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Finding the perfect cookbooks to start your collection is hard.?Let me help you find the BEST cookbooks for beginners in the kitchen!
How do you determine what cookbooks are best for your collection?
The world is full of cookbooks. It seems like everyone who has ever entered a kitchen has written one. So how do you know which cookbooks are best? Here are some of my favorite cookbook hunting tips I’ve learned over the years.
Don’t turn your nose up at garage sale and thrift store books.
Some of my favorite recipes of all time come from cookbooks you can’t buy at Barnes and Noble. Lancaster County Cookbook may not be a New York Times bestseller, but someone’s grandmother spent days worth of hours pulling recipes from the pages. It may not have been written by a celebrity, but it was the building block of many a young home cook, learning at a well loved kitchen table. Our job is to find those wonderful books that slipped through the cracks.
Pro Tip: If the cookbook contains recipes by many different people (i.e. church cookbook, county cookbook, etc.) TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU!! These cookbooks are full of some of the most valuable recipes you’ll ever find.
Look for cookbooks with a theme (but not too narrow of a theme)
Most cookbooks do have some sort of theme, but some go a little overboard (in my humble opinion). If you are new to cookbooks, or cooking in general, a cookbook with recipes designed for a fancy dinner party may not be exactly what you are looking for. Another example would be grabbing a campfire cooking cookbook because the cover is plastered with delicious looking images, however you have never been camping and have no desire to go.
Our goal here is to build a useful and beautiful collection of cookbooks that covers a wide range of topics. That being said, cookbook collections are not a one size fits all. What makes your collection so special is that is unique to you. If you are a busy mom, quick meals and crockpot cookbooks may be you jam. If you love fine dining but are on a budget, maybe you’re looking for something a little more upscale and refined.
What if I can’t find any cookbooks that suit me?
Don’t be discouraged! Make your own recipe book! My most used “cookbook” (by far) is a stained and worn, polka dot binder that my mom got me when I was 16. It is filled with handwritten recipes (some of which you’ll find on this blog), recipe cards from magazines and pasta boxes, and printed out recipes from some of my favorite bloggers.
Let’s dive into some of my favorite cookbooks for beginners!!
Favorite Cookbook for the cast iron chef wannabe
CAST IRON COOKING: Find it HERE
This is quite possibly the first cookbook I ever bought, featuring the most versatile pan in your kitchen. Featuring all time favorites from fajitas to cinnamon rolls, pan fried trout to fried apple cranberry pies, this cookbook is sure to be one of your most used.
P.S. Remember when I told you not to turn up your nose at garage sale and thrift store books? Find Cast Iron Cooking at thriftbooks.com for only $4.95!
Favorite Cookbook for the country cook
THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl: Find it HERE
Ree Drummond is beloved by the country cook.?Her hilarious and sometimes delightfully awkward anecdotes sprinkled across her books, cookbooks, and television show have captured the hearts of many, as have her recipes.
Her first cookbook The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, is full of quintessential county kitchen staple recipes.?Whip up some sour cream pancakes in the morning, end the day with homemade pizza crust or a braised beef brisket.?The recipes in this book are sure to leave cowboys and farmers full and smiling.
Check out this cookbook for beginners on amazon!
Favorite Cookbook for beginners who are looking to develop their craft
DEEP RUN ROOTS: Find it HERE
This book may look intimidating at a whopping 576 pages, but let me tell you, this may be my favorite cookbook of all time.?Vivian Howard unravels the story of her life through recipes categorized by main ingredient.?I could read it for days.
Featuring recipes like: Fried Popcorn Oysters with Kitchen-Sink Mayo, Fried Yams with Five-Spice Maple Bacon Candy, and the most gorgeous Peaches and Cream Cake I have ever seen.?I would go so far as to say that everyone needs this cookbook on their shelf.
Find it on Amazon for $30.07.
Favorite Cookbook for beginners. Ever.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS NEW COOKBOOK: Find It HERE
Your grandma or mom probably had one of these red and white checked cookbooks, and you should too.?Not only is the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook filled with easy and essential recipes.?It also contains the best tips, tricks, and charts covering everything from wine pairing to meat carving to the most handy chart of emergency substitutes.?Now I know you could find all of those thing in google, but there is something reassuring about having them all written down in hard copy form.
Favorite Cookbook for beginners who are trying to understand their body
MEALS SHE EATS: Find It HERE
This book is aimed at women with PCOS, but is filled with knowledge about eating for the benefit of your body.?The recipe section is separated out into categories based on menstrual phase.
Learn how to make a brothy pork stew or a tasty sweet potato hash.?You can purchase Meals She Eats on Amazon for $15.56.
Favorite Cookbook for beginners interested in preserving their own food
BALL COMPLETE BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING: Find It HERE
We live in a time where you either know how to can like a pro, or the thought has never crossed your mind.?I think this book is a stepping stone to changing that.?Filled with recipes of anything you could imagine preserving, this book is on of my most used.
Dive in to your common recipes: Dill Pickles, Peaches in Syrup, and Corn Relish.. or go a little crazy and try some thing like Greek Yogurt or Pear Pickles.?The possibilities are endless!
Buy it on Amazon for $19.95.
Now that you know my favorite cookbooks for beginners, it’s time to go out and find your own!
Looking to make your own book of favorite recipes? Check out some of my favorites.
- Super Easy Crockpot Beef Stew (with Sweet Potatoes!)
- Cheeseburger Bites
- Cinnamon Apple Bread
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