61 general books on food and cooking that came out in 2024

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Our weeklong roundup of books that came out this year continues with the biggest one of them all – general cookbooks and culinary volumes.

2024 book roundups

Monday, Dec. 2: Drinks

Tuesday, Dec. 3: General food / cookbooks

Wednesday, Dec. 4: Regionally oriented food / cookbooks

Thursday, Dec. 5: Sports

Friday, Dec. 6: NE Ohio authors, titles or topics

The range of food and cookbooks is astounding, geared for those who have no time but need to whip up meals on a moment’s notice to those who love to entertain. From grilling to grains, salads to soup, the list is all encompassing.

Here are 61 quick summaries of general food books that crossed our desk. Foodies, start your ovens – bon appetit!

Teralyn Pilgrim, Health Communications, 309 pages, $16.95

The author extols the moral and financial benefits of living a food-waste-free life, offering helpful tips. Not a recipe book, per se, though there are a few included – just a good guidebook to avoid waste and save a few bucks. An anti-food-waste mentality, she writes, begins in our kitchens. An approachable, practical book.

Ed Barrow, Kyle Books, 176 pages, $26.99

From easy-to-make to slow-cooked meals, the book covers 60 recipes for every occasion. They include total time, from 10 minutes to more than an hour. The author founded the club, a weekly recipe page, during the coronavirus lockdown after he rediscovered a pasta maker he had been given years earlier. Crispy sausage, Romano pepper and chilli rigatoni anyone?

Jorj Morgan, Warren Publishing, 78 pages, $28.99

Geared for newly inspired cooks. Think breads, pastries and desserts. “Make it my way” tips offer ways to twist the recipe, and QR codes are included for video instruction from the media-personality author.

Krista Towns, Gibbs Smith, 240 pages, $35

Mushrooms are healthy and versatile, and this book’s collection of recipes covers a lot of ground as well as types of mushrooms. With each mushroom you’ll read about flavor pairings, storage, cooking tips, methods and more. Recipes include everything from Beech mushroom and green-bean casserole (which includes dry Sherry, Marcona almonds and Serrano ham) to chanterelle-apricot galette with Armagnac and vanilla crème fraîche.

Julia Turshen, Flatiron Books, 317 pages, $34.99

The author-chef drives home the fact that recipes can be inflexible, and she aims to loosen that a bit with this book, billed as “100 recipes, 20 charts and endless possibilities.” She instructs how to pair, layer and combine ingredients. It’s a roadmap to guide you to turn basic ingredients into tasty meals. A section of “learned kitchen wisdom” tips is especially helpful.

Eden Passante, WeldonOwen, 239 pages, $29.99

Hosting doesn’t have to be formal or stressful. Rather, the author aims to promote relaxed gatherings with a variety of dishes. Chapters include appetizers and snacks, mains, drinks, dessert and others. A section on themed parties (bonfire parties anyone?) also is helpful.

Sarah Johnson, Kyle Books, 256 pages, $34.99

The recipes here provide a great example of how versatile fruit can be. Chapters focus on the fruit rather than the meals – citrus, stone fruit, berries and others. The book doubles as an homage to farms, orchards and gardens.

Robin Fields, Adams Media, 222 pages, $17.99

The book covers 175 recipes, all of which involve five or fewer steps and can be made in less than 30 minutes. From peach-glazed ribs to zesty taco meatballs, spinach and feta phyllo cups and many others, recipes are presented with hands-on and cooking time for each.

The McLemore Boys, Harper, 268 pages, $32.50

Grilling and gathering, smoking and eating: The mouth-watering recipes range from smoked ham with Dr Pepper glaze to burnt-end pork belly bites. You can almost smell the dishes offered here. Pro tips are offered with the recipes.

Theo Kirwan, Mitchell Beazley, 208 pages, $26.99

For all the specific cookbooks and food volumes that come out, it’s surprising more are not focused on salads. This one helps you elevate your salad game. Salads, we learn, can be simple or complex, light or hearty. And the best part is there really are no rules. The author is one of the founding brothers of the Dublin-based restaurant company, Sprout & Co. (A U.K.-U.S. glossary at the end is helpful.)

