Ree Drummond's Favorite Cookbooks Not Including Her Own

Most culinary projects (especially the successful ones) begin by cracking open a cookbook. Sure, letting pure instinct guide you in creating a catch-all meal using the smorgasbord of ingredients stocked in your fridge and pantry is all fun and games. But when you're preparing a multi-course dinner or elegant dessert, chances are you'll crave expert guidance through tried-and-trusted recipes and texts that are chock full of inspiration. From classic retro cookbooks that still stand the test of time to high-end culinary guides inspired by the world's best restaurants, there are countless texts devoted to sharing kitchen secrets and wisdom. Even the very experts who write them look to cookbooks from time to time. Food Network star Ree Drummond is no exception.

Anyone familiar with the Pioneer Woman knows that she's penned her fair share of cookbooks. Since 2009, Drummond has put recipes into print for all kinds of comforting dishes. From her stand-out potato salad to special cinnamon toast, her creations are fit for gatherings with friends and family or times when you need to eat in a pinch. But when Drummond wants to get creative in the kitchen and make something new, she's likely to turn to a recipe-packed tome written by a friend or fellow TV star. In an interview with Garden & Gun discussing "The Pioneer Woman: Dinner's Ready!," which hit the shelves in October 2023, she shed light on some of her favorite cookbooks — not including her own. Here are the Pioneer Woman's personal picks.

For many home cooks, part of the pleasure of spending time in the kitchen has as much to do with community as it does delicious food. Even if you can't cook with or for others, perhaps due to distance, making dishes inspired and beloved by friends is special in itself. This is one of the (surely many) reasons why some of Ree Drummond's favorite cookbooks are written by fellow foodies nearest and dearest to her heart. To Garden & Gun, she said, "I really love my friends' cookbooks: Gaby Dalkin, Maria Lichty, Deb Perelman, Joy Wilson; I feel like I'm hanging with them when I make their recipes." While each of Drummond's friends live in a different state, their published culinary creations offer a comforting and tasty way to stay connected. 

Dalkin's five cookbooks, including "Absolutely Avocados" which is solely dedicated to the fruit, are filled with recipes of California-inspired cuisine. Lichty's first cookbook, "Two Peas & Their Pod," shares kid-approved recipes from her family kitchen; Drummond has even enthusiastically reviewed it on Lichty's food blog of the same name. Perelman has published three cookbooks and both her debut ("The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook") and latest ("Smitten Kitchen Keepers") earned spots on the NYT's bestsellers list. Finally, Wilson's three cookbooks (and magazine) mostly revolve around baked goods, although "Over Easy" covers everything brunch. Between all her friends' cookbooks, Drummond is well-informed to prepare a tableful of dishes from breakfast to dessert.

While not everyone is fortunate enough to be friends with multiple cooks who have published their recipes online and in print, chances are you still have a cookbook (or a shelf-full of them) that makes you feel like you're cooking alongside an expert. Maybe it's a celebrity chef's or even one of Ree Drummond's. But even stars like the Pioneer Woman look up to someone, and who better than the Barefoot Contessa herself?

Reflecting on her favorite cookbooks, Drummond mentioned none other than Ina Garten, one of the most beloved Food Network cooks and an esteemed role model for many foodies. As she told Garden & Gun, "In terms of a cookbook I really used, 'Barefoot Contessa Family Style' was an old favorite when the kids were little. I wrote her a fan letter at the time, because her recipes worked so well." Published in 2002, "Barefoot Contessa Family Style" is Garten's third cookbook and features a range of dishes favored by her friends and family — and Ree Drummond, too. From her oven-roasted chicken to deep-dish apple pie (one of many of the Barefoot Contessa's best desserts), it's no surprise that these hearty, comforting dishes are favorites of the Pioneer Woman, who's well-known for her southern-style cooking and ranching lifestyle. While you can always use Drummond's cookbooks to make meals like her, the ones she recommends are clearly worth looking to for inspiration as well.