If you've spent any time on this blog you know that I LOVE COOKBOOKS. They bring me endless amounts of joy - I love to hold them, flip through them, read them from cover to cover, and try out as many recipes from them as I can manage (which is often way less than I would like). This year there were so many good ones coming out, quite a few of them from my blogging friends, so I just had to do a full-blown cookbook roundup post. (I also recently discussed my top cookbooks for weeknight cooking and my top baking cookbooks on an episode of the Gatherings podcast, which you can find here.) This post was supposed to come out about 2 months ago, but then I went and bought a house unexpectedly. Life happens. Better late than never, here are some of my favorites from the spring season:

EASY WEEKNIGHT MEALS

One Pan and Done

• Author: Molly Gilbert
• What it's about: easy recipes for breakfast, starters, meals and desserts, etc., that can all be made in one pan, such as: a sheet pan, a 9x13 baking dish, a muffin tin, cake, pie, tart, loaf and bundt pans
• What I've made from it: Pesto Snapper en Brodo
• Who's it for: someone looking for easy meals that don't create a huge mess or have a lot of separate components
• Read more here: Peanut Butter Chicken and Broccoli Sheet Pan Dinner

Back Pocket Pasta

• Author: Colu Henry
• What it's about: "inspired dinners to cook on the fly" - seasonal pasta dishes that come together quickly (with a bonus section on weeknight drinking, aka spritzes and wine recommendations)
• What I've made from it: Bonnie Slotnick's Pasta with Spinach and Goat Cheese, Hudson Summer Spritz
• Who's it for: a pasta lover who wants to up their game with some new weeknight pasta recipes

Dinner: Changing the Game

• Author: Melissa Clark
• What it's about: DINNER, every which way. It's a beautiful tome of dinner recipes that could please anyone, with chapters on chicken, other meats, seafood, eggs, pasta, tofu, vegetarian proteins, rice & other grains, pizza, salads, and dips. It has EVERYTHING (except dessert). Over 200 recipes.
• What I've made from it: Asparagus Frittata with Ricotta and Chives, Middle-Eastern Farro Lentil Balls with Tahini
• Who's it for: Anyone in a dinner rut or who wants to expand their dinner horizons. Melissa Clark is 100% trustworthy with her recipes, so you can't go wrong.

PLANT-BASED GOODNESS

Naturally Nourished

• Author: Sarah Britton
• What it's about: "healthy, delicious meals made with everyday ingredients" - plant forward meals in her signature fresh style
• What I've made from it: baked sweet potatoes stuffed with a massaged kale, feta and pecan filling
• Who's it for: The whole-foods-loving home cook who wants to branch out. I find Sarah's recipes to be a little more exotic than what I'm used to, so I enjoy trying her recipes to stretch my palate.

One Part Plant

• Author: Jessica Murnane
• What it's about: A super-accessible intro to eating plant-based meals, with a soft focus on her experience switching to plant-based meals to help treat her endometriosis.
• What I've made from it: Easy Red Curry Veggie Bowls, Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Who's it for: Someone easing into the plant-based lifestyle, especially if you have endometriosis or PCOS, etc.
• Listen here: Jessica made an awesome This American Life-style podcast about her year of making the book, called The Cookbook Deal. IT'S AMAZING.

The First Mess Cookbook

• Author: Laura Wright
• What it's about: "vibrant plant-based recipes to eat well through the seasons"
• What I've made from it: mocha hemp milk (which I turned into a smoothie), plant-based protein pancakes
• Who's it for: someone who prefers to eat plant-based but wants some new ideas (or an adventurous beginner)

Kale & Caramel

• Author: Lily Diamond
• What it's about: Each chapter focuses on a different herb or flower, with recipes ranging from drinks to face masks to desserts to pizza. Lily also shares heartfelt personal stories, making this book feel a little more like a cookbook memoir.
• What I've made from it: sparkling cucumber basil lemonade
• Who's it for: Someone with an aggressive garden or a love for herbs, or someone looking to learn more about ways to use herbs and flowers in the kitchen and beyond.

Vegetarian Heartland

• Author: Shelly Westerhausen
• What it's about: Seasonal recipes inspired by Midwestern adventures, like having a picnic, berry-picking, road trips, playing in the snow, etc.
• What I've made from it: Roasted Vegetables with Creamy Romesco and Farro, Savory Vegetable Cobbler with Herb Drop Biscuits
• Who's it for: Someone with a love for the heartland of America and who likes food with an adventure in mind.

Love Real Food

• Author: Kathryne Taylor
• What it's about: Easy and nourishing vegetarian food to please every palate
• What I've made from it: Colorful Weeknight Burrito Bowls, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Plus I recipe-tested the Tahini Kale Caesar Salad, Make-Your-Own Instant Oatmeal Mix, Pitcher of Margaritas, and the Shredded Brussels and Kale Hash with Crispy Parmesan)
• Who's it for: A vegetarian who wants a book full of amazing staples, or someone who is getting into a vegetarian diet and needs some killer recipes to get them started. (Or an omnivore who likes plant-heavy meals, like me.)
• Read more here: Tahini Kale Caesar Salad with Cornbread Croutons

BRUNCH, DESSERT & PIZZA (AKA MY FAVORITE THINGS)

Sweet & Simple: Dessert for Two

• Author: Christina Lane
• What it's about: small batch desserts, every which way
• What I've made from it: Donut Gooey Butter Cake (worth it for this recipe alone), Butter Cake Cookies, Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies, Salted Caramel Bars, Sprinkle Cake, Creme Brulee
• Who's it for: Someone with a sweet tooth who loves to bake, but doesn't want 5 dozen cookies around to tempt them all week long.
• Read more here: Coffee Creme Brulee for Two

Joy the Baker: Over Easy

• Author: Joy Wilson
• What it's about: Brunch recipes!! Cocktails and coffee, eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, baked goods, etc.
• What I've made from it: Spinach, Blueberry and Avocado Salad
• Who's it for: The brunch lover or breakfast-for-dinner lover.

Pizza Camp

• Author: Joe Beddia
• What it's about: How to make the famous pizza from Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia
• What I've made from it: His official pizza dough turned into pizza based on his classic recipe
• Who's it for: The pizza lover who wants to make incredible pizza in their home oven. (It's possible!!)

So there you have it. What cookbooks have you been loving lately? I already have a bunch that came out this summer in my Amazon wish list and I'm eyeing a bunch of good ones for the fall, too. Ah! Will someone please pay me to stay home and read cookbooks and cook from them all day? K thanks.

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Illustration at top created with pen and Photoshop.