America’s Test Kitchen (author and publisher), 488 pages, $40

ATK’s focus here is a good one – for couples, roommates or empty nesters. This is the 10th anniversary of the acclaimed and comprehensive book, and it has been beefed up a bit. It contains more than 200 new recipes and includes many step-by-step photos and a nutritional guide.

Nicky Corbishley, Kyle Books, 208 pages, $26.99

If you’re looking to speed up the cooking process, this is for you. The author includes QR codes for videos accompanying every recipe, which fall under vegetarian, fish, chicken, meat, pasta and others. Helpful “Nicky’s pro tips” also accompany the recipes. From crispy fish burgers with mustard pickle mayo to 20-minute butter bean chorizo soup, the recipes cover a wide range of dishes.

Champneys, Aster, 224 pages, $32.99

Champneys, a collections of countryside health-spa resorts in the United Kingdom, celebrates its 100th anniversary with this book. Billed as food for wellness, recipes fall under breakfasts, juice shots and blended drinks, dips and salads, lunch, mains and desserts. Whether the recipe is gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian or dairy-free is included. As Champneys extols: Eat to thrive, not to deprive.

Danielle Lima, Page Street Publishing, 160 pages, $22.99

The 60 recipes aim to help you hit macros goals – protein, fat and carbohydrate. (The author is a blogger about macros.) Recipe sections cover a variety of dishes. Breakfasts, easy pasta, one-pan weeknight winners, bowls and handhelds, grill to table and sides are included. Nutritional info is listed with each recipe.

Anna Jones, 4th Estate, 354 pages, $35

The author offers more than recipes; she dives into ingredients and how they add to specific dishes, from lemons to mustard to tahini and others. An interesting spice-flavor-profile-pairings chart is included. Intriguing angle for the serious cook.

Kelly Jaggers, Adams Media, 238 pages, $19.99

The 100 recipes are billed as easy, affordable, low-waste and high-taste. From sweet and salty granola bars to ham and cheddar breakfast bake, the recipes do seem very manageable and include nutritional info.

America’s Test Kitchen (author and publisher), 436 pages, $34.99

If you have ever asked, ‘Are baby lima beans and butter beans the same thing?’ then this book is for you. ATK delivers its usual comprehensive dive on a topic, this one beans, from dried to canned, legumes, grains and more. From lentils to lupini beans, ATK offers more than 45 recipes.

Ben Mims, Phaidon, 431 pages, $49.95

The way the cookie crumbles is all over the world, apparently. Cookie recipes from around the world are broken into more than a dozen global regions and about 100 countries. From South American cookies made with guava to Somalian ones made with cardamom, the book covers a sugary journey.

Nadine Estero, Quarto Publishing, 160 pages, $19.99

If anime and the likes of tofu mochi donuts are your thing, this is for you. Anime cafés connect with fans with dishes from episodes or those inspired to look like characters, we learn. Pokemon, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Dr. Stone and Miss Nagatoro are among those represented on these pages.

Hillary Davis, Gibbs Smith, 224 pages, $24.99

Proof that cookbooks are taking more and more of a myopic view of culinary trends and tastes, this one focuses on more than 250 recipes geared for condiments, jams, dips and spreads for your board. The recipes are extremely manageable and will zest up a board of your choice.

Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, Richard Martin; Hardie Grant, 104 pages, $22

Vegetables, we learn, can be picked, dried, fermented and cooked in multiple ways. They are versatile, healthy and tasty, especially when you consider recipes like charred baba ghanoush, fermented eggplant and duck fat steak fries. Here’s to your health.

Diana Chen, Hardie Grant, 223 pages, $35

The Malaysian chef-author who won MasterChef Australia sizzles up wok cooking, offering recipes in what she calls the most versatile kitchen pan you can have. The book opens with wok basics and breaks recipes into sauces and more, meat and poultry, seafood, vegetables, snacks and noodles and rice.

Ashley Craft, Adams Media, 270 pages, $22.99

The author has crafted 100 recipes based on dishes and drinks from all six Disney theme parks and the resort hotels and entertainment districts. Seasonal holiday items are included.

