Spoonable Wonders: Cookbooks to Carry You Through the Cold Months
A fig tree beside my building fruits in late August. If both hands are free, and private property isn’t sacred to you, either, you can munch figs while plucking their Matisse-shaped leaves to wrap fish in for dinner later. Fall begins when the fruits shrivel and plop to the sidewalk. This is now. Nature is telegraphing that it’s time for soaking beans, preheating ovens and waking the heavy beast that is the cast iron pot. Staying warm indoors is the goal of autumn cooking. So too, perhaps, is making a meal that requires one table setting: a spoon. For that, you cannot go wrong with the books…
Pi Day: Celebrate Literary and Mathematical Constants
The Surprisingly Local Roots of Classic Thanksgiving Dishes
Laura, Center for Brooklyn History, Center for Brooklyn History
As I flipped through cookbooks for Thanksgiving prep, I encountered one that shifted my perception on our world and its history: The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman and Beth Dooley. Sherman is an Ogalala Lakota Sioux and James Beard Award-winning chef who runs Owamni, a highly esteemed Indigenous restaurant based in Minneapolis. His cookbook only uses ingredients native to the Americas, with a heavy emphasis on North American ingredients, such as trout, cranberries, duck, juniper, maple, wild rice and the three sisters. Notably, it does not use any European staples such as…
Essential Cookbooks by Black Chefs and Authors
Soul food has become one of most prevalent and popular cuisines in the United States. As with Soul music, when a sensory experience feels so familiar, or so American it seems to have soul, we're really talking about its roots in the African diaspora. In the African American community, the art of cooking arises from a longing to feed others, gather family and friends, and keep traditions alive. Food is not solely a way of showing love, but it's also a means to pass traditions down from one family to another and an experience that transcends geographic or cultural boundaries, so I pulled…
An Interview With Cover Designer Olivia McGiff
When people ask who my all-time favorite writer is, I never hesitate. "It’s Laurie Colwin, absolutely," I say. More often than not I’m met with a blank stare: Colwin died tragically young and her final books were published posthumously in 1993. For years, it’s been up to Colwin’s passionate fanbase to introduce new readers to the food and fiction writer’s books. But lo! This spring, the publishers Harper Perennial and Vintage Contemporaries are reissuing Laurie Colwin’s five novels, three story collections and two cooking memoirs with fresh, beautiful covers designed and illustrated by…
5 Winter Holiday Books to Cozy Up with this Season
Romance, Cookbooks, and More! December is chock full of holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice, and Kwanzaa. Although 2020 has been A LOT and the holidays are looking a lot different than we’re used to, these cozy romances and fun nonfiction titles are ideal for making you smile as you sip a nice nog or chocolatey cocoa. Dolly Dingle, Lesbian Landlady by Monica Nolan is a light and saucy homage to classic mid-century pulp novels. Dorian (aka Dolly) lives at the Magdalena Arms, a building full of swell Sapphic gals of all ages. When her landlady’s hip hits the floor with a bang, it…
Food for Thought: 5 Cookbooks to Make You Reconsider Oatmeal
As winter wraps its icy fingers around New York in earnest, chilly smoothies and açai bowls are a thing of the past, and it’s time to whip out grandma’s recipe for oatmeal. While oatmeal gets a bad rap, these cookbooks will have you reconsidering the breakfast staple. Bubby's Brunch Cookbook: Recipes and Menus from New York's Favorite Comfort Food Restaurant written by Ron Silver One of my favorite cookbooks with delicious recipes for every breakfast staple you could imagine—and if you try a few of the more decadent breakfast options in addition to the oatmeal, I won’t tell! Check…
Cooking for Crowds: Books to Cook This Season
It’s the time of year to dust off the roasting pans, serving platters, tofurky basters, pie plates, and anything else you might require to cook up a special meal to share with friends and family. Since moving to Brooklyn, I have become especially fond of holiday celebrations with friends and colleagues, as they tend to provide the most colorful array of foods and culinary experiences. I have enjoyed everything from rice and beans to sauerkraut to vegan cornbread during these spreads. It is to be acknowledged that what is considered a celebration or holiday food is largely subjective, and…