Hello Meltingpot Readers,
So, most of us are stuck at home riddled with worry and/or bored and restless. What’s a shut-in to do to pass the time? Apparently, many of us are channeling our inner Julia Child as evidenced by the fact that flour is flying off the shelves all over America. Yes, stress baking has begun.
Personally, I’m avoiding stress baking because I don’t want what comes with stress baking, stress weight gain. But who am I kidding? El esposo keeps baking bread and son #2 has pledged to bake something new every week. Last week it was brownies. This week it was chocolate chip cookies. And yes, I’m eating it all. But with two hungry teens in the house, they usually eat things so fast, I couldn’t over indulge even if I wanted to.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not spending a lot of time in the kitchen. I’ve been making soups, stews and salads that I normally would never take the time to make. Because I’m not usually a recipe person – I’m more of an intuitive chef – I’ve kind of come to the end of my culinary inventions. So, I’m about to turn to the gorgeous collection of cookbooks I have for more ideas and inspiration.
Here are some delightful, award-winning, multicultural cookbooks you might want to check out for some culinary inspiration during these dark days indoors.
Indian-Ish Comfort Food
Indian-Ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family. by Priya Krishna. Named by the New York Times as one of the best cookbooks of 2019. Described as “ one-of-a-kind Indian-American hybrids that are easy to make, clever, practical, and packed with flavor. Think Roti Pizza, Tomato Rice with Crispy Cheddar, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Pea Chutney, and Malaysian Ramen.”
Black History in a Cookbook
Jubliee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton Martin. Another award-winning title with this description; “With more than 100 recipes, from classics such as Sweet Potato Biscuits, Seafood Gumbo, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Pecan Pie with Bourbon to lesser-known but even more decadent dishes like Bourbon & Apple Hot Toddies, Spoon Bread, and Baked Ham Glazed with Champagne, Jubilee presents techniques, ingredients, and dishes that show the roots of African American cooking–deeply beautiful, culturally diverse, fit for celebration.”
Vegan Soul Food
Vegan Soul Cookbook by Bryant Terry. I used to think cooking vegan meals took too much time. But time is all we got, so now might be the perfect time to try some of these recipes out. Here’s a description of what’s in store: ” One of the foremost voices in food activism and justice, Bryant Terry brings soul food back to its roots with plant-based, farm-to-table, real food recipes that leave out heavy salt and refined sugar, “bad” fats, and unhealthy cooking techniques, and leave in the down-home flavor.”
Afro-Asian Fusion Food
Between Harlem and Heaven by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls. When you think fusion cooking, does Afro-Asian come to mind? If not, you need to check out this James Beard Award-winning cookbook that brings together two cuisines many wouldn’t think belong together. From the reviews, ” Through inspiring recipes that have survived the Middle Passage to seamlessly embrace Asian influences, this book is a testimony to the fact that food transcends borders.”
Native American Re-Imagined
The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman. What do you think of when you think of Native American cuisine? Many of us fall back on stereotypes and/or a blank page. Sean Sherman is an Oglala Lakota chef who wants to change all that. “Sherman dispels outdated notions of Native American fare–no fry bread or Indian tacos here–and no European staples such as wheat flour, dairy products, sugar, and domestic pork and beef. The Sioux Chef’s healthful plates embrace venison and rabbit, river and lake trout, duck and quail, wild turkey, blueberries, sage, sumac, timpsula or wild turnip, plums, purslane, and abundant wildflowers.”
Are you hungry yet? Inspired? A little bit of both? Everyone is talking about using these days of forced isolation to learn something new. How about you order one of these cookbooks and take yourself to another world of good food and new flavors.
If you do decide to have fun in the kitchen, tell me about it in a comment below.
Peace!
(P.S. All of the books linked on this page come from the new independent online bookstore, Bookshop. Bookshop was created so independent bookstores could compete with Amazon and offer book sales online. So, please consider purchasing from Bookshop if you’re so inclined. If you do purchase any of the books from my page, please note, I am a Bookshop affiliate and will receive a small commission from every sale. It will not affect your purchase price, nor the amount that automatically goes to support indie bookstores.)