Susan Theodorou, Hardie Grant, 221 pages, $30

If the idea of not turning on your oven or stovetop broilers appeals, this is for you. Rotisserie chicken, fish, cold cuts, grains, cheese and other chapters contain the recipes, which include everything from lox grain bowl to Mexican shrimp cocktail.

Benjamina Ebuehi, Quadrille, 191 pages, $35

Three fun words to hear from a guest, eh? “Dessert is the best part of a meal. … It’s the anticipation of dessert that I find particularly exciting,” writes the author. The recipes – which cover pistachio gateau basque to clotted cream chocolate chip cake – also include what can be made ahead of time.

Emily Ezekiel, Hardie Grant, 207 pages, $29.99

It’s soups by the season, from creamy parsnip to pumpkin spiced. Storage and “make it vegan” tips are included with the recipes.

Anthony Murphy, Quadrille, 223 pages, $26.99

The Beefy Boys are a quartet of guys in Britain who started with a food truck and pop-ups. The recipes are all about big, scrumptious, messy – emphasis on messy – burgers. This in-your-face book contains some great photos, too.

Bryton Taylor, Adams Media, 159 pages, $21.99

If you have seen the movie and see this title, you probable immediately think of gobs of syrup dumped on spaghetti. Dishes fall under breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, desserts and drinks. From Papa Elf Pot Pies to Hobbs Cob Loaf, there’s plenty here to choose from. Make a dish and settle in and watch the classic movie for the umpteenth time. And yes, Buddy’s Breakfast Spaghetti is included.

Tom Jackson, Hardie Grant, 159 pages, $24.99

This book separates itself from the myriad of pasta books by focusing on the pasta salad. And don’t think just pasta. Flavors draw on Asian, Middle Eastern and many other regions. You don’t realize how versatile pasta salads can be until you check out the recipes here.

Mark Diacono, Quadrille, 224 pages, $38.50

The 100 recipes in here take into account varied uses of vegetables. The book is intended for a variety of people – “Whether you have a few sad carrots at the bottom of the fridge, are a veg-box advocate in need of inspiration, or a keen gardener with a glut of produce.” Most of us fit into one of those categories. Pissaladière, a variation on pizza, is one of the tempting recipes offered. At the end of each recipe a trio of quick nuggets is offered: Is this dish vegan? Is it gluten-free? Any seasonal swaps?

America’s Test Kitchen (author and publisher), 711 pages, $45

ATK fans? This is for you. In addition to 500 recipes, the book introduces you to the personalities of the PBS television show. “Game changer” drop-in nuggets offer tips with recipes. There’s a welcomed, unpretentious quality to ATK, which comes across in this comprehensive cookbook.

Food Network Magazine, Hearst Home, 175 pages, $25

Recipes are for all sorts of cooks – beginner to pro – and all satisfy sweet-tooth cravings. From brownies to bars, you learn new twists on favorites, tips from Food Network chefs and more. From pumpkin cupcakes with toasted marshmallow frosting to ginger maple biscotti, Tips and factoids often are dropped into the tantalizing photographs. Bonus: It’s spiral-bound to stay open on your counter.

Jim Lahey, W.W. Norton & Co., 238 pages, $35

For bread fiends out there, this is for you. Love the chapters – no-knead bread in a pot, the art of the sandwich, pizzas and focaccias and others are all here, along with one on stale bread (think panzanella). Many of the photos detail step-by-steps. Roasted red pepper bruschetta anyone?

Diana Goldman, Somerset Publishing, 206 pages, $35

If you embrace a plant-based diet, this one’s for you. But it’s much more than a simple bunch of salads. The nutrient-rich options include creamy vegetable curry, cashew parmesan, sweet potato and two-bean chili – even recovery peanut butter chocolate milk. Chapters include appetizers, snacks and sides; soups, bowls and salads; sandwiches and wraps and others.

Bebe Black Carminito, Cameron + Co., 159 pages, $24.99

Bored with your boards? The author offers ways to spice up boards through various categories: Breakfast, grazing, happy hour, snacks and others. Black Carminito goes way past dicing up different cheeses. Expect recipes like mushroom and poblano quesadillas, learn how to make a Ukrainian budmo board and create a Lebanese sheet pan brunch.

