Here are 100 books that Pillsbury's Best 1000 Recipes fans have personally recommended if you like Pillsbury's Best 1000 Recipes. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook: Featuring More Than 1,200 Kitchen-Tested Recipes

Dinah Bucholz Author Of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

From my list on cookbooks for novice and experienced chefs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved cooking and baking since I was a little girl. I attempted to bake a chocolate cake when I was nine without a recipe and put the resulting glop in a plastic bowl in the oven. Luckily, I forgot to turn the oven on and my mother discovered it later, no harm done. I was always a foodie but also a tremendous reader with a great love for the English language, so food writing marries my two passions. My published works include The New York Times bestselling The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (over a million copies sold), and I write a food column for a women’s magazine.

Dinah's book list on cookbooks for novice and experienced chefs

Dinah Bucholz Why Dinah loves this book

If you are starting out in life and can only get one cookbook, get this one. It contains recipes for the classics as well as the familiar, basic dishes you must have in your repertoire—and the recipes are foolproof. Because the recipes are thoroughly tested, you can hardly go wrong if you follow the detailed instructions.

By America's Test Kitchen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Like the best treasured cookbooks of the past, The America's Test Kitchen Family cookbook offers more than 1,200 kitchen-tested recipes, more than 1,500 4-color photos and much more. Here are some of the special features of this book: *Test Kitchen Tips Illuminate Key Recipe-Specific Facts *Hundreds of Variations Give Cooks Lots of Recipe Choices *Equipment Ratings Point Out Our Favorite Brands and Explain Why *Ingredient Testings Rate All Manner of Supermarket Ingredients So Cooks Can Make the Best Choices *Fast Recipes are Highlighted Throughout the Book *Prep Times and Total Times Make Clear How Long a Recipe Will Take *A…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book: The Only Baking Book You'll Ever Need

Dinah Bucholz Author Of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

From my list on cookbooks for novice and experienced chefs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved cooking and baking since I was a little girl. I attempted to bake a chocolate cake when I was nine without a recipe and put the resulting glop in a plastic bowl in the oven. Luckily, I forgot to turn the oven on and my mother discovered it later, no harm done. I was always a foodie but also a tremendous reader with a great love for the English language, so food writing marries my two passions. My published works include The New York Times bestselling The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (over a million copies sold), and I write a food column for a women’s magazine.

Dinah's book list on cookbooks for novice and experienced chefs

Dinah Bucholz Why Dinah loves this book

I know, I know. America’s Test Kitchen again. But seriously, these are the two most used cookbooks in my house, and their tattered condition testifies to that. Nearly everything I have tried from the Baking book has turned out delicious, and I have enough confidence in these recipes to try something new even for company.

By America's Test Kitchen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Featuring more than 700 kitchen-tested recipes, 800 step-by-step photos, opinionated product ratings, and at-a-glance tutorials that guarantee success every time you bake.

A companion to the bestselling America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (with more than 550,000 copies sold), this comprehensive cookbook delivers the foolproof recipes, step-by-step instructions, and troubleshooting guides that have become the hallmark of every book published by America's most trusted test kitchen. For anyone who has made pie dough that seemed impossible to roll out, bread that failed to rise, or a birthday cake that couldn't be served, this book will be a lifesaver as well as…


Book cover of Death by Chocolate: The Last Word on a Consuming Passion

Dinah Bucholz Author Of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

From my list on cookbooks for novice and experienced chefs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved cooking and baking since I was a little girl. I attempted to bake a chocolate cake when I was nine without a recipe and put the resulting glop in a plastic bowl in the oven. Luckily, I forgot to turn the oven on and my mother discovered it later, no harm done. I was always a foodie but also a tremendous reader with a great love for the English language, so food writing marries my two passions. My published works include The New York Times bestselling The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (over a million copies sold), and I write a food column for a women’s magazine.

Dinah's book list on cookbooks for novice and experienced chefs

Dinah Bucholz Why Dinah loves this book

This is the kind of cookbook that is so beautiful that it can serve as a decorative item to keep on your coffee table. The downside is that it can set unrealistic expectations in the minds of your guests. Or give them crazy chocolate cravings. (I am actually eating chocolate as I write these words.) The book is filled with whimsical and fanciful recipe titles, like “Chocolate Phantasmagoria” and, of course, the star of the show, “Death by Chocolate.”

By Marcel Desaulniers ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Death by Chocolate as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gathers recipes for chocolate desserts, including cookies, candies, cakes, parfaits, mousses, ice creams, sorbets, fudge, brownies, fritters, tarts, souffles, and pies.


