The best cookbooks of all time not only share recipes. They go above and beyond to inspire us to cook and enjoy food. If you’re stocking up on your cookbooks, check out our top picks.
The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
If you’re unfamiliar with cookbooks, you might be wondering how a cookbook published in 2023 could be an all-timer. However, you’d be missing some important context.
The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook is a classic, and has been around since the 1930s. This new edition is revamped for the modern American home.
It’s got everything you’d need out of a cookbook. If you want to get into cooking and have no idea where to start, start with this.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Mastering the Art of French Cooking was made by the woman, the myth, the legend, herself: Julia Child. This cookbook helped her popularize French cooking in the States.
Child’s tips and tricks had everyone feeling like their own personal French chef. People felt empowered to try out intricate recipes they never would have before.
The book was published in the early 60s, but it’s still totally useful. There’s over 500 French recipes in there, with meticulous instructions and illustrations of each dish.
Joy of Cooking
This cookbook dates back almost a century: Irma Rombauer wrote it back in the 1930s. Since then, it’s cemented itself as one of the most iconic American cookbooks.
Like Better Homes and Gardens’ cookbook, Joy has been continuously updated through the decades. It helps you make all the classics, like chocolate chip cookies.
Fun fact: Julia Child loved this cookbook, and the two ladies actually met! We would’ve loved to have been a fly on the wall during that conversation.
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
You thought Joy was old? Fannie Farmer’s cookbook has it beat. This one was published way back in the 19th century — and still maintains its relevancy.
What’s more, this was the first cookbook that ever utilized standardized measurements. Fannie Farmer, the author, was pretty successful back in her day, too.
She attended a cooking school, and eventually started teaching housewives how to cook. Without Fannie Farmer, a lot of these cookbooks wouldn’t be what they are today.
The Silver Spoon
This is a cookbook that’s chock-full of delicious Italian recipes. This is actually the first cookbook listed here that wasn’t originally an American publication.
It was first published in Italy back in the 1950s. It received an English translation and an American release soon after, and took the country by storm.
The recipes are all authentic Italian staples, including orecchiette with broccoli, a simple dish that takes about 45 minutes to make. Silver Spoon has received multiple updates.
The French Laundry Cookbook
This cookbook is named after the renowned French Laundry restaurant in California, a fine dining establishment. It compiles gourmet recipes for you to recreate at home.
The French Laundry Cookbook is ideal for people looking to improve their existing skillset. Most of the meals are small, like what you’d expect from fine dining.
Thomas Keller, owner of the French Laundry, shares not only his recipes, but his techniques as well. This’ll have you feeling like a culinary master in no time.
The Taste of Country Cooking
This was published in the 1970s, but its recipes stretch back to the 1900s. Edna Lewis, the author, showcases recipes she grew up with in early-20th century Oklahoma.
It’s praised for its accessible cooking methods. The recipes are organized by season, and inspired by her upbringing amongst a community of freed enslaved people in Virginia.
If you’re looking into Southern cooking, this is one of the best cookbooks of all time. Honestly, it’s just a great cookbook, full stop.
The Zuni Cafe Cookbook
This is another cookbook directly inspired by a fine dining establishment. The Zuni Cafe is a well-known San Francisco restaurant, with a to-die-for roast chicken dish.
The owner of the Zuni Cafe, Judy Rodgers, goes into detail with the restaurant’s recipes and methods. She’s since passed away, but lives on here.
If you’re a fine dining fan, this book has a lot of valuable insight. Ever wondered how they managed that roast chicken? This cookbook will tell you.
The Cooking of Southwest France
The Cooking of Southwest France is pretty straightforward — the title tells you all you need to know. It’s been revised since its original publication in the 1980s.
This was written by Paula Wolfert, who’s made a whole slew of cookbooks. She isn’t French herself, but includes the whole breadth of southwest France.
Even though it zeroes in on a specific region, it still manages to go into depth. There are recipes included from the peasantry to the upper classes.
Thai Food
Who doesn’t love some good Thai food? This cookbook was made by a chef, David Thompson, after his trip to Thailand, where he fell head-over-heels for the cuisine.
At over 600 pages long, there’s no shortage of Thai recipes for you to try. It’s very comprehensive, cataloguing both well-known dishes and more obscure ones.
