This autumn brings a fresh wave of captivating cookbooks, poised to inspire culinary enthusiasts everywhere. These new collections offer an array of exciting possibilities, from uncovering essential pantry components to embarking on culinary journeys across continents without leaving your kitchen. Each book is a treasure trove of delightful recipes, promising to enrich your understanding of diverse food traditions and elevate your home cooking to new heights.
Among the noteworthy publications is Mokonuts by Moko Hirayama and Omar Koreitem, which highlights the unexpected popularity of American-style cookies in Paris. The cookbook features recipes from their acclaimed cafe and bakery, celebrated for its unique blend of Lebanese and Japanese culinary influences. A particular highlight is the recipe for their iconic "Chocochunk Cookies," known for their robust, chewy texture. The authors reveal a secret technique, tapping the cookies post-baking, which helps maintain a soft, moist interior. This method, inspired by David Lebovitz's blog, demonstrates the meticulous attention to detail that characterizes their renowned baked goods.
Joshua McFadden's Six Seasons of Pasta is another indispensable volume for any home cook. Building on the success of his influential work on vegetables, McFadden now turns his focus to dried pasta, offering seasonal approaches to this versatile ingredient. His philosophy centers on transforming sauces into adaptable methods, broadening the traditional definition of dishes like ragù and pesto. For instance, ragù is re-imagined beyond red meat, and pesto moves beyond basil and pine nuts, encouraging creativity with diverse ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes and almonds. This book empowers cooks to intuitively craft pasta dishes tailored to seasonal availability and personal preference.
For those eager to explore the vibrant flavors of Thai cuisine, Arnold Myint and Kat Thompson's Family Thai is an essential guide. Myint, a chef based in Nashville, seamlessly weaves his Thai-Burmese heritage with Southern culinary traditions. The cookbook pays homage to his family's legacy, particularly his mother, who co-founded the International Market & Restaurant. The book begins with fundamental Thai pantry ingredients and progresses to more intricate recipes, such as spicy grilled shrimp lettuce wraps and aromatic curries. A standout is the quick yet flavorful Green Curry Mussels, showcasing Myint's ability to create complex tastes with minimal effort. This publication serves as a bridge between rich cultural heritage and accessible home cooking.
Hetty Lui McKinnon's Linger, a vegetarian cookbook focusing on salads and sweets, is more than just a collection of recipes; it's a deeply personal narrative. McKinnon, known for her innovative approach to vegetables, shares heartfelt essays, curated menus, and even playlists. The book draws inspiration from her past project, Arthur Street Kitchen, where she delivered salads by bike, fostering a sense of community. Her recipes, such as the Mapo Tofu Salad, blend her Chinese-Australian background with bold flavors and unique textures. McKinnon challenges conventional notions of salad, advocating for its versatility and emphasizing the intimate connection food can forge within a community.
In A School Lunch Revolution, Alice Waters offers a compelling vision for transforming children's nutrition. As a parent, the book initially appears to provide practical meal ideas, but it quickly reveals itself as a powerful call to action. Waters, the founder of Chez Panisse, presents a blueprint for integrating organic, wholesome foods into children's diets, both at home and within the school system. Her work with the Edible Schoolyard Project, which educates students in gardening and cooking, underscores her commitment to hands-on learning and sustainable food systems. While the recipes are designed to align with USDA guidelines, they also emphasize the importance of quality ingredients and the time invested in preparing nourishing meals, demonstrating that a commitment to whole foods is a rewarding endeavor.
Michael W. Twitty's Recipes from the American South offers a comprehensive and enlightening exploration of Southern foodways. Twitty, a culinary historian and anthropologist, meticulously traces the diverse cultural roots—Native American, African, and European—that have shaped this rich culinary landscape. Beyond familiar classics like Pickled Watermelon Rinds and Cathead Biscuits, the book unearths lesser-known dishes and historical narratives, providing a deeper understanding of Southern cuisine's evolution. Each recipe, such as the Macaroni Pie with its complex blend of West African and Medieval European flavors, serves as a lesson in both cooking techniques and culinary history, making this book an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the heritage of American food.
Dorie Greenspan’s Dorie’s Anytime Cakes is a testament to her mastery of baking. Known for her reliable recipes and innovative flavor combinations, Greenspan delivers a collection of simple yet elegant cakes designed for any occasion. Her "inviting to the extreme" Pears, Nuts and Rye cake exemplifies her talent, combining earthy flours with warm, juicy pears and subtle notes of Armagnac and spices. These "anytime cakes" embody comfort and accessibility, encouraging bakers to enjoy spontaneous sweet treats or offer welcoming bites to guests. Greenspan's approach fosters a joyful and unpretentious baking experience, proving that exceptional results can come from straightforward methods.
