Cookbooks are uniquely suited to sticking around. Between gorgeous pages of glossy photos, readers will find recipes that can endure longer than any other book in your library.
June marked the announcement of winners from the James Beard Media Awards 2025, a ceremony distinguishing the best food writers of the previous year, from journalists and broadcasters to authors and recipe developers. A new cohort of freshly acclaimed cookbooks emerges – ready to join your kitchen shelves.
Winners of the 2025 James Beard Book Award
Sift: The Elements of Great Baking
Nicola Lamb’s debut book is divided into reference and recipe sections, making it an ideal tool for the baker-in-training. Lamb has received acclaim in the UK for her work as a recipe developer with some of Britain’s best bakeries, including Lannan in Edinburgh and Farro in Bristol. Sift has been declared the Sunday Times Food Book of the Year and been featured in the Washington Post and New York Times.
The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar
Trust the process behind this ingredients-based cocktail book that focuses on everything but the alcohol. A dream team is behind this cookbook, including journalist Emma Janzen, James Beard winning New York City bartender Jim Meehan, and artist Bart Sasso. Their work combines to a delicious breakdown of the barkeep’s tool kit, from herbs and spices to mixers, syrups, and much much more.
The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans
In October 2024, Irina Janakievska released this love letter to Balkan cuisine and culture. Diverse flavors combine with essays and photographs to tell the story of the region beyond negative stereotypes or forgotten, now gone countries. Recipes like Easter Roast Lamb and Chicken Paprikash celebrate the diversity of the region through flavorful dishes from Janakievska’s family kitchen.
Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California’s Wine Country
Chef Rogelio Garcia is a Michelin-star chef in Napa Valley and former contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef. In this cookbook, he and co-author Andréa Lawson Gray unlock the secrets of his professional kitchen, and provide techniques for their modern take on Mexican flavors. With over 150 recipes inspired by California’s wine country, this cookbook will take your next garden party to a whole new level.
Our South: Black Food Through My Lens
Asheville’s Ashleigh Shanti shares her perspective on food culture and flavors in the American South with this collection of recipes. On top of the James Beard title, Shanti has snapped up praise from the Washington Post, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Vogue. Her timely focus on Appalachian recipes draws attention to not only southern cooking but the black cooking that drove the flavor of the American south to where it is today.
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