Fans pick 100 books like Knife Drop

By Nick DiGiovanni,

Here are 100 books that Knife Drop fans have personally recommended if you like Knife Drop. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Place at the Table

Kerry M. Olitzky Author Of Strangers in Jerusalem

From my list on bringing Muslims and Jews together.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a rabbi and educator who lives in the midst of a large Jewish community and a large Muslim community. But up until about 10 or so years ago, I had no Muslim friends. My wife and I set out to change that. (She formed the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom and I benefited as a plus one.) I am also the author of nearly 100 books, a growing number of which are for children and some focus on the relationship between Muslims and Jews. 

Kerry's book list on bringing Muslims and Jews together

Kerry M. Olitzky Why did Kerry love this book?

There are so few young adult novels that demonstrate positive relationships between Muslim kids and Jewish kids. This one succeeds masterfully.

The main characters in the story come from very different backgrounds and seem to share little in common. Their friendship grows slowly, and eventually they learn to trust one another. This story shows both the risks and rewards of such a friendship. With taking risks, there can be no reward.  

By Saadia Faruqi, Laura Shovan,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked A Place at the Table as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

A timely, accessible, and beautifully written story exploring themes of food, friendship, family and what it means to belong, featuring sixth graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl taking a South Asian cooking class taught by Sara’s mom.

Sixth graders Sara and Elizabeth could not be more different. Sara is at a new school that is completely unlike the small Islamic school she used to attend. Elizabeth has her own problems: her British mum has been struggling with depression.

The girls meet in an after-school South Asian cooking class, which Elizabeth takes because her mom has…


Book cover of Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs

Molly Stevens Author Of All about Dinner: Simple Meals, Expert Advice

From my list on cookbooks for everyday meals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent my entire working life teaching others how to cook – in the kitchen, in the classroom, and through my cookbooks and countless magazine articles – and I can sum up all my cooking lessons into one word: Cook! The more you cook, the more confidence you gain – and the more joy and success you will experience. But where to start? My best advice is to find a few cookbooks that you trust - ideally ones that offer plenty of explanation. From these, select several dishes that sound appealing and commit to learning to make them by heart. With repetition, you will learn to cook without relying on the recipes, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a more confident — and intuitive — cook.


Molly's book list on cookbooks for everyday meals

Molly Stevens Why did Molly love this book?

The premise behind this jubilant and personal collection is that cooking is "simply a huge and often very fun puzzle of piecing together techniques with different ingredients." Throughout the 98 recipes (everything from breakfast to mains, from drinks to dessert), Turshen highlights essential techniques (labeled as "small victories") and then offers inventive ideas and inspirations for creating other dishes (called "spin-offs"). It's a cookbook designed for anyone looking to become a more relaxed, confident, and creative cook. Turshen's love for cooking and feeding others is infectious, and her down-to-earth approach makes it easy to be swept along. 

By Julia Turshen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Small Victories as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"I can't wait to cook my way through this amazing new book!" - Ina Garten (Host of Barefoot Contessa)

"Simple, achievable recipes..." - Chef April Bloomfield (Owner of The Spotted Pig)

This cookbook of more than 400 simple cooking recipes and variations from Julia Turshen, writer, go-to recipe developer, co-author for best-selling cookbooks such as Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Good, and Dana Cowin's Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen, and author of her cookbooks Now & Again and Feed the Resistance. The process of truly great home cooking ideas is demystified via more than a hundred lessons called out as…


Book cover of How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Deana Gunn Author Of Vegetarian Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook

From my list on cooking vegetarian for easy and delicious meals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a cookbook and children's book author and co-owner of Brown-Bag Publishers, a small independent publishing company since 2007. I love good food, and I have a passion for creating (and using!) recipes that are easy and result in delicious, healthy meals that appeal to the whole family. I’m the author of the bestselling Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's which was the first in the popular 10-book Trader Joe's cookbook series. I live in a small surf town in California with my husband and four kids.

Deana's book list on cooking vegetarian for easy and delicious meals

Deana Gunn Why did Deana love this book?

This cookbook by Mark Bittman re-energized the vegetarian movement over a decade ago (and was updated on its 10th anniversary). Think of it as the “Joy of Cooking” for vegetarians, covering all foods and techniques from A-Z. The recipes are straightforwad and approachable, making them perfect for beginner cooks as well as experienced home cooks. Favorites are Vegetarian Pho, Paella with Tomatoes and Eggs, and Curried Potatoes.

