Judging by its aqua-and-harvest-gold cover, The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook looks like a spoof. But Rick Rodgers and Heather Maclean present a sincere collection of updated mid-century favorites with snippets of history sure to please those who lived through the 1960s as well as those who've only heard the stories.

Even the onion-ring topping in their green bean casserole is made from scratch (although, for those hungry for nostalgia, the "classic" recipe with canned ingredients is also included). Other updates include not-quite-fish sticks and not-from-a-box mac and cheese.

Readers learn how "Betty Crocker" was born, why Warhol painted soup cans and how "soul food" got its name. For the true '60s buff, Rodgers and Maclean give tips for a party the Mad Men cast would love, including menus, drink recipes, fashion tips (a hostess will accent her dress with pearls) and proper serving pieces (a Lazy Susan and chip-and-dip set are ideal). --Cheryl Krocker McKeon, bookseller

It's no surprise that the ever-popular "macaroni and cheese" has won the Food Network's "Comfort Food of the Year" award twice. In the hands of Ellen Brown, this classic dish is reinvented several times over--and experienced chefs will love this fresh take on the perennial favorite.

Mac & Cheese first addresses the alchemy of why we love mac-and-cheese, how starch and sugar activate serotonin while salt releases oxytocin. Then she provides tips for how to create the perfect roux, easily grate cheese and cook the pasta to perfection, with charts and lush photos of pasta shapes and various cheese. Finally, she presents 80 creative (and classic) versions adapted from restaurants around the country.

From finger food appetizers (fried mac and cheese bites) to veggie extravaganzas (Mac and Cheese Margherita) and carnivorous delights (Mayan chipotle chicken) to dessert, Ellen Brown embraces the versatility of America's favorite comfort food. --Kristen Galles blogger at Book Club Classics

When it comes to encyclopedic knowledge of red meat, no better spokesperson exists in the United States than Bruce Aidells. The Great Meat Cookbook disperses 250 new recipes between tips and techniques on the purchase, preparation and preservation of various meats. Aidells provides alternatives that use lesser-known cuts, where beef tongue becomes the ingredient of choice for mouth-watering tacos, and chorizo and pimientos and sherry the palatable brighteners for beef livers (although flank and filet make perfectly acceptable substitutes).

Internationally inspired dishes such as Turkish pomegranate-glazed lamb shoulder and lamb biryani coexist with dressed-up American favorites like bourbon, stout and sweet potato waffles with ham and maple sauce, all of them intermingling with simple 30-minute dinners and the big occasion roasts. Aidells once again demonstrates his expertise to great effect, making The Great Meat Cookbook a necessity for those who would be lost without the ritualistic joy of finding juicy red goodness on the dinner plate. --Nancy Powell, freelance writer

The pie bird on the cover Millicent Souris's How to Build a Better Pie could be chirping "You, too, can serve a flaky-crusted, perfect slice of pie, savory or sweet!" Souris, who teaches pie-making workshops at the Brooklyn Kitchen, brings her confidence-boosting instructions to this user-friendly cookbook.

How to Build a Better Pie offers recipes for traditional favorite fruit pies and "decadent staple pies" like chocolate, and for lamb, chicken and game pies, too. For the novice pie-maker, several recipes for basic crusts--plus 10 pages of photos and tips on rolling, fitting and edging--offer guidance and encouragement. Experienced pastry chefs will find new challenges, like the recipe for Oyster Pie, complete with photos on selecting and shucking the mollusks. (First step: "Buy an oyster knife.") Souris doesn't mince words, and the Maryland native shares a lifetime of oyster love in detail. --Cheryl Krocker McKeon, bookseller

Judith Fertig's I Love Cinnamon Rolls! is full of cinnamon rolls like you've never seen them before. There are bacon-brown sugar cinnamon rolls, tarte tatin cinnamon rolls with crème fraîche, even vegan sweet potato-cinnamon crowns with bourbon icing.

Fertig begins with an explanation of the anatomy of a cinnamon roll and recipes for eight dough options, including a traditional method as well as gluten-free and vegan options. She then offers easy-to-follow recipes for taking the basic dough, adding various sauces and fillings and expanding it into almost limitless varieties.

The pictures are mouthwatering; the descriptions of the rolls, buns, muffins and twists are divine. They may look very different, but they all follow the same basic methods, making the recipes approachable even for novices. The small hardcover size and irresistible pictures also make I Love Cinnamon Rolls! a perfect stocking stuffer for the baker in your life. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm

Simple Honest Food is a gorgeously assembled volume of healthy, hearty, globally-inspired recipes that highlight Bill Granger's carefree, family-oriented approach to cooking and entertaining. A self-taught cook, restaurateur and Cooking Channel celebrity, Granger offers an unusual spin on classics with as much appeal to the eye as to the palate. Recipes are organized by meal and progress from the quick and simple to the elegant but manageably complex. Simple buttermilk pancakes with caramelized plums, maple syrup and yogurt can segue into a creamy citrus risotto with garlic chili shrimp or Asian-influenced blackened duck salad before ending with the relaxing comfort of a beef and mushroom pot pie or protein on the grill.

