Fall signals a time to re-assess our routines and put more focus into the goals we set earlier in the year. Was meal prepping healthy meals on your list? Did you decide to go Paleo or dairy-free? How about diversifying your recipe repertoire to include different cuisines? To get your top chef juices going, we rounded up the best new cookbooks out there.
If you haven’t invested in an instant pot yet, The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook has everything from soups and risotto to oatmeal and poached apples covered. Or, sharpen your presentation skills (a la fruit flowers) with Athena Calderone’s Insta-worthy dishes in the Cook Beautiful cookbook. Better yet, get ahead of your January detox with The Whole 30 Fast Easy Cookbook. Are you reaching for that spatula yet? Tie your apron and get cooking with these tasty titles.
RELATED: Top 5 Cookbooks to Get You Through Whole 30
8 Fall Cookbooks You’ll Want to Dig Into
Photo: Courtesy of Andrews McMeel Publishing
1. Ready or Not! 150 Make-Ahead, Make-Over and Make-Now Recipes ($22)
Best for: Avoiding takeout
Whenever you’re tempted to fire up the Seamless app, have a moment of Nom Nom clarity. Michelle Tam, the Nom Nom Paleo pro, is back with quick and easy recipes you can whip up when you need a meal — STAT. It also includes recipes for DIY ingredients, like all-purpose stir-fry sauce and Sriracha ranch dressing, you can tackle when you do have time to think ahead. The cookbook is organized into your level of readiness. The “Ready!” section features make-ahead recipes that’ll set you up for a week of healthy eats, while the “Not Ready!” chapter features quick, no-fuss meals, like stir-fries and sheet pan dishes.
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Random House
2. The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook ($12)
Best for: Lazy (ahem, efficient) chefs
The instant pot is quickly building a cult following among meal prep mavens, and for a good reason. The multi-purpose electric cooker can have dinner on the table in less time — and with less sweat and tears. Allow Coco Marante to show you just how versatile the appliance is with a variety of breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert recipes. From carrot-parsnip soup to chicken with mushroom sauce and chocolate bundt cake, there isn’t anything you can’t cook.
RELATED: Instant Pot: Your Favorite New Kitchen Essential, Plus 8 Recipes
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Random House
3. Real Food Heals: Eat to Feel Younger and Stronger Every Day ($22)
Best for: Clean eating
Since being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2007, Seamus Mullen, chef of the critically acclaimed New York City restaurant Boqueria, is all about healthy eating. And his cookbook, Real Food Heals, is a reflection of that — featuring recipes that have helped him manage his autoimmune disease. Made with a bounty of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, whole grains and fermented foods, all 125 recipes are easy to prepare and made with real, wholesome ingredients. Some of the chef’s go-to dishes: Kefir Scrambled Eggs with Grated Garlic, Nori Rolls with Olive Oil, Tuna and Avocado, and Sprouts and Fig Almond Cacao Nib Bars.
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Random House
4. Half Baked Harvest Cookbook ($18)
Best for: Farm-to-table cooking
You might have caught a few of Tieghan Gerard’s delicious recipes on our site. And now, with her debut cookbook, the food blogger officially welcomes us into her Colorado mountain kitchen. Gerard’s timeless recipes include Earl Grey Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel, Healthier Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken and Roasted Garlic, and Tomato-Braised Lamb Shanks. There are also more elaborate dishes, like a honeycomb cheese board for wowing your dinner guests, and an entire chapter devoted to vegan recipes for those living the dairy-free life.
RELATED: 13 Vegan Breakfast Recipes You’ll Want Every Morning
Photo: Courtesy of Mango Publishing
5. Eating Well to Win: Inspire Living Through Inspired Cooking ($17)
Best for: Better sports performance
Chef Richard Ingraham has cooked for some of the biggest NBA and NFL athletes, including Dwyane Wade, Patrick Ewing and Asante Samuel. In his new cookbook, Ingraham dishes out the same superfood smoothies and protein-packed meals that have fueled his superstar clients to rise above. Whether you’re game for Southern, Italian or Asian cuisine, Ingraham’s recipes are designed to help you reach peak performance, and stay ready to maintain.
Photo: Courtesy of Abrams Publishing
6. Cook Beautiful ($22)
Best for: Instagram foodies
Nutrition meets design in Athena Calderone’s Cook Beautiful cookbook. The artfully styled recipes celebrate the vibrance of vegetables and fruits, so much that you’ll want to eat them right off the pages. Each of the 100 dishes is prepared by balancing the visual elements and flavors of the foods. Organized by season, Cook Beautiful has hearty dishes, like One-Pot Stewed Pork With Butternut Squash and Walnut Gremolata for fall, and Salt-Encrusted Red Snapper With Winter Citrus and Salsa Verde for winter.
Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Random House
7. Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites ($25)
Best for: Wholesome comfort food
Everyone’s favorite food blogger, Deb Perelman, is back to woo us with her irresistibly mouthwatering recipes. But this new cookbook features recipes that have fewer ingredients and take less time to prepare. No one has time to make lasagna every day, after all. Some dishes you’ll want to bookmark immediately: Kale Caesar with Broken Eggs and Crushed Croutons, Mango Apple Ceviche with Sunflower Seeds, and Grandma-Style Chicken Noodle Soup. And of course, there’s no dinner without dessert. Prepare to feast your eyes (and tummy) for Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Cake and Strawberry Cloud Cookies.
RELATED: 8 Delicious Mac and Cheese Recipes You Can Feel Good About
Photo: Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
8. The Whole30 Fast Easy Cookbook ($20)
Best for: A healthy reset
It’s as if Melissa Hartwig, co-founder of the New York Times best-selling The Whole30, read our minds: 30-minute Whole30-approved recipes, please. When you have to say goodbye to cookies, sangrias and bagels for the next month, you’ll be glad you can whip up these super easy recipes without the painstaking steps of finding approved foods. From cast-iron and sheet-pan suppers to slow cooker dishes, you’ll not only love every bite but feel satisfied, too.
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