By Mark Bittman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Cook Everything Vegetarian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ten years ago, this breakthrough cookbook made vegetarian cooking accessible to everyone. Today, the issues surrounding a plant-based diet-health, sustainability, and ethics-continue to resonate with more and more people, whether or not they're fully vegetarian. This new edition has been completely reviewed and revised to stay relevant to today's cooks: New recipes include more vegan options and a brand-new chapter on smoothies, teas, and more. Charts, variations, and other key information have been updated. And, new for this edition, the recipes are showcased in bright full-colour photos throughout. With these photos and a host of recipes destined to become new…


Book cover of Making Modern Meals: How Americans Cook Today

David E. Sutton Author Of Bigger Fish to Fry: A Theory of Cooking as Risk, with Greek Examples

From my list on scholarly reads about cooking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been interested in food, even as young as 3 years old I remember wanting to taste everything, and I found the process of cooking fascinating. But I really got interested in food as a topic for research during my time studying Greek culture for my PhD thesis. People on the island of Kalymnos, where I’ve conducted research for 30 years, made a strong connection between food and memory, but it was a connection that few scholars have written about until recently. So I’ve been excited to participate in a new field reflected by all of these books, and hope you will be as well.

David's book list on scholarly reads about cooking

David E. Sutton Why did David love this book?

This book really debunks many of the myths about how and whether Americans cook today.

I loved the way that the author took us  into the thoughts and practices of contemporary home cooks going about their daily cooking. I also found fascinating the comparison and contrast with those who have taken up artisanal production of sourdough bread and other skilled food products.

By Amy B. Trubek,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Making Modern Meals as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Home cooking is crucial to our lives but it is not necessary to our survival. Over the past century, it has become an everyday choice even though it is no longer an everyday chore. By looking closely at the stories and practices of American home cooks-witnessing them in the kitchen and at the table-Amy B. Trubek reveals our episodic but also engaged relationship to making meals. Making Modern Meals explores the state of American cooking across all its varied practices, whether cooking is considered a chore, a craft, or a creative process. Trubek challenges current assumptions about who cooks, who…


Book cover of Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant, and Affordable Entertaining

Dawna Pitts Author Of Entertaining Is My Love Language

From my list on for inspiration when entertaining at home.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Dawna Pitts. I am passionate about entertaining and always have been. I realized I actually have much to share from my experiences of entertaining for many years and living on different continents which made me write my book Entertaining is My Love Language. I wanted to inspire people to have more get-togethers in our homes build sweet, delicious memories, and understand home entertaining doesn’t always have to be proper and perfect and no need to be intimidated by foreign exotic food ingredients.

Dawna's book list on for inspiration when entertaining at home

Dawna Pitts Why did Dawna love this book?

Everything this reality TV personality Lisa Vanderpump does looks beautiful, elegant, and expensive on TV. Of course, I wanted to see how she does that, that’s why I purchased this book.

I was pleasantly surprised by how honestly she described so many things she does as “smoke and mirrors” in her words. From owning many restaurants in different countries, she has a wide variety of knowledge on hosting people. She shared many tips on how to make beautiful presentations of food and table settings effortlessly such as decorating store-bought plain cake to make it look like a custom-ordered cake from a high-end cake shop.

Her dry sense of British humor really adds fun to reading this book as well. The recipes in this book are mainly from chefs who worked for her restaurants, I was really impressed when I tested them out but easy enough for home cooks like me…

By Lisa Vanderpump,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Simply Divine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Lisa Vanderpump has become the breakout star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Her unique mix of sparkling glamour and down-to-earth style has appealed to thousands of fans. On the show, viewers can see her hosting dinner parties and running her popular Beverly Hills restaurant Villa Blanca with what can best be termed"easy elegance." Now Lisa shares her tips and tricks for creating the perfect gathering: whether you're hosting a cozy winter dinner for six, throwing a poolside BBQ, or just hanging out with your closest friends, Lisa has just the menu and entertaining hints that will make it…


Book cover of The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z

Mary Bryant Shrader Author Of The Modern Pioneer Cookbook: Nourishing Recipes From a Traditional Foods Kitchen

From my list on becoming a modern pioneer in the kitchen.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Mary Bryant Shrader, and I'm the creator of Mary's Nest, a YouTube channel and corresponding website devoted to teaching approachable traditional cooking techniques using whole ingredients to help everyone become a Modern Pioneer in the kitchen. I take a simple step-by-step approach to help home cooks of all abilities cook simple, healthy meals using every last scrap of food to work towards creating a no-waste kitchen. I live in the Texas Hill Country with my sweet husband, Ted, and our lovable yellow lab, Indy. Our son Ben is just a drive away, and he frequently joins us for cozy home-cooked meals by the fireplace, followed by an evening of rousing board games.

