10 Cookbooks Everyone Should Own

The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century ($40) by Amanda Hesser is equal parts well-curated recipe collection and culinary time capsule. Spanning 150 years of the newspaper's publication, it includes the best content from The New York Times cooking section, as well as historical background on many of the recipes and reader letters. While it doesn't boast glossy color photos, it's as much a fascinating read as it is a practical volume for your kitchen.