shit i bought and liked no. 39: the cookbooks
Shitters. I’m back in your inboxes in RECORD time because when I asked for recs to diversify my cookbook wall last week, you all sent over so many great picks that I just couldn’t wait.
Far and away, Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat was the recommendation I received most. If I copy/pasted in all the praise you had for this book, I’d have more than a full newsletter, but I thought this summed it up: “This book was like going to culinary school, but where your best friend is the teacher and just wants you to succeed.”
More than a few of you credited Samin for upping your home-cooking game over the course of quar, and from what I gather, this book is part instruction guide—techniques and fundamentals that will help you become more comfortable cooking and experimenting—and part cookbook with phenomenal recipes and supposedly frame-worthy illustrations. More than enough bang for your buck, IMO.
Speaking of bang for your buck, all the links here are to Bookshop listings (supporting indie bookstores), which I realize are a bit pricier than Amazon. I made collections of this list on both platforms (view the full collection on Bookshop here and on Amazon here), but I strongly suggest opting for Bookshop, or a bookstore in your area. Even if that means being more judicious about your purchase. Books are treasures. They are worth it. And now I feel like a high school teacher preaching abstinence to a room of horny teens….
And with that… THE LIST!!!
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
Falastin: by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley
Night + Market: Delicious Thai Food to Facilitate Drinking and Fun-Having Amongst Friends by Kris Yenbamroong
The Flavor Equation by Nik Sharma
Sababa: Fresh Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen by Adeena Sussman
In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean by Hawa Hassan
Indian-ish by Priya Krishna
Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes by Bryant Terry
The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt
Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables by Joshua McFadden
Coconut & Sambal: Recipes from my Indonesian Kitchen by Lara Lee
Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking by Michelle Rousseau and Suzanne Rousseau
Molly on the Range: Recipes and Stories from an Unlikely Life on a Farm by Molly Yeh
Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking by Michael Solomonov
At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey
New World Sourdough: Artisan Techniques for Creative Homemade Fermented Breads by Bryan Ford
Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen by Yasmin Khan
Vietnamese Food Any Day by Andrea Nguyen
Milk, Spice, and Curry Leaves: Hill Country Recipes from the Heart of Sri Lanka by Ruwanmali Samarakoon-Amunugama
Weeknight Baking by Michelle Lopez
The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis
Seven Spoons: My Favorite Recipes for Any and Every Day by Tara O’Brady
Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty
Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy
L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food by Roy Choi
Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want To Eat by Chrissy Teigen
Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen
See the full collections here on Amazon and on Bookshop.
I know that’s a lot of books, and having now spent a considerable amount of time looking at each, I can honestly tell you there isn’t a single one that I do not want to own, but I am attempting to pace myself and start out with Falastin for next month. I cannot wait to see this beauty on my cookbook wall and start making my way through it. Pick it up and join me!
Excited for our soon to be very full bellies!!
Priyanka
