Personally, I love cookbooks because I can linger with them, like any great book—each headnote and recipe feels like a short story. Cookbooks not only feed our bellies, but also our hearts, brains, and souls. As sappy as that sounds, I’m sticking to my story. Lucky for us, a slew of new cookbooks are being released this fall—perfect for warming up our kitchens with fresh recipes. Here are 24 that our team of editors at Simply Recipes are most excited to cook from and linger with. Our picks are full of approachable, comforting, and weeknight-friendly recipes we know our readers (you!) will love too.
Homage: Recipes + Stories from an Amish Soul Food Kitchen
By Chris Scott with Sarah Zorn (September 20) In this cookbook, Scott pays homage to his family’s incredible history—he grew up in Amish country in Pennsylvania, but the story begins several decades earlier, with his enslaved ancestors. What happens in between yields both a rich culture and the most delicious food, interwoven with must-tell stories of the African diaspora. This cookbook is filled with recipes that blend the American South with German and Dutch influences from where he grew up, like Chicken Fried Steak with Sassafras Country Gravy and German Chocolate Donuts.
What’s for Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People
By Claire Saffitz (November 8) For the record, Saffitz wrote her first cookbook, “Dessert Person”, for me. (Hi! I am a dessert person!) Mine is tattered and dog-eared throughout—it’s the cookbook I baked from and turned to most for comfort during COVID. The Spiced Persimmon Cake will be passed down as if a Quinn family heirloom. So of course, I’ll be back for another round of bakes from her second cookbook, “What’s for Dessert.” Whipped Tres Leches Cake with Hazelnuts, Caramel Peanut Popcorn Bars, and Honey & Tahini Toffee Matzo—if you don’t consider yourself a dessert person, you’ll soon be one.
Tanya Holland’s California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West
By Tanya Holland (October 25) What is California soul food? Collard Green Tabbouleh, Zucchini–Scallion Waffles with Toasted Pecan Romesco, and Fried Chicken Paillards with Arugula and Pea Shoots Salad. Holland is here to answer the question with inventive yet rooted recipes like these. The cookbook is also filled rich stories about the African America migration from the Deep South to the West Coast, and spotlights several Black Californian farmers, coffee roasters, and food craftspeople.
Rice is Life: Recipes and Stories Celebrating the World’s Most Essential Grain
By Caryl Levine and Ken Lee (October 11) I will happily shout it out from the rooftops: I LOVE rice. I grew up in a traditional Korean household, eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Child Myo would have believed you if you said Koreans invented rice—but they didn’t, it originated in Southern China. It’s ubiquitous and a foundation to more than half of the world’s daily meals. This cookbook puts rice on a pedestal and celebrates the many ways it can be turned into comfort foods from around the globe. The authors also founded Lotus Foods, a brand of rice and rice noodles—their soba rice noodles are amazing.
Savory Baking: Recipes for Breakfast, Dinner, and Everything in Between
By Erin Jeanne McDowell (October 11) The Queen of Pie is back! This time she shook off the sugar and kept the oven on for savory baking. Again we get to lean on McDowell’s pastry chops to learn about dough-proofing and (savory) pie-filling. Here’s a visual sneak-peak into the deliciousness that awaits us all—I was glad to spot bagels! McDowell is a natural teacher. In her previous cookbooks, she included in-depth tutorials and troubleshooting tips for us pastry mortals. I will bet a Chess Pie that this one’s no different.
The Instant Kitchen Cookbook: Fast and Easy Family Meals Using Your Instant Pot and Air Fryer
by Coco Morante (October 11) You may have seen Coco Morante’s name on Simply Recipes—she’s been writing delicious recipes for us since 2016. Here’s my favorite: Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake. When we need a reliable, smart, and delicious recipe, our editors have her top of mind. Her magical powers come alive when cooking with kitchen gadgets, like the Instant Pot and Air Fryer—this is her SEVENTH cookbook on the topic. We’re lucky to have her on our side!
The Vegan Chinese Kitchen: Recipes and Modern Stories from a Thousand-Year-Old Tradition
by Hannah Che (September 13) This is the cookbook I’m most eagerly awaiting and I am not even vegan. But I do know that Chinese cooking—and the Korean foods I grew up eating—is inherently plant-based. It’s never boring and bland. It’s bold and umami-packed, like the foods that bring me comfort. When selecting recipes, Che thought of Buddhist temple cooking in China. Learn more: “Chef’s Table” on Netflix features Jeong Kwan, a Korean Buddhist nun who prepares meals for her community—it’s dreamy, gorgeous, and very insightful.
