Erika Kubick, high priestess of cheese (and founder of the blog Cheese Sex Death), seduces and entrances with Cheese Magic, a recipe-cum-spell book. Organized by the eight seasonal festivals that mark the wheel of the year (Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, Mabon, and Samhain), Kubick includes recipes, accompaniments, libations, and--of course--cheese plates for each celebration. For instance, February's Imbolc includes instructions for mac-and-cheese frittata, raspberry brie love tarts, black pepper orange marmalade, a sleep potion (made with lavender, honey, and more), and a cheese plate featuring all sheep's milk cheese as a nod to the start of lambing season, and apricots to represent the waxing sun.

The palette is dark, moody, and witchy, with blacks, purples, greens, and oranges dominating. Devin Forst, the illustrator, provides whimsical digital drawings for each festival page that explains the origins and some of the associated rituals. Food photos are most often displayed with black backgrounds, allowing the artfully arranged recipe results to take center stage. A dazzling seasonal recipe book perfect for the earthy cheese lover. --Nina Semczuk, writer, editor, and illustrator

Calling her life as a social media influencer "a happy mistake," Diane Morrisey brings all of the "happy" and none of the "mistake" to her cookbook You Got This! Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love. This inviting collection reflects Morrisey's spirited personality--with playful section titles ("Galette It Be") and her insistence that "cooking doesn't have to be complicated."

With 100 pantry-friendly recipes full of helpful tips, Morrisey empowers home cooks--whether new to the kitchen or ready for a refresh--to make delicious food without the fuss. Though every recipe feels approachable, none seem tired or so simple as to be boring. She makes good use of ready-made options like pizza dough and puff pastry, but it never comes off as a shortcut. Instead, Morrisey has crafted a thoroughly homemade collection that feels familiar but fancy, easy but elevated. The full-color photos and effortless styling make every dish look fantastic, which will tempt even the extremely online to add You Got This! to their shelf. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian

Yassou is a well-curated culinary journey of Grecian hospitality and Mediterranean cooking from Israeli author and TV personality Shaily Lipa in her first English-language cookbook. Yassou showcases the word's meaning--a greeting for hello or goodbye that translates to "to your health"--by way of an emphasis on fresh vegetables, fish, olive oil, whole grains, legumes, artisanal cheese, and fruits that typify the Mediterranean diet.

Beautiful photographs of scenes in Greece complement Yassou's mouthwatering food photographs. The 80 recipes honor the country's traditions and culture while being easy to prepare and utilizing items that mostly are a part of the pantry's staples. Yassou shows why certain ingredients, such as eggplant, zucchini, and pine nuts, are standard in Grecian cooking, along with brief histories and how to incorporate them in recipes. Chapters include Mezes and Starters; Patties and Savory Pastries; Stuffed Vegetables; Soups and Sides; Mains; and Sweets. Recipes include moussaka and pastitsio, whose robust flavors and relative ease of preparation continue to make them favorites.

Lipa's thoughtful curation of Yassou takes cooks on a mini vacation accompanied by good food. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer

"How food makes us feel... is as much about the memories a dish sparks, or the people we enjoy it with, as it is about the taste," writes chef Thomas Straker in his new cookbook, Food You Want to Eat. Straker presents his approach to straightforward but high-quality meals, with seasonal ingredients given space to "let them sing." Meanwhile, he teaches home cooks the methods to approach more complicated tasks such as breaking down a crab or making their own pasta. Perhaps most interestingly, in a callback to his All Things Butter online series during the 2020 lockdown period, he starts with a chapter on butter, including nine variations.

Straker demonstrates how simple ingredients handled with care and ingenuity are the staple of a great meal. From approachable foccacias, bright soups, and fresh salads to more challenging options like the oxtail pie with smoked cheddar, Straker encourages a return to slow food, conscious cooking, and the idea that simple does not need to mean "basic" or "boring" but rather is a thoughtful approach to ingredient quality and use. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer

The culinary star of A&E's Jake Makes It Easy and acclaimed author of Jew-ish and I Could Nosh, Jake Cohen delivers an astonishingly complete and practical guide to effortless entertaining in Dinner Party Animal. Addressing impromptu gatherings, invite-only shindigs, and all those in between, Cohen details every aspect of hosting, with menus, grocery and prep lists, and more.

