Monday, November 16, 2015

2015 Holiday Gift Guide: 10 Cookbooks for the Global Gourmand

These unique international cookbooks are sure to please foodies, travelers, and adventurous home chefs alike! Pin to save for your shopping list, and read more details below:




These ten cookbooks span the globe and would be a welcome addition to any kitchen shelf!


Paperback, $19.95

1. The Ghana Cookbook
     Fran Osseo-Asare and Barbara Baëta

“ . . . destined to become an African culinary classic.”
—Jessica B. Harris, author of The Africa Cookbook

Ghana’s cuisine is vibrant, healthful and eminently appealing, with plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options too. Ghana is becoming a popular travel destination and its cuisine has caught the attention of celebrity chefs and food writers from Anthony Bourdain to Tim Carman. These 140 recipes cover the best of Ghana’s culinary offerings—from Jollof Rice to Palm Nut Soup loaded with seafood, meat and vegetables—and feature “African superfoods” such as dried hibiscus flowers, tamarind, red palm oil and egusi melon seeds.





Hardcover, $22.50
2. Latin Twist: 
Traditional & Modern Cocktails
Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack and Vianney Rodriguez

New from the co-author of Muy Bueno!

For the mixologist or party planner on your list, this is the only cocktail book that celebrates the signature drinks of all 18 Latin American countries and Spain. There is a drink in this book for every occasion--and season! Try holiday favorites like creamy Coquito, Mexican Christmas Punch, or warming Canelazo from Ecuador. Bookmark the luscious Passion Fruit Caipirinha from Brazil, Chile's fruity Borgoña, or a Mezcal Paloma for warm weather. Clear instructions and gorgeous color photos make it easy to mix up a glass or pitcher of crowd-pleasing cocktails.





Paperback, $22.50
3. The Kerala Kitchen
Lathika George

If you’re looking for a different kind of Indian cookbook, this distinctive cookbook-memoir gives you a taste of one of India’s most celebrated cuisines. Once Kerala lured seafarers and spice traders. Today ayurvedic massage resorts and backwater cruises make Kerala a top tourist destination, but spices still draw both travelers and gourmands to its rich culinary heritage. Kerala native Lathika George captures the flavors of the Syrian Christian community in Kerala through 150 delectable recipes and the unforgettable stories that accompany them.




Paperback, $18.95

4. Estonian Tastes and Traditions
Karin Annus Karner

The simple, satisfying cuisine of Estonia, the northernmost of the Baltic nations, is waiting to be discovered. At its heart are staples such as potatoes, pork, preserved fish, and dark bread. Sauces are made from milk, sour cream, or cottage cheese and the main flavorings are salt and pepper, onions, and fresh herbs. Estonians still observe the old culinary traditions. Christmas Eve (Jõululaupäev) is still celebrated with roast pork (seapraad), blood sausage (verivorstid), sweetbreads (magussaiad), and gingersnap cookies (piparkoogid). With numerous recipes for hearty breads, pancakes, sauces and satisfying stews and entrees, this cookbook brings the best of the Baltic to your table!


Hardcover, $35 | Paperback, $22.50

5. Muy Bueno: 
Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor
Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, Veronica Gonzalez, Evangelina Soza

Celebrate family and heritage with this bestselling Hippocrene cookbook!

"Siéntate a comer, esta muy bueno! Sit down and eat, it’s very good!"
     This was how Jesusita Mendias-Soza always welcomed guests to her table. The same words served as inspiration for her daughter Evangelina and granddaughters Yvette and Veronica, who wanted to honor her memory and preserve their family's recipes and stories for their children.
Fans of the Muy Bueno Cookbook blog will enjoy this collection of flavorful Mexican recipes, heartwarming family stories, and beautiful photography. Spanning three generations, Muy Bueno offers over 100 recipes: traditional old-world northern Mexican recipes from Jesusita's kitchen; comforting south of the border home-style dishes from Evangelina; and innovative Latin fusion recipes from Yvette and Veronica. Also includes a chile glossary with photos and guide to the Mexican pantry.








