Pandemic quarantine boredom and supply shortages led to many of us experimenting more in the kitchen, and in one case it worked out extremely well! B. Dylan Hollis is the guy you’ve probably spotted on Instagram Reels gamely but dubiously taking a stab at absurd Depression-era recipes like Hoover Stew with hot dogs and canned goods or Ration Cake, starring lard, boiled raisins, and molasses. For Hollis’ follow-up to 2023 bestselling cookbook Baking Yesteryear, the social media chef took a cross-country tour of vintage recipes, resulting in the 100 collected in Baking Across America. Retro recipes from the 1900s to the 2000s cover something from every state in the union, and rumor has it that Texas sheet cake reps the Lone Star State. Get your book signed and take in an enlightening conversation with Hollis, Alex Rigby, and Mackenzie Smith. – Kat McNevins
Mon., June 2