by Alice Waters with Fanny Singer

We’ll admit to having a crush on Alice Waters, the mother of farm-to-table cooking. In her latest book, Waters shares techniques and recipes for making stuff you’d probably buy at the grocery: corn tortillas, almond milk, yogurt. Why bother? Because a larder stocked with staples you’ve made yourself, Waters writes, “helps you think creatively about how you feed yourself, and anyone who happens to be with you, a thoughtfully prepared, flavorful, and wholesome meal.” Count us in. Waters’s recipes include DIY seasoned salts and vinegars, pickles of all sorts, pita, fresh cheese, tomato sauce. With beautiful illustrations and warmly written anecdotes, it’s a how-to manual that’s a delight to read.