This is the time of year when the Burpee catalogues start showing up in mailboxes and fantasies for the Best Ever Summer Garden start running wild. Wether you're an old hat at this game or excited to plant your first garden, the Sunset Edible Garden Cookbook is a good resource. It goes vegetable by vegetable and fruit by fruit, helping you plan your perfect garden, and when the time is ripe, all of your meals from it, too. More

I always mark up books I read. I highlight, I underline, I jot thoughts in the margins. I love being able to flip back through it and have sections stand out—favorite quotes and other things worth remembering. However, I don't do this with my cookbooks, which I realize is unusual. Do you write in your cookbooks? More

OK. I know this is going to be a bit of a hard sell, since most of our readers are in the US and the book I'm about to talk about is only available in the UK. I completely understand it that this may be a huge barrier for some of you. But I'm so taken with Orlando Gough's Recipe Journal that I can't help but share it! I can say with confidence that it was absolutely worth the effort to get it from London, England to my home in Oakland, California. More

I haven't had the pleasure of visiting Dahlia Bakery in Seattle, Washington, and by the looks of their recently released cookbook, it sounds like I'm missing out. Doughnuts with Cinnamon Sugar, Mascarpone, and Jam? Chocolate Truffle Cookies with Crackly Crust? Hello! You're totally speaking my language. Until I can sample these treats from the source, I'll have to content myself with the recipes.

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Homebrewers are generally a jolly lot, and the people who write about homebrewing are even more so. I'll tell you now, The Naked Brewer will make you laugh out loud. These ladies are seriously funny — and they know their stuff, too. You'll want your notebooks handy, my homebrewing friends, because even as it entertains, this book is all about helping you brew better beer. More

Annie Somerville has been with Greens Restaurant in San Francisco for 31 years, most of that time as the Executive Chef (which, if you know the restaurant industry, is an almost unheard of length of time). Since it opened in 1979 and long before it was trendy, Greens worked with local organic farms and dairies to source their ingredients, creating a vibrant, refined vegetarian menu that continues to inspire today. Annie brings these same sensibilities to her home kitchen in San Francisco, which is within walking distance of Greens and the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market. Read on for her simple but essential things for the home cook. More

I've never been to San Francisco's acclaimed SPQR restaurant, but that hasn't stopped me from thoroughly enjoying Shelley Lindgren and Matthew Accarrino's cookbook. Indeed, the wine director and executive chef make it a point that this isn't a restaurant cookbook but rather a passeggiata, or stroll, through the ancient Roman roads of central and northern Italy. Along this photo-filled journey, readers discover each region's people and wines, along with gorgeous recipes that bridge the traditional and modern. More

I think it goes without saying that the whole idea of "eating healthy" is a confusing one these days. It is incredibly hard to wade through the conflicting information on what, exactly, constitutes "healthy" — to the point where any attempt to change our diets starts to feel like a gymnastic event. It helps to have...well, some help! Clean Plates Cookbook has advice for everything from setting up your pantry to finding an eating plan that works for you. It's a place to start. More

I love meringue. Love it. The whole phenomenon of crunching into a meringue and feeling the crisp fragments dissolve like a sugary snowflake on my tongue is one of the best things ever. So I am feeling especially giddy about this new book by Linda K. Jackson and Jennifer Evans Gardner, which is devoted entirely to this magical confection in all its various forms. More

I have a lot of cookbooks. A lot. I haven't counted them but it's probably in the triple digits. And of those scores of titles, there are only three dedicated to desserts. One is by Maida Heatter, another is by Lindsey Shere and the final is this one, Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich. Read on for why this book has a special place on my shelf. More