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10 Best Cookbooks for Every Man’s Kitchen
At home, 7 o’clock and your stomach is telling you it’s time. Do you order in? Trudge back into the world? Or open the refrigerator and make something for dinner?
While mouth-watering food inspires all, cooking doesn’t inspire many, especially with the ease and option of food delivery.
With over thirty years of experience as a seasoned home cook, I’ll make the argument that nothing compares to a nourishing, home cooked meal. Maybe not every day or even every week, but definitely when you’re trying to impress, feeling under the weather, or needing to satiate a craving from somewhere nostalgic.
Inspiration comes in all forms and having a few great cookbooks in your arsenal makes the process not only streamlined, but enjoyable.
Favorites will emerge and you’ll find yourself welcoming them back over and over like a good friend.
- A Starting Point. By no means is this a complete list, it is merely a list. New, splashy cookbooks release every month. Competition for shelf space is fierce. Great books publish and never see a brick-and-mortar bookstore. If you’re looking for the best-of, the New York Times and Bon Appetit both publish a year-end round up that’s always exciting. If a particular genre is more appealing, search Goodreads or Amazon. If you follow a social media influencer, I can almost guarantee there’s a book for purchase.
- Food P*rn. Want to take this a step further? Believe it or not, there are entire bookstores dedicated solely to culinary writing. Favorites include Brooklyn’s Archestratus Books + Foods, Book Larder in Seattle, Omnivore Books on Food in San Francisco, and Montreal’s Appetite for Books. Consider yourself lucky if you live close enough to pop in for a special event ( hint: they almost always include food ).
- Kitchen Library. More than reference, think of your collection as culture. Let’s face it, stacked spines look exceptional, as well as impress. You never know who’s watching and may also find your interest in fermenting wild foods exciting.
I’ll be honest, even as a cookbook author, I still crack the spine of my favorite books and nothing inspires me more in my own kitchen than a hot off the press title.
Compiling a list of the 10-best is obviously subjective, but these books are noteworthy across general categories I think every man’s kitchen would benefit from.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
This book will teach you how to cook or if you’ve already earned home cook status, it will make you a better one.
Tech or science fan? You may have just found your next pre-meal leisure read, leaving you pondering more than the taste of your next meal.
The illustrations add a bit of childhood whimsy to the heavy text load, and the detailed recipes impart tidbits of wisdom along the way.
The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser
I’ll come clean. I’m a NYT recipe junkie. Classics with a modern spin, always delicious and never a fail. The later point is a game-changer for me. If you’re going to put in the time, the palette better appreciate the effort.
This highly organized collection of recipes is the perfect kitchen resource including a handy menu section, alleviating any meal planning challenges when the holidays roll around.
How to Grill Everything by Mark Bittman
I first met Mark Bittman at a cooking demo in my early twenties. I was mesmerized how he took a handful of a few simple ingredients and turned it into something delicious in a few simple steps. The true minimalist.
Some thirty titles to his credit, this 1,000-recipe collection will help you master your grill.
Inspiration abounds for high-heat, quick to table recipes, as well as, the lazy Sunday slow-roasts when the sun is high and the weather is nice.
Simple Seafood by Eric Ripert
Cooking fish has a stigma. Let’s face it, it can be scary. The window of perfect to jerky is small. If you were to take lessons from anyone, Eric Ripert should be your first choice.
Heralding from one of top seafood restaurants in the world { La Bernardin, NYC }, he shares his immense knowledge and technique taking seafood from daunting to rewarding. Step by step, illustrated instructions promise you will never destroy dinner again.
Dinner by Melissa Clark
I’ll confess I’ve never made a recipe from Melissa Clark that I didn’t enjoy. Simple in preparation, fresh, and always delicious.
When Dinner released, she changed the game, simplifying her already easy to follow dishes into one meal recipes often using only one pan. Her Za’atar Chicken has become a summer staple, while the Creamy Caramelized Broccoli Soup is a go-to when the chill arrives.
Malibu Farm by Helene Henderson
Living in California, somedays dinner’s a beach picnic, at other times a simple meal shared with friends.
Malibu Farm has been nourishing sunbathers and surfers for over a decade with its laid-back, healthy, flavorful, farm to table cuisine. If you’re looking for great crab cakes or just the perfect granola, this sun-drenched book is for you.
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Blending a bold love of ingredients with classic French training and a Mediterranean background, Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes are restaurant quality written for the home kitchen.
Many of us will agree, sides are the pulse of any meal, this beautiful book will inspire you to think beyond the simple salad or French fries for your daily vegetable.
Signature Cocktails by Amanda Schuster
This book is sexy, not to mention comprehensive. A collection of 200 cocktails from around the globe, photographed to frame-worthy perfection. Heavily researched and full of detail and history, you may never think of a mojito as a basic bar drink again.
A signature cocktail is developed to represent the style and character of an establishment, this title is the perfect resource to define yours.
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
The pages are glossy, photography unapologetically dated, but the recipes are tried and true.
Looking for your next game night snack – try Ina’s Pan-Fried Onion Dip with your favorite chips. From barbecued chicken to Beef Bourguignon and everything in between there’s a simple to follow recipe, even one for the perfect cup of coffee.
100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer
Who doesn’t love cookies? Not the bland bakery fair or the processed, stale sampling from the coffee shop. Fresh from the oven … maybe even still warm with a little gooey chocolate. This cookbook has your cravings covered through detailed directions, realistic photography, and simple ingredients.
From innovative, the toasted sesame are a personal favorite, to classic chocolate chip – there’s either a bar, brownie or cookie for everyone.
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