The Immigrant Cookbook

Food has always brought us together and our families’ culinary heritage is a part of who we are.  Food memories are some of our most salient memories.  Almost everyone has a handful that bring them back to a warm kitchen with one or more family members bent over a boiling pot on the stove and hurriedly chopping a pungent something or another on the butcher block.  In The Immigrant Cookbook, the contributing chefs share their families’ stories, their food and their hearts.  It’s a celebration of diversity and who we are as a country.

The recipes in The Immigrant Cookbook were collected and edited by Leyla Moushabeck and published by Interlink Books.

Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel and The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook

All the charm, delight and spirit of Anne in a modern format—a graphic novel.  This well-paced adaptation is a lovely way to introduce young readers to the beloved heroine we’ve known and loved since our own childhoods—with her foibles, stubbornness, penchant for unintended mischief and also her perseverance, zeal, creativity, ingenuity, limitless imagination, steadfast loyalty and her endless search to find beauty in the world—and how that impacted and inspired those around her.  It’s a perfect pairing with a cookbook of recipes based on famous and infamous (ahem, raspberry cordial) foods from the series including some recipes from the kitchen of author Lucy Maud Montgomery.  A plate of ruby tea biscuits, pot of hot tea and steady supply of Anne books sound like the makings of a cozy afternoon, no?

Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel was adapted by Mariah Marsden, illustrated by Brenna Thummler and published by Amp! Comics for Kids (Andrews McMeel Publishing).

The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook: Charming Recipes From Anne and Her Friends in Avonlea was written by Kate Macdonald (L. M. Montgomery’s granddaughter) and published by Race Point Publishing.

ingreedies and the forest feast for kids

Two brilliant cookbooks for the young aspiring chef and their families.

The Ingreedies take you on a unique trip around the world, one dish at a time, combining gastronomy and storytelling.  The book features illustrated maps, curiosities, adventures, culinary points of interest from each continent and thirteen recipes that families can cook together, like British cheesy chivy pie, Moroccan chicken stew, French pear tarte tatin and American haddock chowder.  A team of ingredient hunters (the Ingreedies) teaches kids about the culture, history, geography and science surrounding the food we eat, like how Swedes preserve their food, what kinds of plants are edible in the Amazonian rainforest and how Australians cast their line to catch their dinner.

The Forest Feast for Kids is a gorgeous and thoughtful approach to fruit and vegetable-centric recipes for children.  Beautiful and rustic food, photography, hand lettering, watercolors and illustrations by Erin Gleeson.

Around the World with the Ingreedies: A Taste Adventure was written and illustrated by Zoë Bather, Joe Sharpe and Chris Dickason, and published by Laurence King.  The Forest Feast for Kids was written by Erin Gleeson and published by Abrams Books.

come in, we're closed

There's a scene in one of my favorite films, Mostly Martha—the staff meal—a relaxed, convivial and familial time in contrast to the mad rush and clamor of dinner service.  Come In, We’re Closed is an insight into the chefs of some of the most iconic restaurants in the world and the meaning and philosophy behind the meals they serve to the heart and soul of their establishment—their staff.

“Staff meals seem to offer a different view of the professional kitchen.  A way to go behind the scenes only to discover that the old adage is true: ’To cook well, one must eat well.’  So when I visit restaurants, I am always wondering what dishes are being made for the kitchen and dining room staff?  What menus are planned?  For after all, how can people who serve food to others not eat fantastically?”  From the foreword by Ferran Adrià.

The Arzak and Mugaritz chapters resonated with me the most because I lived in Spain for a year and have traveled through the Basque country a bit (and of course hope to be back).

“‘Basques are powerful people.  We need powerful food,’ says the silver-haired Juan Mari, a chef in his late sixties who radiates such sincere kindness, you can’t help feeling like you are the most valued diner in his care.  The third generation in his family to run the restaurant, Juan Mari explains that the 4 p.m. family meal always features traditional Basque dishes: ‘To remind us where we came from.’”  From Juan Mari of Arzak.

Written by Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy.  Published by Running Press.