The 10 Best New Cookbooks Fall 2014

Fall is a very special time of the year for cookbook lovers, when publishers typically release their splashiest, most exciting numbers. There's a lot to look forward to before the end of the year, but here are the 10 we seriously cannot wait to read and why:

① Prune, by Gabrielle Hamilton (Random House, November 4, $45)
Prune opened in NYC's East Village in 1999 and chef-owner Gabrielle Hamilton is still turning out eloquent, delicious and occasionally quirky fare. Her memoir Blood, Bones & Butter was easily the finest work in the genre, so we have extremely high expectations for the chef's first cookbook, which will be packed with a whopping 250 recipes. We hope there's one in there for the roast quail on charred bread!

② The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History, by Ana Sofia Pelaez (St. Martin's Press Trade Hardcover, October 28, $35)
The world of Cuban cuisine, which happens to be a vital part of the American food story, is often underrepresented and misunderstood, so we're thrilled that one of our favorite Cuban-American writers, Ana Sofia Pelaez, is tackling the subject this fall. To write the 110 recipes, Pelaez traveled through Cuba, Miami and New York, spending time with home cooks and chefs.

③ French Roots: Two Cooks, Two Countries & the Beautiful Food Along the Way, by Jean-Pierre and Denise Moullé (Ten Speed Press, September 16, $35)
Jean-Pierre and Denise Moullé's fabulous-sounding book isn't the only one from Chez Panisse alums this season, but it may be the dreamiest. The French-born duo, who actually met in Berkeley, California, more than 40 years ago, have an incredible story to tell—one that winds through '70s-era California to present-day Bordeaux. It's a piece of history we can't wait to read.

④ Flour + Water: Pasta, by Thomas McNaughton (Ten Speed Press, September 30, $35)
From San Francisco's lowercase-loving, tagliatelle-cutting genius Thomas McNaughton, we finally get a book that focuses entirely on pasta. It promises insight on everything from making different types of dough, creating elaborately shaped pasta and proper saucing technique. If this book can teach us to make pasta dishes half as good as the ones at flour + water, then we'll be thrilled.

⑤ Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi, by Yotam Ottolenghi (Ebury Press, October 14, $35)
When it comes to stunning vegetable dishes wrapped up in genius global flavors, no one does it like the Israeli-born, London-based chef Yotam Ottolenghi. We know because Plenty, the prequel to this veggie-focused tome of 150 recipes, quickly became a beat-up, tomato-stained mess in our kitchens. It was the kind of book that rewards you for your efforts with delicious and stunning food; we expect Plenty More will do the same.

⑥ Heritage, by Sean Brock (Artisan, October 21, $40)
This might just be the most highly anticipated cheffy cookbook of the decade, and we'd be lying if we said we weren't breathlessly awaiting its arrival, too. Sean Brock is one of the most thoughtful, interesting, generous and influential chefs working in America right now, and he values humble ingredients like beans (he put them on the cover, and they're beautiful).

⑦ My Portugal: Recipes and Stories, by George Mendes (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, October 7, $35)
At his Michelin-starred NYC restaurant, Aldea, George Mendes cooks graceful, modern food inspired by his Portuguese background (do yourself a favor and get the duck rice). Now, Mendes shares his personal story and teaches us about the classic dishes that inspired his journey, from salt cod-egg casserole to piri piri shrimp. Mark our words: We'll master that duck recipe.

⑧ Sherry: A Modern Guide to the Wine World's Best-Kept Secret, with Cocktails and Recipes, by Talia Baiocchi (Ten Speed Press, October 14, $25)
It's no secret, we love sherry, the Spanish fortified wine that pairs so beautifully with food. And who better to guide us through its styles, and share the stories of the people who make it than Talia Baiocchi, the editor-in-chief of our favorite spirits website, Punch? This is going to be a good one.

⑨ North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland, by Gunnar Gíslason and Jody Eddy (Ten Speed Press, September 9, $40)
Nope, New Nordic isn't over. In fact, it's just getting started. So let's all turn away from the party going on in Copenhagen, Denmark for a moment, and focus our attention on Reykjavik, Iceland where Gunnar Gíslason, the chef at Dill, has his own deeply personal culinary story to tell.

⑩ The Fat Radish Kitchen Diaries: Putting Vegetables at the Center of the Plate, by Ben Towill and Phil Winser (Rizzoli, September 23, $40)
Our NYC-based team has long been fans of The Fat Radish aesthetic: light, bright, vegetable-focused (but not necessarily vegetarian) cooking that truly satisfies. We can't wait to get in the kitchen and really cook from this one, especially from the seasonal entertaining sections, which features meals centered around a glorious roast.