Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking

This award-winning cookbook is at the top of my holiday wishlist. It has everything: history, heritage, culture, and food. Stunning photos accompany stories and recipes that showcase the depth of African American cuisine. I want to read it like a novel, and then cook the sweet potato biscuits and seafood gumbo. "Deeply beautiful, culturally diverse, fit for celebration"—pair it with a good bottle of bourbon for the Bourbon & Apple Hot Toddies recipe.