With the start of another year comes a new slate of cookbooks, and we couldn’t be more excited. Some of our favorite chefs, recipe developers, and writers are publishing books in 2022—many of whom you’ll probably recognize from their work with Food52!
These books explore no-brainer dinners and celebratory meals; they’ll take us from Mexico to Nepal to Beirut to the Caribbean. We'll sit down at a few moms' (and a grandmother's) kitchen tables. We’ll dive into plant-based and planet-minded eating; in one pot and in as many as you can fit on the stove. In short, we can’t wait to get cooking.
From Our Shop
Unbelievably Vegan: 100+ Life-Changing, Plant-Based Recipes, Charity Morgan, $29.99
For those interested in going plant-based but who are hesitating about giving up some of their favorite foods, Morgan’s book is one to pick up. The chef uses the term “plegan” to explain her attainable transitional approach to a plant-based lifestyle, which excludes meat and dairy in the diet, but may not involve avoiding every animal by-product in the home. “I hope people’s stereotypes about what plant-based eating is are flipped upside-down when they open [this] book,” writes Venus Williams (she's a fan!) in the foreword.
One Pot, Pan, Planet: A Greener Way to Cook for You & Your Family, Anna Jones, $35
From how to make simpler meals with fewer dishes to how to save money at the grocery store to the most environmentally friendly approach to leftovers, Anna Jones’ new book is filled with the simple, vegetable-forward recipes we know and love her for.
Turkey & the Wolf: Flavor Trippin' In New Orleans, Mason Hereford with JJ Goode, $30
"The Everything Bagel Wedge Salad and Collard Melt at Turkey & the Wolf have actively saved my life several times, and I never leave New Orleans without visiting. I can't wait to re-create some of Hereford's magic at home." —Margaret Eby, Editorial Lead, Food
A Good Day to Bake: Simple Baking Recipes for Every Mood, Benjamina Ebuehi, $29.99
"It's hard to overstate how stunning and soothing A New Way to Cake—Benjamina Ebuehi's first cookbook—is. So I've been looking forward to her second, A Good Day to Bake, before I even knew it was in the works. Like the best cookbooks, the hardest part about reading it is picking what to make first. Tarragon blondies? Malted milk crème brûlée? Sour cream–sage doughnuts? I want them all." —Emma Laperruque, Food Editor
Natural Flava: Quick & Easy Plant-Based Caribbean Recipes, Craig & Shaun McAnuff, $30
Caribbean food is known for its deeply flavorful meat and fish dishes, but the McAnuff brothers want to clarify that this doesn’t mean one can’t enjoy the cuisine if they follow a plant-based diet. Embracing jackfruit, yams, plantains, and other indigenous Caribbean ingredients that lend themselves to vegan cooking, as well as principles from the plant-based Jamaican Rastafarian Ital diet, Natural Flava celebrates traditional and modern takes on vegan recipes.
Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals, Melissa Clark, $29.99
One of the folks so many of us turn to when we need a reliable recipe that won’t take all our time or energy, Melissa Clark is back with another dinner-saver, and this time, she’s doing it all in one pot.
Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home, Eric Kim, $32.50
"Besides being a fantastic cook and recipe developer, Eric is a wonderful storyteller, and I can’t wait to see how he’s brought familial dishes and traditions to life in his first cookbook. Not to mention the photography looks gorgeous." —Celeste Scollan, Copywriter
Join The Conversation
Top Comment:
“I'm surprised that Kenji's forthcoming wok book isn't on this list. I've been excited it about it since the moment I heard it was coming out. ”
— EmiBee
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"I can’t wait to devour Eric’s always beautiful essays alongside the incredibly delicious recipes." —Erin McDowell, Food52 Resident
Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession, Jess Damuck, $29.99
"No one has more fun playing with food than Jess Damuck. The joy she gets from beautiful produce is infectious, and she is one of my favorite Instagram follows for plant-forward recipe inspiration. I can't wait to see how she brings her quirky, insightful take on food to her first cookbook, Salad Freak." —Stacey Rivera, SVP, Content
I Dream of Dinner (so You Don’t Have To), Ali Slagle, $29.99
"Ali Slagle's debut cookbook is called I Dream of Dinner (So You Don't Have To), but don't let the title fool you: I have been dreaming of her "low-effort, high-reward" recipes ever since I got a sneak peek. Virtually all of Ali's 150 dishes come together with just a few ingredients in under 45 minutes, and she supplies endless ideas for tweaking and riffing. Plus her kitchen hacks had me smacking my forehead—the trick for straining pasta while neatly saving the starchy water has changed my spaghetti game." —CB Owens, Copy Editor
"When cooking one of Ali's recipes, I can almost hear her voice guiding me through each step. She's that good! The recipes are unique, easy to follow, and even easier to commit to memory. It's exciting to think of a whole cookbook worth of them." —Patrick Moynihan, Director of Social Media
Celebrate with Babs: Holiday Recipes & Family Traditions, Barbara Costello, $32
You may know Barbara Costello from her charming and helpful social media presence, @brunchwithbabs—now, everyone can welcome Babs to their holiday table with her approachable, family-friendly recipes. She may not actually be your grandma, but with her holiday recipes, she’ll become an honorary member of the family.
Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food, Colu Henry, $35
"Easy and fancy don't often end up in the same sentence—after all, if something is easy, can it be fancy? And if something is fancy, can it be easy?—but Colu Henry put them both in the title of her beautiful new book. A New York Times contributor and cookbook author (of the also-wonderfully-titled Back Pocket Pasta), Colu makes food I want to eat. Like, all of it: the smoked trout with capers and pickles; the green beans with harissa butter; the broccoli rabe toast with gooey provolone. These are recipes that remind me that sophisticated doesn't need to be complicated. —Emma Laperruque
To the Last Bite: Recipes & Ideas for Making the Most of Your Ingredients, Alexis deBoschnek, $32.50
"I would never judge a book by its cover, but one look at the tomato galette gracing the front of Alexis deBoschnek’s To the Last Bite and I was hooked. I can’t wait to dive into her recipes, each of which celebrates colorful, locally sourced (even homegrown, when possible!) ingredients. I especially love her section on the victory garden’s comeback—it reminded me of early 2020, when my windowsill-regenerating scallions were my greatest pride and joy." —Rebecca Firkser, Assigning Editor
Ammu: Indian Home-Cooking to Nourish Your Soul, Asma Khan, $35
Asma Khan pays homage to her ammu, or mother, in this celebration of Indian home cooking. The star of Chef’s Table is known for her popular London restaurant; this book takes things back to Khan’s culinary roots, to emphasize that while her mother didn’t cook in restaurants, her prowess remained unparalleled when it came to shaping Khan’s culinary point of view.
Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora, Reem Assil, $35
"Reem Assil’s work at the intersection of food, community, and social justice has manifested in what is no doubt bold, delicious eating, pulled from her Palestinian and Syrian roots. Connecting to the diaspora across cultures extends our community. Doing it via food creates a sense-based experience that is undeniable." —Melina Hammer, Food52 Resident
The Cook You Want to Be: Everyday Recipes to Impress, Andy Baraghani, $35
"After working with Andy for a few years at Bon Appétit, I can confirm that he's as nice and charming and funny in real life as he is in his videos—as well as an insanely talented, easy-to-work-with cook. His recipes are always so approachable yet bursting with unexpected flavors. He’s come up with so many unique dishes and flavor combinations that were unheard of to me at the time, which is why I can't wait to see what kind of recipes he's developed for his book." —Jill Baughman, Recipe Editor
Ayla: A Feast of Nepali Dishes from Terai, Hills & the Himalayas, Santosh Shah, $25
MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Santosh Shah aims to bring more mainstream attention worldwide to Nepali cuisine. Though the chef is known for his elegant plating, the recipes in Ayla are designed to be approachable to all home cooks.
