Table of Contents
We all know Amazon Prime Day is a great time to invest in new kitchen appliances or spring for that Dutch oven you’ve been eyeing. But did you know it’s also the best time to buy cookbooks? We’ve been tracking prices this whole week, and the deals we’re seeing have been big—I’m talking 40%, 50%, or even 60% off books that’ll amp up your weeknight cooking game, introduce you to new cuisines or techniques, or help you hone your skills in the kitchen.
Whether you’re stocking up on holiday gifts or adding to your own collection, here are some staff-favorite cookbooks that are on sale right now.
Featured in this article
Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home
Jump to review
Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi ($13→ 66% off)
Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook
This is undoubtedly my favorite and most cooked from cookbook I own, and it’s on sale right now for the price of two morning matchas, a Domino’s pizza, a jar of nut butter—you get the picture. Simple is filled with recipes that are equally suitable for weeknight dinners (hence the book’s name) as they are for entertaining. Certain recipes—like the Hot Charred Cherry Tomatoes With Cold Yogurt—have become staples in my own house, while others I’ve got bookmarked for my next summer dinner party (I’m looking at you, Vanilla Custard With Roasted Strawberries And Rhubarb).
Design and photography nerds will appreciate the book’s beautiful layout, fun use of color, and stunning images; but this is, crucially, not the kind of book made just to look at. It’s a book you’ll end up cooking from constantly—if you’re anything like me, anyway.
Dac Biet by Nini Nguyen ($18→53% off)
Dac Biet: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook
I’m in a cookbook club with fellow NYC food media editors in which we cook from a new book each month. After our potluck-style meal from Nini Nguyen’s Dac Biet (you might know her from Top Chef or Tournament of Champions), we all agreed: This was the best one our club had tried to date.
In her debut cookbook, Nguyen blends Vietnamese roots with her New Orleans upbringing, creating deeply flavorful recipes that are both comforting and surprising. Bon Appétit’s service editor Kelsey Youngman made the Pork Ribs Glazed With Roasted Nuoc Mam Sauce—they were tender, sweet and funky (from the brown sugar and fish sauce), and no-grill-required. Just three hours in the oven and a quick broil. I made the Soy Sauce Chicken, which delivered juicy, umami-rich thighs with perfectly caramelized skin, and it’s since become a weeknight staple.
You’ll also find Southern-Vietnamese mashups like Southeast Asian Jambalaya, where lemongrass, lime leaves, and Thai basil meet bell pepper and Creole seasoning. Dac Biet is exactly what it promises: extra special. —Olivia Tarantino, senior commerce editor
100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer ($16 → 47% off)
100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen
You may know Sarah Kieffer from her lauded Vanilla Bean Blog or for popularizing a pan-banging cookie technique that went viral around 2017. 100 Cookies has a whole chapter dedicated to those perfectly textured, beautifully rippled treats. There’s a recipe for classic chocolate chip, of course, but also varieties like Rocky Road, Ginger Molasses, S’mores, and my favorite, the Toasted Sesame. In the other chapters, you’ll find recipes like Banana Crunch Blondies, Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie Bars, and Meringues with Cacao Nibs and Caramel Swirl.
Salt, Sugar, MSG by Calvin Eng ($22 → 44% off)
Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home
When Calvin Eng opened Bonnie’s in Brooklyn in late 2021, it rocketed to the kind of rapid viral acclaim that seems to define so much of the New York restaurant scene. But the food justified every rave review, hour-long wait for a table, and fawning Instagram image. Eng’s food spans both traditional Cantonese and a sort of east/west fusion (fuyu cacio e pepe, BLT fried rice).