If you love Ann Pillsbury...

Book cover of The Warhog Paladins

The Warhog Paladins by Jer Patch,

Mia Lark is running out of options. There is only one way to change the score: the fantasy planet Revivium. 

Armed with the powerful magic in the helm and the friendly AI, Hex that goes with it, Mia throws caution out the window. It’s time to find the main guildhall…

Book cover of Chocolate and Confections at Home with the Culinary Institute of America

Dinah Bucholz Author Of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

From my list on cookbooks for novice and experienced chefs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved cooking and baking since I was a little girl. I attempted to bake a chocolate cake when I was nine without a recipe and put the resulting glop in a plastic bowl in the oven. Luckily, I forgot to turn the oven on and my mother discovered it later, no harm done. I was always a foodie but also a tremendous reader with a great love for the English language, so food writing marries my two passions. My published works include The New York Times bestselling The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook (over a million copies sold), and I write a food column for a women’s magazine.

Dinah's book list on cookbooks for novice and experienced chefs

Dinah Bucholz Why Dinah loves this book

I’m a confirmed chocoholic, so I can’t help it that this is the second chocolate cookbook on the list. This cookbook is great for chocolate lovers who want to learn how to make handmade chocolates at home. The skills needed for some of these recipes take time to develop, so if you are new to the art, arm yourself with patience and a sense of adventure before rolling up your sleeves and melting the chocolate. The time invested is well worth the effort.

By The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) , Peter P. Greweling ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chocolate and Confections at Home with the Culinary Institute of America as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The home candy maker's guide to creating stunning chocolates and confections Chocolates and Confections at Home offers detailed expertise for anyone who wants to make truly amazing homemade confections and candies. The Culinary Institute of America and baking and pastry arts professor Peter Greweling provide recipes and step-by-step techniques that make even the most ambitious treats simple for any home cook. In addition, Chocolates and Confections at Home includes ingredient and equipment information, packaging and storage practices, and troubleshooting tips for common preparation issues. * Richly illustrated with more than 150 full-color photos that illustrate key techniques as well as…


Book cover of Why Calories Don't Count: How We Got the Science of Weight Loss Wrong

Jane McGuinness Author Of Always Hungry

From my list on cutting through the insanity of diet culture.

Why am I passionate about this?

A long time ago I lost a lot of weight, and I continue to maintain this loss after one decade. Perhaps understandably my passion and interest in health and nutrition have only grown, as I advocate moderation in all things and the benefits of taking a walk. Losing weight the old-fashioned way has inspired me to speak out against the madness that is diet-culture and the discrimination of people in larger bodies. I strive to quiet the food noise and embrace common sense, because, as it turns out, it’s not all that common! Fortunately, the books on my list are all abundant in wisdom, reason, and sound logic. Enjoy!

Jane's book list on cutting through the insanity of diet culture

Jane McGuinness Why Jane loves this book

Yeo’s book has been fundamental in my growing understanding of my own body, as it relates to nutrition, digestion, and how we extract energy from food. 

I have learnt that the measurement of a calorie is simply false—a crude tool at best. For myself, in a perpetual maintenance phase this past-decade (post massive weight-loss the old-fashioned way), this book was also essential reading. Not only is calorie counting overly simplistic; it’s actually pretty useless.

I haven’t once looked at food the same way after finishing this book.

By Giles Yeo ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Why Calories Don't Count as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'In this great read, Giles Yeo ruthlessly and amusingly destroys the calorie as our most persistent diet myth.' Tim Spector, author of Spoon-Fed and The Diet Myth

'A tour de force by the wise and witty Professor Giles Yeo. As well as being one of the UK's foremost experts on the genetics of obesity, Professor Yeo knows how to tell a great story. After reading this brilliant book you will understand what the labels on food really tell us, and what they don't.' Michael Mosley, author of The Fast 800

'Giles Yeo knows that when it comes to motivating us…


Book cover of The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Andrew Amelinckx Author Of Satellite Boy: The International Manhunt for a Master Thief That Launched the Modern Communication Age

From my list on narrative non-fiction that interweave crime and history.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been enthralled with history since childhood thanks to my late father, a college professor with a passion for the past. Our house was always filled with history books of all types and my father was a veritable encyclopedia who enjoyed answering my questions. When I became a crime reporter in the early 2000s, my predilection for history merged with my interest in crime and I ended up writing four books centered around historical crimes ranging in time from the 1700s to the 1960s. 

