Happy weekend! Having just completed my list of birthday wishes for the upcoming year, number four stands of utmost importance: "Open the cookbooks on my shelf and actually cook recipes from them." It's time to use my shelf beyond decorative purposes, my friends. So, I have decided that if Pinterest did not exist (imagine that...), these six cookbooks would fill your plates plenty for months to come. From healthy Italian pestos and vegetarian dishes to fresh baked breads and cheese boards, you'll love the assortment among this group of mine.
I hope you choose to add these to your cookbook collection, but please, please share your favorite books in the comments! I'm always looking to add to the bookshelf.
1. CHEESE OBSESSION :: If cheese is your best friend (my hand is up), this book will be your other. This author thinks out of the box, conjuring up tips for the perfect cheese plate and 100 original recipes using the beloved ingredient.
2. EVERYDAY ITALIAN :: Giada's classic has been a staple of mine for almost a decade. You'll enjoy the lightness of her pestos and pastas without feeling too stuffed. The appetizers are perfect for parties. Every time I open this, I smile thinking of the time I met Giada in person!!
3. AUSTIN TRAILER FOOD DIARIES :: I received this book as a gift and absolutely love its funky spirit from page to page. Plus, there's a recipe for delicacies from some of my most coveted Austin food trucks, including Torchy's and Mighty Cone.
4. PLENTY :: This gorgeous, gorgeous read has some of the most beautiful photography I have ever seen. All recipes are vegetarian with a creative disposition along every line. I've tried the cover recipe, eggplant with buttermilk sauce, but I cannot wait to dive into more over the course of the summer.
5. THE MODEL BAKERY COOKBOOK :: I traveled to Model Bakery during my incredible Napa trip last fall, and I couldn't bear to leave without the cookbook under my arm. I've shared the infamous chocolate chunk cookies, a crowd pleaser in itself.
6. TReatS :: My closest friends gifted me this adorable book at last month's Cocktails for Caramelized. You'll instantly drool over not only the recipes, but the packaging for delicious gifts! Aren't the donuts on the cover just precious? A sweet tooth is required as soon as you open the first page.
P.S. The darling, antique-ish spoon stand, a well-used gift, can serve as a plate stand or a cookbook stand! I highly recommend one. There are too many times where I have tainted the pages of my favorite books with smeared sticky fingerprints in an attempt to rediscover the recipe at hand.
