Choosing a cookbook for yourself or for a loved one can be somewhat nerve wracking! Cookbooks are an investment into your future dinner choices and your time well spent. Let us help you narrow it down. For 2025, here’s Why These 10 Cookbooks Made Our List:

Each one is:
✔ dependable in real home kitchens
✔ full of flavour (and personality!)
✔ great for year-round cooking in Canada
✔ beautifully written and photographed
✔ ideal for gifting to food lovers of all levels

They’ll inspire you, challenge you (in good ways), and bring fresh energy into your weeknight routine and weekend projects.

For more inspiration, click HERE for our 2024 list (cookbooks do NOT expired!) and–listen to our Cookbooks Podcast episode! Click HERE and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

1. Good Things: Recipes & Rituals to Share with People You Love — Samin Nosrat

If you loved Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this new book feels like a warm hug from a trusted friend. Samin Nosrat blends thoughtful storytelling with shareable, soulful recipes built around connection — the kind of dishes that make you slow down and savour the moment. Both her cookbooks are fantastic and we were excited when this one hit the shelves!

Expect bright flavours, clever rituals, and that signature Nosrat voice that makes every page feel personal.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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2. Family Thai — Arnold Myint & Kat Thompson

This vibrant Thai-Burmese collection is perfect for home cooks who want big flavour without fuss. We love cooking ‘take-out at home’ and this book really brings that to life. Myint brings his family heritage to life through deeply flavoured curries, noodle dishes, stir-fries, and sauces that punch way above their ingredient list.

Canadians will love how accessible the ingredients are — and how each recipe feels like it was designed for busy weeknights and weekend gatherings.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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3. Franklin Barbecue — A Meat-Smoking Manifesto

We love smoking and BBQ (Jody’s smoked no less than 100 brisket’s herself). And maybe it’s because we stood in line for 6 hours to eat at Franklin’s, or just because it’s a beautiful book, this cookbook made the list!

Perfect for home cooks, BBQ broads or bros, camping enthusiasts, and anyone who considers BBQ its own love language.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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4. The Food Lab — J. Kenji López-Alt

Always near the top of Jody’s shelf, a forever favourite and a must-own for curious home cooks. Kenji breaks down the science of cooking in a way that’s smart, clear, and addictive. You’ll learn why things work, and once you do, you’ll cook with more confidence than ever.

From searing steak to roasting vegetables to truly perfect eggs, this book is the definition of essential.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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5. Let’s Make Bread: A Comic Book Cookbook — Ken Forkish & Sarah Becan

Breadmaking, but make it fun.
This delightful comic-style cookbook blends expert baking technique with illustrated step-by-step guidance that makes even advanced recipes feel approachable.

Forkish brings the bread science; Becan brings the charm. Perfect for beginners, teens, or seasoned bakers who want a fresh take on technique.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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6. The Milk Street Cookbook: 2017–2026 — Christopher Kimball

We love anything from Christopher Kimball! A complete collection of Milk Street’s best recipes spanning nearly a decade — global flavours, weeknight solutions, and smart cooking tips that make life easier.

Think big ideas in simple packages: Turkish tomatoes, Japanese salads, Italian soups, genius spice blends, and streamlined techniques that taste like you fussed for hours.

If you love learning why a recipe works, this one’s for you.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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7. The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving — Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard

After a little bit of a hiatus, this year we really got back into canning! This is an older book but filled with fantastic recipes that don’t take days to commit too. Kirstie made a version of their chutney to give away at her wedding!

This book is a favourite for gardeners, farmer’s-market lovers, or anyone who wants the joy of preserving without committing to giant batches.

From jams and chutneys to relishes, pickles, and freezer-safe preserves, the recipes are practical, smartly written, and easy to scale.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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8. My Shanghai — Betty Liu

A gorgeous, deeply personal look into Shanghainese home cooking. This cookbook is a steal to buy and really inspiring.
Liu captures the warmth of family recipes and the elegance of regional technique, from silky red-braised pork to scallion oil noodles to festival dishes steeped in tradition.

We appreciate the accessible ingredients and smart adaptations for North American kitchens.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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9. By Heart: Recipes to Hold Near & Dear — Hailee Catalano

This cookbook has taken social media by storm!
It’s warm, nostalgic, fresh, and ridiculously cookable. Think comfort recipes that actually fit into your week: skillet meals, bright salads, simple desserts, and family-friendly classics with a modern twist.

The storytelling is personal, the photos are beautiful, and the recipes are straight-up dependable.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

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10. The Essentials Cottage Cookbook — Andrea Buckett

A must-have for Canadians who spend weekends at the lake, and we’ve added it to the list as an appreciation for someone who worked really hard to get her recipes in a book!
This book celebrates cottage cooking: simple, flavour-forward recipes that work with limited equipment, relaxed gatherings, and seasonal produce.

Expect easy grilling ideas, shareable appetizers, and big-batch dishes perfect for feeding friends around the fire.

👉 Click HERE to shop!

Final Thoughts on Cookbooks!

From BBQ cookbooks to basic cookbooks, every cookbook has its place. Honourable mention goes to THIS BOOK, as after pulling these altogether, we failed to add anything in for the bakers in our lives! If you’re a serious baker, you should own this book!