The Best Cookbooks of 2017
BraveTart
Buy It: $21; amazon.com
This celebration of classic American desserts will have you ready to whip up delicious baked goods at any time, from perfect pies to decadent chocolate treats. These foolproof recipes never fail to make the most amazing homemade desserts for your family; so much so, that you won’t ever necessarily need to buy another dessert cookbook (but why do such a thing?).
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It!
Buy It: $17; amazon.com
Our favorite farm-loving woman hit us with yet another Southern comfort cookbook this year full of “simple, scrumptious recipes for crazy busy lives.” This latest addition to The Pioneer Woman library gives delicious home-cooked meals that don’t take up too much of your precious time!
The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South
Buy It: $20; amazon.com
This captivating memoir on Southern cuisine and culture delves into the ancestral ties between modern Southern food and its African American roots. Its thoughtful voice explores “the power that food has to bring the kin of the enslaved and their former slaveholders to the table, where they can discover the real America together.”
The Chef and the Slow Cooker
Buy It: $18; barnesandnoble.com
Hugh Acheson’s latest culinary release has our hearts bursting with its nod to our beloved slow cooker. He brings his Southern chef’s spin on user-friendly slow-cooker dishes in a way that gives flavorful, unique dishes for family dinners and fancy parties alike.
Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy
Buy It: $19; barnesandnoble.com
This Southern chef—who grew up with pork in her greens and fried chicken every Sunday—had to get creative when she married an ethical vegetarian. Her new lifestyle inspired this handy cookbook of recipes that have all of the Southern comfort and tradition, but can be enjoyed by both meat-lovers and vegetarians.
Southern Living Annual Recipes 2017
Buy It: $23; amazon.com
Of course, we can’t leave out your guide to an entire year’s worth of delicious Southern recipes from each issue we produced in 2017. You’ll have every holiday meal, slow-cooker supper, big batch breakfast, weeknight staple, and dessert on hand for when you want a guaranteed win in the kitchen.
South’s Best Butts
Buy It: $20; barnesandnoble.com
Matt Moore, our favorite Southern gentleman with an impressive affinity for all things barbecue, gave us the perfect gift idea this year for the grill masters in our life. You’ll find the history, techniques, and recipes behind the South’s most talented pitmasters, while getting let in on their secrets of the trade.
The Perfect Cookie: Your Ultimate Guide to Foolproof Cookies, Brownies & Bars
Buy It: $18; amazon.com
Whether you’re a practiced cookie aficionado or a baking novice, this cookbook is a top-notch resource full of no-fail cookies, rich brownies, fruit-and-crumble-topped bars, quick no-bake confections, holiday treats, and even candies like fudge and truffles. It’s a never-ending source of baked goods inspiration.
The Home Cook
Buy It: $22; barnesandnoble.com
We cannot get enough of this—dare we say—revolutionary home-cooking Bible that isn’t Southern, but gives us all sorts of comforting feels. The author’s mother edited the 1997 edition of The Joy of Cooking, another heavyweight of the 20th century; and clearly the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. This all-encompassing cookbook gives simple, interesting dishes for all occasions. It’s not afraid of using international flavors and spices like miso paste and harissa, but it’s also your foolproof guide to traditional staples like perfect roasted chicken and tangy, versatile vinaigrettes.
Smitten Kitchen Every Day
Buy It: $28; amazon.com
This brand-new follow-up to the best-selling The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook focuses on unfussy, yet delicious meals for real people (with busy lives) who love to make meals they’re excited about. Some standout recipes include Sticky Toffee Waffles, Grandma-Style Chicken Noodle Soup, Brussels and Three Cheese Pasta Bake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Cake, and Bake Sale Winning-est Gooey Oat Bars—to mention just a few.
One Sheet Eats
Buy It: $18; amazon.com
We’re all for a no-fuss meal that eliminates prep time and cleanup time, and this handy cookbook gives over 100 recipes for home-cooked meals requiring only your best baking sheet. You’ll be savoring its Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites, Mixed Vegetable Shakshuka, and Chocolate Tacos with Ice Cream and Peanuts in no time!
Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
Buy It: $22; amazon.com
All you have to do is read user and critic reviews alike to see the overwhelming praise that this cookbook has garnered since its release in May. Some telling reviews describe it as: “as close to a perfect cookbook as I have seen,” “achieves the near-impossible,” “you’ll never look at cabbage the same way again,” and “gives a new perspective on how to cook with fresh product.” And you’ll have to buy it to figure out the two extra seasons you’ve been missing out on.
Farm-to-Table Desserts
Buy It: $17; barnesandnoble.com
Watch out for your sweet tooth—because this cookbook gives 80 delicious dessert recipes that highlight seasonal ingredients you can snag at your local farmers’ market. Your desserts will be next-level good, thanks to the fresh and simple mindset behind each and every treat.
Sunday Suppers: Simple, Delicious Menus for Family Gatherings
Buy It: $18; amazon.com
Let us help you reinvent the Southern tradition of Sunday suppers with this new book that gives you full, hearty menus to bring your family and friends together around the table. Some favorites include Braised Short Ribs, served with Hot Bacon Potato Salad with Green Beans and finished with Mississippi Mud Cupcakes, or Fall Chicken Casserole with Fresh Herb Spoon Rolls, and Tart Cherry Crisp for dessert. Get ready for a brand-new Sunday supper lineup!
Dining In
Buy It: $19; barnesandnoble.com
This modern take on a home-cooking cookbook gives of-the-moment dishes that use compelling flavors, quickie (but genius) techniques, and fresh ingredients for a never-boring lineup of dishes even the most unseasoned of chefs can master. We’d get this for about anyone on our Christmas list, but we want to grab one for ourselves first!
David Tanis Market Cooking
Buy It: $23; amazon.com
This cookbook is a complete guide to cooking fresh market ingredients, one by one. You’ll know how to cook them in different ways, which flavors complement them the best, and how to create a fresh and natural feast at the drop of a hat. If you’re truly interested in learning the art of cooking, this book of knowledge is indispensable. It gives essential, core understandings in order to give you the skill of being able to experiment in the kitchen without fear.
Cook Yourself Happy
Buy It: $25; barnesandnoble.com
It’s almost enough to know that the author of this comforting cookbook is stunning Danish royalty who seems to defy time. This book is inspired by the Danish term, hygge, which means a feeling of coziness and contentment that fosters a sense of well-being. Sigh. It’s filled with authentic Danish recipes that capture family traditions, national pride, and healthy living—all which are very important to the Danish people.
Downtime: Deliciousness At Home
Buy It: $24; amazon.com
This cookbook makes traditional dishes, whether comforting suppers or favorite desserts, feel a tad more indulgent with its artful, yet relaxed mindset when preparing meals that feel special and satisfying (read: not too fancy). You’ll look like a certified culinary master when bringing these recipes to the table, even if it wasn’t nearly as complicated as it looks. Some standout dishes include pan-seared pork chops, tomato bruschetta, and rich fudgy brownies; but these weekday options are mixed in with slightly more elevated dishes like roasted white asparagus with truffle oil and a masterful Giant Macaron Cake.
Add A Pinch
Buy It: $18; amazon.com
We’re intrigued by this cookbook’s everyday recipes that promise easier, faster, fresher Southern food for the home cook, and it boasts a foreword by none other than Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, herself. (Meaning: as far as Southern cooking goes, it has to be the real deal.)
What Can I Bring?
Buy It: $26; amazon.com
This book is your secret weapon to becoming the best guest to ever grace your Southern social circle, with perfect dishes for every occasion. We go to this book when we want a stress-free dish to bring that will look and taste amazing. You’ll never break a sweat again after asking: What can I bring?
There’s still time to add these must-have cookbooks of 2017 to the top of your Christmas list. Make room for shiny, new cookbook additions boasting fresh recipes.