Scroll on Instagram or TikTok for even 10 seconds, and you know that recipe inspiration is easier than ever to come by. Despite the fire hose of cooking videos available online, we still can’t resist the allure of the analog: cracking the spine of a new cookbook.
Hundreds of new titles publish each year, and, once again, our staff set out to read and test dozens of them to help you determine which to buy for yourself — and which to give the home cooks you love most. There is something for everyone on this list, all 18 offering novel and thoughtful instruction, stunning photography or illustrations and, of course, delectable recipes.
For the Grill Master
Who Has Yet to Perfect Tacos
This cookbook (Abrams), from the restaurateur Bricia Lopez and the writer Javier Cabral, is a blueprint for hosting your own asada, a celebration built on heaping plates of grilled marinated meats that has spread from Sonora and Nuevo León, Mexico, to Southern California — and anywhere else friends, family and flavorful food are of the utmost importance. The recipes here will entice both the occasional backyard barbecuer and the die-hard taco enthusiast, and Quentin Bacon’s photography will make you want to make every single dish in this prismatic book. SARA BONISTEEL
What we made: Grilled Salpicón Tostadas (Page 57); Lemony Horchata con Manzanilla (Page 228)
