When the seasons start to shift, I begin to crave a change in the recipes I’ve been making for several months, a little inspiration to get some new flavors in the cooking rotation. If you’re also looking for a little spark and something new, check out the books below. Some titles have fairly long waits, but don’t worry – place a hold now, and it will likely come in as Spring shifts into Summer!
We the Pizza: Slangin’ Pies + Savin’ Lives by Muhammad Abdul-Hadi
Down North is a Philadelphia pizza shop that combines pizza with a mission to employ formerly incarcerated people. This cookbook presents some of those employee stories plus statistics on incarceration in the United States. Recipes are halal and frequently vegetarian, including vegetarian options for recipes including meat.
Coastal: 130 Recipes from a California Road Trip by Scott Clark
Recipes organized by events (“Road Trip Snacks,” “Grilling on Pismo Beach,” “Back Home with the Kid”) highlight the flavors and ingredients of California’s Central Coast, accompanied by lush photography.
15 Minute Indian: One-pan Recipes Using Minimal Steps and Ingredients by Anjula Devi
Organized by primary ingredient or type (Legumes, Vegetables, Rice & Breads, etc.), Devi presents a style of cooking she developed in an effort to make Indian cooking quicker and more accessible while still maintaining depth of flavor.
A Grain, a Green, a Bean: One Simple Formula, Countless Meatless Meals by Gena Hamshaw
Hamsawh presents 80 plant-based recipes that riff on a simple theme that’s right there in the title: combining a grain, with a green vegetable, and a bean for a satisfying and delicious meal. Look for this on a Peak Picks display in your local branch!
Food for Sharing: Love and Spices from an Immigrant Kitchen by Ashia Ismail-Singer
If you’re trying to entertain or host more people for meals, Ismail-Singer has you covered with a range of recipes organized by occasion and grouped into themed menus. The food itself is fusion, inspired by her Memon Indian heritage, years spend in Malawi and England, and current New Zealand home.
Bitter & Sweet: Global Flavors from an Iranian-American Kitchen by Omid Roustaei
In this cookbook Roustaei highlights Iranian flavors, from traditional dishes to recipes from other cultures. He also tells of leaving Iran during the 1979 revolution, settling in Arizona, and his culinary journey.
Big Veg Energy: Plant-based Just Got Better by Christina Soteriou
In 100 vegan recipes, Soteriou draws on Cypriot and Greek flavors while centering vegetables dishes ranging from small plates, to bowls, to desserts.
Boustany: Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes from Palestine by Sami Tamimi
Tamimi, a co-founder of Ottolenghi restaurants and shops and co-author of Jerusalem and Falastin, presents his first solo cookbook, focused on Palestinian recipes that highlight big flavors in vegetables and grains, from pantry meals to weeknight dinners and sharing plates.
Kapusta: Vegetable-forward Recipes from Eastern Europe by Alissa Timoshkina
Timoshkina highlights the deep culinary cultures of Eastern Europe through chapters centered on their most popular vegetables: cabbage, beetroot, potato, carrots, mushrooms, plus additional chapters on dumplings and pickles, with a focus on seasonal eating and plant-based recipes.
Dig into even more options with the many cookbooks already published in 2025.
~ posted by Andrea G.
Leave a Comment