I’m currently flipping through the well-worn pages of my cookbooks, scribbling down notes on a hotel notepad (one of the amenities I *always* take from a memorable stay), and finalizing recipes for my next dinner party. Which means it’s a fitting time to share a few of my favorite cookbooks to crack open when I’m hosting... • Crabtree & Evelyn Cookbook: This is the most charming illustrated cookbook that I found in a Little Free Library a few years ago. It’s out of print, from the 80s, but the menus are just as relevant today, and the book itself has the most delightful cottage-inspired vibes. • Julia Reed’s South: I’d love to have a reputation for throwing the most spirited of parties, so it only makes sense I would come back to Julia Reed’s cookbooks again and again. The stories and the imagery are as good as the recipes — I swear I’ve looked at the pages dedicated to her Christmas party more times than I can count. • Ina Garten Cooking for Jeffrey: Can’t you just hear Ina’s voice as you say the title, Cooking for Jeffrey? Shockingly, this is the only Barefoot Contessa cookbook I own, but it’s full of simple, delicious classics. • The Southern Living Cookbook: I have a funny story, which I won’t tell here, but it’s reminiscent of the Father of the Bride blender scene. Regardless of my initial reaction, however, this is possibly my most-used cookbook, with over fifteen years of dog-ears across its 500 pages. • The Southerner’s Cookbook: Y’all know I’ll take anything Garden & Gun publishes as Bible, and this cookbook is no exception. Unfortunately, it’s at the river, but that’s where it should be — if you’ve stayed at the cottage, you know I’ll flip open this cookbook and make biscuits at least one morning.