See more of the story

"The New Midwestern Table," by Amy Thielen, 2013

Direct from the North Woods, it's a 200-recipe companion to the Food Network's appealing "Heartland Table" series.

"The Italian Country Table," by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, 1999

A captivating, well-researched follow-up to this St. Paul author's first cookbook, "The Splendid Table."

"The Vanilla Bean Baking Book," by Sarah Kieffer, 2016

A richly detailed baking blog was the springboard for this foolproof survey of new (or new-to-you) favorites.