Always a questionable pursuit -- picking favorite anything! So here are some of the cookbooks I thought of today when I picked some favorites! These weren't necessarily published this year one, in fact is from 1946! They just resonated with me - most all of them contain that elusive mix of amazing food and wonderful stories that bring moments around the table to life.
- Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink
- Slow Noodles
- Food to Die For: Recipes and Stories from America's Most Legendary Haunted Places
- The Italian Summer Kitchen: Timeless Recipes for La Dolce Vita
- The Malaysian Cookbook
- The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope
- A World of Hearty Soup
- The Kitchen Commune: Meals to Heal and Nourish Everyone at Your Table
Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink by Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. Victor Bergeron, Jr. was ,in his own words, a "saloon keeper." He started a small restaurant in Oakland called Hinky Drinks in 1934, which was later renamed Trader Vic's and became a multi-national tiki-themed restaurant chain. His voice is so loud and clear in his stories and recipes that you can imagine him standing right next to you telling you
"I'm not going to tell you how to give any kind of party other than the kind I know about and enjoy. The Emily Pos stuff is not for me. I don't give one good goddam whether the fork is on the left side of the plate or underneath it or whether the bread and butter plate is to the left or the right. In my joint your lucky to have any space left on the table for one at all."
Sections are: About Booze; About Parties; About Food in General, and you will find A Feast in Tahiti, A Luau on the Mainland, and A Chinese Dinner in the Trader Vic's Manner. And should you celebrate too much, there is a chapter about that, too! The Butterflies, Whips, and Jingles, or What is Commonly Known as the Hangover.
This book was one the books that brought me to vintage cookbooks and I will probably always have it in my annual list of favorites! [United States: Doubleday, 1946.] Back to top
Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon. This beautifully written and haunting food memoir tells the story of strength and resilience in the most horrific circumstances. Raised in Cambodia in the 1960s, she remembers her early years before Pol Pot took power in 1975 and her world was upended. It is the story of how humans find hope and connection and a future even when all seems lost. The audiobook is just as wonderful as the print version, and Nguon incudes a number of her family recipes that reflect her life and its journeys. Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes. [United States: Little, Brown, 2024.] Back to top
Food to Die For: Recipes and Stories from America's Most Legendary Haunted Places by Amy Bruni and Julie Tremaine. A culinary journey through some of America's "most haunted places," this book has the stories and the recipes. Some of my favorites:
- A Ghostly Vieux Cocktail from The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado
- Crustless Jack and Red Pepper Quiche from The Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California
- Legendary Potatoes from the Lighthouse Inn in New London, Connecticut
- Scallopini Imbotti from the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California
I am so hoping for an international version of this one! [United States: Harper Celebrate, 2024.] Back to top
The Italian Summer Kitchen: Timeless Recipes for La Dolce Vita by Cathy Whims. Maybe it's because Arizona has summer for 8 months, but this is on my permanent list of books to cook from. I also love the way it is illustrated. Some of my favorite books have these lovely watercolor illustrations that help my imagination roam free when it comes to plating and serving my creations. You'll love the fresh flavors of Sage and Black Bean Soup with Bruschetta; Funghi Verde Pizza (perfect for grilling, too!); and a slew of granitas and semifreddo's to round out your summer meal. [United States: Countryman Press, 2025.] Back to top
The Malaysian Cookbook. This was a thrift store find and I am so glad I picked this one up! Very authentic flavors from There are some recipes that might require a trip to your local Asian supermarkets, but many of the recipes can be prepared with things you find at your regular grocery store. The illustrations are lovely and I'm ready to dig back into this book in 2026. (you might need to google some of the Malay names for ingredients, but this is what makes this book so much fun!) [Malaysia: Vista Productions Culinary Division, 1976.] Back to top
The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope. by José Andrés. The work this organization has done to help communities in distress has touched my very soul and it is one of the organizations that Booklady Cooks helps with modest donations throughout the year. Starting in Haiti and moving around the globe, this team of chefs, cooks and local volunteers makes sure to cook wonderful, life and soul sustaining meals to communities suffering natural disasters and war. The cookbook shares recipes (for feeding families, not thousands!) from some of the communities they have helped.
The sections are organized by qualities Andrés sees in the communities they visit and the people who serve and are served by the World Central Kitchen.
- Empathy: Braises and Other Long Cooks
- Urgency: Sandwiches, Arepas and Food on the Go
- Adaption: Sheet Pans, Paella Pans and Variations
- Hope: Stews, Soups, and Warming Meals
- Community: Dishes to Share with Family and Friends
- Resilience: Dishes to Suspport Farmers, Fishers and Small Food Producers
- Joy: Sweets, Drinks, and Recipes for Celebrating
- Building Blocks: Accompaniments, Sauces and Bases
[United Kingdom: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 2023.] Back to top
A World of Hearty Soup by John Philips Cranwell. After traveling the world as a journalist and employee of the CIA, John Philips Cranwell wrote several cookbooks sharing recipes and stories from around the world. His voice is evident in every recipe and this book is as much fun to read as it is to cook from.
Each recipe suggests wine or accompanying beverages, breads and salads to make a complete meal from these lovely soups. Chapters are arranged geographically and a few family favorites are:
- Clam Chowder Miles Standish
- Soup Lakhanika
- Cristobal Stew
[United States: Funk & Wagnalls, 1969] Back to top
The Kitchen Commune: Meals to Heal and Nourish Everyone at Your Table by Chay Wike This book is about food as community - especially when that community involves people who have specialized diet needs. Wike gives tips and methods to preparing a table for sharing, a table for healing and a table for community. Some of her principles are:
- Sauce It - use sauces to tie together a meal and bring people together even if they can't eat everything on the table
- Cook for the week - double batch things to adapt later
- Think in Threes - 3 simple dishes instead of one. Beans, roast chicken and a salad.
- Find Your Go-To-dishes
- Source the best ingredients
- Go Alternative - find a few really good allergen-free ingredients and stick with those.
- Bring on the healthy fats! Olives, olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, avocodos, nuts and seeds
- Deconstruct Dishes (Burritos for example) to allow those with allergies to construct the version that works for them
- Set the table with simple, beautiful things
- Be kind and curious without judgement for "healthful, more mindful eating.
[United States: Flashpoint Books, 2024] Back to top
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