The ultimate cookbook gift guide: New and notable titles from 2023

By Leslie Brenner

[Editor’s note: This is part II of our two-part Ultimate Cookbook Gift Guide. Read Part I.]

Deliciously all over the map: That’s this year in cookbooks. One dives into Italian peasant food. Another offers Japanese home cooking as expressed by a fairly recent immigrant and a nice Jewish boy who fell in love, both chefs. The next explores the Mexican tradition of backyard grilling, carne asada. Yet another illuminates the Taiwanese American experience as played out at a popular Brooklyn restaurant and bakery.

In fact, Brooklyn restaurants expressed in books was big this year. That Japanese-Jewish fusion happens in Williamsburg, at Shalom Japan. A Persian place in Prospect Heights — Sofreh — gave us another exciting title.

The renowned Washington, D.C. restaurant Maydan and its siblings spawned its own volume, filled with gorgeous Lebanese-inspired dishes. And that Mexican grilling book? It’s from the co-owner of Guelaguetza, the legendary Oaxacan restaurant in L.A.

All those volumes try not to be too cheffy or restauranty, instead skewing delightfully homey. That’s no doubt in response to a publishing backlash against restaurant cookbooks; the cooking public, these days, wants great recipes for real food that can be achieved at home without too much fuss. That’s always been our jam, too, at Cooks Without Borders.

If only the recipes that filled all these books this year had been properly tested and more carefully copy-edited. As a group, this year’s new books are rife with mistakes that can easily lead to recipe flops. Not all, to be sure; those from seasoned pros, like Nancy Silverton, Andrea Nguyen and Katie Parla, have yielded only fabulous results in our test kitchen. Some other books on this list are recommended with caveats; there may be problems lurking in their pages, but they’ll still make great gifts for certain kinds of cooks (or armchair cooks). Still others are included that we have yet to test recipes from — yep, I’m an incurable optimist. The untested titles are flagged.

Here’s the good news: Any problems we find in recipes get corrected as we adapt them for this site. Click on our recipe links, and you can feel confident the recipe will work. We very much hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did.

Here we go: our recommended new and notable titles for 2023. Between this, and Part I of our Ultimate Cookbook Gift Guide, you should have no trouble finding the perfect gift for every cook in your life. And maybe a little something for yourself, too — you deserve it.

The Cookie That Changed My Life

It’s not every day that Nancy Silverton publishes a cookbook. “Making the absolute best version of the familiar baked goods that we all know and love” was her idea behind this one, and the results are (so far) pretty wonderful. We’ve now tested three — a Devil’s Food Cake with Fudge Frosting, Almond Biscotti in the style of soft cantucci (the real Italian word for biscotti), and Cheese Coins rimmed with cracked black pepper, which I’m calling Cacio e Pepe Cheese Coins. This is a baking book that every serious cook needs to own. I can tell you that Silverton pulls no punches in her recipes. She’s not afraid of using a pound of chocolate, and she triples our previous conception of how much vanilla to use in anything.

Find the recipe for the Cacio e Pepe Cheese Coins here. Look for a review soon.

The Cookie That Changed My Life: And More than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins and Pies That Will Change Yours, by Nancy Silverton (with Carolynn CarreñO), Ten Speed Press, $40.

BUY ‘The Cookie’ at Bookshop
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Cucina Povera

I love the concept of this book, which is stuck throughout with Post-Its on the myriad recipes I can’t wait to try. Three involve Savoy cabbage, which I adore and haven’t been able to find lately. (Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Cheese!) A few others I have my eye on: Artichoke, Fava Bean, Pea and Lettuce Stew (for the spring); Pork Braised in White Wine; Savory Swiss Chard and Parmigian-Reggiano Pie. The vibe is irresistible comfort. The one recipe I’ve tried turned out great: Roasted Pepper Rolls Stuffed with Tuna and Capers (Involtini di peperoni alla piemontese).

Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients into Unforgettable Meals, by Giulia Scarpaleggia, Artisan, $44.

BUY ‘Cucina Povera’ at Bookshop
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Ever-Green Vietnamese

Andrea Nguyen, the preemient authority on Vietnamese cooking in the United States, is also one of our best cookbook authors. Her recipes are wonderfully appealing, and they work — beautifully. Her seventh cookbook focuses on a loose definition of plant-based: It’s not strictly vegetarian or vegan, but vegetables take center stage. Read our review, try the recipes, buy the book.

Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea, by Andrea Nguyen, Ten Speed Press, $35.

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Food of the Italian Islands

Treat someone you love to a trip Capri — and Sardinia, and Sicily. Vicarious, perhaps, but they can count on lots of messy, delicious food along the way. Read our review, try the recipes, buy the book.

Food of the Italian Islands, by Katie Parla, Parla Publishing, $35.

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Love Japan

Co-authors Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel are the married couple and the chef-owners of Shalom Japan in Brooklyn (she’s Japanese, he’s Jewish). They may be restaurateurs, but happily the recipes in this enticing book skew homey; many point to what they love to cook in their own home. Most of the dishes are Japanese; others are Japanese-Jewish fusion. (Home-Style Matzoh Ball Ramen? Sign me up!) Their Smashed Cucumber and Wakame Salad was super easy and turned out well — here’s the recipe.

Love Japan: Recipes from our Japanese American Kitchen, by Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel with Gabriella Gershenson, Ten Speed Press, $30.

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Asada: The Art of Mexican Style Grilling

This season, the greatest excitement I had flipping through a book and identifying can’t-wait-to-cook recipes was when Asada — Bricia Lopez’s book — came in the mail. So many dishes looked so amazing. Lopez co-owns Guelaguetza, L.A.’s legendary Oaxacan restaurant, but this book is about carne asada: the backyard grilling tradition that’s popular all over Mexico, and anywhere Mexican ex-pats, immigrants or their offspring live. It includes lots of centerpieces to grill, along with all the salsas and sides to serve with them.

