Misti Traya

I was eleven and on the verge of entering junior high school when I received this book as a present. I was desperately trying to put childish things like Piglet and Pooh behind me, but I couldn't be cool where this cookbook was concerned. I loved it. I baked from it all the time. The jam cookies and chocolate cake were my favorite. They still are and it brings me great joy when my daughter asks me to make them with her.

This book was the first time I read any of Elizabeth David's writing. I was ten weeks pregnant and on holiday in France and feeling rather ill when I found it on a shelf. From page one, I felt like I had entered conversation with a friend. David’s tales are so intriguing not only because of the delicious food she consumes or the vibrant characters she meets, but because of the way she sets the stage. She had the eye of an art historian and could describe venues like Old Master paintings. Of course, her recipes are exquisite. The daube de boeuf Provencal is my favorite.

This is a cookbook that tells a story as rich and vast and magical as the recipes it holds inside. The Gateau a l'orange and the borscht are among my favorites.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I was raised on the flavours of Mexico. Other than my family, the sunshine, and the hummingbirds, Mexican food is what I miss most about my hometown. When I was young, my mother had this book. When I moved to London, I bought a copy. Not only are Frida Kahlo's recipes outstanding and the personal anecdotes about her fascinating, but making the food in this book heals my homesickness. The corn pudding with chiles in cream, the black bean soup, and the seasoned pork roast are family favorites.

Almost every page of this book is dog-eared and/or stained. I use it that much. In this book, Claire Ptak teaches us to use seasonal ingredients to conjure cake magic. She is far and away, one of my favorite bakers in London.

Whenever I'm cooking for vegetarian guests I really want to impress, this is the book I use.

Steven Satterfield is the Ottolenghi of the American South. His vegetable based dishes are so simple yet incredibly elegant.

Tosi changed the way we think of baked goods. She took the pre-packaged happy flavors of American childhood and made them sophisticated. Her recipes are what I call Haute Americana and they are as brilliant and addicting as her crack pie.

This was the book that made me realize I wanted to write about food. Ms. Jones was a friend and editor to many culinary legends--Julia Child, James Beard, Edna Lewis, and Scott Peacock to name a few. Together they created food history and made memories that would last a lifetime. Every recipe tells a story and all of them are delicious.

These recipes are the ne plus ultra of Southern cooking. If you've ever wanted to try your hand at she-crab soup, Ms. Lewis' recipe is the one to use.