8 Cookbooks to Gift Mom this Mother’s Day

Giada’s Italy: My Recipes for La Dolce Vita, by Giada De Laurentiis
“La dolce vita,” or “the sweet life,” is an Italian saying that signifies indulgent existence; for many, that means enjoying good meals in great company. Celebrity chef and Italian food specialist Giada De Laurentiis is also known for her family-centric life. In this book, she invites guests not just into her home, but into her motherland of Rome, where she shares traditional family recipes like Grilled Swordfish with Candied Lemon Salad, Bruschetta with Burrata and Kale Salsa Verde, and, to truly bring some sweetness to your life, Fennel Upside-Down Cake.

Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering, by Joanna Gaines and Marah Stets
Together with her business partner and spouse, Chip—also her cohost on HGTV’s popular Fixer Upper—Joanna Gaines is famous for knowing her way around any house, whether it’s designing it, remodeling it, or, of course, fixing it up. Gaines also knows her way around the kitchen, and the couple opened their first restaurant, Magnolia Table, this past February. Her cookbook by the same name hits shelves in April, and is full of recipes centered around Gaines family favorites, from classic Mac and Cheese to Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon, Toasted Pecans, and Balsamic Reduction.

True Roots: A Mindful Kitchen with More Than 100 Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar, by Kristin Cavallari
No gluten? No dairy? No refined sugar? No salt? What could possibly be left to cook with? In truth, an abundance of yummy ingredients. Former reality star turned writer Kristin Cavallari shares what she cooks for her family in her first cookbook, True Roots. Cavallari developed the recipes with chef Michael Kubiesa, whom she met through her husband, Jay Cutler, while Kubiesa was working as the chef of the Chicago Bears. Dishes focus on fresh and organic ingredients, ranging from simple but flavorful breakfasts like Warm Coconut Oats, to savory main courses like BBQ Chicken Salad with Pineapple Chipotle Ranch Dressing.

Debbie Macomber’s Table: Sharing the Joy of Cooking with Family and Friends, by Debbie Macomber
Award-winning romance author Debbie Macomber is known better for her steamy love scenes than for steaming vegetables, but she’s taking a turn from the library and to the kitchen to write about her love of cooking. Fans of her series will have fun spotting how her fiction inspired her food. Fall in love all over again…with Macomber’s tantalizing Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Sauce, Honey-Chipotle Oven-Roasted Ribs, and—a natural for an author known as the queen of winter romance—Eggnog Cookies.

Food for Life: Delicious & Healthy Comfort Food from My Table to Yours!, by Laila Ali and Leda Scheintaub
Distinguished boxer Laila Ali not only knows how to pack a knockout punch, but can serve a knockout dinner. She has competed on hit TV Show Chopped, twice taking home the championship, and health and wellness are among her top priorities. She starts readers off with a go-to pantry shopping list, then gets into the recipes. They’re good for you, but nutritious doesn’t equal flavorless, as Ali demonstrates in Stovetop Ratatouille, West Coast Southern Greens, and Heavenly Lemon Yogurt Cake. This delicious book is dedicated to her father, Muhammad Ali.

Chloe Flavor: Saucy, Crispy, Spicy, Vegan, by Chloe Coscarelli
Fans of celebrity vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli will be happy to flip through the pages of her fourth cookbook, a beautiful complements to earlier books focusing on vegan basics, Italian food, and desserts. Start the morning right with Chloe’s Avocado Pesto Toast or an Almond Butter Berry Bowl, and end it with Caesar Brussel Sprouts or Hawaiian Teriyaki Sliders. Let Chloe show you vegan can be synonymous with delicious!

Cake, by Maira Kalman and Barbara Scott-Goodman
This enchanting cookbook book is already eye candy, and that’s before you even get to the deliciously sweet recipes between the pages. Author and illustrator Kalman’s unique illustrations have appeared in publications including the New York Times and the New Yorker, and here she teams up with food writer and cookbook designer Scott-Goodman to bring her colorful cookbook to life. Enjoy the sights, smells, and tastes of Flourless Chocolate Cake, Pavlova with Fresh Berries, and Pistachio and Almond Pound Cake.

My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food, by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Behind every impressive meal is an impressive person. Lidia Bastianich has written numerous cookbooks sharing her delicious recipes, but for those looking to set cooking aside and peek behind the curtain into a successful chef’s life, this new memoir is a must-read. Bastianich is a famous chef, cookbook author, TV personality, restaurateur, and mother to fellow food personalities Joe and Tanya Bastianich, but before fame she was a child growing up in the political turmoil of a war-torn region, forced to flee her home and find a new one. After living in a refugee camp, her family moved to the U.S., where she began her career in the kitchen. This memoir beautifully recounts her life story, and how food brought her home.