We dove in and tried the recipe for Carne Asada Clásica — flap steak marinated overnight, grilled, sliced and served with homemade tortillas and salsas. [Try the recipe.] We were so glad we did. We also loved a recipe for Guacamole Tatemado en Molcajete — which adds lots of grilled scallions and fresh mint to the classic avocado mash.

Some other recipes gave us trouble. A small salad of 2 Persian cucumbers and 8 radishes, for instance, called for a tablespoon of salt and two teaspoons of pepper; I cut the salt by two thirds and the pepper in half, and even that was on the salty-peppery side. Still, there are some wonderful ideas in the book, and so much deliciousness. Therefore I recommend it — with that caveat that it’s best for experienced cooks who know how to eyeball a recipe and spot potential pinch-points, or for those keen on flipping through for inspiration.

Asada: The Art of Mexican Style Grilling, by Bricia lopez with Javier cabral, abrams, $40.

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Win Son Presents a Taiwanese American Cookbook

So much fun in the pages of this book from Josh Ku and Trigg Brown, the founders of Brooklyn’s Win Son and Win Son Bakery. Again, I marked oodles of recipe to try. Like the Shrimp Cakes that fill Win Son’s “Nutritious Sandwich.” Or Flies’ Head — the dish that inspired them to form a partnership and start a restaurant. (There are no flies in it; rather flecks of pork and fermented black beans, along with a lot of flowering chives.) Clams with Basil, a classic Taiwanese re chao (hot stir-fry) dish, looks splendid as well.

We dove in and fell in love with Lamb Wontons, served on a shmear of labneh (how original!), and drizzled with a Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce, cilantro leaves, cumin seeds, chili crisp and a fantastically vibrant “‘Lamb’ Spice Mix.” Wow! That recipe worked great, and so did Green Soybean, Tofu Skin and Pea Shoot Salad (though I had to adjust amounts on radically on one of the ingredients). San Bei Ji — Three-Cup Chicken (another Taiwanese classic) — turned out well, but the instructions needed some clarification and timing required adjusting. That’ll all be fixed when we bring you a full review. In the meantime, please try the Lamb Wontons. Again, this is a book that’s more suited to experienced cooks who will love the ideas and know when to tweak, compensate and fix.

Win Son Presents a Taiwanese American Cookbook, by Josh ku and Trigg Brown with Cathy Erway, Abrams, $40.

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Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking

Here’s one I’d recommend for fans of Emiko Davies — the Tuscany-based Japanese-born food writer and photographer who blogs and writes about regional Italian cooking. Those diving into Japanese cooking for the first time will also find it interesting. “Gohan’ means ‘rice’ in Japanese, and it also refers to the “everyday home-cooked meal.” As Davies’ Japanese mother explains it, “Nothing fussy, but quick and easy, and nourishing. One that is made with love.” I appreciate the section on hosting a temaki (sushi hand-roll) party, and went crazy over her recipe for Chilled Dressed Tofu. The illustrated cover captures its charms, and the photos (and more illustrations) inside are lovely.

Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking, by Emiko Davies, Smith Street Books, $35.

BUY ‘Gohan’ at Bookshop
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We’re Also Excited About . . .

The following titles are those we haven’t yet tested recipes from, but we have high hopes for.

Sofreh: A Contemporary Approach to Classic Persian Cuisine

By Nasim Alikhani with Theresa Gambacorta, Knopf, $40.

Nasim Alikhani has such a great story: She opened her Brooklyn restaurant Sofreh five years ago at the age of 59, never having worked in a restaurant, but with a wealth of Iranian home cooking experience under her belt. Based on the gorgeous photos and the way the recipes are written, we can’t wait to dive in and cook. [Recipes not yet tested.]

BUY ‘Sofreh’ at Bookshop
BUY ‘Sofreh’ at Amazon

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The Korean Cookbook

By Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi, Phaidon, $55.

This impressive, 496-page volume was written by two chefs, but the focus is home cooking and tradition. The history-filled introduction to hansik (Korean cooking) is on its own worth the price of admission, and the recipes — particularly the banchan (side dishes) — look wonderufl. [Recipes not yet tested.]

BUY ‘The Korean Cookbook’ at Bookshop
BUY ‘The Korean Cookbook’ at Amazon

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On the Curry Trail: Chasing the Flavor that Seduced the World

By Raghavan Iyer, Workman Publishing, $30.

From the award-winning author of 660 Curries, this smart little illustrated volume tackles the question what makes a curry — with enticing recipes from six continents. [Recipes not yet tested.]

BUY ‘On the Curry Trail’ at Bookshop
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Taste the World in Marseille

By Vérane Frédiani, Éditions de La Martinière/Abrams, $30

From all reports, the multicultural food scene in Marseille is exploding, and this exuberant book captures it all with a giant heart. It’ll make you want to go there, as much as it’ll make you want to cook. And if you do go, you’ll certainly want to have the book (a paperback) in hand as a guide. [Recipes not yet tested.]

BUY ‘Taste the World in Marseille’ at Bookshop
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Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation

By Clarissa Wei with Ivy Chen, Simon Element, $40.

Taipei native and food writer Clarissa Wei has put together an ambitious and impressive volume, in collaboration with Taiwanese cooking instructor Ivy Chen, that aims to tell the full story of Taiwanese cuisine. Home cooks from all over the island nation contribute their dishes. The result is a book that anyone who loves Taiwanese cooking or interested in learning about it should be thrilled to receive. [Recipes not yet tested.]

