Books for Cooks

The Oprah Magazine Cookbook

(Hyperion, $29.95)

If you’re making a list of Mother’s Day ideas, here’s a book to consider. The Oprah magazine has compiled the recipes from the media icon’s monthly magazine into a gift-worthy cookbook. “The Oprah Magazine Cookbook” includes 175 recipes from more than 60 contributing chefs and writers. There’s incredible photography and heavenly sounding dishes, but most recipes are fairly short so Mom might be inspired to do more than just thumb through the book. One fun feature is a “What to Serve” section, which includes ideas for specific situations, such as “When You’re Really Short on Time,” “When You Want to Keep it Simple” or “When You Crave Something Healthy.”

Look inside today’s Food section for Sour Cream Maple-Walnut Muffins even young cooks could help whip up for Mother’s Day.