Andrew's book list on narrative non-fiction that interweave crime and history

Andrew Amelinckx Why Andrew loves this book

In The Poison Squad, Deborah Blum explores the era in American history before food and drugs were regulated, a wild time indeed when many patent medicines contained not only morphine or cocaine but a plethora of poisonous substances that killed many users.

Even worse, unregulated candy containing adulterated ingredients led to many children’s deaths. Blum not only does a wonderful job breaking down the science and politics involved in this fascinating story but gives a vivid picture of the late 19th century and early 20th in the U.S.

Today, when many are calling for deregulation, The Poison Squad is even more relevant. 

By Deborah Blum ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Poison Squad as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Notable Book 

The inspiration for PBS's AMERICAN EXPERIENCE film The Poison Squad.

From Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Blum, the dramatic true story of how food was made safe in the United States and the heroes, led by the inimitable Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, who fought for change

By the end of nineteenth century, food was dangerous. Lethal, even. "Milk" might contain formaldehyde, most often used to embalm corpses. Decaying meat was preserved with both salicylic acid, a pharmaceutical chemical, and borax, a compound first identified as a cleaning product. This was…


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Book cover of A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney

A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney by Mark Warren,

Winner of the 2024 New Mexico - Arizona Book Award.

In this deeply researched novel of America's most celebrated outlaw, Mark Warren sheds light on the human side of Billy the Kid and reveals the intimate stories of the lesser-known players in his legendary life of crime. Warren's fictional composer…

Book cover of Nugget and Dog: All Ketchup, No Mustard!

Jay Cooper Author Of Styx and Scones in the Sticky Wand: Ready-to-Read Graphics Level 2

From my list on silly early graphics readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I take “silly” graphic books quite seriously: I’m a firm believer that encouraging young people to read for pure enjoyment creates lifelong readers. Originally a reluctant reader myself, it was primarily graphic books that strengthened my reading skills, my vocabulary, and that ultimately turned me into a fierce advocate for literacy. Now a professional creative, I try to share my love of books and graphic books by paying it forward and creating my own books that I hope will resonate with readers and turn them into strong readers as well! 

Jay's book list on silly early graphics readers

Jay Cooper Why Jay loves this book

The Ready-To-Read Graphic series from Simon & Schuster was specifically created for new readers learning how to navigate graphic book structure and language, roughly ages 5-8. My book is a Level Two… And if you have a reader at this level, they are sure to be hungry for more fun books.

Nugget and Dog is just one of many fun similarly leveled graphic chapter books that will tickle your young reader’s funny bone (and help them become a stronger reader). I also love that Nugget and Dog is a humorous book about a friendship. 

By Jason Tharp ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nugget and Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Join a hot dog named Dog and a chicken nugget named Nugget in this Level 2 Ready-to-Read Graphics book about kindness, the first in a new series by Jason Tharp!

Nugget is a chicken nugget. Dog is a hot dog. They are friends, and they like ketchup. Their town of Gastropolis is a peaceful place...until a spicy mustard packet named Dijon Mustard tries to make everyone grumpy. Nugget and Dog want to help, so they start a K.E.T.C.H.U.P. club, standing for Kind, Empathetic, Thoughtful, Courageous, Helpful, Unique, and Powerful. Can Nugget and Dog save the day with ketchup and kindness?…


Book cover of Mourjou: The Life and Food of an Auvergne Village

Darra Goldstein Author Of Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore

From my list on cookbooks for armchair travelers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been thinking and writing about food ever since I spent a year in the Soviet Union many decades ago and discovered that food is a wonderfully immediate way to enter into another culture. My first cookbook led to a stint as a spokesperson for Stolichnaya vodka when it was first introduced to the US—a fascinating exercise in cross-cultural communication during the Cold War. In 2001 I founded Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, which deepened my interest in culinary cultures around the world. Cookbooks aren't just about recipes. For me, the best ones include personal stories and history that transport you to other realms.

Darra's book list on cookbooks for armchair travelers

Darra Goldstein Why Darra loves this book

Few visitors to France venture to the Auvergne, the sparsely populated, south-central region where until recently most of the now-aging population still spoke the medieval language known as Occitan. Englishman Peter Graham moved there in 1978 and became captivated with the land and its inhabitants. Mourjou communicates his love for this little-known region and its hearty food. Graham collected extraordinary recipes that can't be found in other books about French food (an eggy pudding made with buckwheat flour, ham, Swiss chard, and prunes; a charlotte made with chestnut flour, chestnut cream, pumpkin, and quince). He intersperses recipes with beautifully crafted essays that dive deep into the region's history and culture, chronicling a way of life that is rapidly disappearing.

