What are the Best Cook Books?

A high-quality cookbook should feature recipes that inspire you to make a variety of dishes with easy-to-follow instructions that also offer a deeper understanding of the cuisine.

Our list features books that work well for everyone from the beginners to more advanced home chefs, and have a track record for producing delicious time-tested dishes over the years.

My wife has culinary chops. She's taken classes and she can make outstanding dishes by tossing together a little of this and a dash of that.

I, on the other hand, never really learned the basics. But my strong suit is following instructions — give me a recipe for a mouthwatering meal and I will produce delicious results. This is why I love cookbooks.

Cookbooks are entirely subjective, but they should still have recipes you're genuinely interested in cooking and the recipes should use ingredients that are readily available, which has become a lot easier thanks to online ordering.

Many of the books we suggest have been around for decades and have several editions for these very reasons, though certain editions haven't been as well-received as others. For instance, the 1997 edition of the "Joy of Cooking" (which I own) upset lovers of past editions because of how much it modernized the recipes.

However, for the most part, the newest edition is your best bet since it will feature today's popular dishes using ingredients that are readily available. If there is an older edition that's worth checking out, we make note of it.

Nothing beats being able to flip through a cookbook before you purchase it and most online retailers have preview pages you can "flip" through. I wouldn't pass up on a used cookbook as well, though you'd want to keep an eye on the listed book condition since cookbooks tend to experience a fair amount of wear and tear in the kitchen. If you can, we'd suggest visiting a brick-and-mortar bookstore so you can browse and see if the book is right for you.

Here are nine great cookbooks for any type of home cook:

• “The Dressing Table” by Mary Buckman
• "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman
• "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette, and Simone Beck and Bertholle
• "Joy of Cooking" by Irma S.Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Rombauer, and Megan Scott
• "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan
• "The Silver Palate Cookbook" by and Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso
• "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison
• "Classic Indian Cooking" by Julie Sahni
• "Momofuku: A Cookbook" by David Chang