15 Cookbooks For Your Twenties

You'll be well on your way to adulthood, one dish at a time...

1. Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook

Via theroot.com

Being vegan does not mean you have to miss out on delicious food. Matt Holloway and Michelle Davis are the dynamic duo behind the blog turned New York Times best-selling cookbook. They are on a mission to inspire people to eat more vegetables and adapt a healthier lifestyle. Because let's face it, being an adult means eating more f*cking vegetables.

Buy the book here!

2. The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket

Via cdn.shopify.com

Annie Bell's illustrated cookbook doubles as a resource for entertaining and preparing food for your on-the-go lifestyle. Its recipes contain the perfect mix of elegance and practicality. What started out as a small supper club quickly grew into the Portland Picnic Society. Not only does it provide recipes; it also contains checklists and advice for hosting an al fresco event of your own.

Buy the book here!

3. My Little French Kitchen

Via sbs.com.au

Rachel Khoo is a British chef, writer and cooking show host. After leaving the fashion world to pursue a patisserie degree at Le Cordon Bleu; she moved to Paris permanently and worked as an au pair and department store clerk during school. My Little French Kitchen follows Rachel through her journey to various areas of France. This is a great book not only for its regional French recipes but also a great case to get out there and pursue your dreams! Follow Rachel on her next journey by peeking at her blog.

Buy the book here!

4. Food52: Genius Recipes

Via whiskandcleaver.com

This book is a stellar collection of 100 foolproof recipes from infamous chefs curated by Kristen Miglore, executive editor of the online foodie community of the same name. These recipes will make you rethink the way you cook using unexpected and simple techniques. From British bombshell, Nigella Lawson, to NOMA's star executive chef, René Redzepi, these pages are bound to surprise you every time. Any cook would be well off to have this book in their arsenal.

Buy the book here!

5. Why French Women Don't Get Fat

Mireille Guiliano wrote the non-diet book which started a movement. It's an essential tool for people who are struggling with their body image while adjusting to demanding lifestyles. Her method is simple and effective - no dieting, no withholding and no starving. She emphasizes "re-calibrating" your body so that you can eat the naughty foods you want by using smaller, less frequent portions, while introducing your body to vibrant and flavorful foods. Like chocolate? Dry martinis? French cheeses? You can have your cake and eat it too while following her methods and delicious recipes. See food as your friend, not your enemy.

Buy the book here!

6. Smitten Kitchen

Via deliciousmusings.com

Celebrated food blogger, Deb Perelman, wanted to create a resource for home cooks. She founded Smitten Kitchen on the premise that there are no bad cooks - just bad recipes. From her tiny Manhattan kitchen, she was able to test and put together a collection of recipes bound to impress any diner. So if you're cooking in a closet-sized kitchen, have no fear - Deb is here to help!

Buy the book here!

7. Milk Bar Life: Recipes & Stories

Via blogger.com

So what do you do when you're the head of an empire of bakeries, successful cookbook author and judge on MasterChef? You write another cookbook, of course. For Christina Tosi, her second cookbook after the hugely popular Momofuku Milk Bar book, was a personal project. It outlines her memories and experiences as ring leader of a motley crew of rouge bakers. Explore the fun side to building an empire and remember what it was like to have wild, sugar-enduced sleepovers.

Buy the book here!

8. Classic Recipes for Modern People

Via cdn1.vox-cdn.com

Brothers Eli and Max Sussman are at it again with their fourth cookbook. This time focusing on the food from their Italian-American childhood. Explore their modernized yet nostalgic recipes from chicken noodle soup to cheese fondue. The Brothers Sussman teach us that old is new again; recipes are continuously evolving formulas; rap is an acceptable cooking soundtrack; and above all, we can always look to the past for inspiration for the future.

Buy the book here!

9. Honey and Jam

Via flickr.com

Hannah Queen is yet another blogger turned cookbook author. Her book, named after the original blog, is an homage to the seasonal recipes from her mountain kitchen in the Appalachians. The book includes a wide variety of rustic dessert recipes which utilize fruits and vegetables. Queen showcases the importance of not only cooking with the seasons but also using local produce. Let's face it, we all want to be those responsible adults shopping at farmers markets for organic fruit while sipping fair-trade coffee from our recycled materials coffee mugs.

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10. Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails

Via cdn.shopify.com

From the guys that turned the Mason jar into a cocktail shaker comes their instructional book for crafting serious libations. Eric Prum and Josh Williams continue to sell the shakers and additional accessories from their workshop in Brooklyn. Their book is a straightforward approach to well-made cocktails and entertaining. So go ahead, invite your friends over, mix some cocktails and bitch about your student loan debt. Yay, adulting!

Buy the book here!

11. One Pot: 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More

Via blogger.com

At the end of a long work day, it is nice to come home to a hot meal that isn't from fast food joint . This book contains recipes that you can whip up in a single cooking vessel and takes about an hour to prepare. Plus, depending on how many people are in your household, the meals can last for multiple days. So when you've had a few too many at the office happy hour; there will be leftovers to zap in the microwave. It is the surest way to streamline your weekly meal preparation and keep you from spending big bucks on eating out everyday. Thanks Martha!

Be sure to invest in a sturdy Dutch oven, slow cooker and cast iron skillet. They will last forever.

Buy the book here!

12. The Kitchn Cookbook: Recipes, Kitchens & Tips to Inspire Your Cooking

Via thekitchn.com

Sara Kate Gillingham and Faith Durand are the masterminds behind Apartment Therapy's cooking branch, The Kitchn. They believe that the kitchen is the most important room in a home. Their book combines easy, essential recipes with tips on how to organize and stock your kitchen. It is a must have book for people living on their own. Bonus, their daily newsletters are great sources of inspiration!

Buy the book here!

13. Breakfast: Recipes to Wake Up For

Via pinterest.com

Breakfast is the cornerstone of a cook's repertoire. Restaurateur George Weld digs into his Southern roots for inspiration for his daytime Brooklyn restaurant, Egg. Because everyone knows that the South is king of the big breakfast. The restaurant serves as a temple for hearty breakfast items which are made with Weld's produce supplied from his farm. Whether you're fueling for a marathon or boozing it up at brunch; the recipes from George and Egg will not disappoint. Try the salsa verde with the Eggs Rothko (one of the most popular plates at the restaurant).

Buy the book here!

14. Modern Pioneering: More Than 150 Recipes, Projects, and Skills for a Self-Sufficient Life

Via gypsyville.com

Roll-up your sleeves with blogger, hunting enthusiast and all-around badass, Georgia Pellegrini. Her book is a guide to a self sufficient life and includes recipes, small-space gardening tips and other DIY projects. Georgia was raised in upstate New York on her grandparents farm. She was taught at an early age how to live of the land, even in fast-paced environments like New York City, a technique which she calls modern pioneering. After leaving the world of corporate finance, she worked at several farm-to-table style restaurants including Blue Hill, Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette. Now, she spends her time chronicling her adventures through her blog. This book is a great read for the inner Davy Crockett in all of us.

By the book here!

15. Home Made

Via thefreshexchangeblog.com

In her encyclopedic book Home Made, food writer Yvette van Boven shows you how to make everything in your pantry from scratch. Her belief is that home made foods do not have to be complicated. Something that you avoided making because it seemed difficult is now completely doable. Whether it is a loaf of bread or a can of fiery pickles, Yvette's cleverly illustrated instructions will get you there. Never spend money on cheap packaged products again! Just kidding, nothing will replace Oreos...

Buy the book here!

Now get cookin' you savvy adult!