Shana Minei Spence, Simon Element, 256 pages, $18.99

This deep dive into what the author calls the unrealistic diet culture aims to show how you can feel good about eating, nourishing body and soul as you go. You have an idea of what you’re in for with the title of an early chapter: “Why diets don’t work.” It’s all about food freedom.

Pip Payne, Hamlyn, 240 pages, $26.99

Subtitled “Healthy dinners for the whole family,” the book aims to take out the stress of meal prep while maintaining a healthy approach to cooking. The book offers a very diverse selection of recipes and flavors, drawing on quite an array of global and regional flavors, from the American South to France and beyond. Gnocchi-topped veggie cottage pie? Nutritional content and notes are included.

Laurie Gilmore, One More Chapter, 367 pages, $18.99

The second book in the author’s Dream Harbor series mixes cinnamon buns, books and small-town romance. A stretch for our books roundup, but we can’t resist cinnamon buns.

Robin Fields, Adams Media, 160 pages, $15.99

Easy-to-make recipes that require limited ingredients and are not expensive – perfect for college kids. It covers a good range of dishes, from pizza quesadilla to Oreo ice cream pie, all at three (OK, sometimes four) ingredients. It serves as a training-wheels cookbook.

Edd Kimber, Kyle Books, 175 pages, $26.99

Recipes are broken by categories – chewy, crisp and crunchy, sandwich cookies and, of course, chocolate heaven. But what’s interesting is the amount yielded: Expect two to six from most of the recipes. A good way to try something or a smart approach if you don’t want to pig out.

Recipes by Elizabeth Fish and Elena P. Craig; text by Emma Carlson Berne, Insight Editions, 175 pages, $29.99

Festive munchkin goodwitches, cowardly cupcakes, glittery Glinda cake – you get the picture. Pick a recipe for the evening, queue up the movie and enjoy a tornado-free night.

Tara Theoharis and S.T. Bende, 222 pages, $39.99

A cooking parent’s dream. Each recipe is laid out with the movie it is derived from, so if you have little ones who enjoy the Pixar realm and like to eat, this is for you. Examples: Ercole’s focaccia sandwich (“Luca,” 2021) and Gusteau’s soup (“Ratatouille,” 2007). Fun facts and character-namesake pictures are sprinkled throughout.

Sarah Walker Caron with Elena P. Craig and Jody Revenson, Insight Editions, 221 pages, $39.99

“Spellbinding” recipes in the Harry Potter- and “Fantastic Beasts”-themed cookbook include “End of Year Feast Beef Short Ribs with Yorkshire Pudding and Buttery Diced Carrots.” Fun “Behind the Magic” factoids are dropped in as well.

Adam Jonathan Kaat, Inspired Forever, 344 pages, $20

Squeezing this in from last year, the novel is a sequel to “Life on the Grocery Line.” The “slow grind of retail life” mounts on the protagonist Daniel.

Dave Verheul, Hardie Grant, 230 pages, $35

The New Zealand-raised author has created a collection of seasonal recipes for that day we’re meant to slow down. Don’t expect anything resembling a basic sandwich. Recipes include lamb tomahawk with peppers, almond and sourdough. Also: Fried globe artichoke and tarragon cream.

Sara Forte, Hardie Grant, 308 pages, $40

From the James Beard nominated cookbook author comes this book about family-friendly meals. It covers a range of meals for all times of the day from a crispy cornmeal waffle to an entire section on dressings and much more. Dish-recipe shots are sprinkled among personal photos, giving the book a comfortable feel.

Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 358 pages, $25.99

The author takes a mindful approach to his cooking and meals. Not a recipe book; rather, a thoughtful account of his time spent stirring, sauteing, creating and eating. He takes in his surroundings and travels in the book, which is broken into mostly one-page literary bites.

Stephanie Douay and Benoist Simmat, NBM Graphic Novels, 238 pages, $34.99

A smart graphic novel, the book takes you from a caveman’s appetite to modern-day culinary approaches. It ends with 22 recipes referred to in its pages.

