- preserving the pint – marisa wrote the first recipe i ever preserved. the tomato jam on her blog is insanely delicious. i went a few years using this book not realizing they were the same author! if you can’t get enough of her blog recipes then check this book out. she is super thorough and this is awesome for the beginning canner.
- half baked harvest – yet another blogger turned cookbook author favorite of mine. her writing is playful and fun and her recipes have combinations I would never even think to consider. some of my best meals were adapted from half baked harvest. the recipe techniques range from simple to complex so this is a good book for any level of home cook
- what katie ate – this book is probably in my top three favorite books. it is for the moderate to skilled home cook but her recipes are perfect for hunkering down in the winter. her shepherds pie is a staple in our house (especially with the roasted garlic mashed potato topping.
- cooks illustrated – this book is incredible. it is a go to for not only the HOW but the WHY. why does adding this or that give this type of result. if you are branching out into making your own recipes this is the ultimate book of knowledge. my friend annette turned me on to it because she had us for dinner and made this incredible cherry port steak sauce from this book.
- farmette – i picked this book up from my friends shop, rebel reclaimed. not only are the pictures stunning it’s a great, simple down home book. i love that it has a chapter on butter and cream making if you are feeling super adventurous.
- pioneer woman – come on ree is like the OG food blogger. she was country when country wasn’t cool. i remember when she was just a small blogger and now shes…. The Pioneer woman. her original two cookbooks are some of my favorites. it’s a great cookbook for newbies to the kitchen because every recipe has detailed step by step photos. i just made her blue cheese steak sauce the other night and as i was melting the butter i remembered everything i love about this woman.
- preservation pantry – this one is a fairly new favorite for me. i picked this up at the beginning of the summer at readers world in holland (best book store in west michigan ever). it’s a bit complex but has super unique recipes for preserving. i think my favorite from this book was the beet and pink peppercorn jam.
- weeknights with giada – last but not least weeknights with giada. i’m not a big celebrity chef cookbook person but there are some real gems in this book. there is a green onion quiche in here that is a go to for joe and i on sunday mornings.
