The 19 Essential Cookbooks for 2024 to Elevate Your Kitchen, Handpicked by Our Food Director

Being Mytour's food director comes with many perks, but one of the best is having access to any cookbook I wish (and even some I probably shouldn’t!). With a growing collection of over 175 books at home and a stack waiting at my desk, plus having authored five myself, cookbooks are my passion. Curating this list of the top cookbooks for 2024 was no easy task, which is why I’ve included some honorable mentions at the end.

Let's dive into the trickiest part: what does 'best' really mean? It’s all quite subjective. These books rank as the best to me, but I'm also considering what you will find valuable. Since this is Mytour, my picks lean toward books that simplify cooking, offer quick fixes for hectic weeknights, or inspire fun family and friend gatherings.

That said, some more aspirational cookbooks, or those that I simply want to read like a novel, may have slipped into the list. After all, a truly great cookbook is more than just a collection of enticing recipes; it tells a story too, in my view.

The King Arthur Baking Company’s Ultimate Bread Cookbook

If you’re looking for baking expertise, you can’t go wrong with the knowledge of Vermont’s King Arthur Baking Company. Their latest cookbook spans nearly 500 pages, offering both insight and recipes for one of the most magical foods—bread. It features almost every type of bread imaginable, from flatbreads like naan and tortillas to bagels, rustic sourdough loaves, and challah. Unlike many bread cookbooks, this one isn’t overly technical, but it still provides plenty of in-depth details for those who want to explore, say, baker's math. Personally, I recommend the Molasses-Oat Bread, though I have many other recipes on my must-bake list.

Justine Cooks

As I’ve mentioned before, I receive a lot of cookbooks. After a while, many of the recipes start to feel a bit repetitive. It’s not that I’m opposed to another pesto pasta salad or sheet pan salmon dinner—sometimes they’re a wonderful reminder of the basics. But, they don’t always spark excitement or creativity. And that’s exactly what I love about Justine Doiron’s debut cookbook. Her ingredient combinations and techniques are consistently unexpected. For example, adding fennel seeds and sage to fried eggs—this simple, five-minute recipe turns an ordinary egg into something surprisingly sophisticated and delicious. Another example: her Miso-Butter Pancakes elevate a brunch favorite with just a few subtle changes. And that’s only the breakfast section!

Zoë Bakes Cookies

I think I may have a slight crush on Zoë François. Perhaps it’s her effortlessly stylish denim-on-denim outfits, her oversized glasses, her elegant gray hair, or her warm smile. But what really draws me in are her recipes—utterly delicious and always teaching me something new. Her down-to-earth, approachable voice comes through on every page. The chapters in her book are inspired by different stages of Zoë’s life, from growing up in Vermont communes, running a cookie cart during college, to moving to the Midwest and embracing the region’s culinary influences. The book is full of helpful tips, including high-altitude baking tricks, and advice on storing, shipping, and decorating cookies.

When Southern Women Cook

Some cookbooks are deeply personal, while others are expansive and comprehensive. When Southern Women Cook falls into the latter category. Published by America’s Test Kitchen and spanning over 500 pages, it’s a remarkable and inspiring collection of recipes, untold histories, and stories from 70 women of diverse backgrounds who are cooking in the South today. The book highlights Indigenous, African, Jewish, and Mexican food traditions in the South and showcases more recent contributions from women of Thai, Indian, and other cultural heritages. It dives into culinary history (who first created spoonbread?) and tackles fun food debates (should sugar be added to cornbread?). The book also highlights uniquely Southern ingredients like White Lily Flour and provides a guide to canning, candy-making, and mixing cocktails. In short, it’s a true feast for the senses.

What Goes With What

It’s rare to find a cookbook that works for both beginners and seasoned chefs, but Julia Turshen’s latest definitely fits the bill. I believe that’s because Turshen is, at her core, a teacher. You can feel her genuine enthusiasm as she shares all the tips, tricks, and shortcuts she’s picked up over decades as a personal chef, cookbook author, community cook, and home chef. While What Goes With What is a recipe collection, it’s also a manual for becoming a more confident, independent cook. Each section opens with a hand-lettered chart by Turshen herself, showing how to build flavor in everything from pureed soups to roasted vegetables. What I love most about this book is that Turshen not only styled the food, but also took the photos herself. This gives the book an authentic look—everything is inviting but also genuinely real.

Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes

Yep, that’s the full title, and it pretty much sums up everything you need to know about Jessie Sheehan’s latest creation. But the subtitle is key too: 100 Easy-Peasy Savory Recipes for 24/7 Deliciousness. A follow-up to her Snackable Bakes (which focused mostly on sweet recipes), this book brings a savory twist with a lineup of crowd-pleasers. Think Chive Muffins, “BLT” Scones, and Olive Oil & Black Pepper Popovers. These recipes are fantastic as breakfast or dinner sides, but, as the title suggests, they truly shine as snacks. This is the cookbook I grab when I want fun appetizers—I made the Cheeziest Biscotti for a Thanksgiving nibble, and it was practically impossible to stop munching on the Cocktail Hour Loaf.

