Houston\u2019s vibrant culinary scene is captured beautifully in five cookbooks by some of the city\u2019s most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs. These cookbooks offer a delicious way to bring Houston\u2019s diverse flavors into your kitchen, whether you\u2019re a seasoned cook or just starting out.<\/p>\n
#1 – <\/b>Masala: Recipes from India, the Land of Spices<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n James Beard Award nominee Anita Jaisinghani invites readers into the colorful and flavorful world of Indian cooking in her book \u201cMasala\u201d. <\/p>\n Locally, Jaisinghani serves up delicious cuisine at her Houston restaurant Pondicheri<\/a>. <\/p>\n Her cookbook is a celebration of bold spices and fresh ingredients, perfect for those looking to explore something new and exciting at home.<\/p>\n \u2018Local legend\u2019 talks to Chris Shepherd about food, flavor, and her eco-friendly business practices | Click to see Pondicheri and Anita Jaisinghani featured on “Eat Like a Local” (KPRC\/Click2Houston.com)<\/p>\n \u201cExpect to be wowed with new flavors and combinations, such as Saffron Citrus Pilaf, Coconut Lassi, Jackfruit Masala, Vindaloo Ribs, Avocado Mushroom Chilla, and Smoked Eggplant Raita,\u201d reads the description of the cookbook on Amazon. \u201cMasala will change the way you think about Indian cooking and the way you use spices in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\uded2 Purchase \u201cMasala: Recipes from India, the Land of Spices\u201d here<\/a><\/p>\n #2 – <\/b>Brennan\u2019s of Houston in Your Kitchen<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBrennan\u2019s of Houston\u201d beautifully blends Creole and Texas flavors that celebrate the rich culinary heritage of the Gulf Coast. Chef Carl Walker\u2019s cookbook includes recipes for iconic dishes like turtle soup, New Orleans-Style Pralines, and bananas foster, bringing the spirit of Brennan\u2019s into your home.<\/p>\n \ud83d\uded2 Purchase \u201cBrennan\u2019s of Houston In Your Kitchen\u201d here<\/a><\/p>\n Chris Shepherd spent 9 years working and learning at Brennan’s of Houston. He goes back to check out the restaurant’s new stunning bar that has a full menu of outstanding food. | Click to watch this episode of “Eat Like a Local” (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n #3 – <\/b>Julep: Southern Cocktails Refashioned<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Craft cocktail maven Alba Huerta serves up dozens of bespoke cocktail recipes ranging from the classic Mint Julep to more recent concoctions like Liquid Currency and Snakebit Sprout. Find 80 recipes including instructions on how to whip up bar snacks your guests will love in this book from the woman serving up drinks at Houston\u2019s James Beard award-winning cocktail bar Julep<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\uded2 Purchase \u201cJulep: Southern Cocktails Refashioned\u201d here<\/a> <\/p>\n #4 – <\/b>Ciao Tuscany – Recipes from the PBS Series, Cucina Toscana <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Their names are renowned on the Houston restaurant scene – Johnny Carrabba and Damian Mandola. They also are on the covers of multiple cookbooks. <\/p>\n The Carrabba-Mandola family is tied to many popular Houston-area restaurants including Carrabba\u2019s, Grace\u2019s, Mia\u2019s Table, and more. <\/p>\n \u201cCiao Tuscany\u201d – explores the flavors of Italy with 150 Tuscan-inspired recipes, including everything from appetizers to desserts. <\/p>\n \ud83d\uded2Purchase \u201cCiao Tuscany\u201d here<\/a><\/p>\n Chris Shepherd sits down with Johnny Carrabba for a fun chat about his food, his family, and how they became such an important part of Houston’s food scene. | Click here to watch this episode of “Eat Like a Local” (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n #5 – <\/b>Cook Like a Local: Flavors That Can Change How You Cook and See the World<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Before he was the host of \u201cEat Like a Local with Chris Shepherd\u201d<\/a> on KPRC 2, the James Beard Award-winning chef was a restaurant owner and cookbook author!<\/p>\n \u201cA cook with insatiable curiosity, he\u2019s trained not just in fine-dining restaurants but in Houston\u2019s Korean grocery stores, Vietnamese noodle shops, Indian kitchens, and Chinese mom-and-pops. His food, incorporating elements of all these cuisines, tells the story of the city, and country, in which he lives,\u201d reads the Amazon description of the cookbook. \u201cAn advocate, not an appropriator, he asks his diners to go and visit the restaurants that have inspired him, and in this book he brings us along to meet, learn from, and cook with the people who have taught him.\u201d <\/p>\n\n<\/ul>\n