Just in time for playing Santa, bookstores are flooded with tempting new cookbooks. You will find something for every taste bud and type of cook imaginable, and for treating yourself.

Happy gifting and happy cooking!

Half Baked Harvest Quick and Cozy

Tieghan Gerard is a recipe developer, blogger, food photographer and a New York Times bestselling author of three Half Baked Harvest cookbooks. Her specialty? Comfort food. Her eye is on meal prep in a hurry. Many recipes are one-pot doable, most in under forty-five minutes. All are tasty delicious. 
Clarkson Potter $44

Zoë  Bakes Cookies

Baking show host, pastry chef and teacher Zoë François features recipes for cookies and bars for every imaginable occasion. What makes the book special is the section Cookie Academy, where she explains how the recipes work and what different quantities of key ingredients such as flour, sugar or eggs do to a cookie. The cookie monster at home or on your gift list will love you for this one.  |Ten Speed Press $39.99

Be Ready When the Luck Happens - a memoir

After 13 bestselling cookbooks, the celebrated television host and Instagram sensationIna Garten shares her remarkable story. Barefoot Contessa fans who have been eagerly waiting for this book won’t be disappointed. It’s an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at how much luck, love and labour went into making everything she does look effortless. To quote a Barefoot Contessa catch phrase, “how great is that!”
Crown $45

Easy Weeknight Dinners

Just because it’s a busy weekday doesn’t mean dinner can’t be easy and delicious. New York Times Cooking editor-in-chief, Emily Weinstein has selected 100 fast, flavour-packed recipes from the newspaper’s vast collection created by the trusted members of their culinary team. You’ll find fifteen-minute recipes, like Beef Short Rib Rice Bowls and sheet-pan miracles for easy clean-up, such as Feta with Chickpeas and Tomatoes. 
10 Speed Press  $48

Chuck’s Home Cooking

Family-favourite recipes from Chuck’s kitchen to yours.

The star of his own cooking show, Chuck’s Day, the co-owner and executive chef of two Montreal hot spots, Garde Manger and Le Bremner, Chef Hughes shares his favourite go-to recipes that he cooks for his family at home on busy weeknights, for weekend treats or special occasions. Simply executed dishes that showcase great ingredients is what this gem is all about. 
Penguin Canada $40

Le Sud - Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte D’Azur

The next best thing to vacationing the south of France could be immersing  yourself in Rebekah Peppler’s latest book. It’s all about the charms of the region and the cooking and eating happening there today. Chock-a-block with rich stories, stunning photographs of food and countryside interspersed with bright, mouth-watering recipes, it’s a deeply personal exploration of the region for you to capture at home. Chronicle $53

Simply Jamie

For 25 years, Jamie Oliver has been inspiring people to cook. He shows you how easy it is with his latest book, Simply Jamie Fast & Simple Food. Five chapters are packed with over 130 failsafe recipes under the headings Midweek Meals, Weekend Wins, Trusty Traybakes, Cupboard Love, and Perfect Puds. Famous for pairing down the ingredient list and for his effortless style of cooking, this is a delicious gift for novice cook. 
Random House $45

Taco Night

Who doesn’t love tacos? And what could be more fun than a Taco Night when everyone makes their own? Or better? Deborah Kaloper’s latest book gives you all the ingredients and tips you need for whatever type of taco appeals, whether it’s vegetarian, vegan, seafood, poultry or meat. Some are traditional. Some are new and unexpected. All are delicious. 
Smith Street Books $26.95

The Artful Way to Plant-based Cooking

You won’t find a more enticing way to embrace plant-based cuisine than what Trudy Crane and Chloe Crane Leroux, a  Canadian mother/daughter duo, share in this stunningly beautiful book. They found their  inspiration in the richness of the food and culture while travelling in Spain and France. It’s a treasure for longtime vegans and anyone curious about the benefits of adopting a healthy plant-based diet.  |
Simon & Schuster $47

The Mediterranean Dish:  Simply Dinner

Suzy Karadsheh is the founder and CEO of The Mediterranean Dish, a food bog  for eating and living the Mediterranean way. In her latest book she celebrates the bold flavours of Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.  125 recipes or delicious nutritious meals – some traditional, others her contemporary take on classics.  
Clarkson Potter $48.