Currently Cooking…

Day to day, I’m constantly connected to technology. Whether for work, the blog or just scrolling through Instagram to pass time, I’m never far from my phone, iPad or laptop. After a long day at work, I race home to open a regular cookbook, flip the pages and land on a new recipe to try. If you’re an avid reader, you understand me when I say there’s nothing better than opening the page of book. Sundays have started to become my “me time” to delve into a cookbook, find a new recipe and get to cooking! Listed below are some of my favorite cookbooks.

1. Seriously Delish – if you follow the blog or my instagram, you already know I have a seriously love for Jessica Merchant and her food.  I’ve followed her blog since grad school and every time I make one of her recipes, they just get better & better. Read her book cover to cover? Follow her blog (& insta), How Sweet It Is for daily inspiration.

2. Cravings – I asked for Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook for Christmas mainly because I love her and think we’d be BFF- having no idea I’d actually love her recipes. No surprise, I do! Stay tuned for later this week when I share her incredible risotto.

3. Shake – ok, technically not a cookbook but mixology can be as fun (and complex) as cooking. Authors, Eric Prum & Josh Williams craft some amazing cocktails and put some exciting spins on the classics (I LOVE the Montauk Mule pictured above) all while giving a step-by-step process on how to make every cocktail perfectly- no intimidation factor here. Another major plus to this book is that it’s divided into sections based on season, so you won’t get stuck in a rut even in the dead of winter.

4. Cooking for Jeffrey – Ok, as if Ina needs any kind of introduction. Her cooking is beyond perfect and let’s face it, so is Jeffrey. This year, one of my resolutions is to work on preparing meat dishes. I certainly don’t hate preparing it, but I always doubt my ability so.. you know what they say, practice makes perfect. All of her cookbooks are divine but this one particularly has some great meat courses that I’ll be practicing over the next few months. Also obsessed with Foolproof, too!

Not pictured:

5. Mastering the Art of French Cooking– Julia Child’s bible & gourmet classic, one day I will master this book, for now, I will tread lightly as each practice soufflé bakes.

6. Molly on the Range– full of midwestern classics- be still my heart! I could never top epicurious’s review: “cooking from this book is as salty and cozy and a BFF sleepover”

7. Martha Stewart’s Cooking School – perfect to master the basics. Want to make a killer pot roast? Martha’s your girl.

8. Meat – back to my desire to learn to better prepare meat, this cookbook lays out all the basics, even down to terminology & cuts. I have a feeling I’ll be referencing this book a lot over the next few months.

9. Soup of the Day– for a short stint in grad school, I worked in a William Sonoma store (hello discount!) On slow days, I’d peruse the cookbooks dreaming of what I’d cook once I finally finished my thesis. I’ve always loved soups, especially served up with a little bit of crusty bread from the local bakery. This book provides plenty of options with 365 recipes to try.

10. The slow cooker Cookbook – if you haven’t learned to love the crockpot, you should. I don’t use mine nearly as much as I should but when I do, I’m so happy I did. It’s beyond easy to get in a rut when using a crockpot but with this cookbook you’ll have a myriad of options that don’t all feel so heavy.

What are some of your favorite cookbooks? Do you still buy cookbooks or do you prefer to find recipes from Pinterest or your favorite food bloggers online?

Cheers!