23 Fall Cookbooks We're Reading (and Cooking from) This Season

Each year as summer rolls into fall, we look forward to turning our ovens back on, picking up some of our favorite autumnal produce at the market (hello, squash and mushrooms), and cracking open all the new cookbooks the season brings. Last year, we dove into Ina Garten's Modern Comfort Food, In Bibi's Kitchen from Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen, Nik Sharma's The Flavor Equation, and more—this year, our list spans over 20, ranging from Italian American by the folks behind Don Angie to the Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook.

Whether you're in the mood for baked goods or new ways to cook with seafood, these books are packed with dishes you'll want to make all season long. Read on for the full list, and make sure you have sticky notes on hand to bookmark recipes—you're going to need a stack.

OUT NOW

Flavors of the Sun by Christine Sahadi Whelan

"New York City residents and tourists alike have flocked to Sahadi's for Middle Eastern groceries since 1895. With this compendium of more than 120 recipes, and in-depth explainers on selecting, storing, preparing, using, and serving ingredients like preserved lemons, sumac, Aleppo pepper, and beyond, the fifth-generation family-owned empire is educating and expanding its devoted following into the next century. Sections are divided into flavor categories—Bright, Savory, Spiced, Nutty, and Sweet—rather than by courses with the intent of educating readers about swapping ingredients to suit their individual preferences, as well as matching whatever food mood they happen to be in that day. Sunny, stormy, cloudy, and everywhere in between, the answer will be waiting right there on your shelf. (Or via mail order at sahadis.com.)" –Kat Kinsman, Senior Editor

Flavors of the Sun: The Sahadi's Guide to Understanding, Buying, and Using Middle Eastern Ingredients, $31.50 (list price $35) at amazon.com

Foodheim by Eric Wareheim with Emily Timberlake

"I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Foodheim, the first cookbook from comedian, director, and winemaker Eric Wareheim; terms like 'dankadance' and 'chef's kiss' are commonplace, there's a recipe for Extreme Crudités, and the design feels like a cross between MySpace pages of lore, TikTok screenshots, and a guidebook to Italy. Needless to say, this is a fun book for people who are down to have fun with cooking, eating, and entertaining." –Oset Babür, Associate Culture Editor

Foodheim: A Culinary Adventure, $22 (list price $35) at amazon.com

The Kitchen Whisperers by Dorothy Kalins

"Full disclosure: I owe a lot of my career to Dorothy Kalins. When I was a fledgling food writer, mortified and nervous about my post-career-switch late start, the Saveur co-founder and book editor took a moment to really see me and any scrap of potential I might have, and helped me take flight—and occasionally give me a hard shove out of my comfy nest. This, I have come to learn, is part of the power and magic of Kalins. She sees, listens, and draws out the best in people, and The Kitchen Whisperers is the culmination of this skill, homed in on the kitchen. In its pages, she shares the coaxed-out wisdom, tips, skills, and recipes from legends like Marcella Hazan, Michael Anthony, and David Tanis, as well as family and friends whose names will never be on a menu or the spine of a cookbook, but whose cooking has enriched her life. I'll shout to the heavens if need be: buy this book. It will help you soar higher than you ever dreamed." –K.K.

The Kitchen Whisperers: Cooking with the Wisdom of Our Friends, $21 (list price $27) at amazon.com

Life Is What You Bake It by Vallery Lomas

"Everything Vallery Lomas bakes turn to edible gold, and the fantastic recipes in her debut book are no exception—from German Chocolate Sandwich Cookies to Crawfish Hand Pies. Through decadent and delicious baked goods, Lomas tells the story of her extraordinary life, taking us to Louisiana, Paris, the set of The Great American Baking Show, and everywhere in between." –Nina Friend, Associate Features Editor

Life Is What You Bake It: Recipes, Stories, and Inspiration to Bake Your Way to the Top, $22 (list price $30) at amazon.com