BUY ‘Made in Taiwan’ at Bookshop
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Maydān: Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond

By Rose Previte with Marah Stets, Abrams, $40

Rose Previte, owner of Washington, D.C. restaurants Maydān, Compass Rose, Kirby Club and Medina, mined her travels all across the Levant, North Africa and Georgia to put together this gorgeous book. From Taktouka (Moroccan roasted pepper and tomato spread) to a lamb shoulder with Syrian seven spice that takes 8 hours to roast to Lebanon’s famous date-filled butter cookies, mamouls, the recipes look incredible. Plus, the book itself is a beautiful object — a rarer thing these days. [Recipes not yet tested.]

BUY ‘Maydān’ at Bookshop
BUY ‘Maydān’ at Amazon

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Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes

By Hillary Dixler Canavan, Abrams, $35.

Eater’s Restaurant Editor chose iconic recipes from establishments all over the U.S. for this super-fun book, a snapshot of eating in America in our time. [Recipes not yet tested.]

BUY ‘Eater’ at Bookshop
BUY ‘Eater’ at Amazon

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The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope

By José Andrés & World Central Kitchen with Sam Chapple-Sokol, Foreword by Stephen Colbert, Clarkson Potter, $35

“This is a place that is full of empathy and hope, a place where we are building longer tables, not higher walls,” writes super-hero chef José Andrés in his Introduction. He’s talking about the world of World Central Kitchen. “Wherever there’s a fight so that hungry people may eat . . . we’ll be there.” The book is meant to inspire to us to cook for a neighbor in need, volunteer at a local food pantry, or join WCK’s Relief Team responding to a disaster. Andrés uses the phrase “Cooks Without Borders” as a section head, which tickles us. Of course we support the organization! Please join us in raising money for their efforts. Buy the book; cook the recipes that come from WCK’s missions. [Recipes not yet tested.]

BUY ‘World Central Kitchen Cookbook’ at Bookshop
BUY ‘World Central Kitchen Cookbook’ at Amazon

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Oh, snazzy block of tofu, where have you been all my life?

By Leslie Brenner

One of the best things I’ve made from Emiko Davies’ charming new book, Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking, is what she calls Chilled Dressed Tofu.

It’s a block of tofu dressed as her obaachan (grandmother) used to prepare it for her: with soy sauce, sliced scallions, grated ginger and katsuobushi (shaved bonito). Her innovations are setting it on a shiso leaf, and adding a drizzle of sesame oil. No cooking required. Does it sound simple? It’s spectacular!

It comes together in a flash; really the only work involved is grating a piece of ginger and slicing a scallion. If you have access to a good Japanese supermarket, you should have no trouble finding fresh shiso leaves. But even if you leave off the shiso, the dish is really a treat — unexpectedly sumptuous and luxurious.

Silken (or soft) tofu is nicest for this dish, giving it a custardy, slippery texture. You could also use medium.

For the katsuobushi, any kind you find or have on hand will be fine; the fresher, the better. But if you’d like to make it really special, buy the most premium bonito flakes you can find.

READ: Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) will put a spring in your step and umami on your plate

Premium katsuobushi — dried bonito flakes — can be found at well stocked Japanese markets.

Best of all, if you prepare Japanese food with any kind of frequency, you may well have all the ingredients at hand (except probably the shiso). When the craving strikes, you’re just five minutes away from the treat.

RECIPE: Snazzy Dressed Tofu

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Celebrate Chinese New Year with luscious red-braised pork belly (and greens!) from Betty Liu's 'My Shanghai'

By Leslie Brenner

In her beautiful 2020 book, My Shanghai, Betty Liu has a lovely page about Lunar New Year. In Chinese households on New Year’s Eve, she explains, “guests are welcomed with cups of tea and fresh fruit,” and then there’s a parade of foods that in one way or another symbolize prosperity: whole fish, egg dumplings, tatsoi and sticky rice cakes among them.

Tuesday, February 1 marks the start of the Year of the Tiger, and in Chinese and the other Asian cultures that celebrate the holiday (including Vietnamese, Korean, Tibetan and Mongolian communities), the celebrations last about 15 days — from the new moon to the full moon.

One of my culinary adventurist dreams is to be invited, one day, to celebrate Lunar New Year’s Eve in the home of a Chinese or Chinese-American family. Alas, this year it will be but a dream once again. Given that we’re back to keeping to ourselves at home for dining lately, I think we’ll mark the occasion of Lunar New Year’s Eve by cooking something from Liu’s book — which I’ve only scratched the surface of.

So far, so great. The dish pictured above — Shanghai-style red-braised pork belly — has no specific symbolic connection to the holiday (that I know of!), but it is included in one of the Chinese New Years menus at The Woks of Life, one of my favorite cooking websites. And given that the holiday lasts a couple weeks, the wintry dish, which simmers for at least three hours (filling your kitchen with gorgeous aromas!) should be perfect for one of those dinners.

Watch Makers, Shakers & Mavens: Woks of Life co-founder Sarah Leung talks about Chinese and Chinese-American cooking with Leslie Brenner

In her headnote, Liu calls the dish“perhaps my favorite recipe in this entire book,” mentioning that it’s the dish that best represents Shanghai cuisine, so I had to try it as soon as I got my hands on the book last winter, just after it was published. It’s a winner — rich, tender, deeply flavorful and very soulful. I love that it’s her mom’s recipe.

One you get all the meat browned and braising, the dish simmers for at least three hours, which means if you work at home, you might even be able to manage it on a work day.

What to serve with the red-braised pork?

Certainly the dish could be part of a big feast, but it’s so rich and satisfying that it’s also wonderful with just white rice (its traditional accompaniment), and a simple stir-fried green, such as baby bok choy.

