Just as the first sighting of daffodils or whiff of lilacs can shake me from my winter doldrums, so can immersing myself in a fresh crop of cookbooks that speak to the vitality of the coming season.
For the past few months, I’ve been doing just that — by scouring publishers’ spring catalogs, advance copies and digital galleys for the standouts that best capture the current zeitgeist. This list represents the diversity of presentations and perspectives covered in releases from now through April. Stay tuned for more picks as summer approaches.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
“The Phone Eats First Cookbook: 50 of Social Media’s Best Recipes to Feed Your Feed ... and Then Yourself” by Allyson Reedy (Rizzoli, $35).
It’s easy to fall into deep Instagram and TikTok rabbit holes scrolling through seductive food photos. It’s harder to figure out which ones taste as good as they look. Reedy, a longtime food journalist and restaurant critic, has done the work for us by digging through the eye candy and testing and organizing the most promising recipes into chapters for every meal and occasion. Millennial Pink Smoothie Bowl, Ice Cube Tray Sushi, French Onion Soup Bites, Birria Tacos and S’Mores Cookies are among the temptations — each with their creators’ social media handles. Suggestions for hashtag pairings and photographing are also included for those planning to ‘gram before scarfing.
On sale now.
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Credit: Handout
“Every Day With Babs: 101 Family-Friendly Dinners for Every Day of the Week” by Barbara Costello (Clarkson Potter, $35).
Gen Zers and millennials dominate the social media stratosphere by a long shot. Yet the 70-something grandmother best known as @brunchwithbabs has amassed an audience of millions who turn to her daily for homey recipes, household tips and motherly wisdom. Look for unpretentious family pleasers such as Chicken and Rice Casserole for the Soul, Pimento Cheese Patty Melts and Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake in her second cookbook.
On sale April 8, 2025.
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Credit: Handout
“Shred Happens: So Easy, So Good: 100+ Protein-Packed Mediterranean Favorites With a Low-Carb Twist” by Arash Hashemi (Rodale, $30).
Arash Hashemi describes himself as “just a regular guy with a long record of failing at every diet imaginable” until he came up with his own regimen of higher-protein, lower-starch meals heavy on the flavors of his Persian upbringing. Now 100 pounds lighter, he shares his nourishing, vibrant recipes on his wildly popular social media platform, Shred Happens, and in his debut cookbook. You don’t have to be a carb-counter to be tempted by Green Herb-Crusted Salmon, Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken with Pistachios and Artichokes, Low-Carb Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Cake sweetened with monk fruit and other low-hassle, inventive creations.
On sale March 18, 2025.
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Credit: Handout
“There’s Always Room at the Table: Farmhouse Recipes From My Family to Yours” by Kaleb Wyse (Harvest, $35).
After graduating from college in Virginia, Kaleb Wyse moved back to his family farm in Iowa and started a vegetable garden of his own that became his “happy space.” He began re-creating the heirloom dishes he’d grown up on with fresh twists (no boxed mixes or canned soup) and writing about his farm and kitchen adventures on his Wyse Guide blog. His first cookbook nails the sweet spot between nostalgia and innovation, with modern homages to his Midwestern heritage such as made-from-scratch Chicken and Biscuits, Honey Dijon Three-Bean Salad and Peach Shortcake Bars.
On sale now.
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Credit: Handout
“Family Style: Elegant Everyday Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage” by Peter Som (Harvest, $40).
Peter Som’s unique sense of style reveals itself in both his famous fashion designs and simple yet chic recipes, which are inspired by the family-style shared platters of his youth. Warm memories of his grandma’s Cantonese kitchen in San Francisco intertwine seamlessly with worldly influences along the way, in creations that are both original and accessible such as Crispy Deviled Tea Eggs, Cheesy Crab Fried Rice, Hoisin Jumbo Meatballs with Gochujang Glaze and Lychee Lime Pavlova.
On sale March 18, 2025.
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Credit: Handout
“Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom & 100 Family Recipes” by Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn (America’s Test Kitchen, $35).
Some years ago, Sarah Ahn began chronicling her Korean immigrant mom’s traditional cooking on a website called Ahnest Kitchen. Her digital storytelling prowess landed her a job on the America’s Test Kitchen team, which collaborated with mother and daughter to transform those kitchen experiences into print. This technique-driven tome offers a master class in authentic Korean home cooking, with heartfelt dialogue between them running alongside detailed instructions for dishes such as Dwaeji Deunggalbi Twigim (Fried Pork Ribs with Cumin Seasoning Salt) and Kimchijeon (Kimchi Pancakes).
On sale April 1, 2025.
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Credit: Handout
“Ghana to the World: Recipes and Stories That Look Forward While Honoring the Past” by Eric Adjepong with Korsha Wilson (Clarkson Potter, $40).
Ghanaian American chef and global health advocate Eric Adjepong traces his unique culinary perspective to the comforting West African stews and jollof rice his mother made when he was growing up in Yonkers, New York. Classical culinary training refined his techniques; spending time with his grandparents in Kumasi, Ghana, deepened his desire to incorporate those parts of his identity into his cooking. Bright, bold-flavored dishes such as Arugula Salad with Egusi Granola, Sorghum, and Sherry Vinaigrette and Pan-Seared Grouper with Fried Peanut Salsa invite us to expand our pantries and palates with the hidden riches of a little-known cuisine.
On sale now.
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Credit: Handout
“Mostly French: Recipes From a Kitchen in Provence” by Makenna Held (Simon Element, $40).
The small hillside domaine of Bramafam in southwest France is famed for its ancient olive trees and La Pitchoune, the modest vacation retreat where Julia and Paul Child welcomed a rotating guest list of friends and renowned food writers. Some 50 years later, author and cooking instructor Makenna Held bought it and turned it into a cooking school. These captivating pages take us to that magical setting where she shares her unfussy cooking methods and seasonal recipes that can be re-created anywhere, such as Ratatouille Galette, Plum and Thyme Bellinis and Roasted Asparagus with Black Garlic Mayonnaise.
On sale April 22, 2025.
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Credit: Handout
“Kweyol/Creole: Recipes, Stories, and Tings From a St. Lucian Chef’s Journey” by Nina Compton with Osayi Endolyn (Clarkson Potter, $37.50).
The chapters of James Beard Award-winning chef Nina Compton’s debut book follow the chronology of her life, marked with recipes that tell the stories within each phase. There’s Curried Goat inspired by the island of St. Lucia, where she was born, the Ackee Fritters she came to know working in the resort world of Jamaica, the Shrimp Ceviche she reveled in while exploring the Afro-Latin diaspora as a fine-dining chef in Miami, and the Banana Pecan Beignets that made her a “Top Chef” runner-up and brought her to New Orleans, where “I found my culinary voice after all these years.” Evocative storytelling and lively scenery from each location threads the flavors of Africa’s diverse heritage together.
On sale April 1, 2025.
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Credit: Handout
“The Magnolia Bakery Handbook of Icebox Desserts, Volume 2″ by Bobbie Lloyd (Harper Collins, $35).
Icebox cakes have been a fixture of Americana since the 1920s. Their simplicity is part of their wide appeal; most don’t even require an oven. Bobbie Lloyd, the Chief Baking Officer of New York’s iconic Magnolia Bakery, has had plenty of practice perfecting these treasured treats, many inspired by family recipes from her Midwestern childhood. She shares them in her latest book, whose recipes push well beyond Classic Icebox Cake involving chocolate wafers and whipped cream to include Snickers Deep-Dish Icebox Pie, Red Velvet Cheesecake, and an entire chapter devoted to banana pudding.
On sale April 22, 2025.
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