Treat Your Favorite Mom with These Healthy Yet Decadent Cookbooks

Chez Panisse Cooking, by Paul Bertolli, with Alice Waters
Chez Panisse Cooking is a classic for a reason. Since its publication in the 1980’s, it’s influenced an entire generation of healthy cooking and continues to demonstrate that health and luxury are not mutually exclusive. Drawn from the kitchens of Chez Panisse, the famous restaurant in Berkeley, California, the recipes here will give you that fine dining feeling. Sign me up for the Seckel Pears Poached in Red Wine with Burnt Caramel.

Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi, by Yotam Ottolenghi
This is the cookbook that turned Yotam Ottolenghi into a culinary mega-sensation. Built on innovative vegetarian recipes with a French/Mediterranean twist, Plenty is a beautifully photographed extravaganza of vegetable recipes you’ll actually want to eat. The emphasis here is on the vegetables themselves, so it’s perfect for anyone looking for an excuse to wander picturesquely through their local farmer’s market.

The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison
The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone was my first introduction to vegetarian cooking, and I must admit my hopes were not high. That all changed with the first recipe—I believe it was a gratin—when I realized vegetables had never tasted so good. Madison is the queen of vegetables for a reason: her approach is thorough, flavor comes before everything, and she’s not afraid of experimentation. A must-have for anyone who insists their health food must also taste good.

Moosewood Restaurant New Classics: 350 Recipes for Homestyle Favorites and Everyday Feasts, by the Moosewood Collective
The Moosewood Restaurant is a charming vegetarian restaurant in Ithaca New York, famed for its cooking and its cookbooks. New Classics is an ideal cookbook for someone just getting into the healthy cooking thing—it’s filled with easy, low-key recipes that are high on taste and comfort. My personal favorite is the Instant Tamale Pie, otherwise known as Moosewood’s answer to the Super Bowl Half-Time problem. This is pure deliciousness in a baking dish and you need it in your life immediately.

Fresh Italian Cooking for the New Generation: 100 Full-Flavored Vegetarian Dishes That Prove You Can Stay Slim While Eating Pasta and Bread, by Alexandra Caspero
Obviously this list would not complete without some Italian food. Fresh Italian Cooking is a vegetarian take on some of your favorite comfort dishes, but instead of cutting out all the tasty parts (like the pasta), Caspero focuses on adding more vegetables and making them sing. Standout recipes include Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Bow Ties and Zucchini Pasta with Bolognese Sauce.

The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks’ Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets, by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
At last, it’s time for dessert! And The Joy of Vegan Baking is here to make sure that being healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing the best part of your meal. Popular with vegans and omnivores alike, this cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes—it’s also an excellent introduction to the concepts behind vegan baking. Now it you’ll excuse me, I’m pretty sure the Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Chunks has my name on it.