Bestselling cookbooks and food writing

1. The South Beach Diet Cookbook, by Arthur Agatson, M.D., Rodale, $25.95. Tasty recipes based on the famous diet designed by a Miami cardiologist who emphasizes good fats and good carbs.

2. The Ultimate Weight Solution Cookbook, by Dr. Phillip McGraw, Free Press, $26. Dr. Phil's recipes avoid refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, salt, and sugars, and he promises you won't find "skimpy diet-type meals" here.

3. How to Grill, by Steven Raichlen, Workman, $19.95. The author of "The Barbeque Bible" explains grilling techniques and serves up unusual recipes like grilled pizza.

4. Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill: 125 Reasons to Light Your Fire!, by Bobby Flay, Scribner, $30. Quick and easy recipes include grilled quesadillas with steak and a pressed Cuban-style burger.

5. The Provence Cookbook, by Patricia Wells, HarperCollins, $29.95. A resident of Provence for 20 years, Wells offers simple recipes of her own, as well as from her butcher and neighborhood restaurants.

6. Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, With Recipes, by Amanda Hesser, Norton, $14.95. The food reporter for the New York Times magazine weaves recipes into her narrative about a yearlong courtship.

7. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten, Crown, $35. The owner of the Barefoot Contessa food store in the Hamptons shares unconventional recipes like cheddar corn chowder and raspberry corn muffins.

8. Barefoot Contessa Family Style, by Ina Garten, Clarkson N. Potter, $35. A collection of recipes that have pleased Garten's friends and family the most, including clam chowder and linguine with shrimp scampi.

9. 30-Minute Meals 2, by Rachael Ray, Lake Isle, $16.95. The host of "30-Minute Meals" on the Food Network offers recipes for vegetarians, meat-eaters, and light eaters.

10. Feeding a Yen: Savoring Local Specialties, From Kansas City to Cuzco, by Calvin Trillin, Random House, $12.95. Trillin shares funny tales of eating fried marlin in Barbados and barbeque in his hometown of Kansas City.

• Ranking courtesy of BookSense, based on reporting from independent bookstores across America, www.booksense.com.