As a student of Chinese cooking, I’m always interested to see how Chinese cookbook authors and other cooks I admire approach a basic Chinese greens stir-fry — a versatile dish I can’t get enough of at home, and one that’s a fixture on Chinese tables.

I love Fuchsia Dunlop’s recipe for Baby Bok Choy with Shiitakes, from Every Grain of Rice. But with the red-braised pork belly, I wanted something even more basic, without the umami-richness of shiitakes. Happily, I found it in My Shanghai.

Liu’s recipe for a Basic Winter Greens Stir-Fry calls for baby bok choy, but regular bok choy, choy sum or Chinese water spinach take to it well, too. Best of all, there’s a valuable cooking lesson in Liu’s recipe, so this is a great greens recipe to try if, like me, you consider yourself a student of the genre.

Flavor of a thousand tangerines

And finally, here’s a dessert that’s not traditional, but works brilliantly following the braise: tangerine sorbet.

Tangerines are very much associated with the holiday. They’re at peak season now (the ones I’m getting have incredible flavor) and this recipe — adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, captures and somehow amplifies all that gorgeous flavor. It’s an amazing (and easily achieveable!) mood-lifter at a moment that more than a few of us might need one.

RECIPE: Betty Liu’s Mom’s Shanghai Red-Braised Pork Belly

RECIPE: Basic Winter Greens Stir-Fry

RECIPE: Tangerine Sorbet

More about Lunar New Year traditions

• There’s a wealth of great info about Chinese New Year traditions at The Woks of Life, including menus.

• Award-winning cookbook author (and friend of Cooks Without Borders) Andrea Nguyen has a delicious post about Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet) at her splendid blog, Viet World Kitchen. There you’ll find some cool info about people born in the Year of the Tiger and, of course, a passel of enticing recipes.

More recipes and delicious ways to celebrate

Turnip Cake — a dim-sum favorite, can be even better made at home.

Cooks Without Borders Chinese and Chinese-American recipes page has plenty of other delicious dishes you might explore during the new year festivities. Glorious Lacquered Roast Duck or Chinese Lacquered Roast Chicken would be great centerpieces – both require some advance prep, but the effort involved is shockingly minimal. Lo Bak Go — the daikon cakes you find in dim-sum restaurants (where they often call them turnip cakes), can be even better when made at home; our recipe comes from The Woks of Life. Yangzhou Fried Rice would be awesome, as would Silken Tofu with Soy Sauce. Check that page — I think you’ll find lots you’ll want to try.

And these couple of weeks would be a great opportunity to dive into Chinese culture by cooking through an excellent book. Betty Liu, Fuchsia Dunlop and Eileen Fein-Lo are all great teachers as they write, and books by any of them are great places to start. And there are many more! Liu’s book has the bonus of gorgeous photos of Shanghai, so it feels like a getaway, as well.

RECIPE: Glorious Lacquered Roast Duck

RECIPE: The Woks of Life Turnip Cake

RECIPE: Yangzhou Fried Rice

RECIPE: Silken Tofu with Soy Sauce

ALL COOKS WITHOUT BORDERS CHINESE AND CHINESE-AMERICAN RECIPES

READ: Cookbooks We Love —Exploring Chinese Cooking? ‘Every Grain of Rice’ is the first book you should buy

READ: Cookbooks We Love — Shanghai and its Jiangnan region shine in ‘Land of Fish and Rice’

READ: Chinese-American culinary culture finds delicious, multi-generational expression at The Woks of Life

WATCH: Makers, Shakers & Movers with The Woks of Life’s Sarah Leung

WATCH: Makers, Shakers & Movers — Vietnamese Cooking and Food Culture with Andrea Nguyen and An-My Lê

The season’s most exciting new cookbook titles will thrill the adventurous cooks on your holiday gift list

By Leslie Brenner

A highly anticipated magnum opus on pasta from one of New York’s most respected chefs! An inspired and inspiring exploration of Black foodways curated by the chef-in-residence of San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora! A gorgeous culinary tour of Vietnam and beyond, filled with the recipes of the author’s grandmother! Cookbook fans on your holiday gift list this year are in for such incredible treats.

These are the new books I’m most excited to start cooking from — and reading — this season.

The eight titles described below have been published in the last four months.

Find all our cookbook reviews here, including 9 reviewed so far this year (with recipes!).

Support independent booksellers, authors and Cooks Without Borders — all at the same time — by purchasing your cookbook gifts this year through our shop at Bookshop. (Once you log in through our shop, any purchase you make there will earn us a commission.) Or, if it’s more convenient, purchase through our Amazon links, which also may earn us a (much smaller) commission.

Black Food

The inaugural volume from Bryant Terry’s new imprint at Ten Speed Press, 4 Color Books, will enthrall anyone interested in Black foodways. Terry edited and curated the collection, which includes photographs, collages, essays, poetry and (of course) recipes. “Without being overly prescriptive,” he writes in the intro, “I asked brilliant colleagues to offer dishes that embody their approach to cooking and draw on history and memory while looking forward.” Overall, the idea is to “promote a concept of food that embraces courage, commitment and self-discovery, and ultimately moves each of us to a better place.”

It’s a gorgeous, fascinating and beautiful book, with a trove of exciting stuff to explore.

Can’t wait to cook: Betty Vandy’s Potato Leaves with Eggplant and Butter Beans; BJ Dennis’ Okra & Shrimp Purloo; Adrian Lipscombe’s Collards with Pot Likker, Cornbread Dumplings & Green Tomato Chowchow; Nina Compton’s Lentil, Okra & Coconut Stew; Hawa Hassan’s Somali Lamb Stew; Sarah Kirnon’s Bajan Fish Cakes; Jenné Claiborne’s Nana’s Sweet Potato Pie; Edna Lewis’ Fresh Peach Cobbler with Nutmeg Sauce.