 



Hardcover, $35

6. Healthy South Indian Cooking
Alamelu Vairavan and Particia Marquardt

A must-have for fans of Alamelu's cooking show!

Want to cook Indian food at home, but feel overwhelmed by the spices and ingredients? Fans of Alamelu Vairavan’s PBS cooking show “Healthful Indian Flavors with Alamelu” have already discovered that Indian recipes are healthier and easier to prepare than they ever dreamed. And in her signature cookbook, Alamelu breaks it down for beginners—demystifying ingredients and offering simple recipes for delicious, flavorful and nutritious Indian foods, including plenty of vegetables, dals (legumes), and rice dishes from her native South India. This is the perfect book to begin your Indian cooking journey!


Hardcover, $24.95
7. Sicilian Feasts: Expanded Edition
Giovann Bella La Marca

Giovanna La Marca is everyone’s favorite Sicilian grandmother, passing down classic recipes from her family to yours!


Sicilian Feasts was born out of her love for her native Sicily. La Marca uses simple methods and readily available ingredients to teach the straightforward and delectable everyday cooking of Sicily. The history, customs, and folklore, as well as the flavorful and varied cuisine of her beautiful Mediterranean island are well represented in these recipes and stories.







Hardcover, $35
8. Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors
Rinku Bhattacharya

For the gardener or farmer’s market enthusiast on your list!

Author Rinku Bhattacharya combines her two great loves-- Indian cooking and sustainable living--to give readers a simple, accessible way to cook seasonally, locally, and flavorfully. Inspired by the bounty of local produce, mostly from her own backyard, Rinku set out to create recipes for busy, time-strapped home cooks who want to blend Indian flavors into nutritious family meals. Arranged in chapters from appetizers through desserts, the cookbook includes everything from small bites, soups, seafood, meat and poultry, and vegetables, to condiments, breads, and sweets. You'll find recipes for tempting fare like Mango and Goat Cheese Mini Crisps, Roasted Red Pepper Chutney, Crisped Okra with Dry Spice Rub, Smoky Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Puree, and Red Harvest Masala Cornish Hens, to name a few.


Hardcover, $29.95
9. The New Ukrainian Cookbook
Annette Ogrodnik Corona

Hearty, satisfying classics with a few modern twists!

This Gourmand Award-winning cookbook introduces readers to the fresh foods, exquisite tastes, hospitality and generous spirit of the Ukrainian table. From classics like regional varieties of Ukrainian Borshch (red beet soup), Chicken Kyiv, and Holubtsi (stuffed cabbage rolls), to lesser-known specialties like Crispy-Fried Quail with Orange Rind and Honey, and Crimean Fish Cakes, there is something for every palate. The author explores the cuisine of her ancestors, delving into its origins and history and continuing the story into present-day Ukraine. Scattered amongst the recipes are quotes, poems, historical facts, folklore, and illustrations, creating a unique culinary exploration.



Paperback, $19.95
10. Sweet Hands: 
Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago
Ramin Ganeshram

Callalloo and Buss Up Shut, Mother-in-Law and Kuchela, Chip Chip and Doubles. The verbiage of Trinidad's cuisine is both lyrical and mysterious. The variety of foods from this Caribbean nation and their fanciful names tell the story of a rich and eclectic cultural heritage. A British colony from 1779 until 1962, during those years Trinidad & Tobago's population grew to include East Indian and Chinese indentured servants who worked in the sugar plantations alongside former slaves. Trinidadian food is marked by the blending of these cultures. As such, curry, Indian breads, callalloo (a soup of West African origin), and fried rice are all among the national dishes. Recipes for these dishes can be found, along with many others, such as Shrimp Creole, Beef Stew with Dumplings, and Ginger Beer.