when I first Received a copy of one of this year’s great cookbooks, it stopped me in my tracks. There is such a rush of books at the end of the year that I usually make a few piles at the end of my desk, then attack them methodically, but this book was different. The cover was charming, like I’d walked into a party where the drinks and people looked fun and beautiful, and yet it immediately started answering questions about the food and culture. Amazingly, that serendipitous event happened five times this fall.
What makes this group of books unique is that they are all artistic big swings. It’s almost as if the writers, photographers, editors, and art department people stood in a circle, put their hands in the middle, counted to three, and yelled “Go Break!”
Different versions of similar greatness have emerged over the years, often in surprising corners of the cookbook empire. Recent favorites over the years include koreaworld, Korean American, start here, oaxaca, Big Dip EnergyAnd maybe even Molly Falcon’s Trippie more is moreThe resulting efforts opened me up like a favorite piece of art, making me happy and easy to learn, everything working together to draw me forward,
My hope is that this is the beginning of a new way forward, because once you start comparing this group to older cookbooks, or publishers with rigid and repetitive styles, they quickly start to seem boring. This year’s bumper crop includes salsa, instant ramen noodles, drinking culture, a country twist and home baking. They’re not subtle, but they help you cook, eat, drink, and dream, which sounds like cookbook perfection to me. More really is more. enjoy!
We’ll have another selection of cookbooks to recommend before the year is out, so check back next week for a full list of the best of 2025. In the meantime, also check out our recent recommendations for diaspora cookbooks. Also see Winning the 2024 and 2023 titles.
