African Society GarlicThings taught to me by relatives and graduate students from other countries:
Indian curries and the use of cardamom(Madras),
French fries in Iran and yogurt sauces with garlic and mint:Iranian (Shiraz),
A fresh tomato with tuna, basil and homemade talian dressing--Italian (Sicily) I was an eager learner, the payoff was so good,
Historical Cookbooks (1960s-1970s, when I was young)
KimChee, Spiced beef, Vegetables with herbs, noodles, chili peppers, sauce( sesame oil, ginger, hot peppers )The Encyclopedia of Asian Cooking
Groundnut and Chicken Stew with herbs and spices, African Cooking Time-Life
Tomato Sauce with Homemade Pasta, Cassatas, Cold Braised Stuffed Veal with Tuna and Caper Sauce Italian Cooking Time Life
Latter Day Cooking
The Use of The Internet:
I would seek recipes by cuisine, look inside of new cookbooks with
Amazon.com's "look inside" feature and decide on what to add. Also, the collections of food magazines and recipe collections would be examined with mixed results.
I still like cookbooks, and they may get greasy; but they make for such good reading!
Sanam Lamborn, My Persian Kitchen, http://mypersiankitchen.com/mast-o-khiar-persian-yogurt-cucumber-dip/ and many other recipe sites/ Lamborn's collection, probably not well known yet, has the recipes I remember my Iranian friend cooking and teaching me how to prepare.
The Spice Lover’s Guide to Herbs and Spices Tony Hill. Probably the single best book on the use of spices and herbs around the world's cuisines. He owns a world-
The Soul of a New Cuisine A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of AfricaMarxcus Samuelsson. You like rubs and a quick way to make Berbere? This is the cookbook for you.
The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic Home Cooking This takes you around the Continent and islands and you will come through with new flavor combinations.
There are so many more! The extension of interest in seasoning from herbs to herbs and spices is a result of these cookbooks and many others, as well as having delicious introductions to these cuisines.
Finally, a masterful book on cooking with herbs:
Jekka's Herb Cookbook by Jekka McVicar, features recipes fo reach herb outlined in the book. They are not contrived or forced, the way many collections are. I have tried one recipe recently that I repeat every chance I get to do so: Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (with Gray Sea Salt, the "gray" mine).
So a collection of cookbooks, winnowed about ten years ago, is steadily growing back to its original size. The cookbooks are better---that is probably my maturity in selection, as well as the general improvement in the quality of cookbooks today.
What cookbooks have stayed with you? What are the New Ones gaining space on your shelf?
