In the rich tradition of passing recipes from generation to generation, the Historic Preservation Society of South Pittsburg, Tennessee has assembled a great collection of over 230 Lodge Cast Iron Recipes.

It's the book that started it all, the well-loved edition that first brought Betty Crocker cookbooks into American homes and hearts. Published in 1950, this ground-breaking title made cooking easy, it made cooking appealing, and best of all, it made cooking fun.

Packed full of practical tips, useful hints, and lavish color photography, this was the book that shaped cooking for generations, the book that people remember. Every recipe you -- or your mother -- ever wanted is here, from pigs in blankets, to Emergency Steak to Chicken Tomato Aspic. Enjoy the clever ideas throughout -- twelve months of birthday cake ideas, showing how to decorate a cake to match each month's gem stone, pointers to make setting up a kitchen easy, or hints to make housework more pleasant. Feel a part of history when making Home Front Macaroni, developed during WW II rationing to stretch meat. Get into the spirit of fun with a Betty Crocker "Cookie Shine" or cookie baking party.

People who grew up with this book will want it for the memories; those who are new to the book will want it for its charm and its intelligent approach to cooking. It's a perfect keepsake and a great gift.

The time has come to redeem and reclaim the humble casserole, in all its baked, cheese-topped glory. Hearty, no-fuss, and old-school delicious, the classic and updated casserole recipes in this collection will leave traditionalists and trendy foodies alike hungering for more.

Keep an eye out for Brooklyn Kitchen's Casserole Tastings with Emily Farris. Coming in November!
Casserole-crazy Emily Farris has collected 125 variations on this theme that will have eaters sneaking back to the buffet for seconds -- and thirds. With recipes from cooking pros -- including Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, and Donatella Arpaia -- friends, and family, this quirky collection presents the best ideas of the mix, from Beefy Mac to Five Ps Italian Casserole, Classic Tuna Noodle to Zucchini and Sweet Corn Bake. And since it includes vegetarian, vegan, and lactose- and glucose-free alternatives, everyone can go casserole crazy.

Whether acclaimed food writer Madhur Jaffrey was climbing the mango trees in her grandparents' orchard in Delhi or picnicking in the Himalayan foothills on meatballs stuffed with raisins and mint, tucked into freshly baked spiced pooris, today these childhood pleasures evoke for her the tastes and textures of growing up.

This memoir is both an enormously appealing account of an unusual childhood and a testament to the power of food to prompt memory, vividly bringing to life a lost time and place. Included here are recipes for more than thirty delicious dishes recovered from Jaffrey's childhood.

Heat: An Amateur's Adventures As Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice To A Dante-Quoting Butcher In Tuscany

A highly acclaimed writer and editor, Bill Buford left his job at The New Yorker for a most unlikely destination: the kitchen at Babbo, the revolutionary Italian restaurant created and ruled by superstar chef Mario Batali.

On his quest to learn the tricks of the trade, Buford soon finds himself drowning in improperly cubed carrots and scalding pasta water. His love of Italian food then propels him on journeys farther afield: to Italy, to discover the secrets of pasta making and, finally, how to properly slaughter a pig. Throughout, Buford stunningly details the complex aspects of Italian cooking and its long history, creating an engrossing and visceral narrative stuffed with insight and humor.

Share the unsurpassed pleasures of discovering, cooking, and eating good, simple food with this beloved book. Equal parts cookbook and memoir, Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking combines her insightful, good-humored writing style with her lifelong passion for wonderful cuisine in essays such as Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, Repulsive Dinners: A Memoir, and Stuffed Breast of Veal: A Bad Idea. Home Cooking is truly a feast for the body and soul.

Here's the breakthrough one-stop cooking reference for today's generation of cooks! Nationally known cooking authority Mark Bittman shows you how to prepare great food for all occasions using simple techniques, fresh ingredients, and basic kitchen equipment. Just as important, How To Cook Everything takes a relaxed, straightforward approach to cooking, so you can enjoy yourself in the kitchen and still achieve outstanding results.

Not exactly Martha Stewart, but what do you expect from an indie rock cookbook? Whatever you're into, I Like Food, Food Tastes Good has what you need. Go gourmet with the Violent Femmes' Wile Boar Ragu, or make something more friendly to your budget with Strung Out's Rock N' Ramen. Feeling sick? Forget Grandma's chicken soup. Try Enon's A Recipe for the One Who Is Getting Some Kind of Cold (it's a spicy miso soup it tastes good). Want to impress that date who keeps screaming Meat Is Murder? Whip up the Reputations's Asian Stir-fry for Vegetarians Who Hate Vegetables.

And you've got to love recipes that pretty much require you to be in some state of inebriation in order to attempt them. Loaded with good food and attitude, I Like Food, Food Tastes Good is the tastiest cookbook you'll ever own.

Tom Chadwick, mixologist

After the massive commercial pet food recall in 2007, you're probably concerned about why to feed your dog or cat. The Natural Pet Food Cookbook: Healthful Recipes For Dogs And Cats gives you great ways to supplement your pet's primary diet with nutritious meals that you prepare; that way, you're sure your dog or cat gets healthy variety. With an emphasis on natural ingredients and lots of colorful, fun illustrations, this cookbook gives you:

- More than 50 vet-approved, pet-tested recipes, ranging from basic kibble to casseroles to stews
- Tips on cooking techniques, food selection, and more
- Info on storing and freezing your homemade pet foods
- Details about the nutritional requirements of dogs and cats
- Warnings about potentially harmful foods

The Shameless Carnivore explores the complexityies surrouding the choice to eat meat as well as its myriad pleasures. Delving into everything from ethical issues to dietary, anthropological, and medical findings, Gold answers such probing questions as: Can staying carnivorous be more healthful than going vegetarian? What's behind the "tastes like chicken" phenomenon? And, of course, What qualities should you look for in a butcher? The author also chronicles his attempt to become the "ultimate carnivore" by eating 31 different meats in 31 days (as well as every cut and organ of a cow). He includes tasty recipes and describes his experiences hunting squirrels in Louisiana, attending the annual Testicle Festival, and even spending an entire, painstaking week as a vegetarian.

Experts increasingly tout the benefits of soy in a healthy diet, and soy consumption in the U.S. has more than doubled since 1999. Natural foods expert Maribeth Abrams shows even the most skeptical cooks how tofu can be used creatively in great-tasting recipes for everything from Corn Chowder to Hot Fiesta Dip to Chocolate Cream Pie. This book features 125 cholesterol-free recipes and 16 color photos, plus tofu tips, cooking methods, nutrition information, and more. It demystifies tofu for mainstream home cooks with simple, healthy recipes that turn tofu-phobes into tofu-fans!