Cookbook reviews

Breakfast Crystal Bao
Breakfast Crystal Bao

Breakfast Crystal Bao excerpted from Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond by Clarice Lam. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Evan Sung.

Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond

Food & Wine Best Cookbooks of 2024 • New York Times Best Cookbooks of 2024

“Breaking Bao is the rare cookbook that stops you in your tracks. Visually arresting, thoughtfully researched, and both whimsical and grounded in serious baking expertise.”—New York Times

From acclaimed pastry chef Clarice Lam: a visually sumptuous pan-Asian baking book exploring an umami-rich array of baked goods, confections, and savoury snacks.

Breaking Bao is a culinary journey bridging gaps between Asian flavours and global techniques. It is a collection of recipes rooted in renowned chef Clarice Lam’s personal journey of self-discovery and the transformative power of embracing one’s heritage.

Here are 88 approachable recipes that are firmly rooted in classical French technique but travel far and wide. Dive into three chapters, exploring:

  • Bao: the fundamentals of baked, steamed, fried, or laminated buns and breads, from golden curry-filled donuts to Rice Dumplings filled with Hong Kong Bolognese to Vietnamese Cinnamon-Raisin Babka.
  • Cakes & Desserts: classics treated with a twist, such as Mango-Yakult Tres Leches Cake, Ovaltine Mochi Marjolaine, and Pandan-Lime Meringue Pie.
  • Snax: savoury and sweet treats, from Cantonese-Style Fig and Marzipan Mooncakes to Gochujang-Furikake Caramel Popcorn to Ramen Cheese Itz. 

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Chicken Skewers
Chicken Skewers

Chicken Skewers excerpted from Romy Gill’s India: Recipes from Home by Romy Gill. Photography by Sam A Harris.

Romy Gill's India: Recipes from Home by Romy Gill

‘Romy Gill conjures magic on the plate yet again. A deliciously versatile book that transports me back to my own mother’s kitchen. Easy to follow, written with verve humour and warmth and always a surprise. Another masterclass…’  – Nikesh Shukla

‘There’s a freshness and openness about Romy Gill’s books… and this love letter to India is more fresh air… an enticing mix of recipes and stories.’  – Sheila Dillon

‘Romy’s Punjabi and Bengali roots come together in this book to create her most vivid, unique and delicious version of home.’
– Minnie Driver

‘In addition to her lush design choices and gorgeous photographs, I am eternally grateful to Romy Gill for consistently fulfilling a crucial need: Recipes that impress my own Indian mother.’ – Priyanka Mattoo

Step into the heart of India’s vibrant culinary heritage with Romy Gill’s India. Renowned chef Romy Gill takes you on a charming journey through her ancestral kitchens in the Bengal and Punjab region, where she discovered the true essence of home-cooked Indian cuisine. (more…)

Jerk-Style Smoked Chicken Thighs
Jerk-Style Smoked Chicken Thighs

Jerk-Style Smoked Chicken Thighs excerpted from Dinner in One Take: Weeknight-Friendly Meals That are Big on Flavor, Not Time by Bo Corley. Photography by Kelsey Foster.

Dinner in One Take: Weeknight-Friendly Meals That are Big on Flavor, Not Time by Bo Corley

Making an impressive dinner doesn’t have to take an impressive amount of time. Grill, roast, air fry, and sear your way to a perfect family dinner with recipes that mix creativity with simplicity.

Get ready to grill, roast, air fry, and sear your way to a perfect dinner with recipes that mix creativity with simplicity. From a crowd-pleasing Taco Tuesday to brined chicken and epic Brussels, this is your playbook to delicious meals no matter the night. Bo Corley (aka @bothegoattv), known for his recipe videos on TikTok and Instagram, invents dishes that work smarter, not harder, to build showstopping flavour and texture. These recipes are designed with busy weeknights in mind, using easy-to-find ingredients that won’t stretch your budget. (Okay, the brisket recipe is not inexpensive, but there had to be a few treats too!)

