I have three collections, knives, mortar and pestles and cookbooks. By far I have the most cookbooks compared to my other two collections, hundreds at this point, I have been collecting them for years, so, honestly it is difficult to narrow it down to only 5. So I didn’t. The books I am sharing with you today are 5 OF my favorite cookbooks and in the future I will share more with you. If someone were to ask me, “Anna, what cookbooks would be in a starter pack, what 5 books are essential for someone who wants to start a cookbook collection, which would they be?”. Well, these are them. They are very special to me and each one has a different history, a different story and place in my heart and my kitchen.

Near and Far by Heidi Swanson

I have been a fan of Heidi Swanson for over a decade. Her recipes and photography (she does her own), evoke a poetic simplicity of adventure and subdued sophistication. All three of her cookbooks grace my shelves and they are all musts but in Near and Far, you get a sense of who she is and how she cooks and I believe is the perfect door into Heidi’s sensibility. Borrowing from cultures around the world, she infuses the customs simply, into the beauty of her food. The recipes and ingredients are easily attainable and the photos lure us into her journeys as she brings their tables to ours. Sometimes I just sit with this book and a cup of tea and slip away. This book will make a wonderful addition to your culinary know-how wherever you are, in terms of skills. It is great gift too.

The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

The Art of Simple Food is kind of a bible in our house. Both my husband and I turn to it over and over. Need a great salad dressing, a salsa verde or garlic mayonnaise, it’s there, no photos, but she walks you through it, simply, step by step. It is a recipe book and instructional guide alike.  Alice Waters is the godmother of creating simple, incredibly flavorful and beautiful food made from whole, organic, farm grown ingredients. Nothing fancy but always on point. Her passion for local, regenerative and organic framers and artisans has inspired and informed me for 20 years. Start with this volume and then get volume ii. I bet you will turn to it so much over time, your cover will look like ours does,  worn and covered with oil spots from use.

Whole Food Cooking by Amy Chaplin

Amy Chaplin has been a vegetarian food chef for over 20 years, she was the former executive chef of Angelica Kitchen, the well known vegan restaurant in New York City. Amy focuses on nutrient rich, organic, whole vegetarian ingredients and lovingly shares her skills and know how in her cooking, supporting us in creating a healthful kitchen. 

This book truly helps you create healthy staples, using seasonal whole food ingredients you can turn to any time. What I love about this book, is that within each chapter the recipes have a foundational recipe and then multiple fun variations. The pantry section lets you know what you need and also guides you how to prepare it, like soaking beans, nuts and seeds. This book will inspire any to cook to cook well and eat well. The photos are beautiful and bold in color and so inviting.

Gjelina by Travis Lett

Gjelina restaurant in Venice, California has been recognized and lauded by food critics from all over. The food is inventive, sumptuous and gorgeous to look at, not to mention the flavors mind blowing. If you want to impress your guests, cook out of the Gjelina cookbook. The photos by Nikole Herriott and Michael Graydon are stunning and vibrant and make you want to dive into the dishes. The photos truly convey how delicious Travis Lett’s food is. Travis Lett is no longer with Gjelina, he has moved on but this book is a must for the creative home cook.

Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi

Ok, so Ottolenghi is like a super star in London, he has created a food empire, multiple restaurants, a test kitchen, catering, products and has written 10 cookbooks. I have most of them but Simple is the one I turn to most. If you look at my copy, I have about 15 little paper book marks coming out the tops of the pages.  Cooks Without Borders, called it, “one of the most inspired- and inspiring- cookbooks in a decade.” His food emphasizes Mediterranean flavors and ingredients but he has his own take, his own style. The book is heavy on vegetable recipes, roasted and grilled and beyond including beautiful salads, appetizers, side dishes and more. I love his cuisine for an outdoor pot luck or luncheon. People always want to know, when I make his dishes, if it’s my recipe. I always tell them it’s Ottolenghi. All his books are great but if you have to pick one for now, this is the one. I agree, this is one of my most inspired and inspiring books in my collection.