Even though Thompson isn’t Thai himself, it’s clear he put in the research. If you want to dive into Thai cuisine and culture, this is for you.
Jerusalem: A Cookbook
True to its name, this cookbook explores Jerusalem’s broad culinary range. Writers Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi set out to compile recipes that reflect the city’s cultural diversity.
It’s got over 100 recipes with delicious Mediterranean flavors. It became really popular during the 2010s, even though the authors weren’t super famous beforehand.
Complete with beautiful photos of the dishes and the city, you can tell that it’s close to their hearts. The book is also relatively recent, published in 2011.
Every Grain of Rice
This is an essential Chinese cookbook. It explores Sichuan cuisine in particular, from southern China. Fuchsia Dunlop, the author, trained at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine.
If you’re completely unfamiliar with Chinese cooking, check this out. Every Grain of Rice delves into cooking techniques, and teaches you how all the ingredients meld together.
If the ingredients are foreign to you, Dunlop will thoroughly explain them, equipping you with all the necessary tools. It’ll also teach you how to cook with veggies.
The Preservation Kitchen
This cookbook is a lot more specific. It’s all about preservation techniques. Chef Paul Virant wrote this handy guide to preservation, and it’s as detailed as can be.
It veers closer to the scientific, technical side of things. If you like baking, on the grounds that it’s more exact than cooking, you may enjoy this.
This unique angle makes it stand out. Whereas most cookbooks place emphasis on the culinary arts, this serves as a reminder that cooking can be scientific, too.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
It’s got “classic” in the name for a reason. This is a classic, timeless cookbook with classic and timeless Italian recipes you’re bound to enjoy.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking was written by Marcella Hazan and published in the 1990s. She popularized authentic Italian dishes in both the U.S. and U.K.
There’s also a sequel, aptly titled More Classic Italian Cooking, though you can buy them in one book. It uses detailed drawings instead of photographs.
Essential Cuisines of Mexico
If you’ve been looking for a cookbook with all the best Mexican dishes, look no further than this. It’s actually three books in one, written by Diana Kennedy.
Kennedy received the Order of the Aztec Eagle, an award given to foreigners for their service to the nation. So, yeah — this cookbook’s a big deal.
Kennedy’s passion for the country and its cuisine bleeds through these recipes. She pays special attention to regional dishes, giving the origins of each dish.
The New York Times Cook Book
The New York Times Cookbook has been updated a bunch since its initial 1961 publication. It’s primarily an American cookbook, though there are some exceptions.
There’s a wide range of the recipes, in terms of both culture and setting. This cements this cookbook as one of the best cookbooks of all time.
Iconic dishes from about twenty countries, including China and India, are featured. It also has meals for any season and time of day, neatly categorized for your convenience.
Cooking by Hand
Cooking by Hand was written by chef Paul Bertolli and was published in the 2000s. He initially found fame through his California restaurant, Oliveto.
Whereas The Preservation Kitchen has a flair for the scientific, Cooking by Hand is creative. It’s infused with personal anecdotes and memories from the chef.
Bertolli deeply loves food, and wants to make you fall in love with it, too. After all, food is inextricably linked with history, culture, and family.
Forgotten Skills of Cooking
Forgotten Skills of Cooking is meant to bring you back down to earth with organic, tried-and-true cooking methods. It’ll teach you how to cook like your grandparents did.
Instead of buying staple ingredients off the shelf, this cookbook will help you learn how to make them. For example, there’s recipes for yogurt and butter.
It’s a great cookbook for those interested in sustainable living. It also has recipes centered around food you’ll find outside, and for cooking every part of your meat.
New Complete Techniques
New Complete Techniques was written by chef Jacques Pepin. It has a focus on specific cooking techniques that’ll get you cooking like a gourmet chef in no time.
Even the simplest cooking techniques get explained. Pepin teaches you how to peel onions, bone chickens, and sharpen knives in the most effective ways.
This is another cookbook that puts more emphasis on concrete skills. You’ll like it if you’re a practical person looking for step-by-step guides.
Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook
Eleven Madison Park is one of the elite restaurants shouted out in Billions — and with good reason. Its cookbook was released in 2011, with over 100 recipes.
The cookbook also includes lots of beautiful photography. That being said, it’s not exactly one of the most accessible cookbooks. The ingredients can be hard to obtain.
