2023 cookbook recommendations for the food lovers on your list

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NPR

There are a lot of cooks at NPR. Every year when we ask our staff for recommendations for Books We Love — — we get back a veritable smorgasbord of cookbook offerings. Scroll down to find out what our staffers were up to in the kitchen this year, and to explore selections from food writer, author and NPR contributor T. Susan Chang. This is just a sampling of our food recommendations in 2023 — to see the full list, head over to

Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling by Bricia Lopez with Javier Cabral

Restaurateur Bricia Lopez says her cookbook Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling is a love letter to Los Angeles. It's an expression of both her Oaxacan and American identity. An asada is a smoky barbecue filled with family, friends, music and drinks. And backyard asada culture reigns supreme in the streets of LA. Lopez's cookbook covers everything you need to know to throw an asada, from making marinades to refreshing agua frescas. — Milton Guevara, associate producer, Morning Edition and Up First

The Cookie That Changed My Life by Nancy Silverton with Carolynn Carreño

If you're like me, every cookie is the "cookie that changed my life." But in the case of veteran baker Nancy Silverton, it was a giant peanut butter cookie from an LA bakery. "Perfection!" Silverton thought – before setting out to make it even more perfect. Every recipe in this book similarly gilds the lily: Walnut oil and ground walnuts intensify the dough for Walnut Sandies. Black cocoa powder, cacao nibs, bittersweet chocolate and flaky salt marry in the Ultimate Chocolate Cookie – which takes hours. But you will want to change your life to make time for it. — T. Susan Chang, food writer

Ed Mitchell's Barbeque by Ed Mitchell and Ryan Mitchell with Zella Palmer

This book is a tribute to the "unspoken cuisine of America" and to the authors' enslaved ancestors, the first pitmasters of eastern North Carolina. The recipes are delectable. The star is whole hog BBQ, pit-roasted over hot embers with a vinegar-based sauce, and traditional sides, like Tobacco Barn Brunswick Stew, Church Ladies' Candied Yams, and Ed's Shindig Slaw. But we also get some fresh takes, like Smoked Collard Green Dip, Bougie Barbequed Whole Turkey, and Smoked Tofu Burnt Ends. This is one of those special regional cookbooks that reads as a rich cultural and historical memoir told through the lens of foodways. — Debbie Elliott, correspondent, National Desk

The Global Pantry Cookbook by Scott Mowbray and Ann Taylor Pittman