The prep lists are perfectly tailored, whether they check tasks needing to be done "Up to 1 Week Ahead" or "Right Before Guests Arrive." Each element is so succinctly and flawlessly explained that would-be entertainers would have to work to put a foot wrong. When more delicious explication is occasionally needed for a particular event, for example, in the Passover recipes of "Let My People Nosh," Cohen provides "Game Time Pep Talk" notes.

Included are the beautifully photographed meals, as well as conversation starter suggestions from guests like Alex Edelman and Katie Couric ("What's the biggest change that you've seen in yourself over the last ten years?"). Recipients of this book will be eager to release their own inner party animal. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.

Singaporean food writer Pamelia Chia's PlantAsia is a sumptuous introduction to Asian vegetarian cuisine. Her aim was to draw on the "deep well of knowledge in Asia on vegetable preparations that yield flavorful, satisfying results." Recipes are grouped by cooking technique: raw, steamed/blanched, simmered, fried, deep-fried, charred/grilled, roasted/baked, and sweetened. Novel textures emerge from out-of-the-ordinary processing--for instance, steaming eggplant turns it "custardy tender." Salads, kimchi, and tofu come in numerous varieties. The recipes can be complicated and often involve specialty ingredients, but the assembly instructions are clear.

Interviews with other chefs reflect the broad range of Asian food, from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tibet, Vietnam, and more. Unexpected East-West fusions arise, such as the fig and brie hotteok and Brussels sprouts with grapefruit, yuba, and Japanese pickled ginger (which won over suspicious relatives at a Christmas party). All the plates are visually attractive; many feature bold contrasting colors, like the black sticky rice pudding with sliced mango. These dishes offer an irresistible initiation into the diversity of Asian vegetarian traditions. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck

"The meals we prepare nourish not just our bodies but also our spirits and our connections to our heritage." In Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America, James Beard Award-winning Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman does just that by inviting readers on an evocative culinary journey along the traditional Native foodways of North America.

In 416 pages filled with photos, Sherman (The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen) showcases the diverse recipes, heritage, and food culture of Turtle Island, what many Indigenous people call North America.

The chapters are organized by region, from Southern Mexico up to Northern Alaska. To remove Eurocentric influences, dairy, wheat, cane sugar, and some meats are replaced by heirloom ingredients and foraged wild foods. The mouthwatering recipes, such as elk sausage with chiles, wild grape dumplings, and mixed seaweed salad are easy to follow, and Sherman further encourages home cooks to make dishes with ingredients that are familiar.

In Turtle Island, Sherman has gathered a "celebration of the past, a recognition of the present, and a hopeful vision for the future." --Grace Rajendran, freelance reviewer

In Fizz: 70+ Homemade Artisan Sodas, recipe developer Andrea Lynn proposes returning to the idea of soda in its traditional form--seasonal, fresh, house-made syrups concocted much in the way one cooks, then mixing flavors and carbonation or other additives for a tasty outcome. Straightforward photos are paired with pastel-framed recipes in categories covering "Homemade Soda Copycats," "Seasonal Suds," and "Fizzy Teas, Floats, and Alcohol-Enhanced Dazzlers," to name a few.

Beverage aficionados of all types and tastebuds will find a lot to love here, from simple, accessible ingredients like thyme, lemon zest, and sugar for one recipe to slightly more specialized ones in the vein of prickly pears and agave. Lynn doesn't stop at syrup recipes but also includes drink recipes for fizzy aguas frescas, tangy shrubs, and egg creams--covering drink components and their assembly as well as alternate syrup uses, such as drizzling over pancakes or ice cream. Whether interested in enhancing an at-home bar setup or looking to jazz up one's daily hydration, this easy-to-use, compact collection is a handy, appealing kitchen supplement. --Kristen Coates, editor and freelance reviewer

Twosomes of all kinds will rejoice in Emily Ezekiel's thoughtfully crafted ode to small-scale cooking, A Meal for Two: Recipes to Treat Your Favorite People. Ezekiel's approach to duet dining addresses the struggles of cooking for two with lots of flavorful 15-minute dishes and a selection of recipes designed to produce leftovers. Those recipes are accompanied by a second one to transform those leftovers into another tasty option, such as the crispy pork belly with fennel and potato gratin that gets a second life as a crispy pork banh mi.

