By Dame Judy Hevrdejs

So you weren’t gifted a great cookbook this past holiday season. Not to worry. There are always new ones to try, maybe Brindisa: The True Food of Spain by Monika Linton, or Valerie’s Home Cooking, by Valerie Bertinelli.

Chicago Dames love cookbooks. Many also write them. Dame Carol Mighton Haddix asked them to share their favorite cookbook. Here’s just a taste:

Nancy Brussat, proprietor of Convito Cafe & Market, cited The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan “to explore in depth one of the recipes I learned from my Italian mentor.”

Nina Barrett, owner of Bookends & Beginnings in Evanston, calls this her “workhorse cookbook,” Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day: 365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year. Said Barrett: “It never fails to address a lot of my urgent culinary needs.”

Rebecca Wheeler, cooking instructor and food tour guide, mentioned her well-worn copy of an Indian Cookbook, ‘5 Spices, 50 Dishes, by Ruta Kahate, “that I turn to again and again. The flavors are complex and authentic.”

What is your go-to cookbook?