There is nothing like a good recipe to boost the love and serotonin levels. In fact, around the world and throughout the diaspora, food is a top-rated offering, not to be taken lightly. This list of best cookbooks will help you keep the cooking fresh and exciting every day. Ask your elders, having adequate cooking inspiration will help keep you creative in the kitchen. An added bonus, playing around with some tried-and-tested flavors will add a new layer to your cooking skills. Who doesn’t want an excuse to flaunt some new dishes?
If cooking for self or others is your love language or if you’re just a lover of home-cooked meals, then you’re in good company. Read on to find out the best cookbooks to add to your collection.
Related: Tia Mowry Announces the Release of Her Highly-Anticipated Cookbook, ‘The Quick Fix Kitchen’
These are the best cookbooks worth owning:
West Winds
A cookbook for those wanting to tap into some juicy Jamaican flavors while catching a vibe of the country through the travel photography peppered throughout the book. ‘West Winds’ is a cookbook not only for the hungry, but also for those curious about Jamaican culture. Like a well-done jerk chicken or an Ital stew cooked over a coal fire, time is essential when working magic on Jamaican traditional dishes, and true to island time, what better way to fill the space than with some stories? Riaz Phillips, a British Jamaican chef, traveled around the island and tapped into personal and local recipes and stories to offer a cookbook that stays on the mind as long as the spicy flavors linger on the lips.
My Mexico City Kitchen
Mexico is that foodie capital, and Mexico City is one of the country’s most famed spots. Somehow managing to remain timeless and innovative at once, the artsy energy oozes its way into the city’s culinary scene. Mexico City leaves every visitor with a new craving for a taco combo they never knew existed. Now it’s your turn to turn heads – Mexican style. Gabriela Cámara’s insistence on fresh-first, authentic cooking makes for a cookbook worth clinging to. That instantly recognizable Mexico city flair paired with Cámara’s renowned sophisticated edge is what keeps this ‘My Mexico City Kitchen’ winning all of the awards.
Jubilee
‘Jubilee’ is one of the most celebrated African American cookbooks of this generation. It is considered a staple and a trustworthy source on two centuries’ worth of African American cuisine. “A celebration of African American cuisine right now, in all of its abundance and variety” praised one review by Tejal Rao for The New York Times. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, the book is faultless. Toni Tipton-Martin penned a classic and her recipes will go down in history, adding to the legacy tastily archived in this special cookbook.
Hallelujah! The Welcome Table
Maya Angelou’s life is one which was so full that there is still space to stumble upon new stories from her overflowing chronicles, even today. The “Still I Rise” iconic author captivated hearts with her autobiographies, her poetry, her Calypso dances, and with her culinary secrets too. It is the perfect book to grace the shelves of any kitchen. The cookbook, which has received endless praise, is an intimate offering for those wanting to cook food that has heart. Well-seasoned lessons mixed in with highly seasoned dishes, a gumbo of all the greatest things we love about Maya Angelou.
One Pot: Three Ways
Rachel Ama has been a YouTube cooking sensation for the longest. Natutrally, the ‘One Pot: Three Ways’ cookbook earns a rightful seat at the table of badass cookbooks for the sheer variety in vegan cuisine. As far as vegan cookbooks go, Ama’s compilation of flavorsome recipes is a delight. It pays homage to the Caribbean, to Africa, and to the glory of one-pot dishes. Be prepared to shock guests at your next dinner party by proving how versatile plant-based food truly can be. Cooking veggies just got that little bit spicier, who would’ve guessed?
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