Spices in Cookbooks
In the last two years quite a few cookbooks featuring spices were published. An abundance of global taste and culture is a great thing! Specifically, food from pan-Asian cuisines is a tremendously good source of variety and flavor.
Spices and aromatic herbs always make food taste delicious. So, I’ve chosen the authors shown below for their guidance on ingredients and flavors and the way they present their recipes.
Thus my selections of great cookbooks vary and are not entirely vegan or vegetarian. Yet in these cookbooks, you’ll find recipes for all tastes and dietary restrictions.
See my quick views below of The Malaysian Kitchen, Coconut Sambal, Easy Vegan Bible, Chaat and The Kitchen Without Borders. For herbals, teas and aromas, see this post!
The Malaysian Kitchen
The Malaysian Kitchen: 150 Recipes for Simple Home Cooking by Christina Arokiasamy, 2017. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, NY. 340 pages including index. Full color illustrations. Hardcover.
I eagerly got lost in the recipes of this cookbook! The author’s enthusiasm is irresistible for flavors from spices and the freshest ingredients you can find. Recipes are uncomplicated and achievable for the home cook. Accompanying each section are photo and cultural essays that illustrate how to cook Malaysian in brilliant color. Being the daughter of a spice merchant—her mother, in fact!—might have had influence on her kitchen skills!
As well, Arokiasamy’s extensive information on spices and pantry items, plus a Spice Chart that tabulates taste, uses, pairings, and health benefits is a definite plus. Find The Malaysian Kitchen at HoughtonMifflinHarcourt
Coconut Sambal
Coconut Sambal: Recipes from My Indonesian Kitchen by Lara Lee, 2020. Published by Bloomsbury, London. 285 pages, 2 leaves of color illustrations. Hardcover.
In Coconut Sambal, you really get the sense of author Lee’s journey home to the islands of Indonesia. A loving touch is evidenced in the personal photos of Lee’s family, both recent and historical. Thus your introduction to Indonesian food is at once of a homecoming and a disarmingly beautiful presentation.
Photographs by Lee were taken in Indonesia of the people and food, infusing each section of Coconut Sambal with a strong sense of culture. The author’s essays describe how Indonesian food is generally prepared and eaten. Most of the recipes are accompanied by Louise Hagger’s photographs. Pleasing to the home cook, these images interpret the food culture of the country in attractive platings and settings.
As with many international cookbooks, Coconut Sambal features a section on the Pantry and spices. Really helpful are the “guides” or Menus, which lists recipes that are suitable for various tastes. Dietary Lists, another guide, points out the vegetarian, vegan recipes, and dairy-free and gluten-free recipes. Find the cookbook at Bloomsbury
Easy Vegan Bible
Easy Vegan Bible: 200 Easiest Ever Plant-Based Recipes by Katy Beskow, 2020. Published by Quadrille, an imprint of Hardie Grant Publishing. 319 pages, color illustrations. Hardcover.
Included in this tome of a cookbook are internationally-inspired recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Together with sides and desserts! This brightly illustrated cookbook with photography by Luke Albert offers the short routes to plating—in 30 minutes each—for Piri Piri Pilaf, Easiest Ever Dhal, Sausage, Apple and Bean Casserole (and so many more). Have only 15 minutes? Then you can chose Pantry Root Stew, Speedy Chickpea Burgers, or Soy, Lime and Peanut Stir-Fry to “whip up”. There are 1-pot meals, baked goujons (defined as strips of fish, but made here with tofu), salads, like Mexican Sweetcorn and Avocado, scones, even shakshuka. And my favorites, Cream Cheese and Blueberry Toast, Banana Pancakes and Chocolate Mousse! A handy collection of quick to make recipes for any meal, condiment, or dessert.
Find Easy Vegan Bible at Quadrille.
Chaat
Chaat: The Best Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India by Maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy, 2020. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random House… New York. 272 pages, color illustrations. Hardcover.
Chaat–a snack originating in India–is found in all regions of the country, in homes, markets, and on train station platforms. A fresh chaat I’ve eaten in Indian snack shops is called Bhel Puri. It has puffed rice and vegetables (and lots of chiles!!!). Yet there are countless varieties of sweet or salty, crunchy or creamy, hot or cold-served snacks called Chaat.
This book is a treasure. It’s not vegan or vegetarian, nevertheless it offers how to cook rice, make chaat, and get to know a little about a country far away. By train, each region of India offers a unique cuisine and tradition. Find Chaat online at PenguinRandomHouse.
The Kitchen Without Borders
The Kitchen Without Borders: Recipes and Stories from Refugee and Immigrant Chefs the Eat Offbeat Chefs; Sioban Wallace, 2021. Published by Workman Publishing, New York. 162 pages, color illustrations.
This cookbook presents the chefs of a catering service in New York City. The chefs of Eat Offbeat represent cuisines from North Africa, South America, and the Middle East. Their recipes are presented in such a way that a home cook can replicate these flavorful dishes themselves. What I like about the book is that portraits of the chefs by Penny De Los Santos give a glimpse into their lives and something about their cooking craft.
Find The Kitchen Without Borders at Workman Publishing.
Notes on Gift Books
I hope you love—as much as I do—to discover favorite sauces, desserts, salads and main dish recipes in these delightful books. More gift books are covered in this post on Herbal Gift Books!
Cheers for the Holidays!
May you revel in and share good food with your loved ones this season.
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