The lovely little cookbook I’ve given as a gift most frequently is Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales by Roberto Santibanez.

Madhur Jeffrey’s Quick and Easy Indian Cooking is also an astonishingly great cookbook, but it only comes in paperback as far as I can tell. Every single recipe in the thing is perfect, and even my one kid doesn’t like most Indian food loves what I’ve served from there.

https://www.eater.com/24226381/best-cookbooks-fall-2024-martha-stewart-carolina-gelen-ottolenghi-paola-velez?_gl=1*1j8ykdy*_ga*MTE0Nzc1NjY2MS4xNjgzMjI5NTM0*_ga_GMSWCRTSTY*MTcyNjg1MzgxNy4xODQuMC4xNzI2ODUzODIzLjU0LjAuMA..

Here's a list of best fall cookbooks.

The gift of souther cooking by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock.

Anonymous wrote:Anything by Jacque Pepin.

His memoir is also great.

Anything by Jacque Pepin.

Anonymous wrote:Recipe Tin Eats ~ Dinner. This has been one of my favorite gifted cookbooks of all time! All her recipes are truly divine, just an exceptional book, highly recommend.

I just got this and I’m baking the meatloaf right now! I’ve never made meatloaf before so I’m excited.

Snoop

Two I have given multiple times as gifts are Dinner by Melissa Clark and The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont own a lot of cook books (hello internet) but I received the americas test kitchen complete something or other for 900000 seasons and it is so great! It would be intimidating for a new cook, but for an experienced cook it could be really fun.

Huh—I got this, too, and it is so attractive but I haven’t really liked any of the recipes.

French Laundry Cookbook is great.
Also a fun blast from the past is the original Moosewood Cookbook. Not as slick looking as newer cookbooks but every single recipe is a gem.

+1

Any Moosewood.

Anonymous wrote:Vegetarian cooking for everyone by Deborah Madison

My favorite, too, and I'm not a vegetarian! But even the recipes that sound boring to me have been awesome.

Kind of disagree with some of these.

Is there any way your friend doesn’t already have Joy of Cooking and Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking?

Ina + JL tells me their preference may be more “lifestyle”, crowd-pleasing, and not overly complicated, vs adventurous and global.

So for that reason I might not recommend Ottolenghi, Julia Child, or any cookbooks that are purist in their methodologies or are from top class restaurants. Ina for example simplifies lots of processes, skipping steps while still getting good results. Both Ina and JL recipes are about entertaining.

I think the Lunch in Provence book recommended upthread is a wonderful choice, as are the Mark Bitmanns. Also how about The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits? Also depending on your friend’s personality/age, It’s All Easy by Gwyneth Paltrow, or Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey in a Teacup could be good. And this one’s not a cookbook, but maybe one of Ruth Reichl’s memoirs?

Depends-
I found a first edition (1961) of the Betty Crocker spiral ring cookbook, and SIL, who’s half the books age, was thrilled

Anonymous wrote:I would get them this. Way more exciting and original than the stuffy stuff which they probably already have

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baking-yesteryear-b-dylan-hollis/1142960962

I was coming here to suggest Baking Yesteryear as well. They probably have a lot of standard cookbooks this one is a retro look at recipes and is quite funny.

Tasting History also does some historical recipes but had a more serious tone. My brother got really into trying asafoetida from that guy's videos.

If someone not local something by John Shields.