Maggie Hoffman

Of recently published books, this is a favorite, because it offers easy-prep dinners that don't shy away from bold flavors. Let's get everyone using harissa and fish sauce and tamarind! Your sheet-pan chicken will never be the same.

This beloved book features tender, wonderful baked goods made with flavorful grains beyond your average flours. Everything I've made has been terrific.

Inspiring vegetable dishes are my favorite parts of this book from the famed LA restaurant. If you liked Plenty, you need to own this.

It's not flashy, but this is a classic for a reason. You, too, can make the best chicken of your life, even if you don't have a wood-burning oven. There's a must-eat Caesar salad, too.

Ok, I'm not making these fancy, involved dishes on the regular, but it's such a treat to see what goes into the bold-flavored delights of this San Francisco star. Make the beef tartare, complete with caesar aioli.

This tome from my colleague at Serious Eats is a TON to read, but it works wonderfully as a reference, especially if you're curious about common kitchen myths and rules. For science nerds and anyone who has doubted common cooking wisdom.

Even if you don't go in for elaborate baking, this book is a fantastic collection of histories of America's favorite sweets, from chocolate chip cookies to Oreos to red velvet cake. Stella Parks is the queen of baking nerds, and her writing is delightful.

The best hummus ever. That makes this book worth the price of admission. But there's a lot more inspiration here, too.

Wonderful recipes for fragrant, delicious home cooking from Meera Sodha.

I love every one of Fuchsia Dunlop's books on Chinese cooking, but this one has the advantage of accessibility; these are dishes you can actually make at home.