Go-To Dinners
By Ina Garten (October 25) If you don’t know Ina, get yourself a giant cocktail and go catch up on 28 seasons of “Barefoot Contessa”—and welcome to planet earth. For the rest of us, Ina can’t stop giving us reasons to adore her. She’s back with more simple, fun, and entertaining recipes. This time, she gets to the heart of why 99% of Simply Recipes readers come to us: go-to weeknight dinners that make you say, “How easy is that?” There’s Overnight Mac & Cheese, Chicken in a Pot with Orzo and Hasselback Kielbasa, and Scrambled Eggs Cacio e Pepe—these recipes will feed a crowd with little effort and with the option to make ahead.
What’s Gaby Cooking: Take It Easy: Recipes for Zero Stress Deliciousness
By Gaby Dalkin (September 27) Here at Simply Recipes, we are fans of Gaby Dalkin, blogger and Instagram star. She’s the cool friend that feeds you, throws amazing backyard bashes, and teaches you how to cook with zero pretension. “Even though she’s the star, she’s always a host. It’s instinctual. It’s effortless. She’s the Los Angeles Ina Garten,” writes Editorial Director, Ariel Knutson. I plan to stay in my sweatpants and lean against my kitchen counter as I dive into her quick, simple, and tasty recipes.
Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook
By Illyanna Maisonet (October 18) “I am SUPER excited about Maisonet’s first cookbook. Growing up, my belly was filled with Puerto Rican foods my mom and abuela made—from pernil and tostones to arroz con gandules and flan. It lights up my heart to have a cookbook that showcases the many classic meals I grew up eating."—Milagros Cruz, Editor The hands on the cover belong to Maisonet’s mom—she’s wearing her grandma’s tablet bandera bracelet. I can’t imagine a better way to capture the passing down of their generational love for food and culture.
Nadiya’s Everyday Baking: From Weeknight Dinners to Celebration Cakes, Let Your Oven Do the Work
By Nadiya Hussain (October 11) Senior Social Media Editor, Brooke Schuldt, is a self-proclaimed world’s biggest fan of “The Great British Baking Show.” (No, I am!) So when Hussain, winner of season six, writes her third cookbook, we fangirls rejoice. “This book focuses on easier recipes than those shown on the baking competitions, so I will be able to make something that would earn me a warm smile from Mary Berry and an unreadable stare from Paul Hollywood,” says Brooke. We are ready for this round of bakes!
The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family
By Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin Leung (November 1) The Leung family—the mother, father, and two daughters that author this cookbook—are on a quest to document their Chinese family recipes. Their blog has now become a go-to site for how to make authentic and delicious Chinese food at home. “I’ve been following The Woks of Life on Instagram for years, and I’m so excited for their first cookbook! The Leung family brings so much joy to their cooking and every recipe feels like an invitation to the table,” says Emma Christensen, Associate General Manager.
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things
By Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi (October 18) Even if you own less than a dozen cookbooks, the chances are one of them comes from Ottolenghi, author to a dozen beloved cookbooks and genius behind fuss-free, bold-flavored recipes and restaurants in London. This one focuses on sauces, condiments, and dressings, like pickled chiles or an herby salsa—things that take your meals from meh to wow! Visual Editor, Wanda Abraham, agrees: “I just have complete and total faith that everything is this book will be delicious. I’m ready for lots of flavor, and a variety of fresh, vibrant, and beautiful ingredients—the ultimate ways to take any meal to the next level!”
Boards & Spreads: Shareable, Simple Arrangements for Every Meal
By Yasmin Fahr (August 23) This cookbook lands right in time for hosting season—Moon Harvest! Diwali! Thanksgiving! Christmas! It’s here to inspire you to think beyond cheese or charcuterie boards. Nothing about Fahr’s boards look boring. I mean, look at these recipe titles: Italian Aperitivo Board with Crispy Prosciutto Caprese, Egg Pita Sandwich Board, and even drinks on a board called DIY Daytime Drinks. “There’s a two-minute feta dip that I’m obsessed with,” says Fahr. Can’t wait to try it!
The Mediterranean Dish: 120 Bold and Healthy Recipes You’ll Make on Repeat
By Suzy Karadsheh (September 13) If the bright colors and motley textures on the cover of this beautiful cookbook aims to bring attention to Mediterranean dishes, then I’m sold. “Karadsheh has been here to help us fall in love with Mediterranean cuisine for years via her blog and Instagram account, and I am beyond thrilled that she’s coming out with a cookbook of her best and favorite dishes. Her recipes are always reliable, full of incredible flavor, and guaranteed to please the entire dinner table,” says Emma.
Dynamite Kids Cooking School: Delicious Recipes That Teach All the Skills You’ll Need
By Dana Bowen and Sara Kate Gillingham (October 25) My 9-year-old cooked dinner for our family every Monday throughout the first year of COVID. He hopped on Zoom, along with a dozen kids and two instructors from The Dynamite Shop, an online cooking school and inspiration behind this cookbook. We ate vegetable curry, mushroom and gruyère crepes, and chicken parm. The best part? He did it all by himself, while I sat nearby at the kitchen table in case the stove caught on fire. If they can teach kids to cook through a screen, I trust them with all my money—at least the best $25 you’ll spend on a cookbook for a kid that’s into cooking.