Mary's book list on becoming a modern pioneer in the kitchen

Mary Bryant Shrader Why did Mary love this book?

When I first read Tamar's original book, An Everlasting Meal, I knew I had found a kindred home-cook spirit in her. And to be honest with you, I thought that book couldn't be topped. But then she wrote The Everlasting Meal Cookbook!

This cookbook is the definitive guide on how to use up every imaginable leftover in your kitchen so that almost nothing will go to waste. Chances are, when you begin to implement Tamar's leftover recipes, you will see very little going into your kitchen garbage can. You'll gaze upon every scrap, every crumb in your kitchen in a new light.

Next thing you know, you will be taking the heel of a loaf of bread, a sliver of a parmesan rind, and a few vegetables from your crisper (that look a bit past their prime) and turning it all into a dinner that friends and family alike will…

By Tamar Adler, Caitlin Winner (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Everlasting Meal Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Vogue and BookRiot

The award-winning, bestselling author of An Everlasting Meal serves up an inspiring, money-saving, environmentally responsible, A-to-Z collection of simple recipes that utilize all kinds of leftovers-perfect for solo meals or for feeding the whole family.

Food waste is a serious issue today-nearly forty percent of the food we buy gets tossed out. Most of us look around the kitchen and struggle to use up everything we buy, and then when it comes to leftovers we're stuck. That's where Tamar Adler can help-her area of culinary expertise is finding…


Book cover of Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats and Drinks

Amelia Levin Author Of The Chicago Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Windy City

From my list on the magic of Chicago cuisine and food lore.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a longtime food writer, magazine editor, cookbook author, and certified chef (through Kendall College, also in Chicago of course!). I was born in Chicago, raised in the Northern suburbs, and came back right after graduating from the University of Michigan in the early 2000s. For two decades, I lived in various parts of the city and wrote about the food scene for local and national outlets. The first edition of The Chicago Chef’s Table came out in 2012. Even though I moved to the suburbs a few years ago with my growing family, we still get down to the city often to enjoy the hottest new spots. My love for Chicago will never subside!

Amelia's book list on the magic of Chicago cuisine and food lore

Amelia Levin Why did Amelia love this book?

This is just an awesome cookbook that I recommend regardless of its Chicago roots.

Stephanie Izard was the winner of Bravo TV’s Top Chef Season 4, is a two-time James Beard Best Chef: Midwest winner and longtime restaurateur in Chicago with Boka Restaurant Group, which owns a ton of popular restaurants around town.

I really like her sweet and sour eggplant and pork ragu recipes. All the recipes are great and easy to make, though. 

By Stephanie Izard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Girl in the Kitchen as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Stephanie Izard knows how to inspire, captivate, and cook up a storm. Fan favorite and the first and only woman to win on TV s Top Chef, she s also the chef and owner of the acclaimed Girl & the Goat restaurant in Chicago. The Girl in the Kitchen collects more than 100 of Izard s best recipes, from innovative appetizers like Asian-Spiced English Peas to luscious desserts like Quince and Fig Cobbler with Vanilla Mascarpone. Beautifully photographed and bursting with flavor, personality, and insights into the top chef s process including where she finds her cooking muses, how she…


Book cover of Heston Blumenthal at Home

Alex Maltman Author Of Vineyards, Rocks, and Soils: The Wine Lover's Guide to Geology

From my list on food and drink that will nourish your mind.

Why am I passionate about this?

It’s now fifty years or so since I started growing my own fruit and vegetables so as to have the freshest, best quality ingredients for my home cooking and making my own wine and beer. But I was always asking myself why things were done in a certain way: what was the science behind what was going on? I’ve always loved science for its own sake, but I believe such knowledge enhances appreciation. That’s why, when today’s new interest in vineyard geology took off, I put together my own book on that subject, and it’s why I’m enlightened by the books I list here.

