Today’s Read Harder task is “Read a cookbook cover to cover.” Which works out great for me, because I only read cookbooks cover to cover. I know they’re designed for dipping in and out of to find recipes that look appealing, and of course when I’m looking for a specific recipe in a cookbook I’ve already read, I go straight to the page I need. But the first time I pick up a new-to-me cookbook, it’s introduction to index, all the way. I like to see the story the writer is telling, the way they move through different meals of the day or different categories of ingredients. (I also used to try to read Choose Your Own Adventure books cover to cover as a kid, and I never put albums on shuffle. I like things orderly!)
I’ve chosen ten recent and new cookbooks that look like they have interesting stories to tell, as well as fun new dishes and techniques to add to my repertoire.
Smitten Kitchen: Keepers by Deb Perelman
I’ve been reading the Smitten Kitchen blog since blogs were, you know, a thing, so the parasocial attachment is real. She’s still the first place I go when I don’t know what to cook, so I’m excited to add a whole new batch of recipes to that well — especially that pound cake she keeps talking about.
Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty
I’ve only heard good things about this book, which explores Black and Jewish cuisine and the intersection between them — but also how food and culture shape each other, and the inventive cooking that arises out of migration and diaspora.
The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family: A Cookbook by Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin Leung
Another blog book! This one is by the Leung family, who are behind the popular blog of the same title. Chinese food is a go-to comfort food for me, so anything that can help me get more of it in my life is a plus.
Rise and Run: Recipes, Rituals and Runs to Fuel Your Day: A Cookbook by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky
NYC marathon champion Shalane Flanagan and nutrition coach Elise Kopecky’s previous book, Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. is one of my favorite cookbooks to reference, so I need to add their latest collaboration to my collection. As a runner, I love their emphasis on flavor and enjoyment instead of counting calories or excising “bad” foods.
On the Curry Trail: Chasing the Flavor That Seduced the World by Raghavan Iyer
I know just enough about curry to know that it’s an extremely broad term that my occasional forays into cooking butter chicken have barely scraped the surface of. This cookbook about “the diaspora of curry” — from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and the Americas — sounds enlightening and fascinating.
Africana: More than 100 Recipes and Flavors Inspired by a Rich Continent by Lerato Umah-Shaylor
Speaking of cuisines I know very little about, African cuisine is too often overlooked and ignored in the Western world. Africana has over 100 recipes from all over the African continent, which obviously encompasses a massive range of cultures and flavors, and I’m excited to try as many of them as possible.
The Core of an Onion: Peerling the Rarest Common Food — Featuring More Than 100 Recipies by Mark Kurlansky
Okay, this isn’t exactly a cookbook, but it does include 25 recipes, and also I loved Kurlansky’s The Big Oyster, on the history of the oyster industry in New York City, and more importantly, I absolutely love onions. Bring on the alliums!
First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home by Frankie Gaw
This is another cookbook I keep hearing good things about and another cookbook that arose out of a popular blog — Little Fat Boy — but the main reason I bumped it up on my TBR is because it has the most beautiful dumplings on the cover, and I could eat dumplings every day of my life and never get sick of them.
Cooking at Home: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Recipes (And Love My Microwave): A Cookbook by David Chang and Priya Krishna
Okay, this one is cheating a little bit, because I already own it, but I’m including it because it’s designed to be read straight through. What’s included in this book are less recipes and more techniques for how to make lots of basic staples that you can portion out, freeze, reheat, and repurpose to get a wide array of meals on the table quickly. Also, the back and forth notes between Chang and Krishna are charming.
I’ll Bring The Cake: Recipes for Every Season and Every Occasion by Mandy Merriman
And of course, we have to end with dessert! In the battle between cake and pie, I am always and forever Team Cake. This book gives you a little bit of a shortcut by starting with box mixes, which, let’s face it, are sometimes the tastiest option. And it’s publishing just in time for my birthday! You know, just in case anyone feels like throwing me a party.
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…Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving now. I’m gonna go cook something.
Click here for the full Read Harder 2023 task list, and for previous recommendations, click here.