Black Food: Stories, Art & Recipes from Across the African Disapora, edited by Bryant Terry, 2021, 4 Color Books, $40.

Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes

From James Beard Award-winning New York chef Missy Robbins (Lilia, Misi), this is the book all the Italo-phile chefs can’t wait to get their hands on. I’m afraid once I dive in, I’ll be sunk — pasta is my weakness, and the book’s pages are so mesmerizing, I can feel a fresh obsession coming on. How lovely to have such an inspiring guide!

Mouth is watering for: Mortadella and Ricotta-Filled Balanzoni with Brown Butter and Sage); Corzetti with Herbs and Pine Nuts; Pappardelle with Braised Rabbit Ragù; Stricchetti with Smashed Peas and Prosciutto, and so much more.

Pasta by Missy Robbins and Talia TBaiocchi; food photography by Kelly Puleio, location photography by Stephen Alessi, illustrations by Nick Hensley, 2021, Ten Speed Press, $40.

Treasures of the Mexican Table

Mexico City-born Pati Jinich traveled all throughout her native country’s 32 states to collect the recipes in this collection, subtitled “Classic Recipes, Local Secrets.” The PBS star worked on Treasures of the Mexican Table for more than a dozen years, and anyone who loves cooking Mexican food will want to give the work a permanent spot on their shelf, alongside the seminal volumes by Diana Kennedy and Enrique Olvera & Co. With enticing photos by Angie Moser, Treasures is an important, approachable and relatable trove of recipes that adds up to a rich and delicious panorama of contemporary Mexican cooking.

High on my list to cook: Potato and Poblano Sopes; Pinto Bean Soup with Masa Dumplings; Corn Soup with Queso Fresco; Vuelve a la Vida; Pescado Zarandeado; Pámpano en Salsa Verde; Chicken Mole with Mushrooms; Mole Poblano con Pollo; Tasajo; Cecina; Barbacoa de Borrego; Burnt Milk Ice Cream.

Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets, by Pati Jinich, photographs by Angie Mosier, 2021, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35.

Middle Eastern Sweets

The elegant new book from Salma Hage — with enticing photographs by Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton — follows the success of Hage’s The Lebanese Kitchen, The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook and The Mezze Cookbook. Because I adore the Lebanese cookies known as ma’moul, the cover speaks loudly to me: I own a ma’moul mold (similar to the one at the bottom of the photo, meant for walnut-filled cookies), and I haven’t yet had the occasion to try my hand at them. I’m thinking Hage will be exactly the right teacher.

Also eager to make: Syrian Sesame & Pistachio Biscuits (Barazek); Pistachio Katmer; Moroccan Snack Cake (M’hanncha); Kunafa; Persian Marzipan Sweets (Toot); Orange & Pistachio Turkish Delight; Tahini & Pistachio Halva; Cardamom Ice Cream; Persian Saffron & Rose Water Ice Cream (Bastani); Lebanese Tea Loaf; Sweet Tahini Swirls.

Middle Eastern Sweets: Desserts, Pastries, Creams & Treats by Salma Hage, Photographs by Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton, illustrations by Marwan Kaabour, 2021, Phaidon, $35.

Tasting Vietnam

I love recipe collections that set the cuisine they cover in immersive context, and that’s the idea of this engaging family-memoir-meets-cookbook from Anne-Solenne Hatte. The book collects the recipes of Hatte’s maternal grandmother, Bà Ngoại, who grew up in the rice paddies near Hanoi, married a man who was President Ngo Đinh Diệm’s right-hand man, and lived her long life on three continents. Originally published in French in 2019 as La Cuisine de Bà, the book is part of a Rizzoli series for which Alain Ducasse is Collection Director.

Hungry to try: Bánh Bèo (Steamed Rice and Shrimp Cakes); Thịt Heo Kho (Caramelized Pork Belly with Eggs); Canh Rau Cải (Mustard Greens Soup); Đồ Chua (Pickled Eggplant, Carrots, Turnips and Mustard Greens); Bán Xèo; Nộm Hoa Chuối (Banana Blossom Salad with Passion Fruit).

Tasting Vietnam: Flavors and Memories from my Grandmother’s Kitchen by Anne-Solenne Hatte, from the recipe collections of Bà Ngoại, 2021, Rizzoli, $37.50.

Liguria: The Cookbook

Author Laurel Evans, a native Texan, moved to Italy more than fifteen years ago with her then-boyfriend, now-husband, Emilio Scoti, and promptly fell in love with his native Liguria — and everything about it. Based in Milan, with Emilio’s seaside hometown Moneglia as a summer getaway and winter refuge, Evans immersed herself in the region’s cooking. Scoti’s mother and his two aunts (“le nonne”) were Evans’ kitchen mentors. All the while, she blogged in Italian about American cooking, and published a couple of cookbooks along the way, with Scoti serving as photographer. The marvelous photos in this book are his.

Recipes flagged with Post-Its: Salvia Fritta (Fried Sage Leaves); Corzetti (Ligurian Stamped Pasta — note to self: order wooden stamp!); Pesto Traditionale (yes, Genoa, birthplace of pesto, is in Liguria); Trenette al Pesto con Fagiolini e Patate; Minestrone alla Genovese; Branzino alla Ligure; Ripieni di Verdura; Fiori di Zucca Ripieni.

Liguria: the cookbook: Recipes from the italian riviera by laurel evans, photographs by Emilio Scoti, 2021, Rizzoli, $45.