"Sometimes there's barely enough time for a quick trip to the supermarket," Granger writes. "But I never let this become a barrier to cooking, or let the job of preparing dinner every day become tedious." With Simple Honest Food, Granger succeeds beyond reproach. --Nancy Powell, freelance writer

"Fewer steps, less equipment, less measuring, less precision, less fuss" is teacher and chef Alice Medrich's approach in Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts. She starts by offering advice on the best way to assemble a baker's pantry and "magic" ingredients that have the power to "transform a bowl of oranges into dessert." What follows are more than 100 imaginative yet spur-of-the-moment-type recipes and tutorials on everything from ice cream (no ice cream machine required) to puddings/soufflés, pies, tarts, meringues, cakes and "sweet bites," which elevate simple things like coffee, candy bars, fresh strawberries and even yogurt to delectable levels.

The recipes are concise--some don't even require a rolling pin or an oven--and whether simple or rustic, each sweet indulgence dispels the myth that "desserts need to be complicated or demand skill that most people don't have." Medrich succeeds and inspires by delivering an innovative, elegant collection complete with stunning photographs. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

In her introduction to the U.S. edition of Turkey, Australian chef Leanne Kitchen notes that she "never set out to write the definitive word on Turkish cuisine, but rather let myself be led by the hospitable people of the nation." It is clearly this sentiment that has resulted in the book's wonderful combination of recipes, travel vignettes with an unwavering focus on regional food experiences and a stunning full-color collection of Kitchen's own on-location photographs.

Turkey is arranged in easy chapters ranging from meze, soups, and breads, through the major food groups (vegetables, grains, seafood and meats) to desserts. The recipes, often accompanied by the impressive food photographs of Amanda McLauchlan, are clearly reflective of Kitchen's travels, and have been chosen with simplicity of preparation and celebration of flavor in mind. For those of us not fortunate enough to travel to the country ourselves, Kitchen offers a very satisfying taste of Turkish cuisine and culture. --Roni K. Devlin, owner, Literary Life Bookstore

Since 2007, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton have produced Canal House Cooking, a periodical cookbook published three times a year that they write, photograph and design themselves. They also have a popular blog documenting the daily lunches they make for themselves in the Canal House in Lambertville, N.J. Canal House Cooks Every Day is that blog transformed into a gorgeous, hefty cookbook. Beginning on April 1, it tells the story of a year of seasonal lunches at Canal House, giving the weather and a recipe for each day. April starts with asparagus; they move on to summer strawberries, fall chanterelles and ducks, winter apples and pasta, then back to spring greens.

The stories accompanying each recipe tell of Christopher and Melissa's close relationship with their food and their dedication to fresh, seasonal ingredients. The photos are stunning; the recipes range from simple deviled eggs to a more time-consuming pork stewed in guajillo chile mole, making the book appealing to cooks of all abilities. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm

Seattle residents have long been familiar with the Dahlia Bakery. Thanks to Tom Douglas and Shelley Lance's Dahlia Bakery Cookbook, the sweet and savory treats offered up at the bakery are now available for those who live far from its environs. English muffin sandwiches, monkey bread and cakes leap off the page in beautiful close-up photos. Recipes are laid out in great detail, offering tips on how things are done at Dahlia as well a snippet explaining how or when the item came to be served at the bakery--such as the chocolate caramel pecan tart, which has been on the menu for more than 20 years, or the cornbread bacon muffins, which were developed for Dahlia's annual "Baconopolis" event.

The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook offers an array of irresistible items to make at home--but even more temptingly, it might just cause you to head to Seattle to try the Dahlia Bakery for yourself. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm

"Good food begins in the field." So begins Diane Kochilas's The Country Cooking of Greece, a collection of recipes and anecdotes that explores the dishes of the Greek countryside by both dish and ingredient. Starting with salads and meze (the Greek equivalent of tapas, small plates shared among a table), Kochilas moves on to country soups, artichokes, pastas and rice--even country preparations for chicken and game birds. The recipes vary from classics such as pastitsio and saganaki to lesser-known plates such as bougatsa (phyllo pastry with cream) and mantza (summer stew with fried cheese).

With photographs from Vassilis Stenos, The Country Cooking of Greece is a celebration of the local, farm-based culinary history of Greek country food, a collection of regional, traditional--yet flexible--recipes that invites readers to travel to the simple, rich world of the country. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm

Chef David Lebovitz believes "it's easier to make something tasty if you start with good ingredients and do as little to them as possible." In Ready for Dessert, Lebovitz has made his all-time favorites "even better" by updating and revising ingredients and techniques.

