But the act of cooking also served as a delicious distraction: even the dreariest days of lockdown could be brightened by a valiant attempt at an extravagant dinner; our deep, persistent worries temporarily quelled by pretty pastries and pies. Cooking, for a good group of us, once was a chore. Now, it’s a hobby.

So this holiday season, perhaps a cookbook is the perfect gift for yourself-or any blossoming amateur chef in your life. Bakers will be forever thankful for Pies for Everyone, a chronicle of Petee’s Pie’s beloved crusted confection, whereas budding mixologists can up their cocktail game with Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World. Clean eaters? Look no further than Bryan Terry’s Vegetable Kingdom, or Vivian Liu’s Eat California, which captures the fresh, farm-to-table cuisine of the Golden State. Then there's the ultimate go-to for the frequent host or hostess: Skye McAlpine's A Table for Friends, which is all about recipes that are perfect to whip up for two people or 20.

For a loved one who wants to expand their culinary horizons, In Bibi’s Kitchen, a fascinating anthology of Eastern African cuisine, is a must-order, as is Xi’an Famous Foods (you’ll never find clearer instructions on how to make dumplings). With international borders closed, at least your gift-recipients’ tastebuds can take a trip with Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from Sardinia or Hong Kong Local: Cult Recipes From the Streets that Make the City.

Want to gift something while also giving back? Consider Serving New York, a delicious set of recipes from the city’s top restaurants-all proceeds go to ROAR, a nonprofit dedicated to saving them from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below, 18 of the year’s best cookbooks that, this holiday season, will be the sweetest of treats to find under the tree.

        

Eat California: Vibrant Recipes From The West Coast

Sant Ambroeus: The Coffee Bar Cookbook: Light Lunches, Sweet Treats, and Coffee Drinks from New York's Favorite Milanese Café

A Table for Friends: The Art of Cooking for Two or Twenty

Hong Kong Local: Cult Recipes From the Streets that Make the City

Dishoom: From Bombay with Love

Bitter Honey: Recipes and Stories from Sardinia

Dimes Times: Emotional Eating

Chicano Eats: Recipes from My Mexican-American Kitchen

Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World

The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food

Serving New York: For All The People Who Make NYC Dining Unforgettable

Vegan Christmas: Plant-Based Recipes For the Festive Season

In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean

Pie for Everyone: Recipes and Stories from Petee's Pie, New York's Best Pie Shop

Xi’an Famous Foods: The Cuisine of Western China, from New York’s Favorite Noodle Shop

The French Laundry, Per Se

Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes

The Noma Guide to Fermentation

        

The Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking from the Beloved West Village Restaurant