Why Do So Many Cookbooks Have Similar Recipe Lists?

Howdy cookbook fans!

How’s it going? Literally nothing new to report here and I know you’re all sick of me complaining about the heat, so I will just introduce today’s piece!

is here to talk about a trend she’s noticed amongst bestselling “general” cookbooks: a lot of them feature the same dishes over and over again, with only the slightest of tweaks to differentiate them from each other. While there are some easy answers for why (publishing still heavily favors white authors, for a start)(publishing is afraid of its own shadow bc capitalism, for another), she also has some ideas for how to fix it. Namely, voting with your dollars. Buy the cookbooks you want to see in the world!

And leave your favorite home bistro dishes in the comments. But be nice, we’re not here to destroy anyone’s favorite foods (or cookbook authors).

Laura, take it away!

Beyond the ‘Home Bistro’ Cookbook: A Plea for Bolder Recipe Lists

Cookbook readers can and should use their buying power to influence what types of cookbooks get published.

—By

I wouldn’t call myself a hoarder. I’ll just tell you that my cookbook collection long-ago outgrew the shelves in my kitchen. And often, when I’m bored of my usual recipe go-tos, I’ll flip through the stacks for inspiration.

Let’s start with a few recipes that have stopped me in my tracks recently. They’re from books that showcase themes I love—big flavors, accessible techniques, and impressive resulting dishes—with fresh, new dishes popping up throughout. Exhibit A: Abi Balingit’s Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed. Her Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies don’t just toss a fun, unexpected ingredient into a traditional American cookie base; she incorporates new techniques, methods, and flavors in a familiar format to create something that stuns. I was taken aback. Infusing browned butter with bay leaves? Replacing salt with soy sauce? It’s a revelation. 

Exhibit B: Abra Berens’ latest epic, Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit, which includes hundreds of unexpected ways to use fresh fruit in your savory cooking. Ginger-Plum-Glazed Ribs with Rye Spaetzle and Greens? I just transformed into the star-eyes emoji imagining the flavor of that glaze and the challenge of making rye spaetzle. Her recipe for Pan-Roasted Parsnips with Grape Sauce and Pecans awakened a new part of me that wants to embrace grapes as a component of every savory