Flavors of the Sun

If you’ve ever lived in Brooklyn — or visited Brooklynites who love to cook or eat — you know all about Sahadi’s. The wonderful, sprawling emporium of olives, hummus, dried fruits, nuts, spices and every Mediterranean/Levantine ingredient or prepared food you could ever want, has been there on Atlantic Avenue since time immemorial. Written by Christine Sahadi Whelan — a fourth-generation co-owner — this bright and cheerful book includes recipes for the prepared foods that are Sahadi’s best-sellers, as well as others Whelan developed to please the palates of her young adult children, “who like almost everything better with a jolt of za’atar or harissa.”

Want to make: Turmeric-Pickled Cauliflower; Pomegranate-Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese; Whipped Feta Spread; Antipasto Salad; Za’atar-Roasted Vegetables; Fiery Berbere Shrimp; Red Lentil Soup; Spicy Escarole and Beans; Berbere-Spiced Chicken Thighs; Mohammara.

Flavors of the sun: The Sahadi’s guide to Understanding, Buying, and Using Middle Eastern Ingredients by Christine Sahadi Whelan, 2021, Chronicle Books, $35.

The Italian Bakery

From the authors of The Silver Spoon — the influential, encyclopedic Italian cookbook — this comprehensive guide to Italian desserts (baked and otherwise) includes 50 basic recipes that form the building blocks of Italian pastry and sweets and 90 other recipes besides. Accompanying the building blocks are step-by-step photos. Serious bakers and anyone who loves Italian dolci will want this in their collection.

Let me at ‘em: “Zeppole” — Italian Donuts; Poppy Seed and Cardamom Cake; Citrus and Saffron Semifreddo; Frozen Sabayon with Limoncello; Chocolate Frangipane Tart with Spiced Pears; Tartlets with Pine Nuts and Chocolate Cream; Peanut, Caramel and Chocolate Squares.

THE ITALIAN BAKER by the silver spoon 2021, Phaidon, $49.95.

Find more gift ideas for cooks at Cooks Without Borders Cookbook Shop and Cooks Without Borders Cookshop.

Cookbooks We Love: David Lebovitz's 'The Perfect Scoop' is the only ice cream book you'll ever need

Our photo of ‘The Perfect Scoop’ shows the 2007 first-edition paperback, but our review refers to the 2018 updated and revised edition.

By Leslie Brenner

The Perfect Scoop: 200 Recipes for Ice Creams, Sorbets, Gelatos, Granitas and Sweet Accompaniments (revised and updated), by David Lebovitz, photographs by Ed Anderson, 2018, Ten Speed Press, $24.99

Backgrounder: Paris-based former Chez Panisse pastry chef David Lebovitz has a wonderful blog and website (which you should be following if you love sweets or French cooking); we always refer to his section on Paris restaurants when we find ourselves in the City of Lights. He is the author of many excellent books, including Drinking French, Ready for Dessert, My Sweet Life in Paris and others (he has published nine in total), and The Perfect Scoop is our favorite of them all. Originally published in 2007, Lebovitz revised and updated it in 2018, adding a dozen new recipes, and it is that edition that’s the basis of this review and the recipes we’ve adapted.

Why We Love it: Lebovitz is the undisputed king of ice cream, and we’ve been making his frozen desserts since way back when the book was first published. The recipes always work perfectly as written, but they’re eminently riffable, and even provide such a strong foundation that if you’re a confident cook, you can probably start creating your own recipes. Besides chapters on the frozen desserts themselves, there are also chapters on Sauces and Toppings (Classic Hot Fudge, Cajeta, Candied Red Beans), Mix-Ins (Butter Pecans, Peppermint Patties) and “Vessels” (Ice Cream Cones, Crêpes, Profiteroles, Brownies).

We’ve made or tasted probably at least a dozen frozen desserts in the book, which besides ice cream, also includes gelatos, sorbets, sherbets and sorbettos, frozen yogurts, ices, granitas and ice pops. Recently, we made up a batch of Lebovitz’s Watermelon Sorbetto, pouring into ice-pop molds and turning it into not-too-sweet watermelon paletas (so good!). His Lavender-Honey Ice Cream is one of our favorites ever; Peach Ice Cream is a Philadelphia-style (no eggs) classic you’ll love all summer long; Cinnamon Ice Cream is classic as well. At Christmastime, Egg Nog Ice Cream is killer, and any time of year, Lemon Sorbet is a terrific version of classic lemon Italian ice. (You’ll have to buy the book to get those recipes, but believe me, you won’t be sorry.)

Gianduja Gelato with Straciatella from ‘The Perfect Scoop’

Recently we fell in love with (and wrote about) the Gianduja (hazelnut-chocolate) Gelato swirled with the Stracciatella (Italian-style chocolate chips) found in the Mix-Ins chapter.

Matcha Ice Cream from ‘The Perfect Scoop’

Lovers of Japanese sweets will adore Lebovitz’s green tea ice cream. Made with matcha and rich with egg yolks, it is quite simply the best we’ve ever tasted.

You’ll have to save for the winter, when mandarins (also known as tangerines) are in season and at their most flavorful, to fully appreciate Lebovitz’s Tangerine Sorbet. But do keep it in mind — with an incredible purity of flavor, it’s one of our all-time favorite winter desserts.

Nectarine Sorbet from ‘The Perfect Scoop’

You’ve Gotta Try This: In Southwest France, where I’ve spent a lot of time over the last three decades, my French in-laws have a delightful custom of slicing a ripe peach into their red wine glasses at the end of dinner. The peaches get macerated, turning them into a glorious, light dessert, so fab with the red wine. A few years ago, I tried to develop a peach ice cream recipe that would replicate those flavors, but never succeeded. Lo and behold Lebovitz’s recipe for Nectarine Sorbet, which he suggests scooping into wine glasses and letting everyone pour in red wine to their taste. Dare I say it’s even better than the real thing!? The sorbet on its own is pretty magnificent — and easy to make, especially as nectarines don’t require peeling.

