With Christmas soon approaching and the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, we thought we’d make a post to compile a list of cookbooks to gift loved ones for Christmas, some of which we already own, some we’re dying to get.
Below is a list of cookbooks based on regions of the world that will satisfy any foodie and home cook who wants to expand their knowledge of a specific cuisine.
Thailand:
If there had to be only one Thai cookbook you’d want to take away with you on a remote island, this would be it. David Thompson is a renowned English chef who has dedicated his life to Thai food and this book is his magnum opus. In it you will learn about Thai people, their culture and of course their food.
Vietnam:
Finding the perfect Vietnamese cookbook is no small feat! There are plenty of options around, some are considered classics (like “Into the Vietnamese Kitchen” from Andrea Nguyen), but they are not necessarily universal, which I think warrants a whole post about the ideal “cookbook from a country” in itself. In my opinion, a good Vietnamese cookbook should have a fair amount of recipes, a culinary context and more importantly, recipe names in both English and Vietnamese (in which case, for an English-speaking audience, both in Vietnamese as well as the anglicized spelling). This makes it easy to research a specific dish further. This is what Thuy Diem Pham achieves here with her book. It includes both the english bastardised names as well as their name in Vietnamese and go beyond the usual Pho/Spring rolls/Imperial rolls type recipe variations. Surely one of the best rated Vietnamese cookbook out there and a must have to any one who is interested in cooking Vietnamese food at home!
France:
It’s difficult for me to choose which French cookbook to include as there are so many, some opinionated, some who lean on the more creative side of things considering I’m French myself. I figured it would be appropriate to include in this list what I’d consider (and many other) the bible of French cuisine. This book will go in depth in all of the key aspects of French cuisine, from the traditional peasant one to the higher “fine dining/haute cuisine” that people usually associate French food with. In some ways, if you had to start a cookbook collection to learn more about food, this should be the very first one to get.
Italy:
Pasta Grannies from Vicky Bennison comes from what started as a long series of YouTube videos interviewing and filming Italian nonnas making pasta the traditional way.
Spain:
This one is perhaps unusual in that instead of covering the major recipes of Spain, it focuses on Tapas entirely. But in doing so, it’s a thorough book to have for anyone trying to pull off a night with friends and serving tapas throughout. Borne out of the english restaurant chain “Brindisa”, this book covers so much in terms of variety of tapas that we felt it was a must to include for anyone interested in Spanish food. There are so many options that it was hard to choose from!
China:
Fuchsia Dunlop is widely considered as THE expert on Chinese cooking in the West (ie. in the English speaking world).
South Korea:
Maangchi’s YouTube channel is famous for amazing Korean recipes that are simple and easy to make at home.
This is Maangchi’s second cookbook and we’ve found it to be a good all-rounder that covers essentials, the classic dishes of Korean cooking and some more advanced ones. There’s a good section at the end on how to find specific produces and what they are which is very helpful if you’re not familiar with them to start with. A definite must-have for anyone interested in Korean food in general. You can find it on amazon here.
Mexico:
The only Phaidon cookbook to make this list, the book itself is gorgeous and covers a lot of grounds in terms of cuisine. Rather than picking a cookbook that focuses on tacos or from a famous chef, this (along with all the other Phaidon cookbooks) serves as an Anthology to Mexican cuisine and is highly recommended. We actually own a fair bit of Phaidon cookbooks so far (but not enough), and the depth of the Mexico cookbook is incredible!
Indonesia:
A bit unusual to include in a list that already heavivly skews towards Asia in general, we felt like it was a good opportunity for us to include, seeing as we were meant to travel to Bali in 2020 and couldn’t so we ended with cooking things at home. This cookbook is perfect for that and will cover the traditional Nasi Goreng and many other dishes that we wish we had enjoyed in person!
Ukraine / Eastern Europe :
This was difficult to pick which book to cover food from Eastern Europe, one that was broad enough to cover a wide Region rather than a specific country since there are so many overlap in recipes between countries but Olia Hercules with her 3rd book is always full of great recipes and an inspiration to anyone interested in East European food and traditions.
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