For children showing signs of culinary precocity, “Good Housekeeping 1,2,3 Cook!: My First Cookbook” (Hearst Home, $22) You can get them started with tasty treat lessons and full meals, even adults can have fun helping.
Pleaser with the crowd of savvy bloggers
Internet superstar Deb Perelman earned her credibility by making sure the recipes she shared from her tiny New York kitchen were as foolproof as they were enticing. Her third cookbook, “Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Archives” (Knopf, $35), it’s full of fresh, simple dishes designed to stand the test of time, from the Blueberry Pancake Cobbler to the Oven-Braised Beef with Harissa.
Alpharetta blogger Suzy Karadsheh’s first cookbook “The Mediterranean dish: 120 daring and healthy recipes that you will make again and again” (Potter, $32.50), features easy-to-make family recipes rooted in her Egyptian upbringing, with creative twists that have won over her suburban neighbors along with some 5 million followers. He made dozens of them while working with her as her collaborator, and every one was a hit, from the Chicken Shawarma Bowls to the Grilled Zucchini with Dukkah.
Two Legends Baking Help
New York pastry chef Claudia Fleming’s 2001 book “The Last Plate” became a cult hit in the food industry that won over home cooks when it was relaunched in 2019. “Delicious: sweet and salty pastries” (Random House, $40) is a cozy new collection of treats—cookies, layer cakes, cobblers, and everything in between—designed for any skill set.
Rose Levy Beranbaum, whose 1988 classic “The Cake Bible” remains a bestseller, has now applied her characteristically precise instructions to sweets both homey and sophisticated at “The Biscuit Bible” (Harvest, $35).
Three new takes on soul food
The story of American food could not be told without acknowledging the contributions of enslaved Southern cooks. A growing number of their descendants are adding rich new layers to that story. Jernard Wells, an Atlanta-based chef and host of CLEO TV’s New Soul Kitchen, shows off the modernized conveniences he cooks for his family of 11 on “Southern Inspiration: Over 100 Delicious Dishes From My American Table To Yours” (BenBellaBooks, $26.95), with dishes like Oxtails and Bowties and Mother of Love Strawberry Lemon Zest Bundt Cake.
“Tanya Holland’s California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West” (Ten Speed, $35) traces the origin story of the acclaimed Oakland restaurateur and podcaster through the Great Migration to the Golden State, with recipes like Homemade Benne Seed Olive Oil Biscuits with Black-eyed Pea Sauce and honey lavender chess cake.
In “Tribute: Recipes and Stories from an Amish Soul Food Kitchen” (Chronicle, $35), New York restaurateur and “Top Chef” finalist Chris Scott describes growing up in a small black community in the Pennsylvania Dutch country, with innovations like Okra Chow-Chow and Shoofly Pie Ice Cream inspired by two disparate cultures.
International Comfort Foods
Vicky Bennison’s heartwarming YouTube videos of nonnas making pasta in home kitchens across Italy became a James Beard Award-winning book and now has a sequel. Still heavy on the dough, “Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking” by Vicky Benison (Hardie Grant, $32.50) also includes pizza, cakes and rice dishes.
In “Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook” (Ten speed, $32.50), Former San Francisco Chronicle food columnist Illyanna Maisonet offers a raw and colorful perspective on her native cooking traditions, with unpretentious recipes like Mami’s Chicken Soup with Bisquick Meatballs and Skewers with Guava BBQ Sauce.
“Budmo! Recipes of a Ukrainian cuisine” (Rizzoli’s, $39.95) is San Francisco food blogger and cooking instructor Anna Voloshyna’s love letter to her native Ukraine, featuring modern interpretations of her grandmother’s roast duck, jam-smothered fried cheese fritters, and other dishes that capture the exuberant spirit of her homeland as she remembers it best.
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. follow her on susanpuckett.com.
Sign up for AJC’s Food and Meals Newsletter
Read more stories like this one from Like Atlanta Restaurant Scene on FacebookFollowing @ATLDiningNews on Twitter Y @ajcdining on Instagram.