If you’ve been consuming my newsletters, you’ll know I love food – with a passion.
Drawing, cooking, and writing are how I show love to those around me.
Despite running multiple blogs, reading, working out, and caring for my beloved partner and dogs – I still find the time to cook us individually tailored meals.
Both my dogs are on different diets, and I meal-plan heavily for my partner (who is vegan) and me so that I can utilize every minute well.
This means I take shortcuts by cooking easy, tasty recipes that are also fun to make.
I shop for groceries and prep in advance so that I spend little time in the kitchen when I cook.
I am a sucker for cozy books – and in this post, I want to share with you my favorite cookbooks that I use pretty much all the time to cook these delicious meals.
These are not only practical; they’re eye candy.
And those are my favorite kind of books – whose beauty is on the outside AND the inside!
So, you’re welcome.
Let’s get into it!
This post includes affiliate links that will earn me a commission if you purchase something at no extra cost. However, I wouldn’t recommend anything I don’t use. The money goes towards my living expenses and allows me to dedicate more time to my loving pooches.
This is not an official Studio Ghibli book, but I was stunned by its beauty.
I am a HUGE fan of Studio Ghibli movies and love all the food in the films.
It’s perfect for people new to cooking – because the recipes are pretty easy to make!
Instead of simply drooling over the food animations, I now make them! This book contains everything – from breakfasts to dinners. It includes lovely recipes like:
- Skillet bacon and eggs
- Ramen with “haaaam”!
- Herring and pumpkin pot pie
- Steamed red bean bao
- Salmon with beurre blanc sauce
- And more!
It is tailored to Japanese and cozy cooking, so if you’re looking for cute, tasty recipes – this is it!
I’ve also substituted tofu for meat or vegan eggs for eggs, and they have come out just as delicious, so I know it works both ways. :D
CHECK IT OUT HERE!
2.
I don’t have kids, but I friggin’ love bento boxes.
This book is the definition of self-love.
There are more than 150 step-by-step tutorials on assembling beautifully balanced bento boxes, creating food art, and cooking continental recipes.
Everything is so simple to understand, and I love how creative it is.
On days when you don’t feel like cooking – this book will push you to make something.
Even if you cook eggs and rice alone, you’ll learn how to make them look cute and enticing.
When we walk to the park, I pack bento boxes for my partner and me. And trust me, we’re both in love with this!
CHECK IT OUT HERE!
Dumplings originally started in China, but when they spread to Nepal and India, they became “momos.”
We usually use a chicken/tofu/vegetable filling.
And I have always been on a quest to make traditional dumplings – because I love Chinese food.
So, when I found this book in a cozy bookshop, I immediately picked it up!
Here’s my older pup enjoying the book with me:
This book is so easy to follow – it combines my love for cooking and comics, so it’s very engaging.
It’s filled with various dumpling recipes that are super easy to follow.
Because the instructions are step-by-step and include pictures for each step, you really can’t go wrong with preparing these.
I could fold the dough and get the right shape (even though I’ve never made these before), and the end result was so mouthwateringly good!
I think it’s a lovely book that kids or adults can enjoy!
CHECK IT ON AMAZON
4.
I love Gudetama because sometimes I relate to him a little too much.
Gudetama literally translates to “lazy egg,” by the way.
Also, I love eggs on an unhealthy level and eat quite a few during the day.
This entire book is comfort food.
Organized into sections like barely awake breakfasts, lazy lunches, drowsy dinners, and tired treats, this cookbook includes 60 recipes. Each helpfully includes a lazy meter so you know just how much effort or lack thereof you’ll need to execute each dish.
Recipes include:
- Unmotivated Breakfast Sandwich
- Too Tired Tater Tot Bake
- Tuckered Out Tamago Sando (Japanese egg salad sandwich)
- Slow-Paced Short Ribs
- Maybe I’ll Make Meatloaf
- Stress-Free Strawberry Ice Cream Pie
- Easygoing Eggnog
And more!
Also, each recipe’s illustrations are so friggin’ adorable that you’ll want to display this book on your coffee table.
It’s a must-have for every person who loves cozy cooking!
CHECK IT ON AMAZON
5. Noodles, Rice and Everything Spice: A Thai Comic Book Cookbook
Since we went to Thailand, my tastebuds have constantly craved Thai food.
It’s almost like Indian food because Thai people love coconut milk and incorporate it into their curries.
(Ignore my sticky, wet hair – we were in the middle of a heat wave)
Apart from filling my suitcase with ingredients like sticky rice, Thai tea, and toys, I also got 2 Thai cookbooks. I frequently use these 2:
Although both books helped me cook Thai food well (I seriously enjoyed both), I was looking for something more fun and cozy to read.
