Holiday Cookbooks Staff Picks (11/25/24)

This month, we’re sharing our favorite cookbooks to prep for all of your holiday cooking!

AMANDA’S PICK: DOES THIS TASTE FUNNY?: Recipes Our Family Loves BY STEPHEN COLBERT AND EVIE MCGEE COLBERT

Stephen and Evie Colbert invite you to pull up a chair as they share their favorite recipes from family and friends and offer a glimpse of food and fun in their South Carolina home.  This book contains over 100 wonderful recipes and offers everything from Party Food, to Seafood, to Poultry and Meat, to Desserts, to Drinks.  Aside from wonderful recipes, each section of the book opens with engaging dialogue and hilarious banter between Stephen and Evie and stories that bring the food and the family to vivid life. This book offers not only good food, but also great fun, perfect for the holidays!

EMILY’S PICK: THE TRIGGER KITCHEN: Dismantling Diet Culture One Unapologetic Recipe at a Time BY EMMA MYLES

Actor and eating disorder recovery cook Emma Myles is helping people tackle their dysfunctional relationship with food and their bodies in her new cookbook, out just in time for the holidays! This one-of-a-kind cookbook offers a way back to food enjoyment and is filled with candid personal stories that remind us how we lost sight of it in the first place. With a wide range of recipes from breakfasts (savory buttermilk cheddar dutch baby) to desserts (peanut butter chocolate banana poppers) and everything in between (homemade pop-tarts, sesame noodles with shrimp, frozen peppermint hot chocolate, I could go on and on…) Emma carves a tunnel through the unrelenting maze of diet culture and provides all of us with a clear pathway to break free. 

MARGO’S PICK: WHAT GOES WITH WHAT: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities BY JULIA TURSHEN

Julia Turshen is a home cook’s best friend–she creates and tests simple, practical, and yet inventive recipes that anyone can make (and will want to make) again and again. With her accessible and interactive approach to cooking, she takes the guesswork out of everyday meals. In WHAT GOES WITH WHAT, Julia offers endless iterations of different meals. Split into six sections with categories such as salads and sandwiches, main dishes, and baked goods, readers will learn how to build a successful dish, and still have room for creativity and personal preference to make it their own. You’ll find out exactly how to transform the bland contents of your fridge into an exciting, satisfying meal.

HALLIE’S PICK: DINNER: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes for the Most Important Meal of the Day BY MEERA SODHA

If you’re looking to bring fresh, vibrant flavors to your dinner table that you can share with everyone, DINNER by Meera Sodha is a must-read. This incredible cookbook shares over 100 plant-based recipes that cater to a wide range of tastes and cooking styles. From quick one-pan wonders to comforting, hands-off dishes, you’ll find meals that are as simple as they are delicious. With mouthwatering recipes like Whole Roast Cauliflower Pilaf, Fennel and Dill Dal, and Coconut and Cardamom Dream Cake, this book will inspire you to make every dinner a memorable one.