10 best cookbooks of 2023

For many, 2023 has been a year for returning to the office — and, as a result, adjusting to old routines, like frantically figuring out what’s for dinner at 6 p.m. That might be why we found ourselves craving more ease and speed in the kitchen this year. Luckily, several new cookbooks delivered.

We got multiple baking books dedicated to making dessert an approachable and weeknight-friendly endeavor. A West African cookbook shows how to build meals around a few staple sauces. Vegetables rise to the forefront in a fresh look at Vietnamese food as well as in a collection devoted to not-boring salads. In other cases, we couldn’t resist stunning photography or storytelling.

Here are the 10 cookbooks we kept returning to this year, with an emphasis on Bay Area and California authors. You’ll also find four excellent recipes below.

The second cookbook from Bricia Lopez, co-owner of treasured mole restaurant Guelaguetza in Los Angeles and author of James Beard award-nominated “Oaxaca,” is all about backyard Mexican grilling. Alongside L.A. Taco’s Javier Cabral, Lopez shares more than 100 recipes to inspire your next gathering — think marinades, salsas, tortillas, sides like elote and even cocktails. You might find yourself dunking chicken thighs into orange juice and achiote, or a blend of toasted guajillo chiles, onion and garlic, before firing up the grill. While this is a very meaty book — hello, bacon-wrapped hot dogs — there are some vegetarian recipes, too, for more inclusive gatherings. (See recipe for Grilled Veggies with Pipián Dip below.) — J.B.

“Asada: The Art of Mexican Grilling” by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral (Abrams Books; $40; 272 pages)

Bay Area cookbook author Andrea Nguyen’s latest effort stems from her efforts to cut back on her meat consumption and eat more vegetables while staying rooted in Vietnamese culture. That said, there’s still meat and seafood in “Ever-Green Vietnamese” — just less than you’d expect. Salmon swaps in for steak in a lighter, salad-like spin on Shaking Beef, for example. Meanwhile, cauliflower is given the char siu treatment, and tofu steps in for pork belly in a classic braise with eggs. Vegan or not, these dishes feel vibrant and full of flavor. — J.B.

“Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea” by Andrea Nguyen (Ten Speed Press; $35; 304 pages)

Taiwanese food is often categorized as a type of Chinese cuisine. In her stunning debut cookbook, Taipei food writer Clarissa Wei argues that’s inaccurate — that it’s time for the cuisine to be recognized fully as its own. Political, historical and deeply researched, “Made in Taiwan” is a one-of-a-kind book that’s worth studying even if you don’t plan to, say, spend several hours making soup dumplings. That said, more casual home cooks will find some tasty, weeknight-friendly treasures, too, like clams stir-fried with basil and sweet-savory Three-Cup Chicken (see the recipe below). — J.B.

“Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation” by Clarissa Wei with Ivy Chen (Simon Element; $40; 384 pages)

The debut cookbook from Rintaro, one of the Bay Area’s best Japanese restaurants, is transportive, just like dining at the San Francisco favorite. Beautiful design and photographs shot by chef and author Sylvan Mishima Brackett’s sister take you into the heart of the Rintaro kitchen, which deftly combines Bay Area seasonality with Japanese cooking. Many recipes require commitment, from making udon noodles from scratch to breaking down a whole chicken for an at-home yakitori party. But even novice cooks can appreciate the beauty of an unusually special homage. — E.K.

“Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California” by Sylvan Mishima Brackett with Jessica Battilana (Hardie Grant Publishing; $40; 304 pages)

This is a book designed to break you out of your salad rut. It may even challenge your notion of what a salad can be. Sheela Prakash, whose byline you might recognize from Kitchn, Epicurious and Food52, shares recipes for salads that work as side dishes, main attractions or even dessert. There’s a picnic-ready carrot slaw enlivened with Dijon mustard, and a surprisingly flavorful warm cabbage salad boosted by caramelized shallots and nutty Gruyere. (See the latter recipe below.) Center-of-the-plate salads include garlicky white beans tossed with caramelized fennel. A nice bonus: Every recipe is accompanied by a photo. — J.B.

“Salad Seasons: Vegetable Forward Dishes All Year” by Sheela Prakash (Rizzoli; $37.50; 208 pages).