Liguria by Laurel Evans

"The Italian region of Liguria is famous for its riviera (hello, Cinque Terre!), for its focaccia, and as the birthplace of pesto. And you might expect all that to be reflected in the pages of Laurel Evans' new cookbook, Liguria (Rizzoli; September 28)—and you will—but you will also find more of the unexpected. In fact, a better title for the book might have been So You Think You Know Liguria. The Milan-based, Texas-born food writer and TV host (who married an Italian from the region and has been based in Italy for over two decades) shares the history, cultural context, and recipes of lesser-known regional specialties, blended with her own personal narrative shaped by three formidable Nonne in the kitchen. Evans underscores the fact that Ligurian cuisine is inventive, waste-conscious, and very vegetable-forward, using far less meat and seafood than you might think for a place with such an iconic coastline. So, while the Carne and Pesce chapters are tiny, expect recipes for lots of veg-filled ravioli made from scratch, a thick Genovese minestrone rich with vibrant pesto, savory tarts, stuffed vegetables, baked goods made with chestnut and chickpea flours, and herbs in everything. In fact, after scratching my head all summer about what I was going to do with a sage bush gone wild, I'll be making the Salvia Fritta, sage leaves fried in a crisp, tempura-like batter, served as a snack (with a glass of crisp Vermentino, of course)." –Melanie Hansche, Deputy Editor

Liguria: The Cookbook: Recipes from the Italian Riviera, $45 at amazon.com

Maman: The Cookbook by Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte with Lauren Salkeld

"If every café with multiple locations felt as cozy as Maman does, I'd probably be a happier person. While I'll never stop using the Tribeca location as my go-to place to take breakfast dates, I'm excited to make my way through Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte's collection of recipes both sweet and savory from the cherry-rosemary crumble to a truly sensational-sounding heirloom tomato and sausage casserole." –O.B.

Maman: The Cookbook: All-Day Recipes to Warm Your Heart, $27 (list price $30) at amazon.com

Once Upon a Chef: Weeknight/Weekend by Jennifer Segal

"I first came across Jennifer Segal from Once Upon a Chef through her perfect recipe for beef stew, which my partner and I just call 'The Beef Stew', given how frequently we make it every winter. I've already littered her newest release with post-its, and I know I'll be turning to it on weeks that feel like a cooking or baking rut." –O.B.

Once Upon a Chef: Weeknight/Weekend: 70 Quick-Fix Weeknight Dinners + 30 Luscious Weekend Recipes: A Cookbook, $27.50 (list price $32.50) at amazon.com

Septime, La Cave, Clamato, D'une île by Bertrand Grébaut and Théophile Pourriat, with Benoit Cohen

"Chef Bertrand Grébaut and partner Théophile Pourriat have built an empire in France with their four restaurants that take French food to fresh heights. Their first book details how they've pioneered a new era for cuisine in France with recipes that speak to simplicity and approachability instead of complexity and inaccessibility." –N.F.

Septime, La Cave, Clamato, D'une île, $58 at amazon.com

Take One Fish by Josh Niland

"To not follow Aussie chef and fish butcher Josh Niland on Instagram (@mrniland) is to be missing out on the most creative seafood cookery in the world by one of the true innovators of the genre. (As well as some of the most beautiful, cheeky, or visceral photographs of the ocean's bounty.) In Take One Fish (Hardie Grant, August 31), the follow up to his James Beard award-winning The Whole Fish Cookbook (in which he extolled the virtues of dry-aging fish and scale-to-tail cooking) Niland seeks to empower home cooks with the knowledge and skill to cook more than just the fillets. Showcasing 15 global varieties of fish, Niland smashes through any notion of established rules around cooking seafood: you'll find many creative, delicious recipes that showcase his playful rendering of fish as 'meat'. There's swordfish schnitzel and tacos al pastor, tuna rib eye and mapo tofu, king fish mortadella, trout merguez sausages and more, that encourage enjoyment of fish outside the usual ways of cooking them. The chef's main priority is to increase the yield from one single fish, which is why you'll also find boundary-pushing stuff, too, like a recipe to make your own garum (a concentrated fish sauce made from fish scraps), brioche made from rendered fish fat, crispy, fried swim bladder, fish throat terrine, and others. For Niland, using the whole fish is no gimmick: 'I'm no Captain Planet and I'm not suggesting you go and eat the eyeballs out of a single fish you bought at the shops,' he says in the introduction, 'but this conversation is urgent: it's time to question the normalization of half a fish going in the bin [trash].' In this cracker of a book, he gives you plenty of tasty reasons to agree with him."–M.H.

