Narrowing down our favorite books of the year was no easy feat.

Jennifer Larson (Production Assistant):

• The Extraordinary Cookbook by Stefan Gates
  Considering I live in a tiny, or as I prefer "cozy", studio apartment having a dinner party is ambitious feat in itself but after flipping through this book one can't resist wanting to invite your closest friends over for a fun night of food. From musical veggies to fluorescent jello, no matter what you pick, you'll leave your friends with a lasting memory.
• Life on the Line by Grant Achatz
  This is a great foodie read to indulge your day dream. I often can be found on the bus starring out imagining jet setting off to all the world famous restaurants. In this book Chef Achatz gives a taste of what it is like to behind the scenes of the world famous restaurant, Alinea, in Chicago & from the very idea of the restaurant to the execution of making it happen. This book was easily eaten up in a few days as I had a hard time putting it down.
• Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi
  The new book from Pastry Chef Christina Tosi has a fun and playful way of looking at the deliciousness that are baked goods. Chef Tosi divulges the favorite recipes from New York's famous Momofuku Milk Bar. Not for the beginner baker, many of these recipes require technique and more importantly time. The work that goes into each cookie or cake is well worth it and makes that first taste...or fifty... that much more rewarding. For me the compost cookies and the crack pie are already becoming a staple for family functions and parties.
• Lucky Peach - Honorable mention
  I know this is breaking the rules, and is not a book. But this new quarterly food journal, by James Beard winner David Chang of Momofuku, is amazing and can easily be read cover to cover.

Jennifer Luebke (Technical Producer and Editor):

• Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can't Wait to Make by Melissa Clark
  As Editor and Technical Director of the Splendid Table, I have one of the best jobs in the world, but oddly enough, working long hours on a food show sometimes makes cooking seem like -- well, the last thing that I want to spend any time doing, frankly. However, Melissa Clark makes me want to cook. From her interviews with Lynne on the show, to her books and her New York Times "A Good Appetite" column, she conveys an appealingly breezy approach to food. The recipes in her latest book are sophisticated, yet completely doable and I love how the book is organized seasonally. With Melissa's book as encouragement, I find that I am actually picturing myself in my kitchen -- in the very near future -- whipping-up her comfort-food stand-out "Skillet-Roasted Potatoes and Golden Turnips with Smashed Garlic" or her plate-lickingly delectable-sounding "Chili-Coconut Braised Beef Short Ribs". And people, there's a recipe for Mallobars in this book & yum. Need I say more?
• Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health by William Davis, MD
  Much to the dismay of my baguette-loving soul, I discovered cardiologist Dr. William Davis' Wheat Belly a few months ago. The book's frank title and jacket photo of a high-piled tower of bloated bagels grabbed my attention initially, but Dr Davis' compelling argument kept me reading. After seeing many of his patients regain their health and lose weight after eliminating wheat from their diets, Davis came to the conclusion that consuming modern-day wheat may be not in any of our best interests. Say it ain't so! Read the book and never look at your supermarket's mammoth array of breadstuff or your beloved bialy the same way again. *sniff*

Lynne Rossetto Kasper:

• Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit by Barry Estabrook
• Plenty– Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi
• Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way by Dan Buettner
• Thai Street Food: Authentic Recipes, Vibrant Traditions by David Thompson
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer
• Roasting: A New Approach to a Classic Art by Molly Stevens
• In The Small Kitchen: 100 Recipes From Our Year of Cooking in the Real World by Cara Eisenpress and Phoebe Lapin

Jennifer Russell (Producer):

• Plenty – Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi
  A beautiful, sexy cookbook — makes me want to cook everything cover to cover! As the only non-meat eater on the crew, I wanted to be sure to give this book a shout out. Surprisingly, Chef Ottolenghi — who also writes a weekly vegetarian column for London's The Guardian — actually isn't a vegetarian.
• The Splendid Table's How to Eat Weekends – New Recipes, Stories & Opinions for Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show by Lynne Rossetto Kasper & Sally Swift
  No, I'm not being a suck up! This book, writen by my co-workers Lynne and Sally, is one of my absolute new favorites. Working long hours, commuting and single-parenting two teens makes weeknight cooking a joyless task most nights. But I love to cook for family and friends and this book has really happily inspired me to get back into the kitchen and cook on the weekends.
• The Table Comes First – Family, France and the Meaning of Food by Adam Gopnik
  A great, non-cookbook foodie read. I'm a huge fan Gopnik's writing style and this book, which takes a look at our fascination with food and explores why we eat what we eat, does not disappoint.

Sally Swift (Managing Producer):

• Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton
  Beautiful writing, a haunting story that reminds us all of the intricacies of family.
• Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanez and JJ Goode
  A clear-eyed view of modern day Mexican food with appropriate doses of tradition.
• Essential Pepin, More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food by Jaques Pepin
  Flip through this book and be reminded about how it is to eat well.