The best cookbooks of 2018 by the experts

Who knows cookbooks better than the owners of specialist cookbook stores? They stock and sell thousands of cookbooks and because their stores are focused on food and drink books, they are true experts. They read the books, cook from them and then share their knowledge with their customers. When shopping for cookbook gifts this holiday season, please think about supporting your local bookstore.  

We asked for favorite cookbooks of 2018 lists from the cookbook stores that feature in our directory. Some of the books listed were published in 2017 in the USA but in 2018 in the bookstore’s country. All these lists will be included in our Best of the Best list, which is being unveiled shortly. 

USA

Omnivore Books – owner Celia Sack

Korean BBQ by Bill Kim
Repertoire by Jessica Battilana
The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi & David Zilber
Rose’s Baking Basics by Rose Levy Berenbaum
Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook
Cooking South of the Clouds by Georgia Freeman
Season by Nik Sharma
I Am a Filipino by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad
The One Bottle Cocktail by Maggie Hoffman
Feast by Anissa Helou

Kitchen Arts & Letters– owner Matt Sartwell

Season by Nik Sharma
A Very Serious Cookbook by Jeremiah
Stone & Fabian Hauske
Room for Dessert by Will Goldfarb
Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee
Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov &
Steven Cook
Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan
Feast by Anissa Helou
How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry
Jam Session by Joyce Goldstein

Book Larder – owner Lara Hamilton

Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi & David Zilber
At My Table by Nigella Lawson
You and I Eat the Same by Chris Ying, René Redzepi and MAD
How to Taste by Becky Selengut
Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan
Now & Again by Julia Turshen
Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook
How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry
Let’s Stay In by Ashley Rodriguez

Powell’s City of Books – cookbook buyer Tracey T.

Food52 Genius Desserts by Kristen Miglore
Home Cooking with Kate McDermott
Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski
Tiffin by Sonal Ved
Cook’s Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes
The Campout Cookbook by Marne Hanel & Jen Stevenson
How to Taste by Becky Selengut
Now & Again by Julia Turshen
The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi & David Zilber
Season by Nik Sharma

Read It and Eat – owner Esther Dairiam

The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi & David Zilber
Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook
Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan
How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry
Korean BBQ by Bill Kim
Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee
Matty Matheson by Matty Matheson
Soul by Todd Richards
Between Harlem and Heaven by JJ Johnson & Alexander Smalls

Now Serving – owner Ken Concepcion

Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook
Cooking South of the Clouds by Georgia Freeman
The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi & David Zilber
Repertoire by Jessica Battilana
Apéritif by Rebekah Peppler
Japan The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Cooking in Iran by Najmieh Batmanglij
Korean Home Cooking by Sohui Kim
Solo by Anita Lo
Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse by David McMillan, Frédéric Morin & Meredith Erickson 

CANADA

Appetite for Books – owner Jonathan Cheung

Vegetarian Viet Nam by Cameron Stauch
Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook
Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse by David McMillan, Frédéric Morin & Meredith Erickson
Montréal L’Hiver by Susan Semenak & Cindy Boyce
Milk Street Tuesday Nights by Christopher Kimball
Uncomplicated by Claire Tansey
The Last Schmaltz by Anthony Rose & Chris Johns
The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi & David Zilber
How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry

AUSTRALIA

Scrumptious Reads – owner Julie Tjandra

Eat at the Bar by Matt McConnell
You and I Eat the Same by Chris Ying, René Redzepi and MAD
The Vegetable by Caroline Griffiths & Vicki Valsamis
Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden
From the Earth by Peter Gilmore
PlantLab by Matthew Kenney
Eat Local 2 by Brenda Fawdon
Lateral Cooking by Niki Segnit
How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry
The Life of Tea by Michael Freeman & Timothy d’Offay

EUROPE

De Kookboekhandel (Netherlands) – owner Jonah Freud

De Elizabeth by Jonah Freud
Zout vet zuur hitte (Salt Fat Acid Heat) by Samin Nosrat
TLV by Jigal Krant
Simpel (Ottolenghi Simple) by Yotam Ottolenghi
The German Cookbook by Alfons Schubeck 
Kookbijbel (Lateral Cooking) by Niki Segnit
Bon Appétit by Jonah Freud
Hoe dan?! by Maroeska Metz 
Stamppotbijbel by Werner Drent
De Grote Oven van van Boven by Yvette van Boven

Cook + Book (Netherlands) – owner Riejanne Schimmel

Time by Gill Meller
Koekjesbijbel (translated: ‘Cookiebible’) by Rutger van den Broek
Zes seizoenen (Six Seasons) by Joshua McFadden
TLV by Jigal Krant
Kleine taartjes (translated: ‘Tartlets’) by Meike Schaling
Zout vet zuur hitte (Salt Fat Acid Heat) by Samin Nosrat
Simpel (Ottolenghi Simple) by Yotam Ottolenghi
Noma’s handboek voor fermenteren (The Noma Guide to Fermentation) by Rene Redzepi & David Zilber
Een jaar koken in de Provence (translated: ‘A year of cooking in Provence’) by Marita van der Vyver
JapanEasy by Tim Anderson