1. Cooking for Good Times: Super Delicious, Super Simple

By Paul Kahan, Perry Hendrix, and Rachel Holtzman

Kahan, the man responsible for iconic dishes like Avec’s bacon-wrapped dates, has such a knack for flavors that any recipe from this new book — like whitefish, garlic cream, and kale pizza — is going to be a crowd-pleaser. $35

2. The Aviary: Holiday Cocktails

By Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas, and Allen Hemberger

Sure, you can pour yourself a glass of eggnog and add a nip of bourbon. But why do that when you can make coconut eggnog with sous-vide vanilla bean rum finished with a spritz of toasted coconut rum spray? $24.95

3. Let’s Make Ramen! A Comic Book Cookbook

By Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan

The enthusiasm of the title carries through this ramen-making guide, rendered in comic book form. The authors — Amano is a chef and Becan an illustrator — offer more than 40 recipes, plus tips from chefs for nailing the perfect at-home bowl. $19.99

4. Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables

By Abra Berens

In Berens’s world, “practical” definitely does not mean boring — the chef-farmer cleverly upgrades 30 different Midwestern vegetables. She’s even found ways to make parsnips exciting. (The secret? Goat cheese, pecans, and pickled apricots.) $35