Los Angeles Times Cookbook Hot List

1. “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain (Bloomsbury Publishing, $24.95). Life in the culinary trenches. 1/6

2. “The Cake Mix Doctor” by Anne Byrn (Workman, $14.95). How to turn a box cake into something special. 2/19

3. “The Carbohydrate Addict’s Cookbook” by Richard F. Heller (John Wiley & Sons, $24.95). Yet another spin on the popular diet. 4/9

4. “The French Laundry Cookbook” by Thomas Keller, Michael Ruhlman and Susie Heller (Artisan, $50). Recipes and inspiration from the famous Napa Valley restaurant. 5/33

5. “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home” by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin (Alfred Knopf, $40). A spirited kitchen conversation between two great cooks. 3/40

6. “This Can’t Be Tofu!” by Deborah Madison (Bantam Doubleday Dell, $15). America’s favorite vegetarian cook may change your mind about soy. 7/10

7. “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, $32.50). Recipes from the specialty food store of the same name in the Hamptons. 6/48

8. “How To Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman (MacMillan, $25). A fresh approach to the cooking encyclopedia, with more than 1,500 recipes. 8/82

9. “Weber’s Art of the Grill” by Jamie Purviance (Chronicle $35). If they don’t know grilling, who does? 9/13

10. “Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades” by Steven Raichlen (Workman, $12.95). Getting down to essentials. --/1

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