The Daily Beast Readers’ Favorite Cookbooks of 2020
2020 was a strange year, but plenty of cookbooks stood out from the crowd.
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Scouted/Amazon
If you cooked more this year than any other year, you’re not alone. Our year was filled with cookbooks, cooking out of them, leafing through them, remembering our favorite restaurants and all of the wonderful flavors we used to indulge in. But my year was still full of flavor, and it was mostly thanks to the cookbooks I used. If you’re looking for some new recipes, we’ve rounded up your favorite and most purchased cookbooks of 2020.
Cool Beans
My favorite cookbook of the year was yours, too. The Washington Post’s Food and Dining Editor, Joe Yonan, guides readers though a simple yet shocking premise: “This food you thought was just ok, is actually really delicious, and really easy to make delicious in more ways than you likely thought possible.”
Family Meal
This digital cookbook hit the shelves in April to support the restaurant industry. It features recipes by Alison Roman, Ina Garten, Dan Barber, and plenty more and all proceeds go towards benefiting the Restaurant Workers’ COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.
The Nom Wah Cookbook
One of NYC’s most popular dim sum spots released a stellar cookbook this year. It’s filled with dumpling how-to’s, pan fried noodle goodness, and much much more, all of which is accessible, even to a beginner cook.
Your-Do-Anything-Kitchen
Less of a cookbook, and more of a book that delves into how to have a successful kitchen, Food52’s new book is worth having in your kitchen no matter which way you slice it. “From stocking up, to creating order in your pantry and fridge, to basic cooking techniques, and even a special chapter on dish washing, the editors of Food52 take you on a culinary journey rife with answers to almost every question you’d ever ask in the kitchen.”
The Craft of the Cocktail
This second edition of Dale Degroff’s highly influential The Craft of the Cocktail should be owned by all cocktail drinkers, according to Half Full contributor Phillip Greene. It’s filled with great new cocktail recipes of course, and it serves as a guidebook to what consumers and professionals are supposed to do with alcohol, perfect for 2020 when we’re all trying to make them at home.
My Perfect Pantry
2020 was of course, filled with pantry staples. It was a good idea to invest in a pantry staple cookbook this year (and every year) and Geoffrey Zakarian’s My Perfect Pantry is a great one, full of tips and tricks, like using Earl Grey tea bags to infuse ice cubes.
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