Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
👩🏻‍🍳 Cookbooks That Actually Earn a Spot on the Shelf - Yep I actually love to read cookbooks 💙 but these I USE!
18
items Whether you’re a seasoned home chef or just tired of Googling “easy dinner ideas,” these cookbooks are the real deal. From cozy classics to bold new flavors, these are the ones I actually reach for — spiral-bound when I can find them, splattered with...
Sections
3
Â
The Real MVPs of My Kitchen - CookBooks!
Â
Where I Get My 🧑‍🍳 Foodie Fix - Inspiration!
Â
Cookbook Companions
The Real MVPs of My Kitchen - CookBooks!
Don’t be fooled Cookbooks still need to be a part of any kitchen if you love to create in the kitchen like I do you'll love these books!
Â
Spiral-bound + Barefoot Contessa = cozy kitchen goals. This cookbook is packed with easy-to-follow comfort food recipes Ina is known for, and spiral-bound means it actually stays open on the counter. Roast chicken and cozy soups, here we come!
Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Â
Fresh, simple, and flavorful — this is Giada’s OG classic and still one of my go-tos. If you're craving light Italian that doesn’t take all day to make, you’ll love this one.
Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes
Â
If I had to choose one baking book, this would be it. From sourdough to buttery biscuits, this is my flour-covered bible. Bonus: the King Arthur community is so supportive for bakers of all levels. Love love love them!
King Arthur Big Book of Bread: 125+ Recipes
Â
Big flavor, drop-dead gorgeous photos, and nothing too fussy — this book lives up to the “Super Simple” promise. It’s the kind of cookbook where you dog-ear half the pages before you finish your coffee. BONUS = another spiral cookbook!
Half Baked Harvest Super Simple: 125+ Easy Recipes
Â
OK this one has a story: I met a guy in the grocery store who was raving about focaccia...from an electric cart. He told me to check out Lacy’s book — and wow, he wasn’t wrong. Three master doughs, endless delicious possibilities.
3 Doughs, 60 Recipes: Focaccia, Pizza, Bread
Â
Whether you're tweaking grandma’s cookie recipe or building your own sourdough timeline, this baking journal is perfect for tracking the details that really matter. And yes, I totally nerd out with mine. 💥Imagine your great grand children being able... Replaces the recipe boxes of yester year!
Bakers Recipe Book - Bread Making Journal - 128 Pages
Â
The Better Homes and Garden is the OG of cookbooks and great for new cooks. Â Learn how to cook everything. Â If you can find this buy it! Â I was floored when I saw how much it goes for now! Â And if you like Italian any cookbook by Biba Caggiano is great. Â I love her Gnocchi recipe. Â I gave my daughter my book when we moved and am sad. Â However, my mom has one that has my name on it when she's ready to let it go. Â Some recipes are complicated but true Italian cooking. Back in the day she had a cooking show too.
HONORABLE MENTION
Where I Get My 🧑‍🍳 Foodie Fix - Inspiration!
Social accounts, YouTube channels, Instagram chefs, etc.
Â
Want to feel calm and motivated to make a croissant from scratch? King Arthur’s channel is pure comfort. Baking tutorials, pro tips, and so much floury goodness.
King Arthur Baking Company
Â
Cozy food, classy cocktails, and Jeffrey. Ina’s IG is everything you’d expect from the queen of comfort food. A must-follow for dinner party inspo (or Tuesday night chicken)
Instagram (@inagarten)
Â
Her recipes are stunning, her reels are hypnotic, and her kitchen aesthetic? Total goals. It’s food inspo that makes you actually want to cook — not just scroll and drool.
Instagram (@halfbakedharvest)
Â
From lemon bars to holiday pies, Preppy Kitchen has your dessert cravings covered. Easy-to-follow, fun to watch, and the kind of guy who’d talk you through tempering chocolate without judgment.
Preppy Kitchen
Â
Focaccia queen. Bread whisperer. Found her via a grocery store chat and I’ve been hooked since. Her feed is full of approachable baking magic and lots of carbs (the good kind).
Instagram (@_lacebakes_)
Â
Well she gets her inspiration from me – my daughter shares some yummy stuff!
Watch this story by Here’s Your Next Craving! on Instagram before it disappears.
Cookbook Companions
Accessories like timers, recipe holders, bookmarks, etc. Anything that can help you create kitchen masterpieces!
Â
Keep your place in your cookbook without flour gluing the pages shut. These magnetic bookmarks are small but mighty, and way cuter than sticky notes. Â Loves these because they are heavy enough for those big cookbooks!
Set of 3 Vintage Leather Magnetic Bookmarks
Â
Because splattering sauce on your iPad again is not the vibe. This stand props up your cookbook or tablet in style, and makes a great gift for newlyweds, grads, or, let’s be honest — yourself.
IKEDAS Bamboo Cookbook Stand with Conversion Chart
Â
You know the drill — you flip through, find 10 must-try recipes, and forget them by dinner. These colorful tabs help you stay organized and low-key look like a pro.
ELII 800Pcs Writable Transparent Tabs
Â
Yes, your phone has a timer… but it also has texts, emails, and a black hole of distractions. This vintage-style kitchen timer keeps you focused and adds a little retro charm to your counter.  Oh and yes I use it to limit my scrolling when I am searching for my next kitchen masterpiece!
Lux Classic Timer, White
Â
Don't forget to take a look at my Kitchen Essentials list for more of my favorite items!
Worth Mentioning