Favorite Books of 2024

This list was originally about three times as long. I have ruthlessly slashed it to a more manageable size, omitting books which I really like and keeping those which I think do something extraordinary.

You might call this Kitchen Arts & Letters Best Cookbooks of 2024 list, except that it has books which are not cookbooks. And it really is my personal selection. My colleagues here would each come up with very different lists, and our bestseller list for the year will look different as well.

This is my thirty-third year selling books at KAL and I love it as much as I ever have. A certain ennui sometimes creeps in when I encounter a book that really missed its mark or which is finely calibrated to ride a trend. But whether it’s subject matter or the way a topic is approached, a fresh, exciting book makes me glad to be a bookseller all over again.

In alphabetical order, my favorite 2024 books are:

The Bartender’s Pantry by Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso with Emma Janzen

Just as in a kitchen, understanding ingredients (not just spirits)  is crucial to the most flavorful drinks.

The Bean Book by Steve Sando with Julia Newberry

A complete refresh of the ways we can cook with beans

Bright Cooking by Camille Becerra

Set up your pantry to improvise with bold, fresh flavors built with simple components.

The Crop Cycle by Shane Mitchell

Agriculture is food culture in this vivid account of American Southern foodways.

The Editor by Sara Franklin

An insightful biography of the brilliantly influential Judith Jones, who guided many cookbooks into print.

Flavorama by Arielle Johnson

Practical food and flavor science made fully approachable for cooks.

The Food of Southern Thailand by Austin Bush

Lushly photographed and immediately captivating.

Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking—125 Recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands by Von Diaz

A sweeping survey which insightfully connects far-flung traditions

Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking by Mingoo Kang, Joshua David Stein, and Nadia Cho

A prominent chef demonstrates how three common, versatile sauces are fundamental to Korean cuisine

McAtlas by Gary He

Gary He’s photos and texts reveal how McDonald’s adapts its food and architecture to worldwide empire. Comes in a fancy edition, too

Nerd Baker 2: Tales from the Yeast Indies by Christopher Tan

Serious technical know-how underpins this imaginative take on Southeast Asian baking leavened by other traditions

Timmur: Stories and Flavours from Nepal by Prashanta Khanal

An eye-opening guide to the myriad geographic, ethnic, and political elements in Nepalese cooking

Wild Apple Exhibition: Pomological Series Volume 3, Matt Kaminsky, editor; William Mullan, photographer

Fascinating examples of serendipity in apple and other fruit varieties found growing in the wild

Zao Fan: Breakfast of China by Michael Zee

There are so many Chinese cookbooks, but breakfast is so often ignored. Here it’s explored in all its regional diversity