Great Western cookbooks

Written by Margo True

A personalized recipe book

Now there's a stylish place to stash all those recipes you've clipped from magazines and newspapers: Celia Sack's The Omnivore's Recipe Keeper. Embellished with food images culled from Celia's personal collection of vintage cookbooks (she owns Omnivore Books, in San Francisco), it's as beautiful as it is handy.

Written by Margo True

For the from-scratch cook

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese describes the author's often funny attempts to make everything she and her family eat, from scratch. She tells you which foods are worth it—and which aren't.

Written by Margo True

For the home brewer

Make six-packs from scratch with this beautifully designed, effortlessly readable little guide that streamlines a complex task so that anyone can follow. Ideal for the first-time brewer but smart enough for the veteran, too.

Written by Margo True

Free cookbook for sustainable kids' lunches

Developed as a template for school cafeterias, Cooking with California Food in K-12 Schools was written by award-winning cookbook writer Georgeanne Brennan, who worked with educational consultant Ann M. Evans to create crosscultural recipes that appeal to kids of any heritage.

Written by Margo True

Cult Chinese cookbook

It's practically impossible to get a seat at San Francisco's widly popular Mission Chinese Food, but the restaurant's new book, Mission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbable Restaurant gives a way to satisfy the craving. Lots of quirky restaurant-biz reflections, with fun comic-book illustrations.

Written by Margo True

For the mushroom lover

Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms takes you along as author Eugenia Bone (and parttime Colorado resident) describes her transformation from simple mushroom-eater to passionate fungi fan. Bone, a fantastic storyteller, weaves nitty-gritty biology and science effortlessly into her tales of mushroom hunting and cooking, and you may feel your jaw dropping a few times as you read your way deeper into a mystifying, fascinating world. A ripping good read.

Written by Margo True

For the would-be pizzaiolo

Finally, the genius behind Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza—venerated in Los Angeles for killer pizza and great Italian food, period—has published a cookbook. In it, Nancy Silverton took the best recipes from both restaurants and brings them all to you, along with expert tips and techniques for making gelato, pasta, pizza, and more.

Written by Margo True

For the home cheesemaker

Feed your cheese-loving friend's obsession with a gift of Artisan Cheesemaking at Home (Ten Speed Press, 2011; $30), by longtime cheesemaking teacher Mary Karlin. It's easily the best cheesemaking book on the market—thorough, easy to follow, and friendly—with more than 80 recipes for homemade cheeses, from mascarpone to manchego.

Written by Margo True

For the Chez Panisse fan

Since the late 1970s, Patricia Curtan has been making letterpress menus for Chez Panisse, embellished with her graceful block prints of fruits and vegetables, birds, and flowers. Menus for Chez Panisse brings these beautiful creations together, along with the stories behind each dinner. It's a book any food lover will savor for hours.

Written by Margo True

For the beginning forager

Hank Shaw's beautifully written Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast introduces the pleasures of our original ways of getting food. Learn how to dig clams, pick nettles, hunt pheasant, and more. With over 50 recipes.

Written by Margo True

Gorgeous Greek cookbook

Kokkari: Contemporary Greek Flavors brings together the best recipes from the beloved San Francisco restaurant, known for superb Greek cooking with California ingredients. A warm, hospitable book, like the restaurant itself.

Written by Margo True

For a budding butcher

From San Francisco butcher Ryan Farr, whose classes sell out within hours of being announced, comes a fascinating step-by-step photographic guide to breaking down whole animals. Whole Beast Butchery: The Complete Visual Guide to Beef, Lamb, and Pork is packed with useful, illuminating techniques, and goes a long way toward demystifying the world of meat.

12 favorite Western cookbooks

A personalized recipe book

For the from-scratch cook

For the home brewer

Free cookbook for sustainable kids' lunches

Cult Chinese cookbook

For the mushroom lover

For the would-be pizzaiolo

For the home cheesemaker

For the Chez Panisse fan

For the beginning forager

Gorgeous Greek cookbook

For a budding butcher