30 Minute Thai (vibrant photos, with fast Thai favorites)

1080 Recipes (a deluge of colorful drawings and Spanish cuisine)

A Day at El Bulli (the genius of the Adria brothers and Ferran’s molecular gastronomy techniques)

At Home with Madhur Jaffrey, Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (I received this lovely gift and I particularly love the book for Jaffrey’s thorough explanations)

Baker’s Field Guide to Cupcakes

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (Ina being Ina and offering good renditions of her favorites)

Beers of the World (great origins and explanations of types of global beers)

The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day

The Boozy Baker (who doesn’t want more booze in everything, creative ways to use spirits in baking? learned about this revelation from a dear friend who made irish car bomb cupcakes)

The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of America’s Most Trusted Cooking Magazine (a carefully curated best of Cook’s Illustrated magazine)

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids to Eat Good Food (I need to sneak vegetables into my own food and do so with the help of Jessica Seinfield)

Delicious Bite Size (easy appetizers and amuse bouches for the home cook who wants to impress Photo: Google Books)

Easy Breakfast and Brunch (beautiful photos for a sophisticated host’s brunch) 

Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe  (Joanne Chang’s layered recipes, which makes you appreciate ever morsel you have ever eaten at Flour)

Gourmet Gifts: 100 Delicious Recipes for Every Occasion to Make Yourself and Wrap with Style

Herbivoracious (Michael Natkin’s blog comes to life with truly global and creative vegetarian dishes)

I Love Macarons (step by step photographs and tidbits that make frustrated macaron makers push to reach success creating these delicate treats)

Jacques Pepin’s Complete Techniques (multi-step photos of French classics, demonstrated by the master himself) 

James Beard American Cookery (adorable illustrations are peppered in a bible of American classics)

James Beard Theory and Practice of Good Cooking (JB focusing on the methodology and techniques of cooking)

The Japanese Kitchen

Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Julia at her finest, a must have)

Morgan Freeman and Friends: Caribbean Cooking for a Cause (the likes of Alicia Keys, Ben Affleck offering their favorite Carribean recipes including mahi mahi or okra)

My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness (I really enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow’s light banter, touching family stories, quotes from her children and a nice mix of global, Cali-style and vegetarian recipes).

Perfect Party Food: All the Recipes and Tips You’ll Ever Need for Stress-Free Entertaining from the Diva of Do-Ahead

Pie (offers great trips, an encyclopedia-like vault of pie options)

Ploughman’s Lunch and the Miser’s Feast: Authentic Pub Food, Restaurant Fare, and Home Cooking from Small Towns, Big Cities, and Country Villages Across the British Isles

Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats With A Sublime Kiss of Salt (expressing the yin and yang of salty and sweet, desserts with a clever balance)

Simple Italian Sandwiches (recipes for pressed bread with warm fillings)

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (just got it! can’t wait to enjoy Deb’s recipes and photographs)

The Twinkies Cookbook (recipes inspired by or uses one the best novelty treats ever)

Vegetarian Planet (Didi Emmons offers a great variety of vegetarian recipes)

Images from Amazon