Take One Fish: The New School of Scale-to-Tail Cooking and Eating, $30 (list price $40) at amazon.com

OCTOBER 12

Mooncakes and Milk Bread by Kristina Cho

"Kristina Cho's Mooncakes and Milk Bread brings home the sweet and savory treats we've long enjoyed from Chinese cafes, bakeries, and restaurants, with a set of recipes written to empower the home cook. Cho shares tried and trusted recipes from the shops themselves, her own creations, and long-cherished family favorites. With her guiding hand leading the reader through each recipe, with careful instructions and thoughtful details included to prevent common pitfalls and mistakes, elegantly pleated dumplings, soft and sweet Bo Lo Bao (pineapple buns), and even beautifully intricate mooncakes are well within reach." –Kelsey Youngman, Associate Food Editor

Mooncakes and Milk Bread: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries, $27 (list price $30) at amazon.com

PASTA by Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi

"With a 45-page section on various shapes alone, Robbins and Baiocchi answer every question you could possibly have about Italy's most famous carb. If you've ever wanted to make espresso-flavored pasta dough or concoct a dreamy tortellini en brodo (both thoughts I've personally had), this book is for you." –O.B.

PASTA: The Spirit and Craft of Italy's Greatest Food, With Recipes, $35 (list price $40) at amazon.com

OCTOBER 19

Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan

"Early on in my tenure at Food & Wine, I had to bake cookies for Dorie Greenspan. Specifically her cookies from her latest cookbook. I was the test kitchen assistant, we were hosting her for a live video, and I needed to bake the 'beauties' as we call them, the perfect finished product that folks 'magically' pull out of the oven on cooking shows. Having idolized Dorie from afar for years, I was wildly nervous about meeting her, let alone presenting her with her own cookies. And, of course, she was incredibly warm, kind, and generous with her praise. It's an interaction I'll never forget. The fact that her recipe was foolproof was something I haven't forgotten either. Her new collection of inviting, fun, and accessible-yet-ingenious baked treats in Baking with Dorie will definitely hold a place of honor on my cookbook stand, not only because of Dorie herself, but because I know each and every recipe will be reliably, flawlessly delectable." –K.Y.

Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple, $30 (list price $35) at amazon.com

Black Food, edited by Bryant Terry

"'Black Food is a communal shrine to the shared histories of the African Diaspora,' writes Bryant Terry in the introduction to this 300-plus page volume, and the religious evocation is not accidental. This collection of essays, visual art, playlists, poems, and recipes commissioned and curated from more than 100 chefs and spirits experts, artists, scholars, activists, journalists, and leaders feels like a holy pursuit for Terry in its faithful documentation of the rites, rituals, and history of the nourishment of Black bodies, minds, and spirits, as well as a pulpit from which to share the gospel of self and community care. But unlike an ecclesiastical relic—hidebound, carved in stone, set out of reach—Terry means this book to be a living, evolving thing, accessible to all. In his words, 'Toss it in your bag, satchel, purse, or on the passenger seat, and ride out to your local farmers' market and grocery store. Level-up your skills with practical cooking know-how shared by our brilliant chefs. Expand your African diasporic cooking repertoire and impress your family and friends. Pass it around at cookouts, barbecues, and family reunions. Like Black people, this book contains multitudes.'" –K.K.

Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, $34 (list price $40) at amazon.com

Zoe's Ghana Kitchen by Zoe Adjonyoh

"British chef Zoe Adjonyoh's debut book is now available stateside, complete with classic dishes and creative takes from Ghanaian cuisine. The perfect companion for home cooks eager to get to know bright, flavorful dishes like Jollof Fried Chicken, Peanut Butter Stew with Lamb (Nkatsenkwan) and even her "Ghana-fied" Caesar Salad." –Mary-Frances Heck, Senior Food Editor

Zoe's Ghana Kitchen: An Introduction to New African Cuisine – From Ghana With Love, $25.50 (list price $30) at amazon.com

OCTOBER 26

Italian American by Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli with Jamie Feldmar

"Don Angie is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City, and I'm thrilled that owners Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli are trusting the hungry masses with the recipe for the restaurant's bespoke pinwheel lasagna, a dish that is permanently ingrained in both my brain and stomach. While pastas and sauces are obviously a big part of the draw here, don't skip over the robust vegetable section––I plan on trying out the saltimbocca-style fennel with prosciutto, as well as the Sicilian-style roasted cauliflower. Oh, and there's a dessert section that involves ginger and lemon ricotta cookies, three of my favorite flavors in one sweet bite. I didn't really need convincing, but I'm convinced." –O.B.

Italian American: Red Sauce Classics and New Essentials: A Cookbook, $31.50 (list price $35) at amazon.com

The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook by Cuong Pham with Tien Nguyen and Diep Tran (Now Publishing December 28)

"Everyone's favorite fish sauce (and have you tried their caramels?) now has a cookbook! With something for every season, and ways to incorporate fish sauce into every meal of the day, these recipes turn umami up to 11." –M.F.H.