Beautiful photographs accompany more than 150 recipes (some new) introduced with expert advice and background about Lebovitz's personal affinity for each dessert. The recipes aren't complicated: his chocolate chip cookies, sesame-orange almond tuiles, fresh ginger cake and the complex frozen sabayon with blood orange soup impress with their pure flavor profiles. Lebovitz caps the collection with sections on basics, sauces and preserves plus great tips on caramelization.

Ready for Dessert is testament to this chef's belief that the true art of baking is all about sharing. Pastry chefs have Lebovitz to thank for generously contributing to the sweetness of their lives--and palates. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

When professional cook Aran Goyoaga learned that both she and her son were gluten intolerant, she made the switch to gluten-free cooking and baking easily--the Basque cooking of her childhood relies on fresh ingredients cooked simply. Small Plates & Sweet Treats is a record of her family's journey to gluten-free eating, with small plate and dessert recipes organized seasonally, each one accompanied by full-colored photos and the author's remembrances.

Her recipes are more than just gluten-free conversions of old favorites--they are delicious in their own right. Whether it is a savory breakfast of Baked Eggs with Olive Oil-Poached Tomatoes, Coppa and Brie meant for foggy autumn mornings or an adaption of a macaron recipe, this cookbook is sure to inspire with it's attractive styling and tasty, often Spanish-inspired ingredients. It's a cookbook for everyone who loves vibrant and hardy food that just happens to be gluten-free. --Kristin McConnell, publishing assistant, Shelf Awareness

Paul Virant moves far beyond the ordinary pickle or relish in The Preservation Kitchen, providing exotic recipes such as pickled celery root, beer jam, pumpkin butter and Brussels sprout sauerkraut. Included in each recipe are measurements based on volume, ounces, grams and percentage in easy-to-follow charts. The accompanying photographs highlight meals prepared with these preserves and condiments such as roasted lamb meatballs with tomato-bean ragout and green garlic or pork Milanese with yellow plum and Riesling jam and arugula. Although some recipes might be beyond the normal cook's expertise--like making bacon from beef belly--Virant provides full directions and makes it seem like a simple procedure. Virant's storeroom is "packed with jars of pickles, jams, sauerkrauts," he writes. "These shelves radiate with possibility." After trying these recipes and canning and preserving on their own, readers will be glad to have the same range of possibilities on their kitchen shelves. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer 

Though the combinations of cultures and cuisines in Jerusalem can be confusing to those unfamiliar with the area's rich history, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi posit that this confusion is "Jerusalem in a nutshell: very personal, private stories immersed in great culinary traditions that often overlap and interact in unpredictable ways." In Jerusalem: A Cookbook, the duo set out to discover their unique but shared food histories (Ottolenghi is Jewish; Tamimi is Palestinian), exploring both traditional recipes and modern takes on classic dishes. Recipes for standbys such as falafel and maqluba (an oversized savory cake) stand comfortably next to updated versions of old dishes like cardamom rice pudding with pistachios and rose water. With a luxurious cover and decadent photography throughout, Jerusalem: A Cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes: it is an invitation to explore the area through its delicacies, encountering the tastes and flavors of a place often overlooked in the culinary world. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm

Actor and director Stanley Tucci, creator of the acclaimed foodie film Big Night, teams up with his parents and chef Gianni Scappin in The Tucci Cookbook. Like many of the best cookbooks, this is more than just recipes, as Tucci gives the reader a glimpse of the Italian-American experience seen through the filter of food traditions. The family anecdotes are engaging; the photographs are beautiful. The recipes, drawn from three families and two regional culinary traditions, are clearly written, enticing and diverse--including three recipes for basic tomato sauce, each using different techniques to obtain different results! The best adjective for The Tucci Cookbook is generous: from portion sizes to the constant theme of hospitality to Tucci's decision to donate a portion of the profits to the Food Bank of New York City. The Tucci Cookbook will appeal both to serious home cooks and to film buffs. --Pamela Toler, blogging at History in the Margins

Restaurateur Jay Bentley loves meat. At the Mint, his bar and grill in Bozeman, Mont., customers can order beef steaks and burgers, but they'll also find bison stew, trout and salmon sizzling in inventive sauces and a wide selection of wild game from duck to venison. Open Range offers a host of savory, hearty recipes paired with vintage photographs and anecdotes from Montana's history.

While Bentley confesses he's a "seat-of-the-pants" cook, he includes helpful lists of equipment, herbs and spices (complemented nicely by a chapter on rubs and sauces). His recipes mix classic techniques with fresh influences, producing such inventions as bison peanut saté and honey-chipotle pork chops. Between recipes, readers can feast their eyes on panoramic photos of Montana's buttes and plains interspersed with mouthwatering close-ups of Bentley's handiwork.

Flavorful and nourishing, Open Range evokes the big sky of Montana while serving up comfort food to satisfy the hungriest cowhands. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams