompasses both simplicity and sophistication. $18.99
“Dining In” by Alison Roman. Fun writing meets seriously fun recipes from Roman, who compellingly urges readers to try recipes like “Shrimp in the Shells With Lots of Garlic and Probably Too Much Butter” and “Impostor al Pastor.” $30
“The Book of Cheese” by Liz Thorpe. This guide uses the concept of “gateway” cheeses: nine cheeses that lead to a wide, lesser-known world of cheeses. (Like brie? Try Bermuda Triangle or Harbison.) Indispensable for a cheese lover. $40
“Dinner in an Instant” by Melissa Clark. Here, Clark offers recipes for the pressure cooker, multi-cooker, and cult favorite Instant Pot. When possible, she also gives instructions for pressure cooker and slow cooker settings, as with her recipe for tuna confit with rosemary and garlic. $22
“America: The Great Cookbook,” edited by Joe Yonan. This ode to America, edited by Washington Post dining editor Yonan, presents recipes from the many delicious corners of our nation. $40
“Julie Taboulie’s Lebanese Kitchen” by Julie Ann Sageer. This warm-hearted cookbook takes you through Lebanese cuisine, with Sageer providing an encouraging, enthusiastic presence and excellent recipes. $29.99
“Bread Is Gold” by Massimo Bottura & Friends. Forty-five of the world’s top chefs offer recipes for turning ingredients that would ordinarily go to waste into extraordinary meals. $39.95
“A Grandfather’s Lessons” by Jacques Pepin. The latest from Pepin recounts his cooking adventures with his granddaughter Shorey, with lessons in techniques along the way. Elegant and simple, it’s a good gift to get families to cook together. $30
“100% Real” by Sam Talbot. The chef gives his take on clean-eating recipes with real ingredients. Every recipe we tried from it was a keeper. $29.99