The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook: Beloved Recipes from the Family Behind the Purest Fish Sauce, $19 (list price $25) at amazon.com

NOVEMBER 2

Treasures of the Mexican Table by Pati Jinich

"Clocking in at over 400 pages, Mexican cooking expert Pati Jinich's latest cookbook features recipes spanning the cuisines of Mexico. Knowing her rigorous research and testing process, these recipes (especially the birria) are on my fall cooking shortlist." –M.F.H.

Pati Jinich Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets, $25 (list price $35) at amazon.com

NOVEMBER 9

This Must Be the Place by Rachael Ray

"No one had an easy 2020 (or 2021 for that matter), but Rachael Ray's challenges have been more public than most. In addition to the isolation and uncertainty that everyone faced, Ray and her husband John lost their home in a fire, and then their beloved 16-year-old pit bull Isaboo to cancer later that year. This heartfelt and beautifully human book—named after the Talking Heads' classic song—is a chronicle in recipes and stories of how she cooked her way through this time of stunning loss, and a love letter to the people who got her through." –K.K.

This Must Be the Place: Dispatches & Food from the Home Front, $22.50 (list price $32) at amazon.com

NOVEMBER 16

Cheryl Day's Treasury of Southern Baking by Cheryl Day

"Say Cheryl Day's name to other bakers, and you see the instant nod of respect and recognition. The Savannah, Georgia-based Day was born to both the craft and the chronicling of it, and in her first solo outing (the previous five were co-authored with her husband and 'baking soul mate' Griff), she seeks to honor the wisdom of her great-great-grandmother—an enslaved pastry cook who was well-known for her biscuits and pies—as well as the generations of women whose labor and skill created the South's baking traditions. Over the years, Day has solidified her reputation as an avid scholar and collector of vintage local cookbooks and recipes, and the delicious proof is present on every single page of this volume that's sure to join the canon." –K.K.

Cheryl Day's Treasury of Southern Baking, $34 (list price $40) at amazon.com

New Native Kitchen by Chef Freddie Bitsoie and James O. Fraioli

"The New Native Kitchen from Freddie Bitsoie invites us into a joyful, celebratory collection of modern Indigenous recipes that showcase the culinary legacy and flavors of Native American cooking. It's a welcome door into a culture and cuisine outside of my own, and a book I'm eager to keep reading and cooking from. I'll be starting with some Manoomin Rice Salad with Apple-Honey Vinaigrette and Mashed Cranberry Beans with Coconut Milk to welcome the beginning of fall." –K.Y.

New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian, $40 at amazon.com

NOVEMBER 23

Damn Good Chinese Food by Chris Cheung

"Chris Cheung, chef and owner of East Wind Snack Shop in Brooklyn, New York, draws inspiration for this book right from his own backyard: Chinatown. The stories Cheung shares reflect his upbringing in New York's Chinatown, and the recipes celebrate the flavors, techniques, and culture of this delicious neighborhood." –N.F.

Damn Good Chinese Food: Dumplings, Egg Rolls, Bao Buns, Sesame Noodles, Roast Duck, Fried Rice, and More, $25 at amazon.com

The King Arthur Baking Company Essential Cookie Companion by King Arthur Baking Company

"King Arthur cookbooks will always be a staple in my kitchen library. Their beautifully precise recipes do the job all of us who write recipes for a living aim to do: hold the reader's hand just enough to clearly guide them to a delicious result (cookies, in this case) while also teaching solid skills along the way. I can't wait to dive into holiday baking this year with this essential book by my side." –K.Y.

The King Arthur Baking Company Essential Cookie Companion, Revised and Updated, $31.50 (list price $35) at amazon.com

NOVEMBER 30

The Sweet Side of Sourdough by Caroline Schiff

"If you think sourdough is just for loaves of bread, think again! Pastry chef Caroline Schiff shares 50 recipes for turning sourdough's tangy savoriness into all things sweet, from pies and cakes to buns and cookies. And don't worry if you've never worked with sourdough before, because Schiff shows you how to create and maintain a sourdough starter and use the discard for all kinds of fun baked goods." –N.F.

The Sweet Side of Sourdough: 50 Irresistible Recipes for Pastries, Buns, Cakes, Cookies and More, $19.50 (list price $22) at amazon.com