BookTrib is partnering with Bookish to bring you more great content, including this article on the best cookbooks featuring foods from around the world.
The best part of traveling is getting to explore a new place and embrace the food, people, and culture. The worst part? It can be expensive. So this season we’re bringing some of your favorite travel destinations to you. Here are eight cookbooks that will bring the stories and flavors of different countries right into your kitchen. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to cook!
Luke Nguyen’s Street Food Asia
Chef Luke Nguyen, the King of Street Food, takes readers across Asia in this delectable cookbook. Instead of sitting down in restaurants, Nguyen explores the street food culture of four different cities. Readers travel through Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, and Nguyen provides great stories and recipes each step of the way.
Julie Taboulie’s Lebanese Kitchen
Who doesn’t love Lebanese food? Whether you’ve just discovered falafel or you’re well-versed in Mediterranean food and ready to up your baba ghanouj game, there’s something in this book for everyone. We think you’ll find these recipes fresh, delicious, and not overly complicated to make. Put down the store-bought hummus, and get ready to make your own; it’s going to be so much better. We’re hungry just thinking about it.
The Desserts of New York
Food writer Yasmin Newman had a dream to eat her way around New York City (don’t we all?). In this book, she brings readers along on her journey to try the very best desserts that the Big Apple has to offer—everything from the classic black and white cookie to the cronut. The book includes 50 recipes, so readers can try their hand at making these scrumptious treats. Locals will definitely want to set aside time to retrace Newman’s steps, and future visitors will want to add this book to their stack of New York travel guides.
Acquacotta
Are you dreaming of a getaway to the Italian coast? How does Tuscany sound? We thought so. Escape to Italy with Emiko Davies via the pages of this cookbook. The recipes contained therein are divided into sections by where the ingredients come from: the woods, the water, the farmhouse, the vegetable patch… you get the picture. This cookbook is a great way to learn to prepare beautiful but unfussy food that focuses on great ingredients. As you turn the pages, we bet you’ll almost feel the Tuscan sun on your face.
A Cook’s Tour of France
French chef Gabriel Gaté is your perfect foodie tour guide. In this cookbook, he takes readers to different regions in France to show off the best food the country has to offer. There’s ratatouille, cheese fondue, crepes, and more delicious recipes in store for at-home chefs. If you have a craving for French cuisine, but can’t hop on a plane just yet, we’d recommend this book as a substitute.
Lisbon
Travel to beautiful Portugal with Rebecca Seal’s cookbook, Lisbon. Get ready to bite into some tempura green beans, or sink your teeth into a salt cod croquette with piri piri mayonnaise. These recipes are as diverse and fascinating as the city of Lisbon itself, and they sure cost less than airfare. The beautiful photographs don’t hurt either. Just think: If you run out and buy this book today, you could be cooling off with a melon and mint soup by this time tomorrow.
Smoke and Pickles
If you want American Southern cooking with a twist, pick up chef Edward Lee’s cookbook. Lee was raised in Brooklyn, New York by Korean immigrants, and now lives in Louisville, Kentucky. He shares the inspiration his family and roots have on his cooking, and the recipes inventively blend styles together in delicious ways. The Bookish team has personally made his chicken and waffles, and they are to die for.
The Fire of Peru
Ricardo Zarate knows Peruvian food, and in this cookbook, he’s bringing it to his readers’ kitchens. Are you hankering for some Peruvian-style sushi? No sweat. Are you jonesing for some Lomo Saltado, or beef stir-fry? You’re covered. This book blends history, culture, and family memories with delectable recipes that will leave readers with plenty of recipes to try and food for thought.
