51 Recipes From Our Favorite Cookbooks of the Year
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A big part of our work at Epicurious involves assembling a list of all of the year’s best cookbooks. To get to the list, we read and cook, and cook some more. Not every book makes the cut, but when the recipes really shine, we can’t help but tell everyone how much we loved them. Below, you’ll find some of the dishes that really stood out from this year’s list—and a handful of desserts reprinted from our favorite 2022 baking books as well. Start cooking now, but don’t say we didn’t warn you; cookbook collections have been known to grow bigger and bigger once you taste a preview recipe or two.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne1/51Gâteau au Yaourt Pour le Dîner (Dinner Party-Worthy Yogurt Cake)
Photo by Sarah and Kaitlin Leung2/51Hong Kong-Style Crispy Rice Skillet
We were pretty excited about all of this year’s books, but no title could make as much of a splash as the first book from the folks behind The Woks of Life. One recipe that's already made its way into our rotation? This clever take on clay pot rice doesn’t require a clay pot at all.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele4/51Sticky Banana and Chocolate Skillet Cake
This chocolaty skillet cake with gooey bananas caps off our New Year’s Eve menu—but we'll be making it again and again into 2023.
By Aubrie Pick5/51Sweet Tea and Molasses-Brined Spatchcock Chicken
This juicy spatchcocked chicken from Tanya Holland's California Soul can be cooked on the grill or in the oven.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele6/51Peel and Eat Boiled Shrimp
Anna Stockwell has been sharing entertaining tips with Epicurious readers for years. Now you can get all her dinner party menus in one book. Kick off your next gathering with these tender, extra-flavorful shrimp.
Photo by Yuki Sugiura7/51Celebration Salmon
This side of salmon from Ixta Belfrage’s Mezcla is definitely special-occasion worthy—but it’s not hard to cook.
Photo by Laura Edwards9/51Methi Chicken
Boneless chicken thighs mean this flavorful dish from Ammu is easy to eat at a party—even if you can’t sit down with a fork and knife.
Photo by Maren Ellingboe King10/51Cabbage Salad With Caraway Seeds
Toasting and grinding caraway seeds is absolutely worth the effort, this slaw convinced us that Fresh Midwest deserved a spot on our top cookbooks of the year list.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce11/51Soft-Boiled Tea Eggs
This version of tea eggs features a soft-boiled, slightly oozy center that’s simmered in a comforting blend of oolong tea, soy sauce, and aromatics. Take it from author Frankie Gaw: There is no better after-school snack.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne13/51Crispy Curried Chicken Cutlets With a Lot of Cabbage
Eric Kim, author of Korean American, grew up eating crispy pork cutlets on weeknights—here, he swaps in chicken and adds a little curry powder and garlic powder to the breading.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton15/51Brioche-Crusted Salmon
For easy but exceptionally crispy salmon on a weeknight, take a page from chef Adrienne Cheatham’s book and top your fish with a slice of brioche.
Photo by Hannah Che16/51Braised Winter Squash With Fermented Black Beans
Squash’s natural sweetness shines next to savory fermented black beans in this recipe from Hannah Che’s The Vegan Chinese Kitchen.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne18/51Sour Cream and Onion Fish
If you love sour cream and onion chips, you'll adore this weeknight fish recipe from Ali Slagle’s I Dream of Dinner.
Photo by Hannah Che19/51Vegan Mapo Tofu
Hannah Che’s book celebrates the long history of plant-based cooking in China. This vegan mapo tofu is possible because the dish’s essential ingredients are the fermented black beans, chili bean paste, Sichuan peppercorns, and ground red chiles.
Photo by Joe Woodhouse20/51Sunshine Broth With Frikadelki
There are lots of cozy dishes in Home Food by Olia Hercules; this broth is ideal sustenance for a sick day or for staving off the winter blues.
Photo by Gentl & Hyers, Prop Styling by Ayesha Patel, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich21/51Risotto al Limone
This lemon risotto from Via Carota doesn’t use stock—instead, it relies on water to cook the silky rice while letting the lemon flavor shine through.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano22/51Mutabbal
This eggplant and tahini dip is remarkably riffable—chef Reem Assil’s book also includes a beet rendition and a version made with Swiss chard.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne24/51Mahalabiya
This centuries-old milk pudding may have inspired maja blanca, panna cotta, and blancmange too.
Photo by Kris Kirkham Photography26/51Lamb Kofta With Barberries and Pine Nuts
This was one of our favorite recipes from Sabrina Ghayour’s Persiana Everyday.
27/51Extra-Fluffy Sourdough Dinner Rolls
You’ve already gotten a little preview of The Perfect Loaf; this recipe for sourdough rolls was one of our most popular Thanksgiving recipes.
Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott28/51Winter Chicories With Date and Anchovy Dressing
Sure, you probably can make salad dressing without a recipe. But this combination from Simple Pasta is a delightful change of pace.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne30/51Rumbledethumps
Too many mashed potatoes left over from a holiday feast? You need this Scottish dish in your breakfast plans, hangover or no.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne31/51Gâteau Chocolat-Menthe (Chocolate-Mint Cake)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne33/51Banoffee Pie
A not-too-sweet version of the classic pie, reprinted from The British Cookbook by Ben Mervis.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele34/51Upside-Down Plantain Omelet With Scotch Bonnet Salsa
This omelet takes a cue from upside-down cake. It works as a weeknight dinner, but it's also a lovely part of any brunch spread.
Photo by Brittany Conerly35/51Ooey-Gooey Macaroni and Cheese
Don't you just want to dive into this mac and cheese from chef Chris Scott’s Homage?
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne36/51Ma’amoul Med (Orange and Espresso Date Cookie Bars)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton37/51Lentils With Caramelized Onion Aioli and Crispy Chile Oil
Photo by Clay Williams.38/51Puff Puff
As the name suggests, West Africa’s most popular form of fried dough is essentially a delectable fried pillow of airy dough. This recipe appears in chef Kwame Onwuachi’s My America.
Photo by Joe Woodhouse41/51Dark Greens and Noodles With Yogurt
You can use any greens that will wilt in this Olia Hercules recipe—Swiss chard, kale, and spinach are all delicious with pasta and tangy yogurt.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne43/51Molten Double Chocolate Mug Cake
This is about as simple as cake recipes get, but Jessie Sheehan’s Snackable Bakes is full of quick and easy sweets.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua45/51One-Pot Puttanesca
Ali Slagle’s book is packed with clever weeknight dinner ideas—including this take on the classic pasta, which doesn’t require a second pot for boiling the noodles.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert46/51Vanilla No-Bake Cheesecake With a Chocolate Cookie Crust
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca48/51Creamy Bucatini With Roasted Seaweed
Photograph by Graydon Herriott, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk.49/51Big Shells With Spicy Lamb Sausage and Pistachios
Here’s another flavor-packed dish from Andy Baraghani’s The Cook You Want to Be—big shells can take on broccoli rabe and spicy lamb.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua50/51Swordfish With Asparagus and Beans
