Borrow, Cook, Love: Cookbook Exploration for Home Cooks

Are your meals getting a bit monotonous? Consider incorporating a new habit: exploring cookbooks for meal inspiration. Visiting your local library and selecting five or six cookbooks that pique your interest can be a fantastic way to discover fresh recipes and learn other must-have kitchen staples from the pros.

Library Haul

Here's how to make the most of this activity:

1. Curate Your Selection: Browse the cookbooks and select ones that match your skill level and culinary interests. I gravitate toward vegetarian and vegan cookbooks because they align most with our family's food choices (see below for my faves!).

2. Experiment with Advanced Recipes: Challenge yourself by trying slightly more complex recipes from the books you borrow. It's a great way to grow as a home cook and build confidence in your skills.

3. Find Your Favorites & Buy Them: When you discover a cookbook you love, consider purchasing it from your favorite bookstore or directly from the author's website so it is a permanent resource in your kitchen.

A cookbook is an instant Add to Cart for me when it meets the following criteria:

• It uses everyday ingredients: or ones that a standard grocery store has in stock.

• It has simple recipes: For me, if there are several complex components, like a sauce that takes hours to cook AND includes a base that needs to roast before it's even added to the dish, it's generally a pass.

• Recipes use everyday ingredients in a new way: TBH simple cooking can get a bit monotonous so if I can find a cookbook that offers new approaches, it's an instant add to cart.

• Teaches me something: I love when authors open their cookbooks with tips and tricks. Everyday Dinners taught me so much about food prep, it was life-changing.

When the cookbook has made it to your home, use post-it tabs to flag your fave recipes, and, of course, keep the book at arm's length in the kitchen for easy access.

My Cookbook Collection

I purchased the following after borrowing them from my local library:

Start Simple: Eleven Everyday Ingredients for Countless Weeknight Meals, by Lukas Volger

A vegetarian or vegan home cook's dream. Lukas shares elevated, yet simple meals made from humble veggies.

Frugal Vegan: Affordable, Easy & Delicious Vegan Cooking, by Katie Koteen & Kate Kasbee

I enjoy simple meals that don't cost a ton and this book delivers. I mean, it's in the name.

Unbelievably Vegan: 100+ Life-Changing, Plant-Based Recipes: A Cookbook, by Charity Morgan

This is a giant cookbook with so many great ideas. I learned Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables, dish-elevating sauces and more from this book. Her husband is an athlete in the NFL and cooks for him, so I kinda trust her meatless food since it provides enough nourishment for her hubs.

Everyday Dinners: Real-Life Recipes to Set Your Family Up for a Week of Success: A Cookbook, by Jessica Merchant

The author shares super helpful tips on how to food prep so dinner time isn't such a burden. Plus, in each recipe, she indicated what can be prepped ahead of time. Love that.

If you have cookbook recommendations, please share in the comments below or email me!