Her “hot dish” sweatshirt hooked me. I’d heard people rave about Molly Yeh before, but I hadn’t watched her Food Network show or read her blog, My Name Is Yeh. But something about that playful take on the midwestern staple got me to scroll her Instagram. And then check out Home Is Where the Eggs Are.

And then, down the East Grand Forks, Minnesota, rabbit hole I went. Her recipes blended Midwestern comfort food with her Jewish and Asian roots, and her sense of humor sparkled in every post. I was an instant fan, and I couldn’t hurry fast enough to check out her other books and get to cooking (bacon and Brussels sprouts spätzle?! I’m in).

If you’re new to Yeh’s recipes, or you want to give one of her cookbooks as a gift, you might not know where to start. Do you reach for the latest, Sweet Farm? Or do you start at the beginning, with Molly on the Range? What about the middle one?! Why are we always overlooking the middle one?!

After poring over every page, baking and cooking through recipes, I’ve compiled a quick comparison. Here’s my take on which Molly Yeh cookbook is the best, including which is right for you (or whoever you’re giving it to), based on varying interests and lifestyles.

3. Sweet Farm

Best for: Bakers (as you might imagine)

Yeh’s latest cookbook, Sweet Farm, is about as fun as they come. Her intro, “Sugar beets are bit white root vegetables that are processed into table sugar,” may make your eyes start to glaze over, until you read the second paragraph: “That’s about all that Nick was able to say before I started plotting my exit from our conversation.” She infuses technical know-how (hers and her husband’s) with humor and self-awareness, which makes even her more complex desserts more approachable.

This cookbook is chock-full of recipes you wouldn’t think of Googling and won’t find in other books, making it truly unique and engaging. Black sesame babka? Edible Italian rainbow cookie dough? Overachiever’s Candy Bar Salad?!

At 319 pages, you’ll find a serious range of treats to make, with chapters devoted to cookies, bars, dessert “salads,” dessert for breakfast, cakes, pies, frozen/no-bake sweets and drinks. Many feature a savory twist (like the Sorta Weird Seven-Layer Bars, with an everything bagel seasoning strewn in), so it’s not alllll sweet. But still sweet, you know?

Recipe to Try First: Sprinkle Cake 2.0*

*Her original Sprinkle Cake, from Molly on the Range, beat out others in taste tests…and then Yeh went and invented one that’s lighter, fluffier and with a little cream cheese-y tang to the frosting. In short: wow. Just wow.

2. Molly on the Range

Best for: Yeh superfans (and new fans)

Yeh’s debut cookbook is beyond charming. It’s more experimental than her other books, with a slightly moodier, more indie-feeling aesthetic. You get more stories and insights into her life—tales her longtime blog readers may know well—and plenty of illustrations to bring life to those stories, be it a graphic showing off how to make a schnitzel costume, a map of Brooklyn, a layer cake to color in yourself or a loose guide to making Israeli salad.

It’s a great introduction to Yeh’s work, but I recommend it for fans specifically, because it’s so personal. If you’re just looking for creative things to cook, my #1 pick is probably a better fit. But if you want a Yeh full-immersion experience, this is it.

It’s divided into four simple sections—breakfast and brunch, mains, snacks and celebrations, and desserts—that highlight her draw-from-every-corner -of-life approach. There are cauliflower shawarma tacos, scallion pancake challah, schnitzel bao with sriracha mayo and sesame pickles, along with the famous original Sprinkle Cake and several recipes that read like a love letter to her years living in New York, like the McSorley’s Cheese and Cracker Plate.

Recipe to Make First: Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Spätzle

1. Home Is Where the Eggs Are

Best Overall Cookbook

Home Is Where the Eggs Are is where you see Yeh’s aesthetic and culinary approach really solidify. In some ways, it’s the launch of Yeh, the brand, but that’s not to say it’s lacking in soulfulness or in Yeh’s signature wit. It just feels polished and confident in its tone; she’s hit her stride. And this cookbook is an excellent representation of living la vida Yeh morning, noon and night.

The chapters are more specific—breakfast, eggs, salads, soups, pizza Friday, hotdishes + family-style, handhelds, snacks + breads, sweets and drinks—and there’s hardly a generic dish in its 337 pages. Everything feels fresh, a surprise-and-delight moment on every spread, that makes this cookbook (like her others) feel worth buying. It’s not her show, put into print, or a bunch of recipes you’ve seen a million times, compiled.

I love the twists on the familiar that take you out of your comfort zone: Enjoy peanut-butter-and-chocolate buckeyes? Try halva buckeyes. You’ve heard of cheese-stuffed Jucy Lucies? Make ’em kimchi cheddar. Love a Cobb salad? You need to try her Hot Dog Chop with Avocado Ranch.

Recipe to Try First: Hand-Pulled Noodles with Potsticker Filling Sauce