“Cooking is an act of love and kindness, a universal language that nourishes, sustains, and inspires.”
Here’s the roundup of the most inspirational and influential cookbooks featured on Passerbuys. The highlighted cookbook recommendations span the globe and differ in style and approach to cooking and entertaining. But all these selections share some basic precepts. Start with fresh, quality ingredients, infuse the dish with relaxed creativity, and cook from the heart. Our cookbook picks exemplify these principles and aim to spark our collective imagination.
Dining In by Alison Roman
Recommended by Eden Grinshpan Nivron, Angie Venezia, Stephanie Danler, carolina santos-venes and Eva Goicochea
In Dining In, passerbuys alumni, Alison Roman, shows us that some of the most fabulous meals can be unfussy, down-to-earth, and home-made. This cookbook is bursting with casual, delectable recipes for which anyone can master. It’s no wonder Alison has taken the culinary and media worlds by storm. With a few well-chosen ingredients and a little know-how, Dining In gives readers dozens of reasons to feast at home.
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Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook
Recommended by Eden Grinshpan Nivron and Holly Liss
The vibrancy and versatility of Israeli cuisine is celebrated by the James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of Philadelphia's Zahav restaurant, Michael Solomonov. Modern Israeli cooking is a rich, multi-cultural blend influences from the Middle East, North Africa, Mediterranean, and Eastern Europe. The Zahav cookbook beautifully reinterprets these varied cooking traditions for American audiences.
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Everything I Want To Eat: Sqirl and the new California Cooking by Jessica Koslow
Recommended by Holly Liss and Glynn Connolly
Jessica Koslow shares some of the best recipes from her Los Angeles restaurant Sqirl along with some new, seasonal dishes. Everything I Want to Eat emphasizes clean, wholesome, fresh ingredients combined in new, playful ways. This cookbook offers something for everyone, with modification suggestions for vegan, vegetarian gluten-free options.
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Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Recommended by Eden Grinshpan Nivron and carolina santos neves
In Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi explore the vibrant cuisine of their home city—with its diverse Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. Both men were born in Jerusalem in the same year—Tamimi on the Arab east side and Ottolenghi in the Jewish west. This stunning cookbook offers 120 recipes from their unique cross-cultural perspective, from inventive vegetable dishes to sweet, rich desserts.
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Gjelina: Cooking from Venice, California (California Cooking, Restaurant Cookbooks, Cal-Med Cookbook) by Travis Lett
recommended by Natalie Pace and Holly Liss
A standout cookbook featuring 125 of the rustic and utterly delicious salads, toasts, pizzas, vegetable and grain dishes, pastas, fish and meat mains, and desserts that have had fans clamoring for a table at Gjelina since the restaurant burst onto the scene in 2008.
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Feast: Food of the Islamic World by Anissa Helou
recommended by nasim alikhani
In Feast, award-winning chef Anissa Helou—an authority on the cooking of North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East—shares her extraordinary range of beloved, time-tested recipes and stories from cuisines throughout the Muslim world. A masterpiece crossing border and tastes to unite them all in the end.
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Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies by Najmieh Batmangli
recommended by nasim alikhani
This book provides a treasure trove of recipes, along with an immersive cultural experience for those seeking to understand this ancient and timeless cuisine.
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Cherry Bombe by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu
recommended by Diana Yen
It’s the first-ever cookbook from the team behind Cherry Bombe, the hit indie magazine about women and food, and the Radio Cherry Bombe podcast. Inside are 100+ recipes from some of the most interesting chefs, bakers, food stylists, pastry chefs, and creatives on the food scene today.
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Discovering Korean Cuisine: Recipes from the Best Korean Restaurants in Los Angeles by Allisa Park
recommended by Puno dostres
A step-by-step guide to recreating healthy, delicious, Korean-style dinners, this book unlocks the mysteries behind these delicacies in an approachable, illuminating manner. Featuring contributions from 12 of Los Angeles most prominent Korean restaurants.
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The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide by Steve Sando and Julia Newberry
recommended by Tara Thomas
Part gardening manual, part field guide, and part cookbook, The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide is a trove of information and inspiration for gardening and cooking enthusiasts alike.
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Words by Alla Lopatin