Compiled by Bob Howard

— The Make-Ahead Cook by the editors of America’s Test Kitchen. While most make-ahead cookbooks focus only on stocking your freezer, this book takes a new approach, with 8 strategies that show you how a little advance work and planning can reap huge benefits. $26.95

— Ruhlman’s How to Roast/ Foolproof Techniques and Recipes for the Home Cook by Michael Ruhlman. The James Beard Award-winning author combines practical advice - what tools you need, staple ingredients to have on hand, how to get the most out of your oven - with 20 original and mouthwatering recipes. $25

— How to Cook Everything Fast/ A Better Way to Cook Great Food by Mark Bittman. The author provides a game plan for becoming a better, more intuitive cook while you wake up your weekly meal routine with 2,000 main dishes and side dishes. $35

— At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen/Celebrating the Art of Eating Well by Amy Chaplin. Some 150 vegan and vegetarian recipes plus tips for stacking a pantry – beautifully illustrated. $35

About the Author

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The renovation of Jekyll Island's Great Dunes golf course includes nine holes designed by Walter Travis in the 1920s for the members of the Jekyll Island Club. Several holes that were part of the original layout where located along the beach and were bulldozed in the 1950s.(Photo by Austin Kaseman)

Credit: Photo by Austin Kaseman