The Results Driven Cook
Fan Fare! Best Of Bridge ($30)
Canada's best selling cookbook series is now imbued with some healthy alternatives, while still keeping it real with its trademark ease of preparation methods.

The Reluctant (Male) Chef
Esquire: Eat Like a Man ($34)
This book does the best job of any this year with inspiring aspiring chefs to get cooking. Killer combo of witty writing and drool-inducing photographs.

The Art-on-a-Plate Lover
Noma ($55)
Every year there's a book so beautiful, you buy it even if you'll never cook from it. This year it's this paean to all things Nordic, from the world's hottest destination restaurant.

The Legumes Lover
Spilling the Beans: Cooking and Baking with Beans and Grains Everyday ($30)
Our own Julie Van Rosendaal (with pal Sue Duncan) delves  into everything you need to know about nature's super food. With her signature blend of humorous anecdotes married to easy-to-follow recipes.

The Classicist
Essential Pepin ($45)
Jacques Pépin was a Top Chef Master 30 years before the term was invented, and with this greatest hits collection of 700 recipes, he shows he's been able to stay current unlike many of his contemporaries—with a mix of talent, technique and the perfect balance between French stuffiness and North American slackness.

The Hipster
Mission Street Food ($34)
San Francisco's pop-up sensation is the most talked about restaurant in America. Improbably, they have a great cookbook before they have a permanent location. Kids these days.