12 standout cookbooks to give as gifts this year

“Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food,” by Fadi Kattan

A cookbook both seasonally appropriate and especially resonant this year. Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan pays tribute to the city of Bethlehem, where he opened his restaurant Fawda in 2016. “A desire to show the real Bethlehem, and to celebrate it, is what led me to food and hospitality so many years ago,” he writes. “Cooking is how I tell Bethlehem’s story.” The recipes take us through the seasons, from spring lamb shanks to summer’s roasted eggplants with tahinia sprinkled with fresh green herbs and pomegranate seeds to a fall makloubeh, the layered rice dish that is flipped to serve, and his grandmother Julia’s spiced Christmas cake with dried fruit and nuts. Kattan began writing before the war began, which makes this a moving document of a place as it was. It serves as a rejoinder to violence, a celebration of life, culture, and humanity.

They’ll also love: “Imad’s Syrian Kitchen: A Love Letter to Damascus,” by Imad Alarnab, another chef’s tribute to a beloved city at a moment of historic change. “The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen: Recipes From a Native Chef,” by celebrity chef Yevhen Klopotenko, who wants to share the true Ukrainian cuisine he says was repressed by Soviet rule. He dedicates the book “to all fallen defenders and those who are fighting for the free future of Ukraine.”

“The King Arthur Baking Company Big Book of Bread: 125+ Recipes for Every Baker,” by Jessica Battilana, Martin Philip, and Melanie Wanders

This book from Vermont treasure King Arthur Baking Company is a solid bible for anyone who loves bread and would like to bake it — whether just the occasional loaf, or carefully nurtured sourdough that tastes like it came from an artisanal bakery, or anything in between. There are helpful time meters atop each recipe, so a baker can choose to spend an hour making whole wheat chapati to go with dinner or create chocolate levain over the course of days. Recipes cover ground: simple sandwich bread, challenging baguettes, and recipes that pull from many cultures, from fennel-scented Tyrolean rye flatbread to pickled jalapeno-cheddar bread to Japanese milk bread. A gift of substance for beginners and seasoned bakers alike.

They’ll also love: “Very Good Bread: The Science of Dough and the Art of Making Bread at Home,” from very good baker and recipe maker Melissa Weller.

“Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets From Around the World,” by Ben Mims

It’s cookie season, and Ben Mims does the subject proud in “Crumbs.” A volume for cookie scholars, it traces everyone’s favorite bite-size sweets as they appear around the world. “Crumbs” starts in Southwest Asia and Southern Asia, “the so-called ‘birthplace of cookies,’” with the likes of Persian raisin cookies and Indian cardamom shortbread, then journeys on through the Mediterranean (Italian hazelnut and chocolate sandwich cookies), the Caribbean (Cuban lime sugar cookies), Scandinavia (Swedish gingerbread cookies), and beyond. These aren’t showy, trendy Instagram cookies with sprinkles and bright glazes; they are traditional, and their flavors stand the test of time.

They’ll also love: “Zoë Bakes Cookies: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Cookies and Bars,” by Zoë François, who traces her life through eye-catching and delicious cookie recipes, schooling bakers in technique along the way.

“Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes Our Family Loves,” by Stephen Colbert and Evie McGee Colbert

We could all use a little funny in our lives, and this cookbook from the “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” host and wife Evie hits the spot. Using it is kind of like cooking dinner with your nicest couple friends. It’s also, only semi-sneakily, a Southern cookbook. The Colberts grew up in Lowcountry in South Carolina, and recipes for Sullivan’s Island shrimp paste, oyster pie on the half-shell, pulled pork, Hoppin’ John, and chess pie reflect their roots. There’s plenty of nonregional fare to love, too, among the quips and loving quibbles.

They’ll also love: “Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals,” by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George, from another beloved celebrity and her sister. Honestly kind of worth it for the adorable sister photos alone, but it’s Dolly, so you know the cookin’ is good.

“Grow Cook Nourish: 400 Seasonal Recipes From the Ballymaloe Cookery School Kitchen Garden,” by Darina Allen

For the Irish folks and fans and the gardeners in your life. Darina Allen, founder of the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School (marking its 40th anniversary), writes that the working title for this book was “For God’s Sake, Grow Some of Your Own Food and Cook It,” which does have kind of a ring. Anyway, that’s what it helps you do, and who better than Allen, a pioneer of local eating, to lead the way? She offers readers tips on how to grow a key ingredient, then follows up with recipes that use it, from Brussels sprouts masala to duck shepherd’s pie with potato-parsnip mash to carrot-cardamom cake.

They’ll also love: “The League of Kitchens Cookbook: Brilliant Tips, Secret Methods, and Favorite Family Recipes From Around the World,” by Lisa Kyung Gross, a collection from the League of Kitchens, an immigrant-led cooking school in New York. “The most important thing I’ve learned is not a recipe or a technique. It’s that you have to cook with love,” the author writes.

“Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking,” by Von Diaz

This bright, beautiful book transports cooks to the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands with more than 125 recipes featuring coconut and curry paste, sofrito and sazón. Dishes such as citrus-marinated shrimp with coconut from Guam, Puerto Rican stewed crab rice, crispy fried pork belly from the Philippines, and Jamaican jerk pork tenderloin will get everyone through the winter.