Nectarine Sorbet is marvelous in a glass of red wine.

Still Wanna Make: Oh, man — where do I start?! Chartreuse Ice Cream is high on the list (will do that soon!), and so are Toasted Almond & Candied Cherry; Aztec Chocolate; Toasted Coconut; Dried-Apricot-Pistachio; and Prune-Armagnac (all ice creams). Among the dairy-free recipes, I feel a batch of Pineapple Sorbet coming on soon. And doesn’t Cucumber-Gin Sorbet sound like fun?

I’m guessing you’re half-way out of your seat and ready to churn; make sure your ice-cream-maker insert is in the freezer.

If You Don’t Yet Have an Ice-cream Maker: Do spring for one — it’s well worth it if you love ice creams and sorbets as much as we do. Our 15+ year-old Cuisinart finally died a month ago, and I bought a new one with a larger capacity — the Cuisinart ICE-70. It’s not inexpensive, at about $139 (at the moment), but I appreciate that it can churn up to 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream. (Note that it is not the 2 quarts its specs suggest; a full review is coming soon!) The New York Times Wirecutter highly recommends the much less pricey Cuisinart ICE-21 (my purchase was also based on a positive Wirecutter review, among others), but at three-quarters capacity, I believe that would cause overflow problems with many recipes, including some of Lebovitz’s.

RECIPE: Gianduja Gelato with Stracciatella

RECIPE: ‘The Perfect Scoop’ Matcha Ice Cream

RECIPE: ‘The Perfect Scoop’ Tangerine Sorbet

RECIPE: Nectarine Sorbet

Author Najmieh Batmanglij is the revered ‘goddess of Iranian cooking'

By Leslie Brenner

Editor’s note: Women have a history of writing the best cookbooks. That’s why throughout March — Women’s History Month — we’ll be featuring cookbooks by our favorite female authors.

The Washington Post called her “the grande dame of Iranian cooking.” Yotam Ottolenghi called her its “goddess.” Super-chef José Andrés has called her “a wonderful guide to the Persian kitchen.”

We’re talking, of course, about Najmieh Batmanglij — the author of seven books, including Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies; Joon: Persian Cooking Made Simple; Cooking in Iran: Regional Recipes and Kitchen Secrets and other titles.

I’m embarrassed to say that Batmanglij’s wisdom only came into my life last year, when I started exploring Persian cooking in earnest. Food of Life — the magnum opus that she first published in 1986, revised for a 2020 25th-anniversary edition and is once again updating — is a great place to begin, if you want to explore this magnificent cuisine.

Sabzi polow — rice with fresh herbs — prepared from Najmieh Batmanglij’s ‘Food of Life’

Some of my happiest memories of annus horribilus 2020 involved Food for Life. For my late-September birthday, a masked celebration in the backyard of dear friends, my son Wylie and his girlfriend Nathalie prepared (at my request) an elaborate, insanely delicious rice dish from the book: Sabzi Polow,* Rice with Fresh Herbs. There are a full seven cups of fresh chopped herbs in the dish: dill, chives, parsley and cilantro, and it sports a crisp tah-dig crust. (Once I prepare it myself — soon! I’ll be sure to write about it.)

A couple months later, I spent a luxurious afternoon preparing abgusht-e morgh ba kufteh-ye nokhodchi — Persian chicken soup with chickpea-and-lamb meatballs. The aromas of dried rose petals, cardamom, saffron and fresh herbs lifted my spirits and transported me to another time and place.

The book has been on my mind lately because Nowruz — Persian New Year — begins this coming Saturday, the first day of spring. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with Batmanglij’s Fresh Herb Kuku, which is traditional for the holiday. It’s like a Persian frittata packed with dill, parsley, cilantro and spring onions, beautifully spiced (more rose petals!) and garnished with quick-confited barberries.

[If you’re cooking with kids this weekend, consider quick-ordering Batmanglij’s Happy Nowruz: Cooking with Children to Celebrate the Persian New Year.]

Najmieh’s other six books are all on my wish-list(Joon is at the top.)

Still if I had to choose only one cookbook to cook from for the rest of my life, I would seriously consider Food of Life. The 330-recipe volume has enough delicious culture in its 640 pages to keep me delighted cooking and discovering Iran for a long time.

RECIPE: Najmieh’s Fresh Herb Kuku

RECIPE: Persian Chicken Soup with Chickpea and Lamb Meatballs

Related story: “Take a moment to honor 98 year-old Diana Kennedy, the “Queen of Mexican regional cooking”

Related story: “Outstanding cookbook author Toni Tipton-Martin puts history at the center of the American table”

Related story: “Dorie Greenspan knocks it out of the kitchen with books about baking and French cooking”

*The dish is the vegetarian variation of Sabzi Polow Ba Mahi — Rice with Fresh Herbs and Fish. We dropped the fish as the dish was meant to accompany delicious lamb kebabs my friends grilled outside on the Weber.

Outstanding cookbook author Toni Tipton-Martin puts history at the center of the American table

By Leslie Brenner

Editor’s note: Women have a history of writing the best cookbooks. That’s why throughout March — Women’s History Month — we’ll be featuring cookbooks by our favorite female authors.

It is history itself that animates the books of Toni Tipton-Martin, a culinary historian, writer, editor and cook who has become a powerful force for amplifying, celebrating and honoring the voices of Black cooks throughout American history.