Mi Cocina: Recipes & Rapture from My Kitchen in México, Rick Martínez, $35
"Rick's recipes in general are brimming with flavor and flair—and are written in a foolproof, home-cook-friendly manner that ensures consistently excellent results every time. His debut cookbook is a love letter to Mexico—one that explores local specialties from the country's wide-ranging and diverse culinary culture—and I can't wait to see how Rick takes these long-standing traditions, adapts and translates them with his signature style, and allows them to emerge as familiar but entirely new classics." —Brinda Ayer, Director of Content
"I cannot wait to get my hands on Rick's food and recipe love letter to Mexico. I've been working with Rick for years, first at Bon Appétit and now here at Food52—he's an award-winning F52 Resident, after all. I knew he'd go far, and as someone who helped just a tiny bit to bring this book to life (and knows the exact weight of many chiles), I couldn't be more proud of him and excited for this book to be published." —Jill Baughman
My America: Recipes From a Young Black Chef, Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein, $35
"I became a big fan of Kwame Onwuachi when he competed on Top Chef in 2015. Since then he's been dubbed a 30 Under 30 honoree by Zagat and Forbes and written a must-read memoir, Notes From a Young Black Chef. And—lucky us—now he's written a cookbook. Dedicated to Onwuachi's mother, this personal collection has more than 125 recipes, from jambalaya to misir wat to braised oxtails to plantain bread. The chock-full pantry chapter, in particular, makes me want to sprint to the kitchen; it's packed with gems to upgrade anything, like jerk BBQ sauce, tamarind glaze, and ginger-garlic purée." —Emma Laperruque
Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy Recipes for Exceptionally Scrumptious Sweets & Treats, Jessie Sheehan, $28
"This book is as fun as Jessie herself—and filled to the brim with easy bakes that don’t skimp on flavor or good looks!" —Erin McDowell
A Year at Catbird Cottage: Recipes for a Nourished Life, Melina Hammer, $29.99
"I’ve been a follower of Melina for years, and I’m excited about her upcoming cookbook, which focuses on her style of cooking: seasonal, approachable, beautiful, and, most importantly, always delicious." —Maurizio Leo, Food52 Resident
A note from the author
"This book is about connection—to the myriad ways you can prepare ingredients to eat luxuriously, no matter the meal, connecting to the natural world around us, and connection to the crucial joy of eating at a table with the people we love. It is filled with recipes both sumptuous and simple, accompanied by observations from my piece of paradise in the Hudson Valley. I cannot wait to see the world connect to the many layers it presents."
Forever Beirut: Recipes & Stories from the Heart of Lebanon, Barbara Abdeni Massaad, $35
Chef and cookbook author Barbara Abdeni Massaad writes a love letter to one of the world’s oldest cities, home to myriad culinary traditions, in Forever Beirut. With stories from Beirut’s history and her own childhood, this collection of Lebanese recipes—from meze to pickles to pastries—will likely become a quick favorite.
Koshersoul, Michael Twitty, $28.99
"I have already pre-ordered Koshersoul, which comes out this summer. The book will focus on the creation of African-Jewish cooking, offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them. Koshersoul also explores how food has shaped the journeys of numerous cooks, including Twitty’s own passage to Judaism. The Jewish traditions I experienced growing up directly connected me to a love for cooking, and I am excited to read and cook through Twitty’s journey." —Shannon Muldoon, Director, Studio52
Modern Jewish Comfort Food: 100 Fresh Recipes for Classic Dishes from Kugel to Kreplach, Shannon Sarna, $30
"I always go to Shannon’s recipes when looking for creative takes on Jewish classics. Her first book, Modern Jewish Baker, is a staple in my kitchen. (Have you seen her make a challah?! The woman can braid.) I can’t wait to dive into a crop of modern interpretations of the recipes I ate at family functions growing up." —Rebecca Firkser
COMING SOON
While we can’t share too much about them, we’re also super excited about these coming-soon books:
- Snacks for Dinner: Small Bites, Full Plates, Can't Lose, Lukas Volger
- Savory Baking: Recipes for Breakfast, Dinner & Everything in Between, Erin Jeanne McDowell
- The Perfect Loaf, The Essential Guide to Sourdough Bread, Sweets & More, Maurizio Leo