This is fine dining, after all — it’s not exactly easy. However, if you’re a huge foodie and a wannabe chef, this is for you.
Cleora’s Kitchen
This cookbook tells a powerful story. The full title is Cleora’s Kitchen: The Memoir of a Cook and Eight Decades of Great American Food.
Cleora Butler explores the rich history of American food through personal experiences. She delves into her life as a black chef growing up in the early 20th century.
Butler released this cookbook towards the end of her life. She shares a wealth of experiences through recipes, decades spent cooking with family and for oil barons.
The Moosewood Cookbook
The Moosewood Cookbook was written by Mollie Katzen and was published in the 1970s. However, it’s been updated and re-released a bunch since then.
It’s an absolute must-have for vegetarians and vegans. Vegetarian food tends to get a bad rep, but Katzen wanted to set the record straight.
The recipes are fairly simple. It’ll also teach you how to cook with vegetables, and is useful for people looking to improve their veggie-cooking skills.
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook was written by Ina Garten. Funnily enough, she now hosts a Food Network reality show with the same name as her famous cookbook.
The dishes here are simple, meant to help expand your recipe repertoire while not pushing you too hard. They’ll still impress your dinner guests, though.
If you want to host a down-to-earth dinner party that can wow your guests, this is it. You can cook your way through every meal of the day.
River Cottage Meat Book
The River Cottage Meat Book is all about meat — definitely not for the vegetarians in the audience. It was a huge hit in the U.K.
After its success across the pond, it was released in the United States in the 2000s. The American version was made specifically for American audiences.
It’s not just about cooking meat — it aims to teach readers about meat in general. You’ll learn about sourcing and different cuts of meat.
Plenty
Plenty was written by Yotam Ottolenghi. Recognize the name? He was one of the co-authors of Jerusalem. He clearly knows what he’s doing with cookbooks.
These are all vegetarian recipes, making for another great way for vegetarians to expand their cooking horizons. Who doesn’t want a good quinoa salad?
These recipes will help you get your nutrients. Becoming a vegetarian can feel limiting, but Plenty helps you realize that it doesn’t have to be that way.
The River Cafe Cookbook
The River Cafe Cookbook focuses mostly on gourmet Italian fare. It’s based on a successful, high-end restaurant in London — the titular River Cafe.
They’ve actually published a lot of cookbooks over the years, including one specially-made for kids. There’s lots of recipes for soups, pastas, antipasti, etc.
Each dish’s regional origin and history is described, albeit briefly. You’ll learn about the meal, without getting so sucked into reading that you forget to actually make it.
Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African American Cooking
Jubilee was written by Toni Tipton-Martin, a culinary journalist, and published in 2019. This one goes a lot more in depth with the history.
It teaches its readers about the rich, extensive history of African American cuisine, specifically. In fact, it won the James Beard Award for American cooking in 2020.
As for the recipes themselves, they are fairly easy to follow. There are recipes for sweet potato biscuits, Southern pecan pie, cocktails, and more.
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone came out in the 1990s. With over 1,000 vegetarian recipes, you’re bound to find something you like, even if you eat meat.
For example, tofu can be difficult to cook with, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing with it. However, this book will teach you what to do.
There’s a nice pinto bean soup recipe that’s rich in both flavor and iron. If you’re a vegetarian, you know just how hard getting your iron can be.
Martha Stewart’s Appetizers
Martha Stewart is an icon. You didn’t think that we’d go without mentioning her works at least once, did you? This cookbook is, of course, appetizer-centric.
If you want your get-togethers to have fancier snacks than Cheetos, Martha Stewart has your back. Her appetizers are an even mix of fancy and simple.
She includes dozens of cocktails, alongside homemade potato chips and caviar. She’s been releasing books since the 1980s, with this one being released in 2015.
Stock Your Shelves with the Best Cookbooks
The best cookbooks of all time, regardless of subject matter, aim to teach readers and showcase the chef’s passion for cooking. Each of these books does just that.
These cover all the recipes you need and then some. From cookbooks invested in history, to those dedicated to the basics, they all deserve their praise.
Basically, once you try these cookbooks, you’ll never look back. After all, they’re known as the best cookbooks of all time for a reason!