What’s Your Taste in Cookbooks?

This year’s selection of cookbooks has something for all tastes. Whether you want to introduce a more plant-focused diet, cook with the seasons, shorten your time in the kitchen without sacrificing flavor, or end your meal with a new sweet treat, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in these recommendations and on the shelves at your local bookshop.

Happy reading, happy cooking and happy New Year!

“Justine Cooks” by Justine Doiron

“Justine Cooks” was named a Best Cookbook of the year by NPR, “The Today Show” and Food & Wine. Doiron is not only a cookbook author but also a popular blogger and social media storyteller with over 1.2 million followers at @Justine_Snacks. She’s known for her funny, inspiring and validating stories about the way we connect through food.

The book includes over 100 plant-forward recipes, spanning salads, snacks, vegetables, seafood, tofu and more. Plus a whole chapter dedicated to beans, which will delight vegetarians. One reviewer wrote, “No one can get me to eat my vegetables like Justine.”

“Justine Cooks” is a wonderful addition to any kitchen, especially those looking to add more plant-based recipes to their diets.

“BraveTart” by Stella Parks

The title alone is brilliant, but wait until you get your hands on this treatise on American iconic desserts! The book was the winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for Baking and Desserts and named Best Baking Book of the year by the Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit and many others.

Trained as a pastry chef at the CIA Institute, Parks’ dedication to relying on the science of her passion for the history of desserts is quite evident. Many of these desserts date back hundreds of years, and recipes are accompanied by vintage advertisements. It’s culinary time travel with timeless treats that will evoke many a childhood memory. Think pecan sandies, Twinkies and Little Debbie’s.

Not only are there classic American brands, but there are also classic American desserts such as cookies, candies, cakes and pies. Each recipe includes a “Mix It Up” section where Parks offers optional ways to alter as needed (vegan, gluten free or even a different pan).

You’ll be a better baker for owning this book.

“Chocolat” by Aleksandra Crapanzano

A James Beard Award-winning food writer, Crapanzano wrote a dessert column titled “A Little Something Sweet” in the “Wall Street Journal.” She’s the author of several cookbooks, including her most recent, “Chocolat.”

This book is an homage to France, to chocolate and to their enduring love affair. She offers a succinct history of chocolate in France and how many of our favorite desserts were invented there. Enjoy 100 easy-to-follow recipes, fine for a beginner. A bonus to this delicious collection is Parisian artist Cassandre Montoriol’s stunning illustrations sprinkled throughout the book.

Instead of gifting a box of chocolates, give the book “Chocolat,” a treat to be enjoyed again and again!

“Sabzi” by Yasmin Khan

Yasmin Khan’s bio states she’s an author, broadcaster and storyteller whose work explores how culture, identity and justice intertwine — or more simply, her work sits at the intersection of food, travel and politics. “Sabzi” (Persian for herb) is her fourth cookbook and my first to review. And yes, buy the book!

“Sabzi” is a collection of over 80 plant-forward recipes inspired by Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South Asian food and flavors. Khan invites us (the home cooks) to eat better for our health and the planet and to celebrate other cultures. She shares this message with pictures that are stunning and vibrant! Her rich voice as a storyteller shows through as each recipe is introduced with its inspiration, tips in shopping, preparation and storage.

Kahn believes making and sharing food with others is one of the most life-giving acts you can undertake as it nourishes the body and soul.

May this collection do just that for you and help you fall a little more in love with vegetables, too.

“Sally’s Baking 101” by Sally McKenney

McKenney started her baking career in 2011 by posting her most popular recipe on a blog she created. Thousands of people tried it and loved it. With her rise to fame with over 1.1 million social media followers and her fourth cookbook, “Sally’s Baking 101,” recently released, she’s enjoying a moment.

Discover 101 recipes, including new “Sweet and Savory” and “Fan Favorites” sections, each marked with the required skill level and easy-to-follow directions. McKenney teaches us the how and why of the recipes to build confidence of home bakers. And photos she took herself accompany each delicious treat.

While growing up watching her grandmother and mother, McKenney learned the power of scratch baking and how it can bring comfort when life gets loud, hectic or confusing. So, start preheating your oven and begin baking from this wonderful book to bring a bit of joy to yourself and others.

“Milk Street Shorts” by Christopher Kimball

Here’s a short review of the latest cookbook, titled “Shorts,” by the Milk Street founder Christopher Kimball — a short review compared with Kimball’s vast catalog of accomplishments. He’s authored countless cookbooks and published many magazines, and you may know him from “America’s Test Kitchen” and his three Milk Street television shows.

The man clearly knows what he’s doing when it comes to cooking and baking, so his latest compilation of 150 simple-yet-powerful recipes comes highly recommended. The subtitle “Recipes that Pack a Punch” is right on the cover page! There’s something for all skill levels of cooks, from the simplest recipes at the start of the book, progressing just as the cook will.

A nice addition to your Kimball collection.

“Six Seasons of Pasta” by Joshua McFadden

McFadden sure has a talent for writing cookbooks. He won a James Beard Award for his first effort, “Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables,” and this third book has been named a 2025 Best New Cookbook by Bon Appetit, Eater, Epicurious, Saveur and many more.

Most people enjoy eating pasta — such a comforting and satisfying meal — and eat it often. Yet McFadden transforms the way we cook and eat this staple we thought we knew so well. There are 125 recipes organized by season when flavors are at their peak. A bonus — McFadden uses store-bought dried pasta! His recipes are creative yet with clear instructions, and the photos are all about the food, highlighting enticing brilliant colors.

If you’re looking for a big, beautiful tome on pasta, this is the book for you! Buon appetito!

Wellington Square Bookshop welcomes both local patrons and many from around the world to a curated shop with an excellent staff. There’s a coffee and tea bar, comfortable spaces to curl up with a good book, plus monthly book clubs and a poetry group. On Instagram; WellingtonSquareBooks.com. 549 Wellington Square, Exton.