Ezekiel's six sample menus invite everyone to the table: choose a "Sizzling evening menu" or "Pull it out of the bag in no time." Feed your friendship in 30 minutes with her pasta alla norma with crispy capers and ricotta salata or spend a few more minutes and treat your date to the author's take on Greek shrimp saganaki. Warm, gorgeously styled photos and friendly recipe introductions make this book a joy to read. Readers will be eager to invite a friend or loved one to dinner. --Suzanne Krohn

Award-winning cookbook authors Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg (Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables) have a thesis, and that's the introduction's title to their third cookbook together, Six Seasons of Pasta: "Pasta Is Perfect." The noodle, they argue, is affordable and requires few ingredients, comes in many shapes and sizes for variety, and its versatility makes it the "perfect showcase for seasonal bounty." The following recipes provide direction on how to do exactly that, organized by the rhythms of annual harvests. Celebrate the early produce of spring with fava and almond pesto and incorporate the bounty of zucchini and summer squash in midsummer with spaghetti alla nerano. Sauces and additions get richer and heavier for fall, with three versions of pasta fagiole.

Full-color photographs accompany each recipe, with colorful page markings delineating season and section, and a satisfying, embossed jacket-less cover will shine on any cookbook shelf. Come for the book design and promise of carbs, stay for the celebration of seasonal produce that is, as the subtitle promises, an invitation to reimagine "everyone's favorite food." --Kerry McHugh

The spectacular Korean Temple Cooking: The Life and Work of Jeongkwan Snim: Lessons on Life and Buddhism, with Recipes by Korean-born journalist Hoo Nam Seelmann impressively blends biography, temple culture, Buddhist history, and--of course--delectable recipes. Swiss photographer Véronique Hoegger provides a visual feast to whet appetites, both culinary and cerebral, introducing Buddhist nun Jeongkwan Snim--a global star thanks to Netflix's Chef's Table--and her nourishing creations. "I'm not a professional chef," Snim insists; instead, she cooks to "brings the body and soul together," creating balance and providing energy. Seelmann introduces the history and basics of temple cooking--rice, noodles, tofu, kimchi, soy sauce, jangajji (preservation in sauce), rice syrup, homemade flavorings--appended with Snim's personal how-tos. Prepped with such a rich, wholesome foundation, Snim then creates with attention to the four seasons--gorgeously photographed recipes included--ensuring the freshest ingredients, and using surprisingly simple preparation methods. Her heartwarming, nurturing dishes are healthful beacons drawing devotees from around the word. Seelman includes a meticulously detailed, once again stunningly photographed, glossary of ingredients. --Terry Hong

The stunning Gateaux: Sweets presents 51 "light, harmonious, balanced, and elegant" recipes by Mori Yoshida, award-winning Japanese pastry chef. Caroline Faccioli's tantalizing photographs complement detailed instructions that transform French confections with distinctive touches--like a black sesame Paris-Brest requested by the Japanese embassy when they wanted a dessert that would showcase a Japanese ingredient. Yoshida admits his procedures require "skill and experience." Though not for the faint of hearth, bakers with patience and desire may find "a path of delight."

Gateaux is organized around six parts of the day, starting with morning. Begin with a "fastidious" short crust, custard-filled Parisian flan. Perhaps then a classic croissant with delicate proofing and water bath control. By 11a.m., apricot or nectarine tartlets may follow. Noon delights include an extravagant hazelnut millefeuille and the evening sublime showstopper is the cover's elegant Mont Blanc in which "form follows flavor."

Measurements are metric; step-by-step IKEA-like illustrations are handy. Despite what might seem like daunting exercises there is a certain casualness to Yoshida's stringent directions. Gateaux is an exquisite gift to be welcomed, savored, and cherished. --Robert Allen Papinchak, freelance book critic

Daen Lia, a home cook and creator of the DaensKitchen social media sensation, with more than six million followers, presents beautifully approachable yet nutritious meals accompanied by remarkably aesthetic photography in the pages of Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean: Simple Recipes for the Home Cook. Divided into sections based on key elements--garlic, olive oil, butter, bread, crumbs, and eggs--Lia's easy-to-follow recipes ensure all home cooks can enjoy the beloved recipes that were passed down through her family.