Toni Tipton-Martin / Photograph by Pableaux Johnson

In 2015, Tipton-Martin published her award-winning The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African-American Cookbooks, which she followed in 2019 with Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking.

[Read more about Toni Tipton-Martin’s Jubilee.]

Its pages are filled with delicious recognition of the contribution of African American cooks and chefs — and include some of our favorite recipes of the last year. I’m forever attached to Jubilee’s Pickled Shrimp, to Tipton-Martin’s Country-Style Potato Salad and to her Pork Chops in Lemon-Caper Sauce.

Pickled shrimp prepared from a recipe in ‘Jubilee’ by Toni Tipton-Martin

Its historical depth is just as appetizing — for instance a deep dive into green gumbo — gumbo z’herbes — that inspired an upcoming Cooks Without Borders story.

In September, Tipton-Martin — who began her career at the Los Angeles Times, and later led food coverage at the Cleveland Plain Dealer as its food editor — was named editor in chief of Cook’s Country.

Dorie Greenspan knocks it out of the kitchen with books about baking and French cooking

By Leslie Brenner

Women have a history of writing the best cookbooks. That’s why throughout March — Women’s History Month — we’ll be featuring cookbooks by our favorite female authors.

[NOTE: This story was updated Feb. 16, 2022.]

Cookbook author Dorie Greenspan / Photograph by Heather Ramsdell/Food Network

It seems fitting to lead off our series with an appreciation of the woman who launched my own food-writing career: Dorie Greenspan. In the early 1990s, Dorie was the editor of a stapled-together newsletter from a cooking organization that had only been created a few years earlier: The James Beard Foundation. Dorie gave me the opportunity to write for that flier, called “News from the Beard House.”

Dorie was a wonderful editor to work with back in the day; in the decades that followed, she has proven again and again that she’s a splendid story-teller, and a great cook. Her recipes work beautifully, and they’re always delicious.

Dorie’s cookbooks include (among others):

• Around My French Table

• Baking with Dorie

• Baking Chez Moi

• Baking: From My Home to Yours

• Dorie’s Cookies

• Everyday Dorie

Around My French Table is one of my favorite French cookbooks — as is Café Boulud Cookbook, which Dorie co-wrote with chef Daniel Boulud.

An apple-Calvados cake adapted from a recipe in ‘Around My French Table’

A couple weeks ago, I thought about an apple cake I love in Around my French Table, swapped the rum in the recipe for Calvados, and we were all sweetly rewarded.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating our favorite female cookbook authors

By Leslie Brenner

Women have a history of writing the best cookbooks. That’s why throughout March — Women’s History Month — we’ll be featuring cookbooks by our favorite female authors. 

When we think about our favorite cookbooks of all time, the titles that endure, the cookbooks that we reach for again and again over the years — the ones that survive the period purges of our bookshelves — far more often than not, they are written by women. 

Throughout the month, we’ll be spotlighting female cookbook authors. Sometimes we’ll be honoring an entire long, distinguished career; other times a new author with a wonderful recent title; and occasionally someone who didn’t write many books, but gave us one or two truly great ones. 

As March is also our entry into spring, it feels like a great time to edit the bookshelf; bid goodbye to cookbooks that no longer “spark joy” (to quote Marie Kondo). Of course that’ll free up space — and we’re sure you’ll discover authors among those we’ll feature to add to your collections.

The first spotlight is coming shortly. Meanwhile, you might like to browse around our new list at Bookshop: “Women Have a History of Writing the Best Cookbooks.” Note that it only includes books available at Bookshop, so it’s missing some older titles we love. We will be featuring them, along with recent releases, in coming days and weeks in our stories.

Happy browsing!

'Jubilee,' 'Japanese Home Cooking' and 'American Sfoglino' are among the 2020 IACP Cookbook Award winners

The International Association of Culinary Professionals announced the winners of its 2020 Book Awards on Saturday, including its prestigious Cookbook Awards.

Toni Tipton-Martin’s Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking (Clarkson Potter) won the top prize, Book of the Year, as well as the award for best cookbook in the American category. Francis Lam was the editor.

In our June review, we called Jubilee “deliciously inspiring,” discussing and including recipes for Tipton-Martin’s Layered Garden Salad, Sautéed Greens and Country-Style Potato Salad. In an earlier story, we raved about her recipe for Pickled Shrimp — which is one of our favorite recipes of the year to date.

Pickled Shrimp from Toni Tipton-Martin’s ‘Jubilee’ is one of our favorite recipes published in 2020.

Sonoko Sakai’s Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors (Roost Books) won the prize for best new cookbook in the International category. Sara Berchholz was the editor.

“If you are looking to dive (or tip-toe) into Japanese cooking and seeking one great book to guide you, you can do no better than this delightful volume,” we wrote in our review (also in June). We offered up Sakai’s recipes for Okonomiyaki, Cucumber Sunomono and Koji-Marinated Salmon as evidence.

Okonomiyaki from ‘Japanese Home Cooking’ by Sonoko Sakai

While we haven’t gotten around to reviewing American Sfoglino yet, we do have a story about it in the works, and taking a deep dive into Funke’s pasta-making technique has forever changed the way we’ll approach making pasta by hand. The book won in the Chefs & Restaurants category. A mini-review will be coming soon.

Other titles winning IACP top honors include Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes by Joanne Chang (Baking category); The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen (Children, Youth & Family category); On the Hummus Route by Ariel Rosenthal, Orly Peli-Bronshtein and Dan Alexander (Culinary Travel category) and Milk Street: The New Rules: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook by Christopher Kimball (General category). Find a complete list of winners and finalists here.

Congratulations to all the IACP winners and finalists!