Cover The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt
The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt
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Whether for decor or to delve into food science, these are some of our picks for the best cookbooks to have
Cookbooks are an invaluable tool to keep within your kitchen for many reasons—because while online recipes are great, sometimes you need the depth and insight that only a cookbook can offer. And they also look great as decor items in their own right.
The cookbooks in this list include foundational cookbooks, where skill, science, and technique are introduced, and the delicious recipes are a great added bonus. Expert curation is a large part of the value of a cookbook, along with progressive learning and skill building. It’s also nice to not have to constantly tap your screen with a dirty finger to keep it from going dark.
After all, cookbooks are more than just a compilation of techniques and recipes—they are designed to both educate and entertain, through structure, stories and incredible photography. Some of these cookbooks can also become heirlooms to pass down through the generations, so here’s a small list of the books we know and love, and if it were up to us, would definitely be considerations for the cookbook canon.
In case you missed it: 10 books all foodies should read
‘Joy of Cooking’ by Irma S. Rombauer
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Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer
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A classic, the absolute staple for many kitchens around the world, Joy of Cooking has been in print continuously since its release in 1936, amassing over 20 million copies sold. The newest edition, released in 2019, is encyclopedic in both its content and design. With no glossy images taking up a whole page, this book has one purpose and one purpose only—to teach you how to cook.
In the newer updated edition, it reflects modern home cooking, with an increase in cuisines, and consideration of new equipment such as sous vides and slow cookers—things that didn’t exist when it was first published.
‘The French Laundry’ by Thomas Keller
Above The French Laundry by Thomas Keller
Above The French Laundry by Thomas Keller
The French Laundry by Thomas Keller
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Known for the intricacy of the dining experience in his eponymous restaurant, chef Thomas Keller’s first cookbook reflects that. This is not a book for the beginner cook, featuring satisfying recipes with a series of small, impeccable, very refined and focused courses that can only come from a man obsessed with getting it right.
Recreate the experience of The French Laundry in your home kitchen with 150 recipes, with no shortcuts taken and no critical steps ignored.
‘A Cook’s Book’ by Nigel Slater
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‘A Cook's Book’ by Nigel Slater
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Nigel Slater’s description of himself is “a cook who writes”, and in this book is the physical manifestation of that. He writes about his personal cooking journey, life hacks that changed his time in the kitchen, and recounts core moments within his culinary journey.
These are the recipes Slater cooks at home everyday. Some of the chapters you’ll find are: ‘The Solace of Soup’, ‘Everyday Dinners’, ‘A Feast of Green’ and ‘A Slice of Tart’. The colourful cover and hefty weight of the book itself brings a sense of authority into your kitchen, and if any book should do that in your kitchen, it might as well be this.
‘Sift’ by Nicola Lamb
This one is a newer release, but the excellent layout and educational take on baking and cooking brings Nicola’s debut cookbook to the top for functionality and repeat bakes.
Designed to teach you about the why just as much as the how, Sift breaks down baking and cooking through ingredients. Find a whole section of eggs and the science behind protein denaturing, or the different types of flour and protein content. With recipes made to be riffed on, this is a cookbook that’s reminiscent of a wardrobe with infinite combinations.
‘The Food Lab’ by J. Kenji López-Alt
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Above ‘The Food Lab’ by J. Kenji López-Alt
‘The Food Lab’ by J. Kenji López-Alt
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This might be the ultimate gift for the food science nerd in your life, approaching cooking in a scientific manner, and exploring the science of cooking with the use of your favourite dishes.
Over a million copies sold, New York Times bestseller and the winner of the James Beard Award for General Cooking and the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award—this is a universally lauded cookbook that will teach you how to perfect the basics, scientifically speaking.
‘Dessert Person’ by Claire Saffitz
Claire Saffitz is the internet superstar that made waves on YouTube for her renditions of gourmet remakes of classic favourites, recreating skittles, ramen noodles, and everything in between. Find her now recreating the recipes from this book on her own YouTube channel.
Dessert Person is a cookbook designed for anyone of any skill level, with tips and tricks to leave no baker with odds and ends. Efficiency matters just as much in the kitchen as flavour, and Claire approaches her book with great intentionality, using ingredients in their entirety. She strives for recipes to have a sense of self-containment and wholeness, which is a great consideration, especially if you know the feeling of not having a use for an obscure ingredient from your baking adventures.
‘Salt Fat Acid Heat’ by Samin Nosrat
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Above ‘Salt Fat Acid Heat’ by Samin Nosrat
‘Salt Fat Acid Heat’ by Samin Nosrat
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You’ve probably seen the same title on Netflix, and for good reason. The influence of this cookbook on the modern approach to food and home cooking has been instrumental. This isn’t just a cookbook of curated recipes, but a story of cuisine and the love for food.
A digestible introduction into food science, Salt Fat Acid Head is an introduction to why things in the kitchen are happening the way they are, empowering home cooks to cook intuitively, rather than following a recipe rigidly.
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Keandra's expertise lies within writing deep dives into the culture and anthropology of food, sometimes with a philosophical twist. With a background in London's F&B consultancy scene, she's excited to be back in Kuala Lumpur to champion the local dining scene.
Reach her at keandra.hing@tatlerasia.com, @keandruh
