Fall/Winter Cookbooks 2016

For many, this time of year is the best time of year. It means more gatherings with family and friends. It means you have mouths to feed with your homemade digestible delights. Ultimately, it means more excuses to eat, eat, eat, and...never stop eating. With weeks-ahead and down-to-the-minute menu planning in full swing, it's only natural to turn to the newest books in search of the perfect canapé, a crowd-pleasing side dish or the most decadent, drool-worthy desserts. We know the timer is ticking, so here's our roundup of this season's most noteworthy culinary compendiums.

Cookbooks from our longtime kitchen stalwarts are plentiful this year. Martha Stewart instructs us on vegetables in the aptly named MARTHA STEWART'S VEGETABLES, and Dorie Greenspan broadens our cookie plate and palate with DORIE'S COOKIES. Ina Garten maintains all of her calm, cool and collectedness in COOKING FOR JEFFREY. The swoonworthy harda$$ of the culinary world, Anthony Bourdain, finally makes his triumphant return to cookbooks (it's been over 10 years) with APPETITES, where he shares some of his most beloved dishes. Mark Bittman gives us the rundown on baking --- 101 and beyond --- while Alton Brown instructs us on how to be the best homecook versions of ourselves in EVERYDAY COOK. Fun fact: He shot all the pictures himself with his iPhone. How very 2016 of him.

Even though the trend of restaurant cookbooks has dominated the scene for quite some time, we see it finally cooling off a bit as only a few standouts make the list. POOLE'S is a collection of recipes from the famed Poole's Diner in Raleigh, which serves local, Southern favorites like Macaroni au Gratin and Pimento Cheese. EATALY highlights the greats of contemporary Italian cooking, pulling from tried-and-true staples of the critically acclaimed market in NYC, Chicago and beyond. EVERYTHING I WANT TO EAT is all about new California cooking. Think: rice bowls, tons of kale and lots of almond milk. Lady Gaga's father, Joe, brings us inside his own restaurant, Joanne Trattoria, with his book of the same name. One of LA's most popular juice bars, Moon Juice, now has its own book written by the founder with a serious cult following, Amanda Chantal Bacon. Without a doubt, she will help you achieve overall wellness and much-needed mental clarity through her remarkable recipes in THE MOON JUICE COOKBOOK.

As usual, there's also exciting newcomers on the scene. Mother, lifestyle guru and #1 NBA wife Ayesha Curry lays it all out in THE SEASONED LIFE. It's the perfect cookbook for those with large families and zero time. CUBA! has us salivating from the start with its sensational photos. TASTE OF PERSIA illustrates the best ways to combine savory and sweet, i.e. tender meats and ripe red fruits. Last but not least, BREAKING BREADS focuses on Israeli baking (including recipes for festive challah and the most mind-blowing chocolate babka you've ever tasted). If you happen to live in NYC or Tel Aviv, we strongly suggest stopping in one of their brick-and-mortar locations --- you'll be forever pleased you did.

All in all, this is only a sampling of what's to-be-consumed in the titles below. We know that recipes can be lengthy and incredibly daunting; sometimes they call for the most obscure ingredient and you aren't quite ready to go full search party. Don't worry! There's no reason you can't use any one of these cookbooks as ideal foodie inspo or --- for the true gourmand --- just to gawk at the stunning pictures. Whatever your preference, it'll probably be satisfying.

Curated by Nicole Sherman