I Can't Resist a Cookbook
I Can't Resist a Cookbook
Top 5 favorite cookbooks from my personal collection, the ones I use, the ones I never, the ones I still need to explore, and the ones I wish to add.
The first cookbook I bought was The Kinfolk Table. This was back in 2013 when I was living and studying in Miami. This period of my life was when my interest in cooking was born. Last year I wrote about it here.
The Kinfolk Table is still one of the most beautiful cookbooks. My favorite lentil recipe is in that book. I'm trying to remember which cookbook I bought next. It might've been Dinning In by Alison Roman or the Jack's Wife Frieda cookbook. When I finished my studies in Miami, I went back to Guatemala. Buying cookbooks in Guatemala is complicated. You can’t find them because no one sells them. You have to order them, and that can get expensive. Or you can buy them when you travel, which I did. When I moved to California, I began growing my collection. Here in the USA, you can get everything with a click of a button. I still find this fantastic.
My collection is small, but it's grown enough to be called a collection. Some books I buy because they are beautiful, and that's it. I might never use them, and I'm ok with that. I used to feel guilty, but not anymore. Then there are books I bought thinking I would love them, just to find out the contrary. And finally, there are books that I buy and constantly go back to. Those are the winners, the protagonists of today's newsletter.
Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
When I moved to the United States in 2020, one of the two books I brought from Guatemala was Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. I was obsessed with her Netflix show, so I had to buy the book. It's an excellent book. It's educating, beautifully illustrated, and packed with delicious recipes. The Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken recipe is my favorite.
The Art of Simple Cooking by Alice Waters
The Art of Simple Cooking was the second book I brought from Guatemala. This book was a gift from my sister-in-law. What a great gift! Thank you, Mirna. Whenever I don't know how to make something simple, I turn to the mother of the farm-to-table movement. It includes all the essentials you need to know for simple yet delicious cooking. No crazy ingredients you can't find at your local supermarket (this drives me crazy.) If you're starting your cooking journey, I highly recommend this book.
Twelve Recipes by Cal Peternell
It’s interesting how two of my favorite books were written by individuals who come from the school of Alice Waters. Both Samin Nosrat and Cal Peternell worked at Chez Panisse. The book is beautiful and incredibly easy. Very approachable everyday cooking. Recipes for the family. My favorite braised chicken recipe is in this book, as well as my favorite mayonnaise recipe. I always go back to this practical book.
Lemon Love and Olive Oil by Mina Stone
This book is by far the one that I go back to the most. Mina Stone has a gift for simplicity. But just because the recipes are simple doesn't mean they are not scrumptious. I have cooked so many recipes from this book. Her salty and sweet olive oil maple granola with vanilla coconut milk and blueberries will blow your senses. My husband can’t have enough of it.
Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi is the king of vegetables. All his recipes are delicious, but his vegetable recipes are supreme. My favorite vegetable recipe is the whole roasted cauliflower with green tahini sauce. I go back to this book all the time. It’s reliable. I can always find something great in it. Something great that is healthy.
Cookbooks I bought that never use
Nothing against these books. They are excellent books; it’s just that I never use them, and maybe I never will. They keep my collection looking pretty.
Most recent buy
My most recent purchase is Bright Cooking by Camille Becerra, but it's a pre-order, so I'll receive it in the mail around June or July. Camille recently started a Substack newsletter called Bright Cooking, like her book, featuring lessons and assignments on cooking, eating, and feeding. If you're into cooking or want to learn from someone as talented as Camille, you should subscribe. I'm already subscribed and waiting for my book.
Recent buys I still need to explore
I haven't been in a huge mood to cook lately, but I know I will soon because of God, and when I do, I'm diving into these books.
Books I still want to add to my collection
Honestly, I don’t know. I’ll usually go to the bookstore and see what catches my interest. Perhaps the Apartamento Cookbook or anything from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen. I do have my heart set on the Yiayia cookbook by Anastasia Miari. I’m very much into Greek cuisine.
Cookbooks are the only thing I collect (and overalls, lol). Even if I don’t cook anything from them, I still love to sit down and go through the pages. I love to read cookbooks. When I buy one, I can’t wait to sit down and read it. Do you have a favorite cookbook that you always go back to? If you have any suggestions?
That's it for today, guys. Go buy a cookbook. If you don't like to cook, then Cooking For Artists by Mina Stone makes a beautiful coffee table book.
Thank you for being here. I love you. You are made for greatness. You are full of can-do power. The world needs what you have.
But you have made me as strong as a wild ox. You have anointed me with the finest oil.
Psalm 92:10
xoxo
MC