Spring is here, with its celebration of newness.
And just as surely as gorgeous flowers bloom and adorable baby animals are born, it’s a season for the publication of new cookbooks.
There seems to be an overriding theme among many of the books: wanderlust. After more than two years of being homebound, our imaginations have embarked upon a world tour. These selections will let you take your taste buds on exotic adventures: On the Himalayan Trail: Recipes and Stories from Kashmir to Ladakh by Romy Gill; Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus with Over 70 Recipes by Carla Capalbo; Saka Saka: South of the Sahara – Adventures in African Cooking by Anto Cocagne, and Taste Tibet: Family Recipes from the Himalayas by Julie Kleeman and Yeshi Jampa.
There are new books from media darlings: That Noodle Life: Soulful, Savory, Spicy, Slurpy by Mike and Stephanie Le of i am a food blog; The Hebridean Baker: Recipes and Wee Stories from the Scottish Islands by TikTok star Coinneach MacLeod; Sam the Cooking Guy’s Between the Buns: Burgers, Sandwiches, Tacos, Burritos, Hot Dogs and More, and former MasterChef contestant Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Barbecue: Modern Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors and In.
And there are also new works from highly respected cooks and award-winning chefs: Emily Meggett’s Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island; Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora by Reem Assil; My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi and Joshua David Stein, and The Wok: Recipes and Techniques by J. Kenji López-Alt.
Indulge your sweet tooth with these books brimming with decadent delights: Sweet Paris: Seasonal Recipes from an American Baker in France by Frank Adrian Barron; Fabulous Modern Cookies: Lessons in Better Baking for Next-Generation Treats by Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin; Great Scoops: Recipes from a Neighborhood Ice Cream Shop by Marlene Haley and Amelia Ryan, and 50 Things to Bake Before You Die: The World’s Best Cakes, Pies, Brownies, Cookies, and More from Your Favorite Bakers, Including Christina Tosi, Joanne Chang, and Dominique Ansel compiled by Allyson Reedy.
A few of this season’s new books revel in sociability: Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish: A Whole Brunch of Recipes to Make at Home by Cathy Barrow; Dressed to Swill: Runway-Ready Cocktails Inspired by Fashion Icons by Jennifer Croll, and Booze & Vinyl Vol. 2: 70 More Albums + 140 New Recipes by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington.
But still others are offering solace to help us face a continually stressful world: Eitan Eats the World: New Comfort Classics to Cook Right Now by Eitan Bernath and Ammu: Indian Home Cooking to Nourish Your Soul by Asma Khan.
So now it’s time to spring into action: Buy some of these wonderful books (or borrow them from the library) and start cooking, baking, eating, drinking, dreaming, learning — the possibilities are limitless!
Skinny Vermicelli: Tomato Lime Shrimp Cold Noodle Salad
“There’s something about a citrus-forward cold noodle salad that can cool you right down,” Stephanie and Mike Le, creators of the site i am a food blog, write about this tart, tangy dish. It’s “better than air conditioning on a hot day.”
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 Thai chili, stemmed and sliced (optional)
⅛ to ¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 bundles (3 ounces each) rice vermicelli threads
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 or 3 ribs celery, cut diagonally into 2-inch strips (see note)
1 pint mini heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
Crispy fried onions, for garnish
1 small shallot, thinly sliced, for garnish
Make the dressing: Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, sugar, and Thai chili, if using, into a paste. (Alternatively, finely mince the garlic and chili into a fine paste, then add the sugar.) Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, and ½ cup water. Set aside.
Cook the vermicelli according to the package directions. Drain, rinse in cold running water, then drain well.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Boil the shrimp until plump, pink, and firm, 2 to 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer them to the ice water bath. Once cool, drain well.
Place the noodles in a large serving bowl and trim into 4-inch strips; add the shrimp, celery, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions. Drizzle with the dressing to taste and toss to combine, top with the fried onions and shallot, then serve immediately.
Note: Celery leaves are deliciously delicate and complex. If your celery comes with the leaves attached, you should totally add them to the salad.
Yield: Serves 4
Source: Excerpted and adapted from That Noodle Life by Stephanie and Michael Le. Workman Publishing © 2022.
Alu Bukara Korma (Lamb with Dried Plums)
This tender and fragrant stew is “[spicy], tangy .... Its flavour is incredibly deep and rich — it’ll be unlike any dish you’ve tried before,” writes British-Indian chef and author Romy Gill.
7 ounces dried plums/prunes, washed
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods, seeds crushed
18 ounces boneless leg of lamb, cut into ¾-inch chunks
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder (see note)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
½-ounce garlic, crushed to a paste
1 small shallot, crushed to a paste
2 teaspoons tamarind paste, dissolved in 2 cups water
Steamed rice, to serve
Soak the dried plums/prunes in lukewarm water for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid over a high heat, add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and crushed cardamom seeds and cook for 1 minute, then add the lamb and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until browned all over.
Add the chilli powder, ginger, turmeric, salt, garlic paste, shallot paste, and tamarind water, along with the drained dried plums. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes until the meat is tender and the gravy has thickened.
Leave to rest for at least 1 hour. Reheat before serving with steamed rice.
Note: If Kashmiri chilli is unavailable, combine paprika (smoked or not) with some cayenne pepper.
Yield: Serves 4
Source: Adapted from Romy Gill, On the Himalayan Trail
Mackles’mores
They’re “bursting with melted chocolate and mini marshmallows,” writes Allyson Reedy about these seductively decadent treats from Seattle-based baker Robin Wehl Martin of Hello Robin Cookies. “Eat them warm and toasty, like you would a traditional s’more.”
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounce dark chocolate (70%), cut into chunks, or chips
1 cup packed mini marshmallows
54 graham cracker squares
15 ounces milk chocolate squares (i.e.: Hershey’s bars)
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.
Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed for 15 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the dark chocolate and marshmallows.
Scoop and roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on one of the prepared baking sheets. Freeze for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Place the graham crackers side by side on the second prepared baking sheet. Place 1 ball of the frozen cookie dough on each graham cracker. Bake until the cookies are puffed and just turning golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately press 1 piece of milk chocolate onto each hot cookie — don’t be afraid to really squish it down so that when it melts, it puddles on the cookie and doesn’t run off.
Yield: Makes about 4½ cookies
Source: Adapted from Robin Wehl Martin in Allyson Reedy’s 50 Things to Bake Before You Die
First Published May 22, 2022, 11:00 a.m.
