Weekly Dish

This is the cookbook my aunts gave me when I got married. It is a 3-ring binder compilation of all their favorite recipes and some hilarious photos of me as a kid. It is by far my favorite book to cook with because it reminds me of people who love me. And, boy, do they know their food!

Ina Garten’s philosophy on food suits me so well. She believes in simplicity and fresh ingredients, and everything I have made of hers has been both easy and delicious.

I gave my sister-in-law, Hannah, this cookbook for her birthday last year, and we recently traded. She has the original Contessa, while I’m trying recipes from this one. So far, Ina’s record with me is impeccable.

I love this cookbook for its sheer variety; if ever I am in a creativity slump, I can count on this book to inspire me.

I just got this one, and so far I love it. Lots of good basic recipe templates with ideas for innovation.

This cookbook is a staple in the kitchens where I come from, and whenever I need a southern food fix, I turn to it.

Based on ingredients that have aphrodisiac qualities, this is a cookbook to hide when your mother comes over. The food and the photography are fabulous, but as for its aphrodisiac powers, well, you’ll have to be the judge of that (my mother might read this, after all). The food really is good, though; I’ve made almost everything in it.

I love Asian food, and this cookbook is valuable as much for its narrative and photography as for its recipes. Often, it calls for ingredients I can’t find, but I have had fun trying my own substitutions nonetheless.