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We all know Amazon Prime Day is a great time to invest in new kitchen appliances or spring for that Dutch oven you’ve been eyeing. But did you know it’s also the best time to buy cookbooks? We’ve been tracking prices this whole week, and the deals we’re seeing have been big—I’m talking 40%, 50%, or even 60% off books that’ll amp up your weeknight cooking game, introduce you to new cuisines or techniques, or help you hone your skills in the kitchen.
Whether you’re stocking up on holiday gifts or adding to your own collection, here are some staff-favorite cookbooks that are on sale right now.
Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi ($13→ 66% off)
This is undoubtedly my favorite and most cooked from cookbook I own, and it’s on sale right now for the price of two morning matchas, a Domino's pizza, a jar of nut butter—you get the picture. Simple is filled with recipes that are equally suitable for weeknight dinners (hence the book’s name) as they are for entertaining. Certain recipes—like the Hot Charred Cherry Tomatoes With Cold Yogurt—have become staples in my own house, while others I’ve got bookmarked for my next summer dinner party (I’m looking at you, Vanilla Custard With Roasted Strawberries And Rhubarb).
Design and photography nerds will appreciate the book’s beautiful layout, fun use of color, and stunning images; but this is, crucially, not the kind of book made just to look at. It’s a book you’ll end up cooking from constantly—if you’re anything like me, anyway.
Dac Biet by Nini Nguyen ($18→53% off)
I’m in a cookbook club with fellow NYC food media editors in which we cook from a new book each month. After our potluck-style meal from Nini Nguyen’s Dac Biet (you might know her from Top Chef or Tournament of Champions), we all agreed: This was the best one our club had tried to date.
In her debut cookbook, Nguyen blends Vietnamese roots with her New Orleans upbringing, creating deeply flavorful recipes that are both comforting and surprising. Bon Appétit's service editor Kelsey Youngman made the Pork Ribs Glazed With Roasted Nuoc Mam Sauce—they were tender, sweet and funky (from the brown sugar and fish sauce), and no-grill-required. Just three hours in the oven and a quick broil. I made the Soy Sauce Chicken, which delivered juicy, umami-rich thighs with perfectly caramelized skin, and it’s since become a weeknight staple.
You’ll also find Southern-Vietnamese mashups like Southeast Asian Jambalaya, where lemongrass, lime leaves, and Thai basil meet bell pepper and Creole seasoning. Dac Biet is exactly what it promises: extra special. —Olivia Tarantino, senior commerce editor
100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer ($16 → 47% off)
You may know Sarah Kieffer from her lauded Vanilla Bean Blog or for popularizing a pan-banging cookie technique that went viral around 2017. 100 Cookies has a whole chapter dedicated to those perfectly textured, beautifully rippled treats. There’s a recipe for classic chocolate chip, of course, but also varieties like Rocky Road, Ginger Molasses, S’mores, and my favorite, the Toasted Sesame. In the other chapters, you’ll find recipes like Banana Crunch Blondies, Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie Bars, and Meringues with Cacao Nibs and Caramel Swirl.
Salt, Sugar, MSG by Calvin Eng ($22 → 44% off)
When Calvin Eng opened Bonnie’s in Brooklyn in late 2021, it rocketed to the kind of rapid viral acclaim that seems to define so much of the New York restaurant scene. But the food justified every rave review, hour-long wait for a table, and fawning Instagram image. Eng’s food spans both traditional Cantonese and a sort of east/west fusion (fuyu cacio e pepe, BLT fried rice).
This book also got me making true sticky rice in a steamer for the first time and it had me rethinking whether I should use my rice cooker every day.
The book, co-written with his fianceé Phoebe Melnick, is also full of charming pictures and stories, not only from Bonnie’s but from Calvin’s childhood in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He writes that at Bonnie’s, they have a saying: Bangers only. And Salt, Sugar, MSG is full of them. —Noah Kaufman, senior commerce editor
Sofreh by Nasim Alikhani with Theresa Gambacorta ($20 → 50% off)
If you’re fortunate enough to have dined at Sofreh the restaurant (located in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights neighborhood), you know how truly special Alikhani’s cooking is. Sofreh the book allows you to bring some of that magic home, with recipes that are at once a celebration of the author’s roots in Isfahan, Iran, and an ode to the business and life she’s built in New York. The recipes range from weeknight-friendly (think Panfried Saffron Shrimp) to celebratory (like crispy-bottomed Tachin Ba Morgh). The book is also beautifully written, the kind of text you’ll want to read cover to cover.
The Perfect Loaf by Maurizio Leo ($22 → 45% off)
I made my first loaf of sourdough in 2016, and while it was delicious (as any fresh baked bread is bound to be), I had a lot to improve upon. I ended up abandoning my sourdough practice until COVID hit (if this was also you, raise your hand), but by then I’d happened upon Maurizio Leo’s blog, The Perfect Loaf. Thanks to Leo’s clear and precise instructions and wealth of knowledge on all things bread, my sourdough got better and better the more loaves I baked. In 2022, Leo distilled much of this knowledge into a cookbook—and that cookbook is currently on sale at an impressive discount. If you’ve been eager to learn more about the world of sourdough, this is a fantastic place to start.
Rodney Scott's World of BBQ by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie ($14 → 60% off)
James Beard-winning pit masters are few and far between, but Rodney Scott is one of them. Rodney’s method for smoking ribs in this book is worth the price of admission here all by itself. It’s faster and easier than the nearly day-long 3-2-1 method and it’s been my go-to for a few years now. But his rubs are also top notch, and lean into using MSG (which he calls angel tears), and even his desserts are nice.
But any good BBQ book should offer a strong helping hand when it comes to technique and Rodney is super clear and concise. If you can’t make it down to his spots in South Carolina, this is the next best thing. —Kaufman