Cookbooks can make our mouths water, teach us about different foods and inspire us to get moving in the kitchen -- that's why we love them. As food editors, we're constantly bombarded with new cookbooks landing on our desks -- some lucky ones grab our attention and that's when we want to write about them. But instead of making you read a review of every single cookbook, we're giving you the shortlist from spring 2012 -- the 20 books on shelves this season that we think deserve some attention.
We've got cookbooks from around the world -- including a new one from the River Cottage folks in England, Mugaritz restaurant in northern Spain, and confectioner Pierre Herme in Paris -- that give us a look into the unique worlds outside of our own lives. For seasonal cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables, you'll want to take a look at Nigel Slater's "Ripe" and Jane Hornby's "Fresh and Easy." Cookbooks from chefs like April Bloomfield and Zak Pelaccio are right up the meat lover's alley. But if you're just looking for a guide on how to cook everything, then Mark Bittman's still your guy. Plus there's a cookbook from Martha Stewart, who always seems to have a new publication every year.
Cookbooks Spring 2012
Text provided by Kitchen Art and Letters, except for Fresh and Easy, Mugaritz, Martha's American Food, People's Pops and Weeknights with Giada from Amazon.com.