Fans of San Francisco’s Kantine can now try making chef Nichole Accettola’s Scandinavian treats at home. Her first book, “Scandinavian from Scratch,” features familiar favorites like cardamom morning buns, flaky almond pastries and open-faced sandwiches on rye bread. It’s the rare cookbook dedicated to Scandinavian baking in the U.S., full of not-too-sweet, buttery and rustic desserts. Ambitious home bakers can rise to the challenge of laminated Danish dough, while newer bakers will still find plenty of approachable options, such as crispy-chewy Swedish cookies with a remarkably short ingredient list. — J.B.

“Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden” by Nichole Accettola (Ten Speed Press; $29.99; 256 pages)

This tight volume of 80 recipes shows how easy it is to bring West African flavors into a Bay Area home kitchen with few specialty ingredients, speedy cook times and a spirit of improvisation. Senegalese cookbook author Pierre Thiam, known for his acclaimed West African restaurant Teranga in New York, moved to the East Bay during the pandemic and sings the region’s praises in “Simply West African.” It’s easy to imagine him picking up eggplant from the farmers’ market and topping it with a thick peanut sauce at home. Other recipes are built around the pantry, like a comforting Ghanaian tomato-bean stew that gets a punch of umami from smoked mackerel. — J.B. 

“Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen” by Pierre Thiam with Lisa Katayama (Clarkson Potter; 240 pages; $28)

This breezy book from the popular author of “Snacking Cakes” expands on her last hit with a similar ethos: treats that can be made in under an hour, often in one bowl and with no specialty equipment or ingredients. This time, however, there’s not just cake, but also cookies, brownies and bars. Yossy Arefi, whose recipes you might also recognize from the New York Times, is an expert when it comes to all things low-fuss, satisfying and, often, kid-friendly. In no time, you’ll be throwing together brown sugar peach cakes in the summer and chewy molasses bars in the winter. (See recipe for the latter below.) — J.B. 

“Snacking Bakes: Simple Recipes for Cookies, Bars, Brownies, Cakes, and More” by Yossy Arefi (Clarkson Potter; $25; 192 pages)

The closure of Beverly Soon Tofu in Los Angeles was one of the city’s most devastating during the pandemic. But now, the beloved Korean restaurant’s recipes live on: “Sohn-mat” shares owner Monica Lee’s recipes for soondubu jjigae (tofu stew), plus her chosen ingredients and philosophy around cooking one individual serving at a time. There are also many dishes to complete a spread, like kimchi, banchan and sweet-savory grilled meat. But beyond the recipes, the book provides an intimate portrait of one special restaurant at the forefront of Los Angeles’ booming Koreatown. — J.B. 

“Sohn-mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking” by Monica Lee and Tien Nguyen (Hardie Grant; $35; 256 pages)

A baking book for people who don’t bake? “Sweet Enough” is the first dessert-focused endeavor from Alison Roman, once a pastry chef at three-Michelin-starred Quince in San Francisco and now known for her viral recipes and hit cookbooks. Despite her formal training, Roman removes the fussy, intimidating elements from baking and makes throwing together a strawberry cake on a whim feel achievable. Many are approachable yet impressive recipes that you’ll want to make again and again, from slightly savory salted lemon shortbread to a celebratory bowl of chocolate pudding. — E.K.

“Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook” by Alison Roman (Clarkson Potter; $35; 304 pages)

“Vegetarians should never feel unwelcome at a carne asada,” Bricia Lopez writes in “Asada” (Abrams Books). This is one of the veggie-forward options she’ll often make; feel free to use any vegetables you have in the fridge.

3 red bell peppers (5¼ ounces each), stems and seeds removed

2 large heirloom tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine (14 ounces)

1 cup raw almonds, lightly toasted in a skillet on the stovetop

8 ounces heirloom carrots, trimmed and peeled

½ yellow squash, woody nub cut off

8 ounces asparagus, woody nubs snapped off

8 ounces calabacita (Mexican summer squash; can substitute zucchini), quartered

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Start a charcoal or gas grill. The gas should be set to high. If using a pellet grill, preheat your grill to 425 degrees for at least 15 minutes. If using charcoal, the coals should be red but entirely covered with gray ash.

Make the dip: Wrap the habanero and garlic in a square sheet of aluminum foil. Place the bell peppers, tomatoes and bread directly on the grill along with the wrapped habanero and garlic. Grill the bread until just charred, about a minute or two per side. Grill the bell pepper and tomatoes for about 10 minutes, flipping until charred. The habanero and garlic will be softened after about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, and set aside.

In a food processor, blend the habanero, garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, bread, the grapeseed and olive oils, almonds, vinegar and salt until the texture is like a paste.

