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New Must-Have Cookbooks

This week is all about food! Now, I might be biased, as the sort of person who loves to cook, but I am always looking for more cookbooks to inspire my adventures into different kinds of cuisine and ingredients. While I’ve been looking for more recipes, Gwen and Dylan have been working on cleaning up our little reading corner in the sunroom. As you can probably imagine, they have been incredibly “helpful” in the process.


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Bookish Goods

a photo of two stained glass bookmarks sitting on an open book

Stained Glass Bookmark by Third Place Library

I’ve always loved stain glass, so when I saw these two, I was stunned with how pretty they were. Beautiful! $9 (set of two)

New Releases

a graphic of the cover of Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed by Abi Balingit

Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed by Abi Balingit

Author Abi Balingit blends the American desserts she loves remixed with the flavors of her family’s Filipino cuisine. In between sharing her favorite American and Filipino fusion cuisine, she writes about the importance of finding this unique blend of desserts.

a graphic of the cover of Wild Women in the Kitchen: Be a Wild Woman with 101 Rambunctious Recipes & 99 Tasty Tales by Nicole Alper and Lynette Rohrer Shirk

Wild Women in the Kitchen: Be a Wild Woman with 101 Rambunctious Recipes & 99 Tasty Tales by Nicole Alper and Lynette Rohrer Shirk

In this humorous take on a cookbook, the authors pair their recipes with funny stories, quotes, and anecdotes. This sort of cookbook keeps readers following along this one-of-a-kind cookbook with its blend of feminism and food.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

a graphic of the cover of 
I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook by Miguel Trinidad and Nicole Ponseca


I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook by Miguel Trinidad and Nicole Ponseca

This incredible cookbook is a 2019 James Beard Award Finalist. Plus it was named a Best Cookbook of the Year by The New Yorker, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times Book Review, Houston Chronicle, Food52, PopSugar, and more. This phenomenal cookbook invites readers into the diverse range of Filipino cuisine with all of its many influences, including Chinese, Arab, Mexican, and Spanish cooking techniques. The authors invite readers to learn more about the origins of their recipes, creating a cookbook that is such a wonderful celebration of Filipino cooking.

a graphic of the cover of The Taste of Country Cooking: The 30th Anniversary Edition of a Great Southern Classic Cookbook by Edna Lewis

The Taste of Country Cooking: The 30th Anniversary Edition of a Great Southern Classic Cookbook by Edna Lewis

One of the most famous cookbook writers from Southern Appalachia, Edna Lewis is a true treasure of the region. Her recipes are structured around the four seasons. She encourages readers to cook with what is in season and to cherish every flavor. When reading her recipes, I can’t help but think that Lewis’ recipes harken back to another time. With recipes like Cornpone and Brandied Peaches, I wonder if my own Southern grandmother would have cooked these dishes, too. Lewis is such a phenomenal cornerstone for Southern Appalachian cuisine.

a photo of Gwen, a black and white Cardigan Welsh Corgi, sitting in a gray chair. To her right, sits Dylan, a red and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Behind them are shelves and shelves of books.
Dylan and Gwen in the Sunroom

That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy reading, Friends!

~ Kendra