And that’s when I discovered this book last week.
It’s a comic book cookbook.
And it includes all the popular recipes – with cute little, whimsical stories about the popular culinary regions.
It includes many recipes, such as coconut curry noodle soups, skewers, and more!
I also love how it teaches cooking shortcuts, like making sticky rice in the microwave—that was a real-time saver!
I only wish they included more photos to see how to present my dish. I genuinely didn’t mind, though, since I had the other two cookbooks with me, and I could refer to the recipes back and forth to get more clarity.
6.
I’ll admit that this book is more like a graphic novel than a recipe book.
But if you love food or desserts and want to understand things like who first thought to freeze cream or why people made sweet pastry sheets to encase fruity fillings, this book has all the answers.
The author goes into depth about where each dessert came from.
And I adore all the facts I learned.
You learn the origins, the names, and the evolution of desserts.
Honestly, if my mum were still alive, I’d gift it to her because she had such a big sweet tooth!
All of the books mentioned in this article make wonderful gifts for people who love drawing/cooking/creativity/kawaii.
And let’s face it – basic cooking is a skill everybody needs.
This book also includes some easy-to-make dessert recipes.
CHECK IT ON AMAZON
Now, saving the best for last…
I didn’t know I wanted something so much till this book came out.
And it’s pretty recent, too!
If you love cozy cooking or games, this has to be on your list!
You don’t necessarily need to play the game to love this book, but it certainly adds to the cuteness. :D
What I love, love, love is that most of the ingredients include fresh veggies, fruit, milk, eggs, mushrooms, berries, etc.
So, you genuinely get that cozy feeling even when gathering ingredients or shopping for them.
It includes recipes for the food mentioned in the game, so the recipes are well thought out, and the overall vibe of this book is enchanting!
The artwork is downright beautiful, and I loved reading the little
The recipes are charming and well thought out. I tried the Strange Buns and Cheese Cauliflower and loved them both!
CHECK IT ON AMAZON
And that brings us to the end of this yummy list.
As always, if you have more recommendations, please leave them below.
And if you’ve already purchased a book from this list, do let me know your thoughts.
I’m always eager to connect with a fellow foodie.
Hi Angela, I am rather surprised to see this post which is soooooo different from the stray curls topics of SEO, Google and blogging. I see you are branching out as mentioned in your newsletter. So I love cooking too but I am a vegetarian, which book do you prefer I should buy? Also, why don’t you illustrate a cookbook, including the experiences you took from cooking the recipes from all over the world? I will be soooo interested in buying that one.
Hey Pratishtha,
Happy to hear from you! Ha haha, yes, I’m properly broadening now that SEO has changed so much. I might as well enjoy myself a bit and this blog has always been a little artsy – so why not? :D
So, honestly, since my partner is completely vegan, I do substitute. And because we stay in India, getting vegetarian substitutes for everything is SO easy. I was able to find vegetarian versions of oyster and fish sauce on Amazon. So, I’m not kidding when I say you can get any substitute. I’ll use flax gel or vegan eggs for for recipes that call for eggs and I use tofu instead of meat (I’ll either buy from the store or make chickpea tofu) – you do have to get creative but otherwise it’s totally manageable with anything.
I am now well-versed with turning any recipe vegetarian thanks to all this experience. So, I never let that stop me from buying a cookbook – flavours are always induced with spices/sauces anyway. :D
If you do eat eggs, then get Gudetama’s book. But if you’re more into rice or noodles, get any of the Asian/Thai cookbooks. :D
I love them all to be honest.
As for illustrating a cookbook – Bwahaha, I have too much on my plate for that. Publishing a book is HUGE – it requires a whole different skillset.
You’re too sweet, really.
Lots of love,
Angela
Wow, You are always so generous with your replies! Thanks for this suggestion, I will refer to this comment whenever I buy a cookbook.
Of course, why gatekeep? We’re all here to help each other grow and have fun! :D And let me know if you find a winner recipe, I’m curious to know what you find best! :D
What a fantastic roundup of cozy cookbooks! Cooking is also my passion, and I’m always on the lookout for new cookbooks to add to my collection. I can’t wait to get my hands on these and start experimenting with some new, heartwarming recipes. Thank you for sharing these wonderful recommendations!
Hey Honey,
So glad you loved these. :D I am such a book hoarder so I am always happy to share my little addiction with the world. Ha ha. I love your blog by the way. I’m also into skincare so yay!
Warm regards,
Angela