As you can see, I have a lot of cookbooks. This isn’t even half of them. But I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

The Gourmet Cookbook: Toby’s grandmother got me this cookbook several years ago, and I love it. Everything I’ve ever made from this cookbook (and from Gourmet magazine) is delicious, and while there are some pretty fancy and complicated things in there, there are also tons of quick and easy things that just seem fancy when you serve them. It also came with a DVD of tips and techniques. Gourmet magazine basically taught me to cook, so I heartily endorse this.

How to Cook Everything: I wish I had gotten this earlier. If you’ve ever bought some kind of food item (or wanted to get something) but weren’t sure how to cook it, this cookbook is for you. It has all kinds of instructions and tons of variations for everything, so you can learn how to cook whatever vegetable or protein you’d like and tweak it however you want. There’s also a vegetarian version of the cookbook, if you’re so inclined.

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook: This is a no-brainer. Instructions for just about every basic recipe you can think of, plus all those childhood recipes you remember.

Barefoot Contessa: I love all of her cookbooks, so I can’t pick just one. Ina Garten is awesome, and many of her recipes are my (and my mother’s) go-tos.

Pretty Delicious: Candice Kumai is a chef and former model (she was the youngest contestant on “Top Chef” at 23) whose recipes are designed to be healthy and delicious. I love this not just for the recipes, but for the inspiration.

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Deb Perelman is my hero. I love her blog, I love her cookbook, I adore her recipes, and these pictures of her little boy’s first birthday are the cutest thing ever. The end.

Fast, Fresh & Green: I know what to do with bread, pasta and cheese. I don’t always know what to do with vegetables. This cookbook helps me learn.

Fruit of the Spirit: This is my real favorite, but you can’t buy it. It’s the cookbook my grandmother put together. It doesn’t have ALL of her best recipes (she had to keep some things secret, after all), but it still has a lot. And she was a fabulous cook and an amazing person, so it’s clearly the best. I’m just happy to have one.