Chinese Enough

Recently, several cookbooks have explored the experience of growing up in immigrant families in the United States, highlighting the challenges and joys of such a background, especially as it manifests in the kitchen and at the dinner table. In Chinese Enough, Kristina Cho draws on her Chinese heritage, Midwestern childhood, and California adulthood to create a unique collection of recipes. I found myself dog-earing page after page of recipes to try; my husband and I couldn't get enough of the Wispy Mushroom Chow Mein and the Miso Pork Meatballs. Many of the dishes are perfect for weeknight meals, and I adore how the chapters are charmingly titled, like “You’ll Always Have Noodles” and “I Love You, Here’s Some Fruit.”

Smitten Kitchen Keepers: A Kitchen Counter Conversation

Smitten Kitchen Keepers, Deb Perelman’s third bestselling cookbook, was released in 2022, so why is it on this list? Think of this version as the audiobook version of the original. At just over four hours, this audiobook features Perelman introducing and providing tips for 44 recipes from Smitten Kitchen Keepers, including Double Shallot Egg Salad, The Angry Grandma (Pizza), and Luxe S’more Bars. It also comes with a pdf of the recipes, so even if you don't have the cookbook, you can still cook the dishes. As someone who writes cookbooks, I understand how challenging it is to pack all the helpful tips into a single recipe. This audio format solves that problem, and even better, it feels like Deb (we're on a first-name basis after she's spent hours chatting with me through my earbuds) is right there with you, casually sharing her favorite recipes.

The Yearlong Pantry

This book is no small feat, and I mean that in the best way possible. It's not just a collection of recipes; it’s a well-researched guide to whole food pantry essentials—especially grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds—and how to use them in easy yet delicious ways. For example, in the grains section, author Erin Alderson explains how to process grains, offers advice on buying and storing them, and teaches different cooking techniques. Then, the book takes us on a journey with creative vegetarian dishes like Kale-Bulgur Fritters with Chipotle Sauce, Cream of Wheat with Caramelized Pears, and Cherry and Fennel Smoked Barley Salad. While most recipes aren’t meant for quick, 15-minute meals, the book encourages us to think more deeply about how we eat, which is something I, personally, am really appreciating right now.

Pizza Night

Alexandra Stafford, the blogger and author behind the highly praised cookbook Bread, Toast, Crumbs, released the book I’ve cooked from the most in 2024, hands down. The concept? 52 seasonal pizza and salad pairings. (Don’t tell anyone, but I sometimes mix and match pizzas with salads or even make dishes out of season—and it still turns out great!) Stafford gives simple instructions for baking pizza in a conventional oven, outdoor pizza oven, or even on the grill. Her doughs require no kneading or special tools, and the toppings are so tasty that they could work on store-bought dough too. So far, I’ve loved the Roasted Artichoke Pizza with Castelvetrano Olives, Lemon, and Ricotta, and the Grandma-Style Pizza with Potato and Rosemary. I’m sure I’ll discover more favorites throughout the year.

Hot Sheet

Sometimes, the real challenge in cooking isn’t the actual cooking, but the clean-up afterward. Sheet pan dinners are a clever solution to this messy problem. What I love about this cookbook is that, alongside the expected sheet pan meals, there are some unexpected oven-friendly dishes. Quick Sheet Pan Chili, Cheesy Orzo and Mushrooms, and Oven Paella with Chicken, Chorizo, and Shrimp are just a few examples. And the book doesn’t stop at dinner—it has breakfast, dessert, and appetizer recipes too. I’ve already tried Sanaë’s Sweet and Salty Granola with Pistachios and Figs from the Breakfast and Brunch section, and the Chaat Masala “Nachos” from the Appetizers chapter are already calling my name.

Dolci!

Restaurant or bakery cookbooks can sometimes be a challenge. Fans of a place want to recreate the dishes they know and love, but many restaurant recipes, especially desserts, are difficult to replicate at home. In Dolci!, author Renato Poliafito strikes a perfect balance with a collection of both savory and sweet snacks and treats, inspired by his Italian roots and his Brooklyn bakery, Ciao, Gloria. The book features both classic dishes like the jam-filled Crostata Classica, as well as playful treats like tiramisu-inspired Italian Krispie Treats. I tackled the tri-color Spumoni Loaf, a more intricate recipe than I usually attempt, and thanks to Poliafito’s detailed instructions, it turned out wonderfully. And for the record, Dolci! includes the first author bio that’s ever made me laugh. (“He enjoys traveling and not traveling in equal measure.” Same here.)

