5 celeb cookbooks worth a space on our shelves

In 2016, Sports Illustrated model turned Lip Sync Battle host Chrissy Teigen released her debut cookbook Cravings. Her book’s goal was simple: to make the delicious food we crave in a non-intimidating way. From pad grapow to cheesy guacamole dip, Cravings is a mix of American comfort meals and Thai home cooking – as reflected by her Thai-American upbringing. The recipes were a hit, and in 2018, Teigen released a sequel appropriately called Hungry for More. 

Must-make recipe: Lemony Arugula Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe from Cravings

'Some say love conquers all, but I say cacio e pepe does,' says Chrissy. 'It’s true. John [Legend] and I fell for each other and got married in Lake Como, Italy, but it’s also where I became a slave to this pasta dish,' says Teigen on the Italian favorite. 

Must-make recipe: Twitter’s (And Uncle Mike’s) Banana Bread from Cravings: Hungry for More

'This is THE banana bread,' says Teigen. 'The bread that launched a million tweets and a hundred thousand Instagram tags, and had people all along the California coast offering to trade their brownest bananas for a makeup palette, a pair of John’s used underwear (it was clean; I’m not an animal), and the chance to meet my trusty assistant/mom, @PepperThai2.'

The pandemic revealed lots of surprising things to say the least. One thing was the renaissance of Stanley Tucci as a smooth-talking, Italian-American chef who invited us into his home kitchen for a cocktail and some pasta. In The Tucci Table, he guides us through crowd-pleasing recipes inspired by his Italian-American upbringing combined with his wife Felicity Blunt’s British roots. 

Must-make recipe: Emily’s Chicken Noodle Soup

ICYMI, Tucci’s sister-in-law/English actor Emily Blunt, who famously starred in 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada. In his cookbook, Tucci gives his SIL a shout-out with the inclusion of this soup recipe. In the recipe foreward, Blunt jokingly shares how, 'I made this soup for my husband, John [Krasinski of The Office fame], and he says it may be the reason he wanted to be my husband.'

While some celebrities take a foray into the culinary world once they’ve walked the runway or starred in a hit show, some chefs enter celebrity status through their envy-inducing food as shared on their socials. 

Case in point: Molly Baz gained her following after her cooking series on YouTube convinced us that we, too, could make a mushroom carbonara with the same grace and ease. In 2021, Baz released her electric blue cookbook titled Cook This Book. Within its pages, she writes with authority (as a former line cook) on the foundations of building flavor with each dish. The biggest takeaway? Kosher salt, and lots of it.   

Must-make recipe: The Cae Sal 

To her followers, the simple Caesar salad has become Baz’s calling card. In her words, 'To call it my brand would be to grossly underrepresent what this salad means to me. It is the Greatest Salad of All Time (GSOAT).'

One of the universal truths of being a Southern California native is our love for tacos, and Desperado actor Danny Trejo brings this truth to life with Trejo’s Tacos. 

In its pages, which is part-memoir and part recipe-book, Trejo captures the always-evolving multicultural flavor of Los Angeles. From veganized versions of Mexican staples to family-concocted barbacoa recipes, the action star pays homage to his Latino beginnings and entices his readers to taste LA one taco at a time. 

Must-make recipe: Carne Asada

According to Trejo, 'Carne Asada is one of my all-time-favorite dishes: it’s easy to make, it uses affordable cuts of meat, and it’s delicious.' And we agree, for amateur chefs who want to try their hand at Mexican cuisine, carne asada is a great place to start. 

The wild card of the bunch, Snoop’s cookbook features a surprising line up of delectable dishes, some of which were perhaps tried and tested by his bff Martha Stewart? We can’t confirm, but still, we remain intrigued by From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen. From easy orange chicken to lobster thermidor, the rapper puts his own spin on well-loved recipes. 

Must-make recipe: Remix Gin & Juice 

Inspired by 1994’s 'Gin & Juice', the cocktail is the sippable translation of Snoop’s early claim to fame.