The Best New Cookbooks to Gift This Year

For the Mix Master

3-Ingredient Cocktails, by Robert Simonson

My husband recently announced that he’d like to make more cocktails (yes, please!), so this book is for him. It’s got tons of classics and riffs that you can make with what you have in your liquor cabinet. He and I will always be ready to toast the small victories, like making it through a day with our three-year-old. —Nina Elder, executive food editor

For the Food Geek

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, by Samin Nosrat

I can’t wait to gift this to my cooking-nerd dad. I love that it tells you the why as well as the how of flavor. For instance, Nosrat gets into the science of marinating, explaining how much acid and salt to use depending on the protein. Genius! —Cecily McAndrews, food editor

For the Cook in a Hurry

Dinner in an Instant, by Melissa Clark

If you know anyone who is expecting a multicooker this year, this book is what you give them. The recipes are delicious, like a wild-mushroom risotto without the endless stirring! But what I, as a newbie to the pressure cooker game, loved most was Clark’s instruction— clearer than the guide that came with my machine. —Lauren Iannotti, editor in chief

For the Veg Lover

Six Seasons, by Joshua McFadden

Wait, aren’t there only four seasons? Portland, Oregon, chef McFadden divides summer into three because, really, corn and tomatoes aren’t great until August, right? The inspired veg-centric recipes will make you a six-season believer, too. —Janet McCracken, test kitchen director

For the Travel Nut

Istanbul & Beyond, by Robyn Eckhardt

Spend a few minutes with this book and you’ll feel an overwhelming urge to explore Turkey. Or if you’re like me, you’ll speed to the kitchen to make the tahini buns. —Elizabeth Dinsmore, test kitchen intern

For the #TacoTuesday Lover

Guerrilla Tacos, by Wesley Avila and Richard Parks III

This West Coast–proud cookbook is by chef Wes Avila of the famed Los Angeles food truck Guerrilla Tacos. The 50 easy-to-follow, flavor-packed recipes deliciously blend Avila’s Mexican heritage with SoCal cool. Hello, poke tostada! —Christina Izzo, features editor

For the Flour Empowered

BraveTart, by Stella Parks

Along with no-fail American classics, like coconut cream pie, Parks includes amazing facsimiles of grocery-store favorites, like pecan Sandies. Biting into one of those cookies is like having a perfect childhood memory reawakened. —Keith Pandolfi, contributing editor