The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani, from Gneiss Spice, features a cover with a person in a blue sweater and white apron at a kitchen counter—an ideal inspiration for your next home cooking journey.
A bearded man smiles in a grocery aisle, holding "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani from Gneiss Spice. He carries a shopping basket and wears a navy t-shirt, khaki pants, and black shoes among stocked shelves and refrigerators.
A golden-brown plum and pistachio cake with a slice missing sits on a beige tablecloth next to espresso, rosé, and water. Recipe text from The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani (Gneiss Spice) appears to the right.
Two plates of stuffed pasta shells with greens and cheese from "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani sit on a striped cloth, beside grated cheese, a Gneiss Spice grinder, whole spices, a cork, and a glass of drink.
A plate of grilled purple cabbage with peanuts and herbs, a halved lime, and a yellow napkin sits on marble. Recipe text for spicy and sour cabbage from "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani, Gneiss Spice, appears on the left.
A kitchen counter with a wooden cutting board, four tomatoes, cream jar, bowl, and knife evokes the vibrant home cooking style found in "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani, with Gneiss Spice storage and a colorful tiled backsplash.
A table of contents from "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani (Gneiss Spice) includes sections like Get Stocked and Started, Mighty Little Recipes, Start or End Your Day with an Egg, Snacks to Share...or Not, and Salad for Days.
Table of contents listing sections and recipes from "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani (Gneiss Spice), with titles like “Meaty Things,” “Soup Obsessed,” and “Fish, I Love You”—a guide celebrating home cooking with whole spices.
The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani, from Gneiss Spice, features a cover with a person in a blue sweater and white apron at a kitchen counter—an ideal inspiration for your next home cooking journey.
A bearded man smiles in a grocery aisle, holding "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani from Gneiss Spice. He carries a shopping basket and wears a navy t-shirt, khaki pants, and black shoes among stocked shelves and refrigerators.
A golden-brown plum and pistachio cake with a slice missing sits on a beige tablecloth next to espresso, rosé, and water. Recipe text from The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani (Gneiss Spice) appears to the right.
Two plates of stuffed pasta shells with greens and cheese from "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani sit on a striped cloth, beside grated cheese, a Gneiss Spice grinder, whole spices, a cork, and a glass of drink.
A plate of grilled purple cabbage with peanuts and herbs, a halved lime, and a yellow napkin sits on marble. Recipe text for spicy and sour cabbage from "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani, Gneiss Spice, appears on the left.
A kitchen counter with a wooden cutting board, four tomatoes, cream jar, bowl, and knife evokes the vibrant home cooking style found in "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani, with Gneiss Spice storage and a colorful tiled backsplash.
A table of contents from "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani (Gneiss Spice) includes sections like Get Stocked and Started, Mighty Little Recipes, Start or End Your Day with an Egg, Snacks to Share...or Not, and Salad for Days.
Table of contents listing sections and recipes from "The Cook You Want to Be" by Andy Baraghani (Gneiss Spice), with titles like “Meaty Things,” “Soup Obsessed,” and “Fish, I Love You”—a guide celebrating home cooking with whole spices.

The Cook You Want to Be by Andy Baraghani

Sale

$ 29.99 $ 35.00
Minus Plus

James Beard Award Winner 

A cookbook for curious, confident, and bold home cooks.

We’re especially excited to share The Cook You Want to Be with Gneiss Spice customers—because Andy Baraghani gets it. He grinds spices by hand. He collects mortar & pestles. He skips the paper towels. His kitchen values? Same as ours. His recipes? Bright, balanced, and built around whole spices, citrus, herbs, and just enough heat.

Baraghani’s debut cookbook is a James Beard Award winner, packed with more than 100 recipes that will push your cooking forward—but never overcomplicate it. You’ll learn how to coax max flavor from simple ingredients, how to build your own style in the kitchen, and why seasoning, texture, and restraint are the keys to confident home cooking.

Why we recommend it:
This book is both practical and aspirational. The recipes are layered but never fussy, and they’ll expand your understanding of spice (toast it, bloom it, grind it fresh!). Plus, the essays make you feel like you’re learning from a wise friend who wants you to succeed—and doesn’t care if you skip the garnish.

Who’s it for?

Anyone looking to break out of a cooking rut, spice nerds, mortar-and-pestle lovers, and fans of flavor-forward cooking with heart and story.

Spices used in the book:

Aleppo chile flakes, bird’s eye, cardamom, chaat masala, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, gochugaru, kashmiri, mustard seeds, paprika, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sumac, thyme, turmeric, za’atar.