cookbooks

Inspired by the occasion of their dad's fiftieth birthday, Mario Batali's teenage sons, Benno and Leo, developed their very own cookbook in his honor, and it's recently been published. The Batali Brothers Cookbook is a compilation of Leo and Benno's favorite recipes, plus some Batali family staples courtesy of Mario himself. We were lucky enough to chat with the brothers, who we were pleased to learn are following fast in their dad's orange-Croc-clad footsteps. Click through to read our interview with Leo and Benno Batali, and check out two of their favorite recipes to try out in your own kitchen!

Ditch your bottled salad dressing and mixed greens routine, and be prepared to be inspired by these eight salad-centric cookbooks. With everything from hearty, meal-worthy salads to lighter but no less enticing options, you'll never consider salad a mere afterthought again. Keep reading to find the hunger-pang-inducing, produce-heavy cookbook for you.

For new vegans who were once dependent on dairy and meat, having an arsenal of quality vegan recipes is necessary from the start. Vegan ingredients and techniques might feel foreign, but these cookbook picks feature delicious recipes for anyone following an animal-free diet. Best of all, once you get them to taste, even skeptics will love the results.

This Mother's Day, gift mom one of these family cookbooks, written by celebrities, chefs, and food bloggers who are also moms. Whether she's devoted to health-conscious eating, fanatic about ethnic cuisine, or considers herself a comfort food queen, she'll love one of these famous titles and hopefully reward you with some home-cooked meals that you'll both appreciate.

While it's a near given that your college grad won't be longing for gloppy, barely serviceable dorm food postgrad, chances are she could use a little (or a lot) of culinary guidance as she moves on to the next step in her life. Help her along the way with the gift of one of our favorite beginner-friendly cookbooks; she may even show her thanks with a home-cooked meal!

Looking for a Mother's Day gift for a mom who loves to cook? We have you covered with the following eight cookbooks, each beautiful and rich enough to please even the pickiest mom-chef. From Gwyneth Paltrow's ode to clean eating (the recipes are seriously delish; we've tried them!) to Curtis Stone's clever, night-of-the-week cooking guide, each cookbook presents its own take on family meals in a lovely fashion. Check them all out now, then pick the one right for the "yummy mummy" in your life!

As a mom who loves to cook for my baby boy, the biggest kitchen dilemma that I've faced is what to make — and how to transport it — when we're out and about. I usually end up resorting to squeeze pouches, which the little guy loves, and are superconvenient, but I always prefer homemade when given the option. Apparently I'm not the only one out there facing this challenge, as a new cookbook from Kim Laidlaw, Baby & Toddler On the Go, addresses the issue.

San Francisco based Laidlaw is a mom herself, a food writer, and the author of two other cookbooks. Her approach to preparing meals for babies and toddlers on the run is based on a six-tiered philosophy: plan, gather, cook, store, transport, and feed. Sound daunting? It's really not, so long as you're organized and factor in some advance prep time. Give it a shot for yourself by taking it to the kitchen with one of these three recipes from the book.

Itching for a trip abroad, but lacking the requisite vacation time? Quell your wanderlust the next best way — by cooking your way through the cuisine of another culture via an international cookbook. With options ranging from collections of homey British recipes to a book based on modern Persian cuisine, chances are there's an option that'll be right up your alley; keep reading for our top picks.

Hoping for an easy way to broaden your culinary horizons? Look no further than a new cuisine. Before you raise your hand in protest to even more restaurant dining, hear me out: the best way to familiarize oneself with a particular country's food is by actually cooking it yourself.

We promise this proposition will be both fun and easy, thanks to the following tomes, each of which is written by a foremost expert in the cuisine. Behold: 10 definitive international cookbooks that are essential to any globe-trotter's kitchen.