Give the gift of food: chefs share their favorite cookbooks of 2023 | Food

AAs 2023 draws to a close, the Guardian asked an inspired group of chefs from across the US to share the cookbooks that resonated with them over the past year. The diverse group of book recommendations, ranging from a colorful cookbook celebrating the Arab diaspora to boldly flavored recipes from a New York restaurant known for its tropical comfort food have one thing in common: they all show the power of food to bring people and communities together. Whether you’re new to the kitchen or a seasoned home cook (or checking off your holiday shopping list), these tried-and-true cookbooks are welcome additions to any collection.

The Korean Cookbook by Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi

Recommended by Kiki Aranita, chef and owner of Poi Dog

If you’re not working as a chef, a fiber artist, an award-winning food writer, or the entrepreneur behind the Hawaiian-style sauce collection, Poi Dog, Kiki Aranita likes to turn to cookbooks for escape. This year, she found The Korean Cookbook by Michelin-endorsed chef Junghyun “JP” Park and culinary researcher Jungyoon Choi to be exceptionally soothing reading. “It’s encyclopedic. It’s sleek and beautiful. It’s also helpful and the recipe instructions are exceptionally clear,” Aranita said of the nearly 500-page booklet that Bon Appétit named among the best of fall 2023 releases. “I appreciate a cookbook that presents gram and ounce units simultaneously and with ease. It forces me to rethink ingredients I’m familiar with (I personally would never have thought to add anchovy sauce to my repertoire of sauces myself) and gives me traditional but exciting ways to use Korean ingredients that are a bit off the beaten track for me. is less known. .” Inside The Korean Cookbook, you’ll find more than 350 traditional recipes spanning Korean staples such as fermented foods, noodles, grilled meats, hot pots, noodles, dumplings and more.

Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora by Reem Assil

Recommended by Michael Rafidi, chef and owner of Albi and Yellow

Written by Palestinian-Syrian chef and community activist Reem Assil, Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora is a celebration of being Arab and connecting with culture. The thoughtful book is a recent favorite of the chef and owner of Washington DC’s beloved Albi and Yellow restaurants, Michael Rafidi. “I’m happy to call [Assil] a friend, and so many of the recipes and stories she shares in this book remind me of the Palestinian flavors of my own childhood,” Rafidi said of the cookbook, which received a 2023 award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals won. “It’s nostalgic for those who grew up around this kitchen and a perfect introduction for those who didn’t.” Within Arabiyya’s colorful pages you will find more than 100 recipes for dishes such as falafel mahshi, mujaddarra, shish barak and hummus bil awarma mixed between original works of art and passionate personal essays about family, food and identity that stay with you long after dinnertime.

Scheckeats – Smarter Cooking: Friendly Recipes with a Side of Science by Jeremy Scheck

Recommended by Priyanka Naik, chef and author of The Modern Tiffin: On-the-Go Vegan Dishes With a global flair

A little over a year ago, Priyanka Naik was fired from her role leading partnerships at Twitter, now X, giving her more time to focus on her side hustle as a popular plant-based food blogger and influencer. The self-taught chef and author of The Modern Tiffin: On-the-Go Vegan Dishes With a Global Flair recently cooked from the newly released Scheckeats – Cooking Smarter: Friendly Recipes With a Side of Science. “It’s not completely vegan, but what it offers is pretty smart and there’s a lot of veggie-forward and plant-forward dishes,” Naik said of the TikTok star Jeremy Scheck‘s new book, which features dishes like Coca-Cola braised brisket, sheet pan teriyaki salmon and mac and cheese orzo. “He studied food science at Cornell, so there’s more of a scientific approach to how to actually cook recipes, why you add certain liquids or why you only use a certain amount of baking soda or baking powder. It’s a very educational book for people learning how to cook or trying to get the basics down.”

Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California by Sylvan Mishima Brackett

Recommended by Geoff Davis, chef and owner of Burdell

For Geoff Davis, the chef and owner of Oakland’s modern soul food restaurant Burdell, takes the abundance and principles of California and makes something that is true to tradition, but fresh and new is nothing short of inspiring. That’s why veteran chef Sylvan Mishima thoroughly enjoyed Brackett’s debut cookbook, Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California, which features more than 70 recipes across categories from sashimi and yakitori to agemono and udon, which takes the Tokyo izakaya to the home kitchen translated. “I love how the book really dives deep into the simplest techniques and dishes — there’s so much confidence and boldness in that simplicity,” Davis said of the cookbook from the Kyoto-born, Northern California-raised chef behind the groundbreaking . Rintaro in San Francisco’s Mission District. “There is a homeliness to the recipes, but they are refined in the technique and ingredients. It’s such a great way to think about food and adapting a cuisine to another region. It really resonates with me.”

Please Wait to Be Tasted: The Lil’ Deb’s Oasis by Carla Perez-Gallardo, Hannah Black and Wheeler

Recommended by Telly Justice, chef and co-owner of HAGS

There was one cookbook HAGS executive chef and co-owner Telly Justice achieves the most this year – Please Wait to Be Tasted: The Lil’ Deb’s Oasis by Carla Perez-Gallardo, Hannah Black and Wheeler. Written by the artist chefs behind the eclectic tropical comfort food restaurant Lil Deb’s oasis set in New York’s Hudson Valley, the award-winning cookbook centers bold and vibrant flavors alongside meditations on food, love, sex, friendship and fashion. “I just love their perspective, eye for aesthetics and reverence for the queer community. Their love of explosive flavors and joyful plate styles and how much they talk about food as a way to communicate and come together and celebrate each other is so inspiring to what we do at HAGS,” says Justice, who recently received the Michelin -guide New York 2023 received. Young Chef Award. “I can’t help but read this book at least once a month to refresh myself on their voice and perspective and the qualities they hold near and dear to them.” Please Wait to Be Tasted highlights dishes such as charred octopus in the ink of its cousin, sweet plantains with green cream and abuela’s flan.

Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine by Loretta Barrett Oden

Recommended by Sean Sherman, chef and co-founder of Owamni at the Sioux chief

Sean Shermanauthor of the James Beard award-winning cookbook, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, tel Potawatomi chef, TV host and indigenous food historian Loretta Barrett Oden as a friend and mentor in his culinary journey. The co-founder of the Indigenous and decolonized restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis said Oden’s new book, Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine, is more than a collection of recipes. “It’s a narrative intertwined with Loretta’s unique philosophy and the compelling stories behind each dish,” said Sherman, who was named to Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023 list. “Her work is a beacon for those of us who are trying to reconnect with the traditional food ways of our ancestors. The world of Native North American cuisine has been greatly enriched by her dedication and expertise.” Recipes for spicy sage popcorn, creamy grits with roasted squash and cornmeal pinion cookies reflect Oden’s Oklahoma childhood, Native heritage and the Southwestern flavors once served at Santa Fe’s iconic Corn Dance Cafe, where she was chef-owner for 10 years wash.

Sohn-mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking by Monica Lee and Tien Nguyen

Recommended by Bricia Lopez, chef and author of Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling

Los Angeles-based chef, writer and michelada and mole entrepreneur Bricia Lopezwhose latest book is Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling, was a fan of Beverly Soon Tofu, the legendary Koreatown restaurant that opened its doors in 1986. Although owner Monica Lee closed the beloved spot in September 2020, her recipes and the The history of the K-town restaurant lives on in Sohn-mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking thanks to a collaboration with food writer Tien Nguyen, who co-wrote Roy Choi’s best-selling book, LA Son. “This book immortalizes her recipes and the impact she had in this city,” says Lopez, a partner at Guelaguetza, LA’s James Beard award-winning Oaxacan restaurant. “Beverly Soon has been a special place for my family and I and this book is a must for anyone who loves Korean cuisine.” Sohn-mat, which means “hand taste” or “fingertip flavor” in Korean, teaches home cooks to make bubbling hot bowls of soondubu jjigae, the famous Korean soft tofu stew, and everything that goes with it: kimchi, banchan, grilled meat and more.