From creative spins on Italian-American classics to veggie garden-driven cuisine and recipes for busy weeknights, these new books by local chefs have something for the cook in your kitchen.
A new cookbook has a way of brightening the kitchen, especially as the days turn colder and home cooking becomes an act of comfort as much as creativity. This year’s crop of titles from regional chefs and food writers offers something for every kind of cook—whether they lean minimalist, crave handmade pasta, or find magic in turning scraps into supper. These cookbooks celebrate seasonal ingredients, approachable techniques, and the pleasure of sharing a meal with the people you love. They make thoughtful gifts, too, for anyone looking to reinvigorate their weeknight routine or find inspiration for a holiday showstopper.
Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt, Annie Shi
With The King Cookbook, Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt, and Annie Shi—owners of the widely adored King restaurant in Manhattan—offers a collection of recipes that channel the rustic elegance and thoughtful simplicity that made her dining room a sensation. De Boer, owner of Stissing House in Pine Plains, brings a distinctly seasonal sensibility to the book with her coauthors, encouraging cooks to lean into what’s fresh, abundant, and close to home. The recipes, many adapted from King’s ever-changing menu, balance refined European technique with unfussy, home-cooked comfort. Readers will find bright salads, soulful braises, and desserts that feel celebratory without demanding a full day in the kitchen. With personal stories woven throughout, The King Cookbook reads like an invitation to share a meal at with the authors.
Tamar Adler
Hudson resident Tamar Adler—beloved for her lyrical, improvisational approach to cooking—returns with Feast on Your Life, a book that folds joy, resourcefulness, and quiet ritual into everyday meals. Known for transforming leftovers into inspiration, Adler broadens her lens to the entire life of the home cook: the tools you favor, the rhythms that shape a week in the kitchen, and the small luxuries that make feeding yourself feel abundant. Her recipes remain simple but deeply satisfying, guided by intuition, seasonality, and respect for ingredients. Whether she’s coaxing depth from a pot of beans or orchestrating a dinner party that feels effortless, Adler reminds readers that good food begins with presence—and that everyday cooking can be an act of beauty.
Danny Freeman
In Italianish, Hudson Valley–born chef and pasta enthusiast Danny Freeman embraces the playful, wide-open spirit of Italian cooking while giving home chefs permission to color outside the lines. The book brims with handmade pastas, bright sauces, and clever pantry riffs that embody Freeman’s casual, generous style. Rather than strict traditionalism, Freeman emphasizes the building blocks of Italian flavor and how they can be adapted to weeknights, local produce, or whatever ingredients happen to be on hand. Technique guides help beginners master doughs and emulsions, while experienced cooks will appreciate the subtle creativity threaded through each recipe. With its approachable tone and sun-soaked energy, Italianish invites readers to cook boldly, eat abundantly, and find joy in the process.
Kevin West
Gardening and cooking become harmonious in the chapters of Kevin West’s new book, as he teaches readers the value that growing food with their own two hands can have on flavor profile, nutrition, and quality control. Pulling on his childhood growing up amid self-proclaimed Smoky Mountain hillbillies, he leans into the growing seasons of the Berkshires while honoring the role that nature plays in the human food cycle. The book follows an easy, logical sequence, as he introduces the basics needed to create a thriving vegetable garden, before jumping into the knowledge needed to utilize homegrown veggies to their maximum capacity. Showered through his recipes are vibrant photos of veggies and aesthetic dinner dishes, as well as vegetable facts, educational tidbits, and meditations on the spirituality inherent in growing and preparing food all by oneself.
