This week on Friday Reads, we’re taking a look at cookbooks for the husband and wife who want to infuse flavor into the daily necessity we all need for sustenance. Whether looking for comfort foods, desserts, vegan, or gluten-free recipes, there’s something for everyone here to enjoy for healthier, happier, tastier dishes for your home.
Also, MunaLuchi Bride is now on Goodreads! Be sure to add us as a friend and/or join our book club!
1. Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed by Bryant Terry
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
Renowned chef, Bryant Terry remixes classic dishes of the African Diaspora, creating culinary combinations that will wow everyone at the table, vegan or not. With over 100 dishes, Terry also includes a bit of history of food that has traveled from Africa, his own insights on community and food, music tracks from around the world, and book recommendations. This cookbook has been praised by many and for good reason. Pick up this cookbook as soon as you can.
2. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
If there’s one show to watch on The Food Network, watch the gem that is The Pioneer Woman, Saturdays at 10/9c. Ree Drummond never imagined she’d one day live on a ranch with a loving cowboy husband and four beautiful children who tend to their farm full of animals, but that’s exactly what happened. Drummond has embraced ranch living and is the epitome of the southern housewife.
Watch one episode of her show and you’ll see, she means business. You won’t want to get up from your couch, you’ll want there to be a marathon. You’ll want to go to the store and get all of the ingredients needed to make what Drummond has made to perfection. Now, you can easily access so many of those delightful dishes in The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook!
3. Jamie’s Kitchen by Jamie Oliver
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
You may have seen Jamie Oliver on TV before and if you haven’t you’ve definitely been missing out. He’s one to watch. He’s one of many chefs fighting for healthier choices in schools around the world and his fight may affect your future children. Not only that, his dishes are fantastic and filling so be sure to pick up Jamie’s Kitchen to get to know more about Jamie, what he stands for, and what we should all be fighting for.
4. The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet by Alicia Silverstone
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
After the success of her blog, The Kind Life, Clueless star, Alicia Silverstone, who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since her early 20s, released The Kind Diet which is the ultimate resource for anyone ready to dive into the vegan lifestyle – because it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change so don’t let the title fool you. Take this cookbook with you to the grocery store and farmer’s market, begin stocking your kitchen in an entirely new way, take it one recipe at a time, and begin to cultivate your own new, healthier, happier lifestyle.
Also, look out for Silverstone’s companion title, The Kind Mama when your family begins to grow or if you and your future spouse will already have a blended family after your nuptials.
5. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts by Jeni Britton Bauer
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
Desserts matter too, which is why we’ve included this cookbook from Jeni Britton Bauer who has taken the states by storm with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. This ice cream shop has been a gem of the south since 2004 and has always been expanding but really exploded in recent years and for good reason. If you’re not located near a Jeni’s shop, don’t fret! You can get a signed copy of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts here.
6. My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Lebovitz
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
If you’re not going to Paris, France on your honeymoon, don’t worry. You can bring Paris to you and fill your home with the warmest smells of the best foods Parisians are eating and loving today. Popular food blogger, Lebovitz has lived in France for years cultivating his palette and soaking in as much as he can about French culture, food in particular. If there’s one French cookbook from recent years to check out, it’s this one.
7. Heritage by Sean Brock
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
If you’ve ever wanted a cookbook that blends comfort foods with high-end restaurant food and experiments with all of the above, this is the cookbook for you. Inspired by Appalachia and Charleston where he grew up and resides, this chef has explored the basic ingredients of the foods that we all know and love and infused them in ways that will make your mouth water. Don’t take my word for it; you can visit Husk Restaurant in Charleston or Nashville and maybe have one of these dishes made by Sean Brock himself.
8. Relish: An Adventure in Food, Style, and Everyday Fun by Daphne Oz
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
Growing up with Dr. Oz as your father has it perks. You learn a lot about health and fitness whether you want to or not. And eventually, for Daphne, health and fitness became a passion. A passion which led her to releasing her first book, The Dorm Room Diet and a year later, becoming a co-host on ABC’s The Chew. While her first book is superb, it’s incredible what you can learn in just a few years… when it comes to food, family, and life. Which is why Relish is more than just a cookbook. In Relish, Oz, who will be celebrating her five year anniversary later this month and is currently expecting her second child, talks about what we all know and love her for but also her journey as a married woman and new mom. This book has many purposes and would be a very much appreciated resource in your home.
9. Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap by Nicole Hunn
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
We didn’t forget about those with gluten sensitivity and those with celiac disease. For those struggling with a gluten intolerance, finding a cookbook that serves up recipes for delicious gluten-free food isn’t easy. But this cookbook has received rave reviews and just might be the cookbook you’ve been looking for all this time. Who knows, your spouse who doesn’t have a gluten sensitivity may just enjoy this too! You may even be able to pull off a few items for a group game night!
10. The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola
Add this book to your “To Read” list on Goodreads!
For those seeking a spiritual fast, a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, answers from the Lord, a stronger prayer life, and quite the transformation as a vessel in the body of Christ, The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast is a priceless resource to use for this twenty one day partial fast based upon the prophet Daniel’s experiences in the Bible. Having done this fast before, I can say that you will never look at sugar the same way again and you will come out of this fast physically, mentally, and spiritually stronger than ever before.
What are your favorite cookbooks?
Leave a Reply