The Best New Cookbooks to Buy This Spring

Musa Dagdeviren, one of Turkey’s most famous chefs and a subject of Netflix’s Chef’s Table, has a new cookbook out that takes a deep dive into the cuisine of his homeland. There are over 550 recipes included, encompassing everything from grilled meat kabobs to sweet pastries like baklava to shepherd’s salad made with fresh vegetables. The focus here is on the traditions and history of Turkey’s long and rich culinary history. The book is split into 13 chapters that take you from appetizers to entrees to desserts, along with a section featuring recipes from some guest chefs.

Priya Krishna, a writer who has contributed to The New York Times and The New Yorker, wrote this cookbook as a tribute to her mother, who combined the flavors of her home country of India with her kids’ Americanized tastes into her cooking. This means that Krishna’s “Indian-ish” recipes take the form of concepts like tomato rice with crispy cheddar, which she describes as pizza in rice form, or something she calls Indian Gatorade, a sweet and salty lime drink. The recipes in here are flavorful, accessible, and very creative. Also, Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi wrote the forward, so you can't go wrong with that seal of approval.

Many chefs find modern inspiration in the culinary methods of the past. Will Horowitz, executive chef and owner of Ducks Eatery and Harry & Ida’s in NYC, counts himself among this group. His new cookbook is a study in patience, focusing on curing, brining, cold smoking, and canning techniques for the home cook. Horowitz teaches you how to make homemade jerky, and showcases recipes for dishes like fermented corn on the cob with duck liver butter and a smoked beef brisket. He also touches upon foraging, hunting, fishing, and even has some tips on herbal medicine.

There’s a particular pleasure to be had in sharing plates of home-cooked food, something that Saveur executive editor Stacy Adimando had in mind when writing her new cookbook. She focuses on the food of Italy, choosing easy to make but delicious selections like prosciutto and pecorino biscuits, white clam pizza with bacon, and Tuscan pork loin. The 75 recipes included are accompanied by beautiful photography and divided into seasons, assuring that you will be using only the freshest ingredients when tackling these dishes.

Is there anything more satisfyingly primal than cooking food over an open flame? Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet's grillmaster and chief product designer, would argue that this is the only way to eat, packing his new cookbook with 170 recipes to make on the grill. This doesn’t just mean burgers and chicken though; he pays careful attention to pizza, tacos, veggies, roasts, and even a few desserts. Of course, his version of classic grill food is also included, like hanger steak with jalapeno butter or smoked beef brisket. Even if you are new to outdoor grilling, this book provides you with the necessary steps to get it right.

Andrea Nguyen knows her way around Vietnamese cuisine, and her new cookbook allows you to bring this delicious food into your home with 80 recipes. The focus here is on ease and speed, as Nguyen tackles favorites like banh mi, pho, and summer rolls, along with more complicated dishes like Vietnamese coffee ice cream and chile garlic chicken wings. She also shows you how to pick and choose ingredients from your regular run-of-the-mill supermarket to make good Vietnamese food for those who don’t have access to specialty markets.

As the title indicates, the concept of what defines Jewish food can be a polarizing subject that is open to individual interpretation. To that end, Tablet Magazine editor Alana Newhouse recruited a number of talents chefs to contribute their favorite recipes to this cookbook, with entries on babka, matzo balls, blintzes, bagels, and gefilte fish. Eric Ripert, Ruth Reichl, Michael Solomonov, Action Bronson, and Tom Colicchio all offer their unique takes, along with a variety of stories and essays to provide some commentary and context. Whatever you make from this cookbook, the result will certainly be a very appetizing platter.

Ethiopian-born chef Yohanis Gebreyesus wants to show the world what makes the cuisine of his homeland so special, and this cookbook goes a long way in doing that. He brings recipes to the forefront for both meat-based and vegetarian dishes, like doro wat (a spicy chicken stew), siga tibs (seasoned sautéed beef), and gomen (cooked collard greens). Through these recipes and the striking photography, Gebreyesus manages to showcase the rich and diverse culture that makes up Ethiopia, as well as the connection the cuisine has to the rest of the world.

According to Odette Williams, the cake recipes in her new dessert cookbook are staples that she makes for her own family. That means that they're rich in flavor, but not overly complicated to execute. To that end, she provides recipes for ten base cakes along with 15 toppings and various ideas about how to decorate. Mix and match to create delectable treats like a Milk & Honey cake, berry pavlova, or something called the Bribery Cake that pairs buttercream meringue with a touch of sea salt.

Famed chef Enrique Olvera is known for his high-concept Mexican food at Pujol in Mexico City. But this cookbook pares things down to the basics, allowing him to shine a light on 100 recipes that he feels capture the essence of Mexican cuisine. You’ll find everything in this book, from homemade tortillas and tamales to chilaquiles to “chocolate clams” served with avocado, tomato, and onion. Don’t be intimidated by Olvera’s reputation for fine dining; he has made sure that these are recipes that any skilled home cook can execute in his or her own kitchen.