I love cookbooks and could not begin to count how many I have in my kitchen and office, on my bedside table — even a few in the pantry. Despite this abundance, I take pleasure in finding new ones, and wish I had more time to read them and cook from them each week. The year 2015 brought an exceptional number of new cookbooks and food books into the world, and I found myself falling in love many times, and cooking with excitement and delight.
I’ve loved checking out various “Best Cookbooks of 2015” lists as they appeared this season, and I liked many of the books featured in those round-ups. These are my favorites, the ones I love and keep perusing, the ones I’ve been taking to the kitchen (or sitting down to read, since a few call for reading, or cover food but not recipes). Some of these I anticipated eagerly, and others I encountered in passing and couldn’t bear to leave behind once I’d held them in my hands. Some are the handiwork of good friends, some are by kitchen heroes of mine, and one of them is by someone I knew not at all but now adore. One author has two books in here, half my selections have connections to the American South, and about a third come from first-time authors.
I’ve lined them up on the steps, and then set them out in this post in no particular order. I hope you will enjoy checking them out, and maybe purchasing a copy for those that catch your eye. I’ve given you a link to each volume on Amazon. Consider looking them up on Indiebound , where you can find an indie bookstore near you as well as indie booksellers with whom to order these books and others online. Let me know in the comments section which of these books you know and love, which ones you’re excited to discover, and any cookbooks and food books which I missed and need to check out from the 2015 crop. It was a great year, and this new one can be even better. Happy Cooking, Happy Reading, Happy 2016!
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Nancie’s Favorite Cookbooks and Food Books of 2015
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Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees: Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Home Cooking
Kian Lam Kho Amazon
*****
Near and Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel
by Heidi Swanson Amazon
*****
The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks
by Toni Tipton-Martin Amazon
*****
The Food of Taiwan: Recipes from the Beautiful Island
by Cathy Erway Amazon
*****
Soul Food Odyssey
by Stephanie L. Tyson Amazon
*****
The Whole Grain Promise: 100 Delicious Recipes to Jumpstart a Healthier Diet
by Robin Asbell Amazon
*****
Back in the Day Bakery: Made with Love
More than 100 Recipes and Make It Yourself Projects to Create and Share
by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day Amazon
*****
The Up South Cookbook: Chasing Dixie in a Brooklyn Kitchen
by Nicole Taylor Amazon
*****
Yogurt Culture:
A Global Look at How to Make, Sip, and Chill the World’s Creamiest Health Food
by Cheryl Sternman Rule Amazon
*****
Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes – Vintage Charm – Soulful Memories
by Jocelyn Delk Adams Amazon
*****
Gluten-Free Girl: American Classics Reinvented
by Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern Amazon
*****
Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America
by Sandra Gutierrez Amazon
*****
Nashville Eats: Hot Chicken, Buttermilk Biscuits, and 100 More Southern Recipes from Music City
by Jennifer Justus Amazon
*****
Nong’s Thai Kitchen: 84 Classic Recipes that Are Quick, Healthy, and Delicious
by Nongkran Daks and Alexandra Greeley Amazon
*****
Lighten Up, y’all! Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome
by Virginia Willis Amazon
*****
A Real Southern Cook in Her Savannah Kitchen
by Dora Charles Amazon
*****
The Big Jones Cookbook: Recipes for Savoring the Heritage of Regional Southern Cooking
by Paul Fehribach Amazon
*****
My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life
by Ruth Reichl Amazon
*****
Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl
by Pierre Thiam Amazon
*****
No-Churn Ice Cream: Over 100 Simply Delicious Recipes No-Machine Frozen Treats
by Leslie Bilderback Amazon
*****
Crabs & Oysters: A Savor the South Cookbook
by Bill Smith Amazon
*****
Sunday Dinner: A Savor the South Cookbook
by Bridgette A. Lacy Amazon
*****
Beans & Field Peas: A Savor the South Cookbook
by Sandra Gutierrez Amazon
*****
The 8 x 8 Cookbook:
Square Meals for Weeknight Family Dinners, Desserts and More in One Perfect 8×8-Inch Dish
by Kathy Strahs Amazon
*****
A Life of Spice: Stories of Food, Culture and Life
by Monica Bhide Amazon
*****
The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience, and Farming
by Natasha Bowens Amazon
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That’s my bouquet of delicious, worthwhile, compelling, delightful, important, fun, and memorable cookbooks for 2015. I’ll be enjoying them for a long time to come, and I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of my favorites. Here’s to a delicious year in your kitchen, in your reading chair, and at the table!
What a great collection of cookbooks and several are on my must-order wish list! But I must have the Senegal cookbook now that my son lives there. I do have the chance to taste Senegalese food (and I have a wonderful recipe for Yassa!) living in France, but I am so interested in learning more about it. I’m glad this book has your seal of approval!
Thanks so much for including The 8×8 Cookbook, Nancie!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. 🙂