Yes, you can enjoy delicious dinners in minutes rather than hours. Whether you’re after a sit-down meal or need dinner on the go, there’s something for everyone. Chapters and recipes include:

  • Meat at My House: Super Sous Vide Burger, Backyard Burger Buns, Reverse Ribeyes, Smash Burgers, Steak for a Crowd, Family Night (or Game Day) Quesadillas, Pan-Fried Steak with Better Veggies, A5 and Egg, Boiled Burger, Propper Pulled Pork with Vinegar Slaw, Texas Brisket with a Twist, Dino Ribs, Three for One Spare Ribs
  • Healthy-Ish Dinners: Secret Brine Skillet Chicken, Go-to Grilled Chicken, The Weeknight Stir Fry (includes SB, Wet Stiry Fry), The Weekend Stir Fry, Jumbo Shrimp and Veggies, Herb Crusted Salmon, Jerk-Style Smoked Chicken Thighs, House Air Fryer Wings, Lemony Salmon Belly with Saffron, Oven “Fried” Catfish, Smoked Drumsticks with Crispy Potatoes, Bo Wellington
  • Breakfast for Dinner: Pep ’n Eggs Scramble, Come to the Table Potato Skillet, French Toast Breakfast Nachos, Fancy French Toast, One Take Breakfast Tacos, Egg White Bites, Cloud eggs, Pain Purdu Muffins, The Un-Frittata, Loaded Puff Pastry Boats, Avocado Toast, Cured Egg
  • Handheld Dinners: Elevated Grilled Cheese, Seafood Platter Grilled Cheese, Shrimp Un-Tacos, Endless Pizza, Top Tier Toasted Sando, Turkey Double Cheeseburgers, Bougie Tuna Salad, Veggie Sandwiches, PB and My Favorite Homemade Strawberry Jam, Cod Sando, Salmon Fingers
  • Perfect Bites: Poblano Rings with Citrus Dijon Sauce, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Garlic-Lovers Tomato Soup, Gold-Roasted Potatoes, Better Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato Skin Salad with Candied Bacon, Mustard Pasta, Roasted Broccoli with Garlic Chips, Corn Slaw(lsa), Lemon Lime Funnel Cakes, Blueberry Donut Peaches, Loaded Rice Crispy
  • The Beverage Lab: Oleo Saccharum, Cheong, Understanding Oleo: Three Recipes, Cocktail Cherries, Dried Candied Orange Slices, Juice without a juicer, Bold Fashioned, Strawberry Old Fashioned Two Ways, The Shirley Spritz, Cherry Snow Angel, Orange and Cherry

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Kimchi Mac & Cheese
Kimchi Mac & Cheese

Kimchi Mac & Cheese excerpted from Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides by Caroline Choe. Photography by Ghazalle Badiozamani.

Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides by Caroline Choe

Banchan, the shared side dishes that accompany a Korean meal, are often the real stars of the table, and it’s time we celebrate them. This first-of-its-kind cookbook showcases the wide world of banchan, from traditional staples to modern Korean American renditions, with 60 recipes from the kitchen of chef Caroline Choe.

Highlighting this underrepresented aspect of Korean cuisine, Banchan offers 60 mouthwatering recipes for classic and modern banchan dishes so home cooks everywhere can get in on the deliciousness. From namul (fresh vegetables) to buchimgae (pancakes), these tasty sides are proof that big flavour can be found in small bites:

  • Smoky Gochujang Chicken Salad rounds out a delightful midweek lunch.
  • Perfectly tender-on-the-inside, crisp-on-the-outside Hobakjeon (Zucchini Pancakes) are what dreams are made of.
  • Pa Muchim (Shaved Green Onion Salad) is a must-have with a Korean barbecue meal or an unexpected pizza topping.
  • And, of course, a favorite: Kimchi! Use Mom and Dad’s Kimchi, a favorite recipe passed down through Caroline’s family, to make Kimchi Mac & Cheese or Creamy Kimchi Bacon Dip for a crowd-pleasing party dish.

With tips on stocking a Korean American pantry and ideas for making banchan into a meal—add to a quiche, wrap in a kimbap, pile on a sandwich—Banchan shares an ancient and beloved feature of Korean cooking that will make every meal sing. (more…)

Thyme, Oregano and Citrus Roast Cornish Hens
Thyme, Oregano and Citrus Roast Cornish Hens

Thyme, Oregano and Citrus Roast Cornish Hens excerpted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons: Enchanting dishes from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa by Diana Henry. Photography by Jason Lowe.

Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons: Enchanting dishes from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa by Diana Henry

‘I love this book so much’ – Nigel Slater

‘An all-time classic. The book I’m happy to return to, over and over again. It’s an utter joy to cook from, as it is to dig deep into the stories’ – Yotam Ottolenghi

‘This book has a special place in my heart’ – Claudia Roden

‘The culinary script for the 21st century’ – John & Sally McKenna

Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons gathers together dishes that combine colourful, aromatic and perfumed ingredients, bringing an intoxicating whiff of warmer climes to your table. Recipes range from chermoula-marinated tuna with pomegranate couscous to roast Catalan chicken with quince allioli, cardamom-baked figs and plums, to orange cake with marmalade and orange flower cream. This beautiful new edition of much-loved cookery author Diana Henry‘s first book will introduce these magical recipes to a whole new generation of cooks.

In this culinary exploration of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa, Diana Henry has gathered dishes that combine exotic flavours in ways long forgotten – or never discovered – in many Western kitchens. (more…)

Sweet Heat Salmon
Sweet Heat Salmon

Sweet Heat Salmon excerpted from A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together by Sonja and Alex Overhiser. Photography by Shelly Westerhausen Worcel.

A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together

Sonja and Alex Overhiser of the popular food blog A Couple Cooks share their lifehacks for a strong partnership. Their top secret? Cooking together.

Whether it’s a weeknight dinner or a homespun candlelit date night, somebody has to get dinner on the table. And what if that task was something you could do in tandem with someone you feel close to, making the work more pleasurable and spending quality time together? Enter A Couple Cooks, your guide to making this dream a reality.

With over 100 recipes for all occasions, from everyday dinners and large gatherings to intimate dinners for two, this book is designed to make meal planning and prep a stress-free and enjoyable experience. With designated roles for each partner, each recipe is crafted to be made lovingly by two:

  • Having friends over for a weekend dinner? Have your sous chef put out Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Hot Honey while you’re prepping the Smoky Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna.
  • Craving a sweet pick-me-up at the end of a long week? Prep the dry ingredients while your partner preps the wet ingredients, and chow down on hard-earned Brown Butter Miso Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars together. 

Brimming with vibrant photography, A Couple Cooks includes tips and tricks for hosting, upping the romance in the home, table setting and styling, and enhancing your home bar cart. Much more than your average weeknight cookbook, this is an inspiring and hardworking guide on how to make the most of the quotidian moments that make up our days by relishing time spent together, working as a team.

COOKING GIFT FOR TWO: From weddings and engagements to hostess gifts and more, A Couple Cooks fits the bill for a variety of life events with a gifting moment. Pair with a bottle of wine or fun aprons and you have the perfect housewarming present for any couple! (more…)

One-Pot Chicken & Saffron Orzo
One-Pot Chicken & Saffron Orzo

One-Pot Chicken & Saffron Orzo excerpted from Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan. Photography by Mark Roper.

One-Pot Chicken & Saffron Orzo

An Asian cookbook written with fresh eyes by an author whose soul lies in Asia but who has adopted techniques and ingredients from the west that endear his recipes to cooks everywhere.

Structured by food type – from meat, poultry and seafood to vegetables, and dumplings – Tony Tan’s Cooking Class takes readers through the fundamentals of more than 100 beloved dishes, many core to the canon, others dishes that he has made his own. Tan shares insights on the key building blocks, from the art of the wok to understanding the role of oils and fats to noodles 101 and the essential pantry. Beautifully photographed, thoughtfully illustrated and evocatively written, this is the essential book for a new generation on the essential foods and techniques of Asian cuisine from a beloved teacher, cook, writer and respected expert.

Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.   

 

 

One-Pot Chicken & Saffron Orzo

If it’s not already evident by the number of rice recipes in this cookbook, I cook rice a lot. But when I want a pleasant change, one of my favourite carbs to cook is orzo. It absorbs flavour like a sponge, and when cooked with the right liquid ratio, it can be silky smooth and pleasant to eat. (more…)

Brined Chicken with Pumpkin Mole
Brined Chicken with Pumpkin Mole

Brined Chicken with Pumpkin Mole excerpted from Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California’s Wine Country by Rogelio Garcia with Andréa Lawson Gray. Photography by John Troxell.

Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California's Wine Country by Rogelio Garcia and Andréa Lawson Gray

From Michelin-starred chef Rogelio Garcia, a collection of over 150 recipes for vibrant, contemporary Mexican food from the heart of California’s wine country

Convivir, which means “to live together,” celebrates the flavourful interweaving of traditional Mexican cuisine with the agricultural and artisanal abundance of California’s Napa Valley.

Born in Mexico and raised in Northern California, Chef Garcia takes inspiration from the local farms, ranches, and sustainable fisheries, and showcases his gastronomical heritage with more than 150 delectable recipes.

Including techniques for making homemade tortillas and tamales, Convivir celebrates a modern take on traditional dishes such as tacos, tostadas, sopes, huaraches, tlacoyos, and tetelas, and features deliciously original recipes like:

• Sopes with Sonoma Artichokes Three Ways
• Pork Rib Carnitas and Carrot Tamales with Spicy Carrot Salsa
• Wild Mushroom Tacos with Al Pastor Sauce
• Prawn Ceviche with Choclo, Garnet Yams, and Pears
• Huevos Motuleños with Smoked Duck and Mushrooms a la Cazuelita
• Agridulce Chicken Wings with Verde Goddess Dressing
• Lavender Custard Pie with Masa Sucrée Crust

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Pasta Al Forno
Pasta Al Forno

Pasta Al Forno excerpted from The Italian Family Kitchen: Authentic Recipes That Celebrate Homestyle Italian Cooking by Eva Santaguida. Photography by Elysa Weitala.

The Italian Family Kitchen: Authentic Recipes That Celebrate Homestyle Italian Cooking by Eva Santaguida

Learn the secrets of authentic Italian home cooking, passed down through the generations with love, and embrace a passion for good food as you cook your way through 100 comforting recipes.

Distilling the episodic knowledge Eva Santaguida and Harper Alexander share on their popular Italian cooking YouTube channel, Pasta Grammar (@PastaGrammar), The Italian Family Kitchen shares how to make uncompromisingly authentic Italian recipes while also putting the food into the greater context of the Italian culinary landscape.

Learn how to make favourite classics, discover new and surprising dishes, acquire hands-on Italian kitchen skills, get actionable tips on how to source the right ingredients or find substitutes, and learn how to put it all together into memorable, lifestyle-fitting meals. ​In The Italian Family Kitchen you’ll find:

  • 100 straightforward, delicious, and comforting recipes from all over Italy
  • Recipes organized by course, including Fritti (fried appetizers and street food), Bread and Pizza, Ragù, Pasta, Riso (rice), Secondo (second courses), Contorno (side dishes), and Dolce (desserts) ​
  • Basic recipes for making fresh egg and semolina pastas, potato gnocchi, simple tomato sauce, and besciamella
  • How to stock your Italian kitchen​
  • Stunning photography throughout​

Experience the real food of Italy, just as a lucky guest would witness in a family kitchen in Italy. (more…)

Scottish Cranachan
Scottish Cranachan

Scottish Cranachan excerpted from A Taste of Disney: Snacks: Bite-Size Recipes in a Snack-Size Book by Insight Editions.

A Taste of Disney: Snacks: Bite-Size Recipes in a Snack-Size Book by Insight Editions

Enjoy a taste of Disney with this pocket-size cookbook of snacks inspired by your favourite animated adventures!

Celebrate your love of Disney films with this adorable cookbook filled with the most delicious snacks from Insight Editions’ bestselling Disney and Pixar cookbooks.

BITE-SIZE AND DELICIOUS: Tempt your tastebuds with these simple recipes featuring everyday ingredients. Enjoy White Rabbit’s Garden Crudité (Alice in Wonderland), Merida Cranachan (Brave), Bare Necessities Banana Muffins (The Jungle Book), Mug of Meat (The Emperor’s New Groove), Icicle Cookies (Frozen), and so many more delicious creations to munch on!

GREAT GIFT: Perfect for holidays, party hosts, birthdays—and un-birthdays, of course! It’s sure to be a delight for any Disney fan

BEAUTIFUL AND CUTE: This fully licensed cookbook features gorgeous recipe photos, beautiful styling, and artful appearances of the characters you love

A Taste of Disney: Snacks: Bite-Size Recipes in a Snack-Size Book by Insight Editions is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.

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