Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 30, 2025

The 19 Best Cookbooks to Give the Chic Chef This Holiday Season

The 19 Best Cookbooks to Give the Chic Chef This Holiday Season

2020 was the year that so many of us rediscovered our own kitchen. Sure, it was mostly out of necessityขwith restaurants and office cafeterias closed, we had to make meals from the comfort of our homes.

But the act of cooking also served as a delicious distraction: even the dreariest days of lockdown could be brightened by a valiant attempt at an extravagant dinner; our deep, persistent worries temporarily quelled by pretty pastries and pies. Cooking, for a good group of us, once was a chore. Now, it’s a hobby.

So this holiday season, perhaps a cookbook is the perfect gift for yourself-or any blossoming amateur chef in your life. Bakers will be forever thankful for Pies for Everyone, a chronicle of Petee’s Pie’s beloved crusted confection, whereas budding mixologists can up their cocktail game with Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World. Clean eaters? Look no further than Bryan Terry’s Vegetable Kingdom, or Vivian Liu’s Eat California, which captures the fresh, farm-to-table cuisine of the Golden State. Then there's the ultimate go-to for the frequent host or hostess: Skye McAlpine's A Table for Friends, which is all about recipes that are perfect to whip up for two people or 20.

For a loved one who wants to expand their culinary horizons, In Bibi’s Kitchen, a fascinating anthology of Eastern African cuisine, is a must-order, as is Xi’an Famous Foods (you’ll never find clearer instructions on how to make dumplings). With international borders closed, at least your gift-recipients’ tastebuds can take a trip with Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from Sardinia or Hong Kong Local: Cult Recipes From the Streets that Make the City.

Want to gift something while also giving back? Consider Serving New York, a delicious set of recipes from the city’s top restaurants-all proceeds go to ROAR, a nonprofit dedicated to saving them from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below, 18 of the year’s best cookbooks that, this holiday season, will be the sweetest of treats to find under the tree.

        

Eat California: Vibrant Recipes From The West Coast


        

Sant Ambroeus: The Coffee Bar Cookbook: Light Lunches, Sweet Treats, and Coffee Drinks from New York's Favorite Milanese Café


        

A Table for Friends: The Art of Cooking for Two or Twenty


        

Hong Kong Local: Cult Recipes From the Streets that Make the City


                

Dishoom: From Bombay with Love


        

Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from Sardinia


        

Dimes Times: Emotional Eating


        

Chicano Eats: Recipes from My Mexican-American Kitchen


        

Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World


        

The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food


        

Serving New York: For All The People Who Make NYC Dining Unforgettable


        

Vegan Christmas: Plant-Based Recipes For the Festive Season


        

In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean


        

Pie for Everyone: Recipes and Stories from Petee's Pie, New York's Best Pie Shop


            

Xi’an Famous Foods: The Cuisine of Western China, from New York’s Favorite Noodle Shop


        

The French Laundry, Per Se


        

Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes


        

The Noma Guide to Fermentation


        

The Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking from the Beloved West Village Restaurant

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
×