"My mother has always said that a delicious meal begins with garlic and olive oil." Drawing inspiration from her mother's chaotic, comforting, and flavorful kitchen, Lia introduces her fare as unfussy, and able to embrace flaws and imperfections. As promised, the wide range of recipes provide clear, uncomplicated ingredient lists and straightforward instructions. The elegance of simplicity, beauty of family heritage, and delightfulness of colorful, full-page images ensure Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean will give home cooks everything they need to cook tasty, nourishing, and easy meals. --Clara Newton, freelance reviewer

For Kenji Morimoto, who grew up in a food-loving family in Chicago, "being ethnically Japanese meant fermented and pickled products were a staple for nearly everything we made--cloudy miso soup, sweet soy sauce-glazed chicken wings, aromatic pickled cucumbers...." Ferment contains recipes for about 50 dishes and drinks, each of which requires at least one fermented or pickled ingredient. These ingredients can be store-bought, although the book's recipes for ferments may entice the intrepid home chef--someone who has, say, mastered the sourdough starter and is ready for another challenge.

The remarkable payoffs of fermented flavors--Morimoto cites "umami, sourness, funk, the quintessential Japanese savory sweetness"--are starkest in the book's takes on familiar dishes. The kimchi in the shakshuka recipe adds both crunch and heat. Miso hummus with umami zucchini and pine nuts delivers a double-miso blast. Versatile miso also stars in a recipe for blondies: the ferment gives the dessert's topping a perky halvah-like taste. Luscious-looking color photos of fermented dishes don't betray the unappetizing-sounding side benefit of eating them: gut health. --Nell Beram, author and freelance writer

In his first cookbook, Bitter & Sweet, Omid Roustaei, aka the Caspian Chef, brings readers 75 delicious Iranian American recipes. Home cooks will know exactly what their khoresh or kuku or salad is meant to look like, thanks to photographs with nearly every recipe. And with entrees like classic tahdig and an Italian-inspired risotto, readers are sure to find a new favorite way to enjoy rice.

Interspersed with autobiographical essays, Bitter & Sweet connects readers to each dish on a deeper level. The fare suits many dietary needs, with options for those who are vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. While the recipes are largely made with ingredients available in most U.S. supermarkets, Roustaei provides helpful substitutes for those harder-to-come-by ingredients and explanations for readers who may be unfamiliar with terminology. Kebabs and bean soups are excellent entry points to Iranian flavors, while readers looking for bolder meals might choose chicken in pomegranate and walnut sauce or aromatic cauliflower steaks with creamy tomato sauce. Featuring the savory and beautiful, Bitter and Sweet is an absolute treat. -- Alyssa Parssinen, freelance reviewer and former bookseller

"You don't just plant the vegetable. You plant the recipe," writes Kevin West (Saving the Season)in his exhaustive volume The Cook's Garden: A Gardener's Guide to Selecting, Growing, and Savoring the Tastiest Vegetables of Each Season. Pragmatic yet poetic, West writes like a savvy neighbor, recommending what and when to plant, estimating the time required to work different-sized gardens from a pot to a plot. Variety choices, considering region and climate, are in the 13 "garden cohort" sections that group vegetables with similar needs and uses--pairing garlic with onions, and tomatoes with peppers. "The Salad Bowl Cohort" suggests 15 different greens, and includes the tip to plant these when the forsythia blooms. West lovingly describes harvesting, preparing, and serving salads, and advises tossing it "with your hands, by far the best tools for the task." The New England-based author's 210 vibrant color photos will surely lure any prospective gardener into picking up a trowel and seed packets, anticipating the pleasure of savoring the more than 125 accessible recipes in this inspiring book. -- Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.

Seasonal savories and celebratory sweets await in Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round by Paul Hollywood of The Great British Bake Off fame.

