Collecting my favorite cookbooks has been a hobby for a while now. I love being able to pick up a book and experience each chef’s point of view about food and cooking. Obsession with food is something I believe is shared throughout the world and cookbooks are my gateways to foreign cuisines and cultures! One day I could be learning from a Japanese master chef and the next day I can be reading about Los Angeles street food.
Here I will list my current favorite cookbooks in my collection. This list will undoubtedly grow and change over time so I will be constantly updating this list with old/new favorites. Enjoy!
Culinary Writing
By far my favorite book about cooking and life in professional kitchens. I have always loved Bourdain’s raw unfiltered style. His book makes you want to jump into kitchen life and run away from it at the same time. If you have ever been curious about what it’s like working as a cook in a professional kitchen this is a must read.
My current read at the moment is Bourdain’s follow up memoir, Medium Raw. I just started to read the book and already I am hooked. Same great Bourdain style, he really knows how to create an image in your head. Just the opening story of the secretive illegal after-hours dinner party full of well-known chefs was enough to grab my attention!
Cooking Fundamental Cookbooks
The grand-master of cooking himself! This is the go-to book for basic and advanced cooking techniques. With step-by-step photographs Jacques Pepin teaches us the correct way to cook!
For anyone at all interested in the intricacies of sauce making this is the book for you! A great sauce can elevate a dish to new heights. With hundreds of sauce recipes and techniques you can find a sauce for any dish.
This book is as much about understanding the fundamentals of good cooking as it is about recipes. Samin Nosrat really dives into her philosophy of harnessing just the four cooking elements of salt, fat, acid, and heat. Her enthusiasm jumps right off the page!
Specialized Cookbooks
From Kogi Truck to A-Frame to Best Friend, Roy Choi is an inspiration to all LA cooks and chefs! I loved reading about Roy’s life journey and the experiences that led up to his Kogi Truck days. The recipes he incorporates into this book help enhance his story even more. You can feel his passion for food and Los Angeles through this book.
The New Art of Japanese Cooking
Ever since I saw him cooking on TV in Iron Chef I was a fan. He has a great personality and an exceptionally creative culinary mind! This book contains stunning images and step by step photos for both traditional Japanese dishes and Morimoto’s own unique dishes.
I first saw Chef Eric Ripert when he made guest appearances on Bourdain’s TV show No Reservations. He has a passion and curiosity about food that few people have! This book is full of recipes inspired by his travels.
This cookbook will open your eyes to a whole new world of possibilities for grilling! From the James Beard Award winning chefs at Ox Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, this cookbook shows that great grilling can involve unexpected cuts of meat, lots of fresh produce and can be very vegetarian friendly!
I hope this list will inspire you to get out there and find your favorite cookbooks! Take an hour or two and go browse through the cookbook section of your local bookstore.You can find some hidden gems in the used book section (sometimes even a signed copy).
Let us know in the comments below if you have any favorite cookbooks you swear by! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest as well.