With Breaking the Rules, Joe Sasto, an alumnus of Top Chef, encourages culinary experimentation and improvisation. Sasto's philosophy centers on enhancing classic Italian dishes with unexpected techniques and ingredient swaps, elevating them to a new level. His advice, such as using a combination of black garlic and confit garlic for Caesar dressing or incorporating homemade corn stock into pasta, offers practical ways to infuse dishes with complex flavors. A notable example is his Mezcal Pasta, a smoky twist on the popular vodka pasta, demonstrating how a simple spirit substitution can profoundly alter a dish's profile. Sasto's cookbook empowers cooks to confidently adapt recipes and explore new culinary horizons.
Jessie YuChen and Elyse Inamine's For the Love of Kewpie celebrates the beloved Japanese mayonnaise, even winning over skeptics. The book explores Kewpie's journey into global cuisine, offering inventive interpretations of classic dishes. Recipes range from spaghetti with Kewpie meatballs to fluffy Japanese pancakes and tangy Caesar salad. A highlight is their Honey-Walnut Shrimp, a dish that combines crispy fried shrimp with a velvety, sweetened Kewpie sauce, candied nuts, and sesame seeds. This cookbook not only showcases the versatility of Kewpie but also provides creative and delicious ways to incorporate it into everyday cooking, making it a must-have for fans and curious cooks alike.
Kim Chi's debut cookbook, Kim Chi Eats the World, showcases the drag superstar's culinary prowess and vibrant personality. The book is a "culinary passport" featuring 75 personal recipes inspired by her travels, emphasizing clever and efficient techniques rather than strict authenticity. Examples include her "genius" Rice Cooker Paella and a Swiss Roasted Flour Soup, demonstrating her ability to transform simple ingredients into exciting meals. Kim Chi's cookbook is a celebration of "food without borders," highlighting the intersection of immigrant cuisines in unexpected locations, like Chinese-Peruvian Lomo Saltado. Lavishly photographed, the book reimagines global cuisine through the bold and dazzling lens of drag, making cooking an act of self-expression and fun.
Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen’s Vietnam is a comprehensive guide to Vietnamese cuisine, offering rich cultural and culinary insights. The cookbook delves into the diverse regional dishes of Vietnam, providing historical context and suggesting meal combinations for various occasions. Van Manen thoughtfully includes specialty ingredients like golden ants and periwinkle sea snails, presented with stunning photography. Crucially, she also provides substitutions for less common ingredients, enabling home cooks to achieve authentic flavors with accessible alternatives. Recipes such as the Stir-Fried Corn With Spring Onion Oil and the challenging yet rewarding Cendol Sweet Soup With Red Beans demonstrate her commitment to both traditional and innovative Vietnamese cooking.
The Blue Food Cookbook, co-authored by Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver, serves as an essential resource for sustainable seafood. Building on Zimmern’s PBS docuseries Hope in the Water, the book advocates for thoughtfully sourced marine ingredients. This extensive volume, nearly 400 pages long, includes tips, guides, and recipes for preparing various "blue foods"—fish, seafood, and seaweed. It offers guidance on sourcing and storing, fish families, pantry pairings, and cooking techniques. The Butter-Basted Scallops With Apple Cider Brown Butter recipe, highlighted by Zimmern, showcases how simple preparation can yield sophisticated flavors while emphasizing a mindful approach to aquatic ecosystems.
Alison Roman's latest cookbook, Something from Nothing, exemplifies luxurious simplicity in cooking. A former Bon Appétit contributor, Roman champions the use of high-quality pantry staples to create flavorful meals without excessive fuss. Her recipes are versatile, suitable for both weeknight dinners and entertaining, proving that good ingredients like fresh produce, anchovies, and canned beans can be transformed into nourishing pastas, meats, and soups. Roman's philosophy, articulated in her foreword, emphasizes "soul and unimpeachable deliciousness" over elaborate techniques. The Crispy Fish With Dill & Fried Capers recipe perfectly embodies this approach, offering a bright, forgiving, and flavorful dish with minimal complexity.
Nat Thaipun's debut cookbook, Thai, born from her success on MasterChef Australia, aims to preserve authentic Thai family recipes often overlooked in mainstream takeout menus. Thaipun combines heartfelt dishes with practical cooking tips, such as repurposing meat bones for stock and techniques for achieving smoky noodles. The book introduces readers to lesser-known gems like Nam Sod, a zesty ginger pork salad, and offers creative variations on familiar dishes, such as Watermelon Larb. Thaipun's recipes are designed to be easy to follow, allowing home cooks to recreate the fiery and complex flavors of Thailand from their own kitchens, providing an immersive culinary experience without leaving home.