2. "Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges" by Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Best for: Cooks with a penchant for fusion, not confusion.

3. "Cook with Jamie" by Jamie Oliver

Best for: Any Jamie Oliver groupie or anyone who needs a nudge of confidence to get cooking.

4. "Cooking" by James Peterson

Best for: The cook-to-be who really wants to get down to business.

5. "The Country Cooking of France" by Ann Willan

Best for: Francophile foodies.

6. "Desserts by the Yard" by Sherry Yard

Best for: Dessert lovers who want the sweet scoop from one of the biggest names in the pastry world.

7. "Dolce Italiano, Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen" by Gina DePalma

Best for: Anyone - absolutely anyone - who loves to bake.

8. "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman

Best for: Veggie lovers - whether omnivores or not.

9. "Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art" by Shizuo Tsuji

Best for: Aficionados of Japanese cuisine who want to be even more enthralled and enlightened.

10. "Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads" by Peter Reinhart

Best for: Those who take their bread seriously.

11. "Pure Dessert" by Alice Medrich

Best for: Those who crave homespun looking - yet sophisticated tasting - sweets.

12. "The Seventh Daughter" by Cecilia Chiang with Lisa Weiss

Best for: Any foodie who has called the San Francisco Bay Area home.

13. "The Sweet Spot" by Pichet Ong and Genevieve Ko