Los Angeles Times Cookbook Hot List

1. “The Cake Mix Doctor” by Anne Byrn (Workman, $14.95). How to turn a box cake into something special.

Last Week: 1

Weeks on List: 16

2. “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain (Bloomsbury Publishing, $24.95). Life in the culinary trenches.

Last Week: 6

Weeks on List: 3

3. “This Can’t Be Tofu!” by Deborah Madison (Bantam Doubleday Dell, $15). America’s favorite vegetarian cook may change your mind about soy.

Last Week: 3

Weeks on List: 7

4. “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home” by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin (Alfred Knopf, $40). A spirited kitchen conversation between two great cooks.

Last Week: 2

Weeks on List: 37

5. “The French Laundry Cookbook” by Thomas Keller, Michael Ruhlman and Susie Heller (Artisan, $60). Recipes and inspiration from the famous Napa Valley restaurant.

Last Week: 5

Weeks on List: 30

6. “The Minimalist Cooks at Home” by Mark Bittman (Broadway Books, $25). Streamlined cooking with big flavors.

Last Week: 4

Weeks on List: 6

7. “How To Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman (MacMillan, $25). A fresh approach to the cooking encyclopedia, with more than 1,500 recipes.

Last Week: 10

Weeks on List: 79

8. “The Carbohydrate Addict’s Cookbook” by Richard F. Heller (John Wiley & Sons, $24.95). Yet another spin on the popular diet.

Last Week: 9

Weeks on List: 6

9. “How to Cook Without a Book” by Pam Anderson (Bantam Doubleday Dell, $25). Outlines for dishes every cook should know.

Last Week: 8

Weeks on List: 5

10. “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, $32.50). Recipes from the specialty food store of the same name in the Hamptons.

Last Week: --

Weeks on List: 45

Rankings are based on a Times poll of national and independent cookbook sellers.