Simple Pasta: Pasta Made Easy. Life Made Better.
By Odette Williams (August 30) This cookbook hinges on three simple pasta dough recipes—with permission to lean on store-bought—to create dozens of tried-and-true pastas, like Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara, to new classics, like Beet and Broccoli Agnolotti and Wild Mushroom Gnocchi. All through the lens of less is more. “Williams has a way of creating recipes that feel easy and fuss free, but are still somehow incredibly unique and special. I feel inspired to approach life in the same way these recipes are presented—simply, thoughtfully, and not too seriously,” says Wanda.
First Generation: Recipes From My Taiwanese-American Home
By Frankie Gaw (October 25) It’s hard to overstate how stunning the recipes created and photographed by Gaw, the blogger behind “Little Fat Boy” are. Like with the best cookbooks, I plan to flip through it from cover to cover many times—admiring the images and skimming through the stories—before landing on the recipe to make first. Most likely, dumplings. “I just want it to feel like you’re eating in my grandma’s kitchen and getting the best kind of fat with ten-year-old plump me, pork buns stuffed in the face in a suburban midwestern kitchen full of steam and nostalgia,” says Gaw. I’d like that very much!
Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals
By Melissa Clark (September 6) This sounds like the kind of cookbook we busy people need in our lives. Clark, New York Times columnist and author to over a dozen cookbooks, is a master at creating simple, approachable, and delicious recipes that make me go, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I learned to cook pasta in one pot from Clark, and it’s the best weeknight trick for this busy mom. Cheesy Meatball Parm with Greens, Miso-Glazed Salmon with Roasted Sugar Snap Peas, and Ricotta-Olive Oil Pound Cake are the first recipes I plan on making.
Food52 Simply Genius: Recipes for Beginners, Busy Cooks & Curious People
By Kristen Miglore (September 27) We always judge a cookbook by it’s cover. “This cookbook looks like it could double as a coffee table book, and would be a great gift for the home cook in your life who also loves displaying their cookbooks in an Instagram-able way!” says Brooke. And beyond the cover, we know we can expect genius recipes, tips, and words of encouragement from Miglore, the genius behind “Genius Recipes” and “Genius Desserts”—two cookbooks that have changed the way that I cook at home. They are approachable and filled with helpful tips and words of encouragement for experienced and beginner cooks alike.
Mezcla: Recipes to Excite
By Ixta Belfrage (September 13) “I’ve long admired Ixta Belfrage and her work on “Ottolenghi Flavor,” so naturally, I can’t wait to get my hands on her first solo book. The recipes blend a number of cuisines—hence the name “Mezcla,” which means “fusion” in Spanish—and sound truly mouthwatering, like Piri Piri Tofu with Crispy Orzo and Porcini Ragu."—Laurel Randolph, Editor “Mezcla” spotlights a blend of foods from “three countries that taught me to love food unequivocally and unconditionally: Brazil (where my mums from), Italy (where I lived as a kid) and Mexico (where my grandad lived),” says Belfrage.
I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef
By Vishwesh Bhatt (August 22) “I’ve never thought about the commonalities between Indian cuisine and the traditional foods of the American South, but Vishwesh Bhatt’s lively recipes effortlessly braid the threads of the two. In his hands, ingredients like peanuts, black-eyed peas, cornmeal, catfish, and collard greens get exciting treatments—boiled peanut chow chow, anyone?—that entice, never seeming forced."—Sara Bir, Senior Editor Bhatt is the executive chef at Snackbar in Oxford, Mississippi. He was awarded a James Beard for Best Chef: South, and his recipes are inventive, yet unpretentious.
Fresh Midwest: Modern Recipes from the Heartland
By Maren Ellingboe King (September 20) “If you’re from the West Coast or East Coast, the first thing that probably comes to mind when you think about Midwestern food is hot dish. And that wouldn’t be completely wrong! As someone who grew up in Minneapolis, I make a mean Tater Tot Casserole, but the Midwest is so much more than that. And in her debut cookbook, King shows the breadth of this region’s cuisine. From Cardamom Coffee Buns, to Tomato Salad with Crispy Rye Bread Crumbs, to Rhubarb Lemonade, this cookbook is packed with everything I want to eat.” —Ariel Knutson
Don’t Worry, Just Cook: Delicious, Timeless Recipes for Comfort & Connection
By Bonnie Stern and Anna Rupert (September 20) “The title of this cookbook alone really speaks to me. Written by a veteran cookbook author and her daughter (love!), it’s packed with easy recipes from breakfast and side dishes to mains. There’re also plenty of tips for modifying for special diets and sprinkles of wisdom from their years together in the kitchen."—Laurel
