A gorgeous book showcasing the seasonal menus of Chicago's, and North America's, most famous restaurant.  Recipes are included, but don't be expecting to execute them anytime soon.

I have this pre-ordered.  Very excited.

This prized possession is one of Adria's regular releases of what he decided to cook that year, or number of.  Regardless of being in all Spanish, the content and pictures will inspire everyone.

The Andres flagship book, anyone that has been to Jaleo in Washington DC has seen this book in every window.  The recipes are all authentic Spanish, and are very approachable.

There aren't many recipes I can execute since I live in a city with no real porch, and as a result have no grill.  Everything looks great, but if I could only have a single book by the who wears orange clogs, it'd be Molto Italiano or The Babbo Cookbook.

The single greatest tome of Mexican cuisine, this is a personal favorite.  The amount of pictures is skimpy at best, but don't let that be a discouragement.  Authentic Mexican is a must have for any library.

Has recipes of mixed difficulty, but the number one thing it makes me want to do is fly to New York City and visit all of his restaurants.

This book is what started Bourdain down the path of living outside of the kitchen.  A classic that should live outside of the shadow of his recent releases.

Classic, French cooking how it should be done, with Bourdain's voice.  A personal favorite and great starting point for French cooking.

His most recent book, but not his best book.

The Nasty Bits is actually the first Bourdain book I read, and got me hooked to his style of writing.  It ends with an awkward Christmas story, which makes this the perfect gift for the holidays.  Kind of.

My copy is a 1949 edition that my brother picked up for me in Europe.  Assuming the contents are the same, the reader will find find this to be an interesting read.  If not, it's a great old book for the shelf, that every food lover should have.

Being a judge on Top Chef, I often forget that Colicchio is a great chef that knows how to cook.  This book reminds me of that, and has a lot of enjoyable food for everyone.

This book is never in one place because it's the first thing guests grab.  While it includes recipes, the most fascinating aspect is what each famous chef's last meal and explanation is.

I picked this book up for myself while shopping for others this holiday season.  In excitement I told my brother about the great find, only to discover that he had the same idea for myself as well.  One less thing to wrap.  A must for any carnivore.

I don't use this book for myself very often, but I gift it a lot, and the receivers claim to love it.  It has great dishes involving game night, pregnancy pasta, and even baby food.  Tyler is clearly on to something.

There's nothing wrong with it, but I don't use it.  Dinner At My Place is the better book.

I met Jose Garces at the 2008 Chicago Gourmet.  Nobody knew who he was then, so there was no line, and we ended up chatting for awhile.  His book has great pictures, but most recipes are fairly advanced, and difficult to execute in a day.  

The follow up to The Whole Beast, Beyond Nose to Tail is another must have Henderson book.  It's also more approachable than its predecessor.  

This is a great book of offal.  Not for everyone, but those who enjoy eating every part will love this book like I do.

I'm not much of a baker, but if I were to make a dessert, I'd turn here.

The adventure, with recipes, of a family who lives on what grows in their backyard and local surrounding area for a year.  It's very educational on the state of farming and American agriculture today.  I prefer this over Pollan books.

There are a lot of great pictures of Padma, and some good recipes.

This is my first cookbook and a great starting point for anyone looking to get started in the kitchen.

The book has great pictures that showcase Morimoto's talent, but I don't think I'll be attempting any recipe any time soon.