The cookbook opens with an invitation to bake its recipes "to celebrate the important events and people in your life, whatever the time of year." Recipes are separated by season rather than type or course, with two additional sections for cakes and party fare. Hollywood has suggestions such as a multilayer hazelnut and orange cake sure to wow at any occasion; a pan of decadent, bittersweet brownie bars perfect for an afternoon snack; and show-stopping entrees with in-season produce like zucchini, feta, and fava bean quiche.

Beautifully styled photographs of towering cakes, cheerful cookies, and an intricate wheatsheaf-shaped loaf make for a sumptuous browsing experience, and global favorites like Japanese cheesecake are included alongside British standbys like hand-held beef pies. Recipes include introductory notes from Hollywood as well as occasional instructions for decoration. Some improvisational measurement is intermittently required, but the adventurous and experienced baker should enjoy this inspiration for celebrations. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads

Suzanne Vizethann, co-owner of Buttermilk Kitchen locations in Georgia and Maine, brings her restaurants' signature farm-to-table breakfast and lunch dishes to life in Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from the Buttermilk Kitchen. This delectable cookbook is packed with irresistible recipes, thoughtfully organized by season.

Far from being just a collection of egg dishes, Brunch Season offers a wide variety of creative and satisfying options. Spring features include strawberry jam porridge and collard green shakshuka, while fall's delights offer pecan and cranberry chicken salad and short rib hash with sweet potatoes. Each seasonal section offers a list of items at the peak of freshness, perfect for inspiring the recipes that follow. Summer's list includes basil, blackberries, eggplant, figs, and okra, while winter features beets, blood oranges, and pomegranates.

Vizethann's story of relocating from Georgia to Maine beautifully ties together Southern and New England culinary traditions. With stunning photographs by Kelly Berry, Brunch Season is a feast for the senses. It's a perfect gift for brunch enthusiasts, home cooks, and anyone who loves seasonal, soulful food. --Jessica Howard, former bookseller, freelance book reviewer

In the crowded field of plant-based cookbooks, Big Veg Energy by Christina Soteriou is a standout. With an emphasis on complex flavors, simple ingredients, and nutritional balance, Soteriou's recipes, most of which draw on her Cypriot roots, are mouthwateringly delicious.

Soteriou's recipes, beautifully photographed by Joe Woodhouse, emphasize bold umami flavors; e.g., Pulled Leeks with Pistachio Cream, in which the leeks are charred and caramelized; and Baked Mushroom Tacos that include a protein-packed limey pea purée with a citrus tang. Hearty, comfort food dishes like Lemony Bean Stew are balanced with lighter salads like Herby Smacked Cucumber Salad with Tahini and Chile Oil. Happily, Big Veg Energy doesn't sideline desserts. The Chocolate Tart with Salted Oat Base is rich without being overly sweet and can be modified to be gluten-free. The Filo Cake with Orange and Yogurt (Soufra) combines flaky pastry with a silky eggless custard for an outstanding treat.

Intensely flavorful, adaptable, and well thought-out, these recipes are a joy to prepare and consume. A perfect gift for vegans, omnivores, and every eater in between. --Debra Ginsberg, author and freelance editor

Italian American chef and culinary tour guide John Bersani introduces readers to the food, flavors, and friends of his small Tuscan village, Gaiole-in-Chianti, in his gorgeously photographed cookbook 20 Amici - 40 Ricette. Featuring recipes and tips from his circle of restaurateurs and accomplished home cooks, Bersani's book encourages readers to prioritize freshness and flavor, and experiment with the recipes (even the revered Italian classics) in its pages. Many recipes--such as spaghetti alle vongole, eggplant parmigiana, and even Caesar salad--will be familiar to readers who enjoy Italian cuisine. But Bersani also slips in a few surprises, like raspberry bread pudding, braised drunken chicken, and even his friend Sue's recipe for green Texas chili. Bersani shares his twists on familiar recipes, notes and entertaining anecdotes from his travels around Tuscany, and his deep appreciation for the land and the people who nourish him and his community.

Packed with helpful tips, mouthwatering photos by Nico Schinco, and fresh takes on classics, 20 Amici - 40 Ricette celebrates the joys of cooking for--and with--friends who share a love of food. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams