20 Cookbook Gift Ideas for Your Mom (Or to Keep for Yourself)

By Morgan Goldberg
Updated May 09, 2019
Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
Mother’s Day is on the horizon and luckily for you, this season is ripe with new, beautiful cookbooks. A collection of incredible recipes that doubles as a coffee table accessory is the perfect gift for Mom. Here are 20 stellar cookbooks to gift your mother—or buy for yourself.
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Aloha Kitchen: Recipes from Hawai'i by Alana Kysar

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In an ideal world, we’d send our mamas on a luxurious trip to Hawaii for Mother’s Day. Since that’s not quite in the budget this year, we have our eyes on this book of 85 tropical, sunny recipes from saimin to shave ice that reflect the islands’ multicultural influences. Plus it’s written by a Maui native herself. Buy: $19.49 at amazon.com

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20 Cookbook Gift Ideas for Your Mom (Or to Keep for Yourself)

Mother’s Day is on the horizon and luckily for you, this season is ripe with new, beautiful cookbooks. A collection of incredible recipes that doubles as a coffee table accessory is the perfect gift for Mom.

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Baking at République: Masterful Techniques and Recipes by Margarita Manzke

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Los Angeles moms will fawn over this recipe collection from head baker and co-owner of West Hollywood’s premiere pastry haven. With detailed lessons on doughs and batters, Manzke makes accessible her stunning, line-drawing creations. Buy: $19.49 at amazon.com

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Cook Like a Pro: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks by Ina Garten

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Fact: moms love Ina... as they should since she’s flawless. In her most recent cookbook, Ina pulls out her tips and recipes for advanced home cooking and entertaining that’ll be sure to enhance everyone's overall kitchen and dining experience. Buy: $14.81 at amazon.com

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Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen and Adeena Sussman

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If your mom has an iPhone, it’s likely she knows Chrissy Teigen. We’re as obsessed with Chrissy’s recipes as we are her Twitter feed. For her sophomore debut, she’s published a book of truly cravable recipes from pad thai carbonara to shake and bake chicken. Buy: $18.30 at amazon.com

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Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook by Dorie Greenspan

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James Beard award-winning cookbook author and New York Times columnist Dorie Greenspan needs no introduction. Her 13th cookbook gives us a view into her daily kitchen with practical recipes made with ordinary ingredients that make for delicious dishes. Buy: $19.35 at amazon.com

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Food of The Italian South: Recipes for Classic, Disappearing and Lost Dishes by Katie Parla

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For the Italian mama, look to this exceptionally regional collection of Southern Italian recipes that are infused with the authentic flavors of Campania, Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, Molise and more. Paccheri with capers, olives, anchovies and fried bread crumbs, anyone?  Buy: $19 at amazon.com

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Franklin Steak: Dry-Aged. Live-Fired. Pure Beef. by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay

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If you were raised a carnivore, your mama will love this cookbook from Austin’s preeminent brisket expert. The pitmaster also happens to be a steak aficionado and proves it through his exploration of dry-aging techniques, global cooking styles and beef sourcing. Buy: $19.49 at amazon.com

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Happiness Is Baking: Cakes, Pies, Tarts, Muffins, Brownies, Cookies: Favorite Desserts from the Queen of Cake by Maida Heatter

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Your sweet tooth mama needs this fully illustrated selection of dessert recipes by the iconic Maida Heatter, the 102-year-old pastry chef. Her cakes, pies, tarts, muffins, brownies, cookies and more are a must for any baker. Buy: $11.42 at amazon.com

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Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family by Priya Krishna

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Priya Krishna’s brilliant book of Indian-American recipes is an ode to her mom’s cooking with flavorful everyday recipes like saag paneer with feta and roti pizza. She also peppers in hilarious, compelling stories about her family and childhood in Texas. Buy: $16.80 at amazon.com

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Now & Again: Go-To Recipes, Inspired Menus + Endless Ideas for Reinventing Leftovers by Julia Turshen

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Moms hate wasting food and so does Julia Turshen, who has created over 125 doable recipes for making leftovers into new meals. Her ideas for reinventing dishes will make you want to entertain even more. Buy: $23.79 at amazon.com

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Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi

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Fan-favorite chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi characterizes a simple recipe as one of the following: made in 30 minutes or less, with 10 or fewer ingredients, in a single pot, using pantry staples or prepared ahead of time. With those guidelines in mind, he crafted an assortment of simple dishes that have his signature Middle Eastern flair like braised eggs with leeks and za’atar and lamb and feta meatballs. Buy: $22.48 at amazon.com

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Salt & Straw Ice Cream Cookbook by Tyler Malek and JJ Goode

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West Coasters have already been charmed by the imaginative ice creams by cousin duo Tyler and Kim Malek. Now, scoop lovers can make incredibly simple base and the visionary flavors at home, while learning the art of designing a flavor from inception to fruition. Buy: $20.50 at amazon.com

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Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: A Collection of 20 Prints by Samin Nosrat and Wendy MacNaughton

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For fans of her best-selling cookbook or Netflix series, Samin Nosrat has released a treat. A box of 20 prints from the book, Wendy MacNaughton’s mouthwatering, tangible illustrations can be framed or propped up in the kitchen for inspiration. Buy: $16 at amazon.com

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The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Debatable List by by Alana Newhouse

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There are countless stereotypes of a Jewish mother and at least half of them have to do with making sure everyone is fed and has a sweater. Your mamaleh will get a kick out of this “highly debatable” list of Jewish foods with contributions by Ruth Reichl, Éric Ripert, Michael Solomonov, Dan Barber, Yotam Ottolenghi, Tom Colicchio, Melissa Clark and more. Buy: $14.97 at amazon.com

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The Martha Manual: How to Do (Almost) Everything by Martha Stewart

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While it’s not technically a cookbook, moms can’t resist Martha and neither can we. Her manual answers the questions we never know the answers to like how to replace a doorknob, remove any stain and make a tire swing. She also includes great entertaining guides from how to host Thanksgiving to how to throw a kids birthday party. Buy: $18.95 at amazon.com

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The New Pie: Modern Techniques for the Classic American Dessert by Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin

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Winners of the 2017 National Pie Championship Best of Show, along with hundreds of other baking awards, Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin know a thing or two about pie. Even if your mom swears by her tried and true strawberry rhubarb, she will be dying to test these creative recipes that employ inventive flavors and modern techniques. Buy: $19 at amazon.com

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Tortellini at Midnight: And Other Heirloom Family Recipes from Taranto to Turin to Tuscany by Emiko Davies

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Emiko Davies is half Japanese, half Australian, living in Florence with an Italian husband and their two children. Italian food is her main game. For her third cookbook, she explores her husband’s family’s culinary traditions with nostalgic, comforting recipes from Taranto, Tuscany, Turin and more. Buy: $22.48 at amazon.com

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Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors by Andrea Nguyen

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Andrea Nguyen’s mom came to America from Vietnam and brought the flavors with her. Now, Andrea is here to teach you to make everything from banh mi and rice paper rolls to chile garlic chicken wings and turmeric coconut rice with everyday ingredients. Buy: $16.50 at amazon.com

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Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook by Carla Lalli Music

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Whether your mama sticks to the basics or could win a James Beard award herself, she’ll be immediately drawn to Carla Lalli Music’s relaxed, flexible recipes that ingeniously offer up swaps and alternatives. This is a book of food you want to eat and can. Buy: $19.30 at at amazon.com

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Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables by Abra Berens

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Your veggie-laving mama will obsess over this reference book of how to cook a variety of vegetables the way they are best enjoyed. With over 300 recipes for 29 types of vegetables, the anthology celebrates ingredients from a farmer’s perspective. Buy: $22.50 at amazon.com

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