Alex's book list on food and drink that will nourish your mind

Alex Maltman Why did Alex love this book?

I love the look and feel of this book. It’s a class act. The author (a disciple, incidentally, of Harold McGee) deconstructs a variety of popular foodstuffs and recipes so that with this new knowledge, even the amateur cook can strive for perfection. Well, strive. Perfection’s a long way off for me, but this glorious book inspires me to try.

By Heston Blumenthal,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Heston Blumenthal at Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Until now, home cooking has remained radically out of touch with the technological developments that characterize the rest of modern life. This is the book to prove that science can dramatically improve the way we eat. Having spent years refining his analytical and imaginative approach at the Fat Duck restaurant, Heston Blumenthal is uniquely qualified to bring the benefits of science to the domestic kitchen. Both time-saving and energy-efficient, his methods unlock the alchemical potential of flavor and taste.

The first part of the book maps the new techniques in fifteen sections, including: taste and flavor; stocks and infusing; brining,…


Book cover of Look and Cook Snacks: A First Book of Recipes in Pictures

Beth Kander Author Of Do Not Eat This Book! Fun with Jewish Foods & Festivals

From my list on picture books for families who love food.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an author, playwright, nonprofit strategist, and mother to two small children–the list goes on and on, and it's enough to work up an appetite. Since three of my favorite things in the world are 1) my kids, 2) stories, and 3) food, this reading roundup is near and dear to my heart. I wrote my picture book, Do Not Eat This Book!, because I believe food is a delicious entryway for exploring identity, sharing, caring, culture, and more, and the books in this list exemplify the sweet power of a good food-themed picture book.

Beth's book list on picture books for families who love food

Beth Kander Why did Beth love this book?

I know, I know, this one isn’t a “story” book, but it IS a picture book! In fact, it’s the first recipe-in-picture book my family has come across. Accessible, even to our toddler, this inviting book has big, bright pictures so the pre-readers in your family can fully participate in kitchen adventures.

Our favorite recipe in this one? It’s hard to pick, but the very first one is a go-to because the easy-peasy Froothie is a win for our smoothie-loving household!

By Valorie Fisher,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Look and Cook Snacks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

The first of its kind, Look and Cook: Snacks is an entirely visual introduction to cooking, designed for children who can't yet read, including twenty delicious, easy, and healthy snack recipes. Easy-to-follow and almost entirely wordless, this cookbook lets your child take charge of their discovery of the kitchen and make delicious snacks for the entire family to enjoy! From scrumptious fruit smoothies to easy-peasy pizzas, Look and Cook: Snacks is the perfect first recipe book for children new to the joys of cooking. Step-by-step instructions visually teach kids basics like mixing and measuring and introduce them to safe-to-use kitchen…


Book cover of The Homesick Texan Cookbook

Jackie Alpers Author Of Taste of Tucson: Sonoran-Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona

From my list on southwestern regional home cooking.

Why am I passionate about this?

Jackie Alpers is an award-winning professional food photographer and author. She is a longtime contributing recipe developer & photographer for The Food Network, Refinery29, TheKitchn, TodayFood, Real Simple, National Geographic, and Edible Baja Arizona Magazine among others. She has been featured in articles for Reader’s Digest, CNN, Good Morning America, The New York Times & NPR. She writes, cooks, and styles recipes from her sun-lit studio in Tucson, Arizona.

Jackie's book list on southwestern regional home cooking

Jackie Alpers Why did Jackie love this book?

Longing for the food from home yet finding her quest unobtainable to fulfil, Lisa Fain, a 7th generation Texan, took matters into her own hands and began exploring ways to recreate Tex-Mex dishes in her NYC apartment. From this process a cookbook was born. The Homesick Texan is for every armchair traveler who wants to recreate a little bit of Texas, not matter where they may be at the moment.

By Lisa Fain,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Homesick Texan Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan, moved to New York City, she missed the big sky, the bluebonnets in spring, Friday night football, and her family's farm. But most of all, she missed the foods she'd grown up with.

After a fruitless search for tastes of Texas in New York City, Fain took matters into her own hands. She headed into the kitchen to cook for her friends the Tex-Mex, the chili, and the country comfort dishes that reminded her of home. From cheese enchiladas drowning in chili gravy to chicken-fried steak served with cream gravy on the side, from…


Book cover of A Place at the Table
Book cover of Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs
Book cover of How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

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