Prepare the vegetables: In a large bowl, toss the carrots, yellow squash, asparagus and calabacita with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place the vegetables directly on the grill and grill them for about 10 minutes, flipping constantly until they are charred.

Serve the veggies warm with the dip on the side.

Think you know three-cup chicken already? “While this dish can be traced to the Jiangxi province of China, the biggest difference is that the Taiwanese renditions incorporate a generous handful of basil,” Clarissa Wei explains in “Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation” (Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster). The “three” in three-cup chicken refers to soy sauce, black sesame oil and rice wine — a versatile combination that Wei suggests trying on other ingredients such as mushrooms or calamari. 

¼ cup Taiwanese rice wine or cooking sake

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 ​tablespoon coarse raw sugar, such as demerara

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

2 ​tablespoons lard or canola or soybean oil

1​2-inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled and cut into 1⁄16-inch slices

2 ​pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, chopped into 2-inch-thick pieces (see Note)

2 ​cups fresh Thai basil

1 ​red jalapeño pepper or any fresh medium chili, deseeded and sliced into thin rings (optional)

1 ​to 2 tablespoons black sesame oil

In a small bowl, make the sauce by mixing together the rice wine, soy sauce, water, sugar and white pepper.

In a wok, heat the lard over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the garlic and ginger, and cook until they are lightly brown and the edges of the ginger begin to curl, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the garlic and ginger, reserving the oil in the wok. Set the garlic and ginger to the side.

Increase the heat to high and add the chicken. Sear until the chicken is well browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the sauce, bring to a boil and return the ginger to the wok. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Gently simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a treacly, sticky glaze, 12 to 15 minutes.

Uncover the wok and increase the heat to high so the sauce begins to bubble vigorously. Return the garlic to the wok, and quickly toss in the basil and jalapeño pepper, if using. Mix to combine, and drizzle the black sesame oil over the chicken. Turn off the heat, and transfer to a clean plate. Enjoy immediately.

Note: Free-range, bone-in chicken is traditional, but it’s totally OK to make this with boneless chicken thighs for general ease. Boneless chicken will cook a bit faster than bone-in chicken, so be sure to watch the meat closely and check it at about the 10-minute mark. Dark meat is mandatory, or else the dish will come out dry and stringy.

In this recipe adapted from “Salad Seasons: Vegetable-Forward Dishes All Year” (Rizzoli), Sheela Prakash makes the case for consuming more cabbage. It lasts ages in the fridge and can be transformed into countless dishes, including one inspired by warm spinach salads. Green cabbage slices are tossed with a warm caramelized shallot dressing and covered with nutty shaved Gruyère for a winter side that’s easy to pair with whatever else you’re serving.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 medium shallots, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

½ medium (2- to 3-pound) head green cabbage

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 ounces Gruyère cheese, freshly shaved (about ⅔ cup), divided 

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the shallots and garlic, season with a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring frequently and reducing the heat if the shallots and garlic start to burn, until the shallots are very soft, caramelized and deep golden brown, about 15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, quarter, core and thinly slice the cabbage crosswise. Place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and massage with your hands to soften. Once the shallots have caramelized, remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, Dijon and honey. 

Pour the shallot mixture over the cabbage and toss to coat and wilt. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Add half of the shaved Gruyère and toss to distribute the cheese. Garnish with the remaining shaved Gruyère.

Makes one 8-by-8-inch pan

As with other molasses cookies, don’t feel like you can only make these chewy bars around the holidays. In this recipe, adapted from “Snacking Bakes” (Clarkson Potter, part of Penguin Random House), Yossy Arefi pairs the classic warm spices with an unexpected hit of coffee glaze. 

8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted

⅓ cup (113 grams) unsulphured molasses

½ cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

1 large egg, cold from the fridge

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1½ cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour

½ cup (50 grams) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

2 to 3 teaspoons milk, any kind

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray or brush with butter. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the sides.

Make the bars: In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, molasses, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds.

Add the egg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt, and whisk until smooth and glossy.

Whisk in the baking soda. Fold in the flour with a spatula and mix until combined and no streaks of flour remain.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula or lightly oiled hands to press the thick dough evenly into the pan.

Bake the bars until puffy, golden brown and just slightly firm, 24 to 27 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack; they will deflate as they cool.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, espresso powder and salt. Drizzle in the milk until the glaze is thick and opaque but pourable.

Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and then drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled bars. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.