Travel the Globe With These New Delicious Cookbooks
I travel for a lot of reasons, but one of the things highest up on my list is simply put: I travel for food. I get giddy inside when I eat at a restaurant, talk to a chef and to step, even if briefly, into a new culture by what they eat. After perusing many cookbooks, like the ones below, I realized that what connects us all is food. Here are my absolute favorite cookbooks that are focused on cuisines around the globe. You can also read my interview with Parwana’s Durkhanai Ayubi, here.
One note is that I don’t eat meat, so I focused on books that could accommodate mostly vegetarians but you will find many below also are conducive if you do eat it.
Photography & Styling by Alison Engstrom
To Be Transported To Points in Africa, Pick Up…
In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers From the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean by Hawa Hassan with Juila Turshen
There are some cookbooks that capture your heart, soul and stomach and this is the case for In Bibi’s Kitchen. As the authors say in the introduction, “It’s a book about families and their connection to their homes,” which are points in Africa. Swahili for ‘grandmother’, the book is a culinary journey that is more personal than most because it ventures into the homes of women who cook with both passion and tradition. Readers will walk away with learning how to stock their pantry (the majority of ingredients you most likely have on hand) and also a glimpse into parts of the world that they might not be as familiar with since he authors dive lightly into topics like geography, climate, economy, natural resources and religion.
What I Learned and Loved: Wisdom can be passed down in many forms including food. I loved how the authors posed each feature as an interview session, asking each bibi questions like: what their favorite thing to cook is, what home means to them, the importance of passing on traditions and misconceptions about where they live.
What I’ll Be Making On Repeat: I am always on the lookout for easy vegetarian dishes to have in my back pocket. In this book I’ll be making Kunde, which is black-eyed peas and tomatoes in a rich peanut sauce, from Kenya; Canjeero, sourdough pancakes from Somalia and Shiro, a ground chickpea stew from Eritrea—not to mention a slew of breads like Sabaayad, a Somalian flatbread.
to be tranpsorted to the bustling train stations all over india pick up…
Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India by maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy
One of the places that’s at the top of my bucket list is India. Every conversation I have had with friends who have traveled there leaves me with the same sentiment: you have to go to India. What intrigues me the most, besides the architecture, the people and the history is the food. This was the year I wanted to make the trip, so until it’s safe to travel again, I will blissfully enjoy cooking myself through each page of Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets and Railways of India. Authors Maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy take the reader on a culinary journey throughout India via its train stations, which sell a variety of chaat, the Hindi word for ‘to lick’, which you inevitably do when something is so delicious, you end up lapping up every last bit. From the the bustling streets of Mumbai to the beaches of Goa, there are over 7,500 stations and each offers a specialty chaat—or small snacks and meals—that can be enjoyed.
What I Learned and Loved: I have been looking for a book for a while that expanded my knowlegde of Indian cooking and this compilation definitely does that and more. I love how the authors delineating between the different breads with recipes for dosas, baati to roti and parantha to how to plan a chaat party. This book is great for vegetarians, vegans and those looking to eat a more plant-focused diet.
What I’ll Be Making On Repeat: I don’t even know where to begin! I have flagged so many recipes in this book, including Vada Pav (potato fritter sandwich), Lemon Rice, Chapatis, Aloo Chaat and Saag Paneer (my absolute favorite). Also, for those looking to source ingredients, I love Kalustyans, which is based in New York, but they ship nationally.
To Be Transported to The Aegean Islands, Pick Up…
Aegean: Recipes From The Mountains To The Sea by Marianna Leivaditaki
This dreamy cookbook written by Marianna Leivaditaki is a celebration of food from her childhood on the Greek island of Crete. Woven throughout the book are memories of her tending to duties at her family’s taverna to present day where she is the Head Chef at Morito in London. Divided by landscape, she imagines recipes that call for local specialties like octopus, squid and various cheeses.
What I Learned and Loved: I traveled to Greece a few years back and fell in love with the cuisine, not to mention the coffee culture. This book is a great reminder of many of the dishes that you can enjoy by land or sea from a variety of fritters to refreshing salads like watermelon and feta.
What I’ll Be Making On Repeat: Zucchini and Feta Fritters, Stuffed Zucchini Flowers with Fresh Cheese and Honey and Dried Fava Bean Dip.
To Be Transported to the Dolomites to the sun-drenched beaches of sicily, Pick Up…
Old World Italian by Mimi Thorisson
Mimi Thorisson first brought readers into her world in Médoc, France by sharing moments on her blog Manger and then into two books dedicated to French cooking and her country life in Bordeaux. In her third cookbook she moves from the vineyards to all over Italy in Old World Italian. Through stunning imagery and meaningful prose, she shares how she came to live in Torino with her large family and culinary discoveries from the hills of Umbria to cozy trattorias in Rome.
What I Learned and Loved: I miss Europe dearly and this book made me miss it even more. It was an utter delight to retrace steps across Italy and discover new places that I would like to explore when I can travel again like the Piedmont and Veneto.
What I’ll Be Making On Repeat: Where do I even begin? Some of my favorite recipes that I plan on making include Torta Pasqualina (Chard and Egg Easter Pie), Eggplant Parmigiana, Torts di Ricotta and Torta di Nocciole (Hazelnut Cake).
To Be Transported to Mexico, Pick up…
Comida Mexicana: Snacks, Tacos, Tortas, Tamales & Desserts by Rosa Cienfuegos
For a delicious ode to Mexican cooking, pick up Comida Mexicana, penned by Rosa Cienfuegos, the owner of Sydney’s The Tamaleria & Mexican Deli. When the restaurateur moved from Mexico City to Australia, she found herself missing the cuisine of her homeland, so she set out to introduce the food that she longed for to her adopted home and soon it was a hit. The book takes you on a journey through Mexico with recipes for snacks, tortas and everyone’s favorite, tacos. This pick is more suited towards people who eat meat, there are some vegetarian recipes, but a lot are meat/seafood-based dishes.
What I Learned and Loved: I loved getting a glimpse of Mexico’s cuisine from the bustle of Mexico City to more remote coastal towns. I had been looking for a cookbook that had basic recipes for tortillas, sopes and salsas and I am glad to have discovered this book.
What I’ll Be Making On Repeat: The Tacos de Canasta, Tlacoyos and when in season the Quesadillas de Flor de Calabasa (zucchini flower quesadillas ); a myriad of salsas like salsa verde and salsa roja; on the sweet side her recipe for churros and Pastel de Tres Leches.
All of these books were kindly gifted to me from the publishers. // ROSE & IVY participates in affiliate marketing links, so if you make a purchase a small commission could be made. Thank you for supporting R&I!