Best Cookbooks of 2026 (So Far) With Matt Rodbard

“A lot of my books have been very much about reflecting traditional Chinese cooking and trying to just report accurately on what I find in China,” Fuchsia Dunlop says in this episode of The Dinner Plan podcast. For her new cookbook, Five Tastes, the author of Land of Fish and Rice, The Food of Sichuan, and Every Grain of Rice, among other Chinese cookbooks, found herself reflecting on the flavor combinations she learned in culinary school in Sichuan but applying those templates to dishes and ingredients that are more common in the UK. The result: a more personal book that reflects what Fuchsia's been cooking at home lately. Fuchsia shares her go-to quick and easy dinner ideas for nights when she hasn't been shopping, and helps us think through a dinner party menu for less stressful hosting.

Jeanine Donofrio of Love and Lemons was in a cooking rut. Rushing through busy weeknight dinners made cooking so much less enjoyable, and she missed the days when she had time to linger in the kitchen. Her dinners felt boring, too. With small kids underfoot, “If I took 20 minutes longer to do something, everyone would kind of be off the rocker. And it’s just not enjoyable to cook that way," Jeanine says. In this episode, Jeanine explains how she found her way to easy dinners that are still super-flavorful. These simple recipes (and flexible flavor-boosters) are featured in her new book, Love and Lemons: Pop of Flavor. If you're overwhelmed with meal prep and not excited about the dinners you cook, this episode is for you.

John Kanell of Preppy Kitchen is practical about dinner; he’ll use two air fryers at once to get chicken on the table fast. But the former middle school teacher sees baking as an important outlet for his family, and a way to make even leftovers-for-dinner nights feel special. In this episode of The Dinner Plan, John shares his go-to quick dinners, the doughs he'll stash in the freezer for enjoying later, and his advice for lower-stress baking with kids. You’ll also hear smart tips for make-ahead homemade rolls and pie crusts...Thanksgiving is coming!

Mark Bittman's latest cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegan, isn't meant to convince you to declare yourself a 24/7 vegan. Instead, Mark explains in this episode of The Dinner Plan with Maggie Hoffman, he's trying to inspire you to cook more plant-based meals. (And trying to help you make them delicious.) "If I say to you, we're doing How to Cook Everything Grilling, everybody goes, 'Oh, great. We know exactly what that means,'" Mark says. "But no one thinks, 'Oh, Mark is now suggesting that we grill everything.'" Bittman offers his advice on how to make cooking dinner easier, plus his ideas for unexpected ways to cook tofu, mashed potatoes, and grains. We also get a peek at the dinner he made last night, and the way he thinks about batch cooking things like rice and beans.

Kay Chun has created numerous recipes for the New York Times, and worked in the test kitchens at Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and Food + Wine in addition to being a restaurant chef. She's one of my go-to trusted names when I'm looking for new dinner recipes. In this episode, Kay talks about how her youth practicing tae kwon do prepared her for life in a restaurant, and shares the way she thinks about meal planning for a busy week of dinners without too much repetition. Her new cookbook, Gather Around My Table, is full of smart techniques and ingredients that make for extra-flavorful dinners.