Amrikan

With this book, Khushbu Shah, the former restaurant editor at Food + Wine, turns her attention to home cooking, the type of cooking she grew up with in an Indian-American household, to be precise. In the book’s introduction she explains that for immigrant families like hers, adaptation was clutch. Cooks reached for peanut butter, Bisquick, ketchup, and Cream of Wheat to replicate Indian dishes they couldn’t find traditional ingredients for. And they also adapted the other way, adding chaat masala to veggie burgers and paneer to pizza. Amrikan is a celebration of that culinary ingenuity. Along the way, Shah introduces us to her family, takes on some myths (“Indian Food is Complicated”—busted!), and makes mouths water at the turn of every page.

Health Nut

Jess Damuck is an LA-resident and produce enthusiast (her last cookbook was Salad Freak), and this groovy book is exactly what you might expect from someone with that bio and a collection of 1970s cookbooks. The recipes are fresh and veggie-centric, and as Grace Elkus wrote in our print mag about this book, it delivers everything you’d want from modern-day “hippie” recipes—three types of granola, grain bowls galore, a California veggie sandwich, and plenty of nutritional yeast (natch). It’s the book I’ve been turning to when my body needs a reset or I’m excited to use my latest farmer’s market haul. Don't miss the Charred Broccoli Salad with Almonds and Spicy Green Goddess.

Cooking in Real Life

Lidey Heuck’s debut cookbook has a familiar charm, one reminiscent of Ina Garten’s approach: bright, seasonal dishes that highlight fresh, high-quality ingredients. However, Heuck has a unique touch that makes her recipes feel distinct. Her creations are often delightful twists on classic favorites—take the Spicy Shrimp alla Vodka (a must-try) or the Spaghetti with Sweet Corn Pesto, which graces the book’s cover. The subtitle, “Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day,” captures the essence of the book perfectly.

Niçoise

Niçoise is the type of cookbook I want to devour, cook from, and essentially live in. Written by Rosa Jackson, a Canadian who’s called France home since 1994, the book brings together her passion for teaching and writing. Jackson, once a journalist, now runs a cooking school in Nice, and her culinary expertise shines through the vibrant, olive-oil-kissed recipes. The book is rich with explanations of both ingredients and culture. Plus, the photographs, which were taken over a year-long collaboration with a chef-photographer duo, capture Nice’s lively markets in all their seasonal glory. Niçoise is, in many ways, a holiday in book form.

Cured

Steve McHugh, a chef and restaurateur based in San Antonio, Texas, has a deep passion for food preservation and using it to enhance the flavors in his cooking. In collaboration with Paula Forbes, McHugh shares his methods in Cured, guiding readers on how to bring preservation techniques into their own kitchens. The book is divided into eight sections that reflect different preservation methods: Acid, Ice, Dry, Sugar, Fat, Cure, Ferment, and Smoke. Each section includes instructions for creating base ingredients, followed by recipes for using them. For example, the Acid section includes recipes for vinaigrette, mustard, pickles, and tomato sauce. The beauty of this book is the flexibility: you can opt for store-bought versions of these base ingredients and still create delicious dishes. In the Acid section alone, I’ve bookmarked the Marinated Cheese, Pickled Shrimp, Pickled “Pimento” Cheese, and Pickle Ham Biscuits.

PlantYou Scrappy Cooking

The subtitle on this book—140+ Plant-Based Zero-Waste Recipes That are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet—says it all. Carleigh Bodrug, the mega-influencer (five million Instagram followers and counting) wrote this book after learning about the staggering amount of food wasted in the United States. (She cites a statistic saying it’s between 30 to 40 percent of the food supply.) The book is full of both hacks and recipes. Early pages share where in the book to find recipes to use up stale bread, wilted greens, mushy berries, and other on-their-way-out ingredients. Recipes marked Kitchen Raid!, like Whatever Sheet-Pan Soup, are flexible, encouraging you to use what you have on-hand.

The Feel Good Foodie Cookbook

When the very first recipe of a cookbook speaks to you, the Walnut Date Oatmeal in this case, you know that’s a good sign. A few pages later I swooned over the Sesame Banana Bread, and just a few pages after that the Stuffed Dates had me adding to my grocery list. You can tell that I like dates, and so does Michigan-based author Yumna Jawad. With family roots in Lebanon, she brings big Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors to these accessible, family-friendly recipes. You’ll find a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables here, plus creamy dips and lively main dish recipes. Jawad was the blogger responsible for bringing that viral feta pasta to the masses a few years ago, and, yup, that recipe is here too.

Honorable Mentions

• Italian Snacking: Tasty bites perfect for any time of day
• The Curated Board: Stunning ideas for your next gathering
• Zahav Home: A cookbook by professional chefs that feels designed for home cooks
• Mortar and Pestle: A heartfelt collection of Indonesian recipes from a mother-daughter team
• The World Is Your Dumpling: International dumpling recipes for a universally loved dish
• The Cake Bible: A refreshed edition of a timeless classic
• The Kitchen Cookbook: The cookbook from my favorite restaurant—finally!
• Come Hungry: So many veggie and salad ideas to inspire your meals
• Modern Asian Kitchen: Quick, plant-forward Asian dishes for busy evenings