By Peter Graham ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mourjou as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When cookbooks describe well-known traditional recipes, they usually provide some sort of introduction or background to the dish. All too often one would like to know more, but it is only too rarely that such matters are discussed at length. For most cookbooks are obliged to give priority to the quantity of recipes they include, and cannot afford to be as comprehensive or discursive as they would like to be. In this book, each chapter covers a different dish at the length it deserves, mentioning its origins, etymology, geographical spread, folklore and even appearance in history and the arts, and…


Book cover of There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore about Our Favorite Foods

Mary Boone Author Of Bugs for Breakfast: How Eating Insects Could Help Save the Planet

From my list on food facts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I baked my first loaf of bread when I was eight. It was shaped like a brick and weighed about the same. With my grandma’s help, I tweaked the recipe, learned the importance of precise measurements, practiced my kneading, and ultimately won a blue ribbon for my efforts at the 4-H county fair. In the years since, my passion for food has grown. I love to learn how various crops are grown and harvested, I nearly cried when I tasted cheese I made myself, and I’ve been known to arrange travel around specific culinary adventures. For me, learning about food is nearly as enjoyable as eating it!

Mary's book list on food facts

Mary Boone Why Mary loves this book

I love food and I love history, which is why I adore the way this offbeat book explains the origin stories of some of our favorite foods. Yes, some of the tales are gross. Did you know Genghis Khan’s soldiers put raw meat scraps between their horse and saddle? The friction tenderized the meat and turned it into an early version of ground meat patties – seasoned, of course, with horse sweat! Readers who love knowing the facts behind their food will enjoy learning about the beginnings of peanut butter, french fries, hot dogs, and much more.  

By Kim Zachman , Peter Donnelly (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked There's No Ham in Hamburgers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Why is there no ham in hamburgers? How did we make ice cream before we could make ice? How did hot dogs get their name? From the origins of pizza (which got a big boost from Clarence Birdseye, of all people) to the Cornell professor who invented chicken fingers, There's No Ham in Hamburgers has all the ingredients for an entertaining and educational middle-grade read. Packed with informative sidebars, recipes, and experiments, along with fabulously funny illustrations by Peter Donnelly, this book is a reading recipe that kids will sink their teeth into!


If you love Ann Pillsbury...

Book cover of Ramón Ramirez's Dog: Reflections on Then and Now

Ramón Ramirez's Dog by David J. Dunford,

Ramon Ramirez’s Dog is a collection of essays written over the years about the adventures and misadventures, mostly outside but occasionally inside the diplomatic career of a U.S. ambassador. Common threads weaving the stories together are a desire for a life well-lived, balancing career with family and friends, keeping physically…

Book cover of A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

Carolyn Scott Author Of The Healthy Voyager's Global Kitchen: 175 Plant Based Recipes from Around the World

From my list on cookbooks that celebrate the flavors of the world.

Why am I passionate about this?

Being an avid traveler and foodie, I love recreating dishes I had during my travels when I come back home. Having been to all 7 continents and over 130 countries, it's tough to remember all of the dishes I fell in love with which is why I am a collector of international cookbooks. These are some of my favorites!

Carolyn's book list on cookbooks that celebrate the flavors of the world

Carolyn Scott Why Carolyn loves this book

Anthony Bourdain has always been an inspiration to me, as he has been to so many. I love this book because it showcases exactly what the title says it does: extreme cuisines.

Part travel memoir, I have always loved his culinary storytelling, but the way he weaves in these underrated recipes is a must for any traveling foodie.

By Anthony Bourdain ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Cook's Tour as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Anthony Bourdain, life-long line cook and bestselling author of "Kitchen Confidential", sets off to eat his way around the world. But being Anthony Bourdain, this was never going to be a conventional culinary tour. Bourdain heads out to Saigon where he eats the still-beating heart of a live cobra, and travels deep into landmined Khmer Rouge territory to find the rumoured Wild West of Cambodia (Pailin). Other stops include dining with gangsters in Russia, a medieval pig slaughter and feast in northern Portugal, the Basque All Male Gastronomique Society in Saint Sebastian, rural Mexico with his Mexican sous-chef, a pilgrimage…


Book cover of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook: Featuring More Than 1,200 Kitchen-Tested Recipes
Book cover of The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book: The Only Baking Book You'll Ever Need
Book cover of Death by Chocolate: The Last Word on a Consuming Passion

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