Sonja and Alex Overhiser, Chronicle Books, 352 pages, $40

The dual-meaning title – two people cooking who are a couple – covers a variety of tantalizing recipes (crunchy green panzanella, smoky spinach and artichoke lasagna). Its unique touch is the use of symbols to denote tasks for one or two people. The couple that cooks together stays together, eh?

Recipes by Dayton Danielson, written by S.T. Bende, Insight Editions, 143 pages, $27.99

Billed as a culinary journey though Arendelle, this book offers recipes like “Reindeer(s) are better than people” antlers (cake doughnuts) and apple cider “worth melting for.” You won’t have to leave your kitchen to go to Arendelle.

Tara Wigley, Pavilion, 160 pages, $24.99

You will learn how to make pesto, how to make Hollandaise, how to make hummus, how to host Christmas – you get the picture of each chapter. But here’s the kicker: It’s written in rhyme. Cute.

Ulysses Press, 183 pages, $29.95

This is based on Alan R. Moon’s “world’s best-selling train game.” The book explores regional food and drink along the ride. City-inspired dining-car menus includes dishes like poutine in Montreal and hot chicken in Nashville. “Did you know” factoids about the game are dropped in to the recipes.

Dan Acevedo and Sarah Wasserman, Hamlyn, 256 pages, $32.99

Subtitled, “Bright food, bold flavour,” the book covers vegan fare from the London institution. A “burger” sounds tempting with Italian tomato, eggplant caper and black olive. Scores of recipes encompass a range of dishes, from bowls to pasta and more. A helpful glossary of U.K. / U.S. food terms is included.

Darina Allen, Kyle Books, 640 pages, $49.99

The tome wins the award for most pages of any book that crossed our desk this year. Four-hundred seasonal recipes are included from the Ballymaloe Cookery School Kitchen Garden. Its five sections are broken into vegetables, fruit, herbs, wild, foraged and nuts; and edible flowers. (dishes with beef are included.) A comprehensive one.

Caroline Chambers, Union Square & Co., 271 pages, $35

The North Carolina-raised author was brought up on southern cooking. But her recipes cross a range of flavors and are smartly broken by time – those that take “15-ish” minutes, 30 minutes, 45 and an hour or longer. Lemon pancakes, Thai veggie chop and others are included with tips, shortcuts and swap suggestions.

Paola Velez, Union Square & Co., 288 pages, $35

This book is all about sweets and treats from the Afro-Latina Bronx-born, James Beard nominated pastry chef. Recipes will step up your dessert game. Everything from chilled habichuela soufflé to tamarind pecan pie is included, along with summer camp milk chocolate brownies and more.

Donna Hay, 4th Estate, 251 pages, $34.99

The Australian author’s book focuses on simple shortcuts in recipes and includes helpful “cook’s notes” – preparation or cooking tips. Recipes look good and the photography is sharp, though the typography is a bit wonky. With her recipe for zucchini and leek tart, she writes: “This is one of those insanely easy recipes that makes you look like you are totally winning at life.”

Katherine Lewin, Union Square & Co., 288 pages, $35

The author sets out to make a night at home with friends feel more special. It’s not about formal dinner parties, but rather about shuzhing up your dishes and presentation. Notes / tips and food-pairing suggestions are scattered into the recipes.

Wagamama, Kyle Books, 208 pages, $26.99

This is a thoughtful look at the art of eating, be it via fine dining or street-food vendors. Wagamama is a brand translating to “good change.” Feeding our souls isn’t just about eating a balanced meal, “it’s also about the act of making it.” The book includes recipes from across the Asian continent with photos of dishes and drinks as well as portraits of folks along the journey.

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Alyssa Brantley, Adams Media, 221 pages, $18.99

From one-pot cooking to Dutch oven dinners, dinners in a mixing bowl, sizzling skillet creations, convenient casseroles, sheet-pan dinners, family grill nights and other creative categories, the author offers approachable plans for tasty meals. It’s all about low prep, no mess. Tips / substitutions / more are included.

Mindy Pelz, Hay House, 326 pages, $30

Each person’s body is different, and the author aims to show how to use food as a tool to lead to healthier life. An advocate for women’s health, the author offers a holistic approach to a balanced lifestyle, including an understanding of hormonal health and fasting. She includes 100 recipes.