Favorite Cookbooks

These are some of my favorite cookbooks in my library.


Indian

1,000 Indian Recipes  by Neelam Batra
Several years ago I tried some of the recipes in this book and was impressed with only one.  For years I was temped to prune it from my library, but in the last year I gave it a second chance and now can't imagine living without it.  This is my go-to book for flavorful North Indian dals, none of which have disappointed.


World of the East Vegetarian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey
This is really more of an international cookbook, but the author is a famous Indian cookbook author.  I have a couple of her cookbooks, but this is the one I come back to again and again for ideas.  The book contains recipes (some slightly vegatarianized) from India, South Korea, Japan, the Phillipines, China, and the Middle East.  Some of my favorite Indian vegetable dishes have come out of this book.  It is also an excellent first book for the aspiring international cook because it includes recipes for the most common Korean kimchis, simple Chinese noodle dishes, Indian flatbreads, etc.


The Bengal Lancers Indian Cookbook by Mohan Chablani and Brahm N. Dixit
This book may be out of print.  It's the first cookbook I owned, having bought it from a book sale at a local library that was pruning its collection.  I especially love the lamb dishes and pulaos from this book.


Thai

Real Thai:  The Best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancie McDermott
This cookbook has some wonderful recipes that are practical for the American kitchen.  We've loved almost every recipe we've made (although some of the chilli and fish sauce dips can be a bit strong for my taste, although it's probably authentic).

Chinese

Stir-frying to the Sky's Edge:  The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories by Grace Young
For Christmas I bought myself this cookbook and a carbon steel wok (the author strongly recommends one for the recipes).  This book is full of the light, quick, and surprisingly tasty (given the few ingredients involved) Chinese dishes that my Chinese friend in college used to make.  Not the gloopy kind found in most Chinese restaurants catering to American tastes.  What really intrigued me about this book, however, is the recipes from countries outside of China.  It explores how other cultures have adapted Chinese food to their own tastes, including recipes for Indian Chicken Manchurian and Chili Chicken.  (Believe it or not, Indians LOVE their own Chinese food!)

American

The 100 Greatest Cajun Recipes by Jude W. Theriot
My husband and I recently went to New Orleans to see the sights and sample the Cajun fare.  Unfortunately, we were often pretty disappointed, not wanting to go to expensive restaurants and thinking we could pick out "hidden gems" on Yelp.  I bought this cookbook on a whim at a historic plantation gift shop as a souvenir for myself.  Little did I know that, there in that giftshop, I had discovered everything I dreamed Cajun cooking could be.  My husband and I haven't found a single recipe in this book we didn't love.  And the Cajun spice mix is well worth the effort to make!

Persian

Food of Life:  Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies by Najmieh Batmanglij
I actually knew very little about Persian food, but my husband and I tried a Persian restaurant and discovered that they also have "curries" that they call khoreshes, distantly related to Moroccan tagine dishes.    I bought this book for the khoreshes but have learned so much more.  I can't say I've liked all the recipes I tried, but the ones I did like took me to a whole new world, filled with cinnamon, dried limes, dried roses, orange blossom water, and saffron.  Try the butternut squash and prune khoresh (with lamb) and you'll never be the same.