My Favorite Cookbooks

As many of you know, I consider myself something of a home chef. I absolutely love cooking delicious meals for my family and I consider the kitchen to be one of my happy places. I first gained an affinity for cooking as a child when I'd rummage through my mom's Better Homes & Gardens cookbook (which I still have today) and try to bake cake recipes from it.

I was a Freshman in college around the time that Pinterest rose to social media celebrity status, and my friends and I loved sending pins to each other, and going home on the weekends to bake recipes we found on the site. I still make some of those initial recipes that I learned today.

While I love Pinterest, there's just something about a good old fashioned cookbook. Maybe it's the stunning photography, or having pages and pages of recipes to read through, but I have so much fun looking through them and trying out different dinners or desserts.

Below is a list of my favorite cookbooks. Ones that I either own, or that I have on my list to buy. I hope they inspire you to start cooking at home even more, and experience the joys of creating.

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The Forest Feast

I bought this cookbook while on a trip with Cain to visit our friends. I was so drawn in by the beautiful photography and illustrations and I couldn't wait to try out the recipes. The best one I've tried is the asparagus tart, which I made in this video. The colors are so vibrant, the meals are balanced and it's one of my favorite purchases from last year.

Lidia's A Pot, A Pan and A Bowl

I don't know what it is about Lidia Bastianich, but I just want to give her the biggest hug. I just love how she's so incredibly successful while never having been on the Food Network or a huge household name like Ina or Giada. Her recipes are down home Italian comfort food and this book is a best seller on Amazon.

The Southern Living Party Cookbook

I bought this cookbook based on the aesthetics alone, but the country girl in me (I spent the first two years of my life in Virginia, thank you very much) absolutely loves the Southern charm of it all. Perfect biscuits, gravy, floral arrangements, this book has it all for my fellow Southern Belles.

I was vintage shopping this past weekend when I stumbled upon this absolute beauty. This old school Williams Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook is everything I never knew I needed. From tips on how to stock your pantry to go-to recipes for hosting, this is the perfect newlywed cookbook. Unfortunately, it seems this style of the book is no longer being published, but they have an updated one here.

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