They’ll also love: “The SalviSoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes and the Women Who Preserve Them,” by Karla Tatiana Vasquez, the rare cookbook showcasing El Salvador and its culinary traditions.

“Koreaworld: A Cookbook,” by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard

This cookbook from the duo behind 2016′s “Koreatown” takes users on a thrilling tour of the Korean culinary world in this very moment, exploring both Korea and the Koreatowns of the US. Reading and cooking from this book makes one feel they’ve spent time eating rice cakes in pink gochujang-cream sauce and corn dogs on sticks from street stalls in Seoul, drinking espresso tonics in its incredible cafes, sampling temple cuisine in Jeolla Province, and snarfing down crispy curry rice balls in LA. Kimbap and kimchi jjigae, grilled kimchi wedge salads and Korean nachos, all are at the cook’s disposal.

They’ll also love: “Danube: Recipes and Stories From Eastern Europe,” by Irina Georgescu, who has vividly conjured her homeland of Romania in previous cookbooks. Here, she follows the Danube River through Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia, showcasing the recipes she finds along the way.

“Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques,” by Joe Yonan

You’ll catch the reference in the title if you’ve spent any time around cookbooks: Joe Yonan wants this tome to be the plant-based equivalent of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” in which Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck demystified that cuisine for American home cooks. It delivers, with recipes that are clear, executable, and delicious. So many recipes! The plant-based cooks in your life will never struggle to come up with something to make for dinner, whether it’s penne with eggplant vodka sauce, bibimbap with spicy tofu crumbles, or enchiladas with five different sauce options.

They’ll also love: “Easy Wins: 12 Flavour Hits, 125 Delicious Recipes, 365 Days of Good Eating,” by Anna Jones, a plant-based, planet-friendly collection of dishes everyone will want to eat. “Justine Cooks: Recipes (Mostly Plants) for Finding Your Way in the Kitchen,” by Justine Doiron, offering super-appealing, mostly vegetarian recipes from the TikTok cook who creates Justine Snacks.

“Our South: Black Food Through My Lens,” by Ashleigh Shanti

This country is vast, encompassing so many delicious regional cuisines. It’s pretty wonderful. Here, Asheville chef Ashleigh Shanti (you may know her from “Top Chef”) guides us through the South, using her own experience as a Black, queer, Appalachian cook as a compass. “Above all, this book exists to amplify your understanding of the complexities of Black food,” she writes. It’s all appealing, from simple basics like stewed tomatoes (no need to use canned) to kilt lettuce (wilted specimens revived with bacon grease and vinegar) to schmaltzy spaetzle and blistered yellow squash with celeriac to serious projects like rosin-cooked potatoes with spruce tip butter.

They’ll also love: “Roots Heart Soul: The Story, Celebration, and Recipes of Afro Cuisine in America,” by Todd Richards, guided by migration, region, and era. “When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes,” with a foreword from Toni Tipton-Martin, editor of Cook’s Country and author of the essential, history-driven “Jubilee.” Seventy women writers contributed to this one.

“Sift: The Elements of Great Baking,” by Nicola Lamb

Pastry chef Nicola Lamb offers some of the freshest ideas for baking around. She also teaches technique, so that you can come up with your own. Both are worth the price of admission. You’ll be making lemon Basque cheesecake with sticky lemons, roasted strawberry Victoria sponge, and Parmesan tomato linzer tortes all year long. Any book that offers a “Matrix of Joy” at the end is all right by me.

They’ll also love: “Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store,” by Paola Velez, a totally delightful offering (Maria cookie icebox cake!) from the pastry chef who cofounded the organization Bakers Against Racism.

“Wafu Cooking: Everyday Recipes With Japanese Style,” by Sonoko Sakai

“Wafu” means “Japanese style,” and it’s not easy translated, writes Sonoko Sakai: “For the purposes of this book, I’ve limited myself to writing about dishes that capture the cultural exchange between Japan and the rest of the world.” The chapter on breakfast is an inspiration, offering dashi cheese grits, toasted onigiri with miso-honey butter, maple tamagoyaki, a riff on the traditional omelet, and more. And that’s just the first meal of the day! Miso soup meets collards, cabbage, and bacon, and it’s like they’ve been friends forever. Seafood takikomi gohan is like Japanese paella. There’s a chilled spicy ramen salad, and miso in the Bolognese. Everybody loves sushi, but there’s more to life.

They’ll also love: “Amrikan: 125 Recipes From the Indian Diaspora,” by Khushbu Shah. “It’s America, with a desi accent,” she writes. Yes to masala shakshuka, chutney tea sandwiches, saag paneer lasagna, and more.

“Zahav Home: Cooking for Friends and Family,” by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook

Sometimes home cooking books written by restaurant chefs promise simplicity and doability and, well, maybe if you have a prep chef on call. This one, from the owners of Philadelphia restaurant Zahav, makes good. Recipients will want to make chopped salad with labneh, chicken wings with tahina ranch dressing, butternut squash baba ganoush, date-glazed salmon, and sheet pan kebabs all the time.

They’ll also love: “Hot Sheet: Sweet and Savory Sheet Pan Recipes for Every Day and Celebrations,” by Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine, making appealing use of everyone’s favorite kitchen workhorse. “Ottolenghi Comfort: A Cookbook,” by Yotam Ottolenghi, offering the chef’s unique take on comfort food.

Devra First can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @devrafirst.