Encyclopedic approaches to plant-based cooking and to cookies, a TikToker’s debut and more, as tested by New York Times Cooking and the Food desk.
When so much of modern living forces us to peer down at a screen, there’s a lot to be said for a cookbook. It won’t blast you with blue light or exacerbate your tech neck; it won’t inundate you with notifications or unskippable ads. If you let it, it will feed you and whomever you choose, and the best ones do so with vibrant photography, clear instructions and an extra serving of whimsy.
We want to help you find those best ones, so members of our Food and Cooking staff read and cooked from dozens of cookbooks published this year. Below are 16 titles that deserve to be toted home from your favorite bookstore — gifts, if you’re feeling generous — to be earmarked, sauce-splattered and used again and again.
‘AfriCali: Recipes From My Jikoni’
Kiano Moju’s debut cookbook, “AfriCali” (Simon Element), beams with the generosity of someone who loves cooking for others and the confidence of a multicultural cook who knows how to make just a few ingredients taste phenomenal. That same confidence makes her a comforting guide through the well-spiced, lusciously sauced recipes, which celebrate a Californian approach to modern African cooking. With each recipe, I learned something new or saw something familiar in a different light. Have you ever braised short ribs with berbere, the Ethiopian spice blend? Or infused ghee, the clarified butter, with green cardamom pods and dried oregano? It’ll change your life. ERIC KIM
What we made: Roast Chicken With Poussin Sauce (Page 116); Spiced Ghee (Page 235)
‘Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store’
Paola Velez, a pastry chef and Milk Bar veteran, has put together a vibrant and straight-up fun cookbook featuring desserts influenced by the Afro-Caribbean cuisines of her Bronx childhood. “Bodega Bakes” (Union Square & Co.) is packed with clever mash-ups like plantain sticky buns, sorrel snickerdoodles, guava lemon bars and coquito cheesecake, a big hit in an office of cooking editors. With its eye-popping colors and design, Ms. Velez’s book might look like yet another pretty edition bound for the coffee table. But her recipes are clear and concise, and they work, making it a great find for bakers of any level. MARGAUX LASKEY
What we made: OG Chocolate Chip Thick ’Ems (Page 33), Dominican Cake (Page 131), Coquito Cheesecake (Page 159)
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