Five new cookbooks out this spring offer recipes from culinary traditions around the world, from Greek keftedakia to sea bass ceviche with finger limes to an apricot-saffron frangipane galette. They are “Citrus, Illustrated” by George Geary, “The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook,” by Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy, “I Sleep in My Kitchen” by Mariam Daud with Emily Timberlake, “Hello, Home Cooking” by Ham El-Waylly and “My Greek Mom’s Recipes” by Gus Constantellis.
Spring’s arrival brings with it sunny invitations to peruse weekend farmers markets and vibrant produce aisles. It’s also a great time to find your next fix of inspiration in the pages of new and forthcoming cookbooks.
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Here are five new cookbooks that are currently — or soon to be — published, offering gorgeous recipes from culinary traditions around the world, from Greek keftedakia to sea bass ceviche with finger limes to an apricot-saffron frangipane galette.
“Citrus, Illustrated” by George Geary
George Geary, a former pastry chef for the Walt Disney Company, hails from Corona, California – a city near Riverside known as the Lemon Capital of the World – and celebrates all things citrus in his new cookbook, “Citrus, Illustrated” (Chronicle Books, $20)
The book covers the histories of different citrus variants and highlights beautiful ways to use them in your cooking. In its pages, you’ll find recipes for dishes like the grapefruit cake from the Brown Derby in Los Angeles, kumquat and chile baked salmon, shrimp and sea bass ceviche with finger limes, blood orange glazed carrots, tangerine maple barbecue spareribs, and, of course, lemon curd.
Details: “Citrus, Illustrated” by George Geary and illustrated by Rebecca Hollingsworth (Chronicle Books, $20), was released Feb. 10. Find it at chroniclebooks.com.
“The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook,” by Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy
Highlighting the work of the Diaspora Spice Co., a company that sources spices from regenerative farms in India and Sri Lanka, this cookbook includes 85 regional recipes covering 10 states across India and Sri Lanka. Learn how to make Kerala-style grilled prawns in 45 minutes or under, contribute to a dinner party with an apricot-saffron frangipane galette or cook coconut lamb biryani for a Diwali feast. Recipe contributors, all women, hailed from around India and Sri Lanka and were paid directly at rates “as close to U.S. recipe development rates as possible,” according to the authors.
Additionally, the brand is teaming up with Verve Coffee for an event to promote the cookbook and Women’s History Month. The Verve cafe at 162 University Ave., in Palo Alto, will offer tastings of two collaborative drinks — a golden hour matcha drink and sunrise tonic — signed cookbook copies, spice bundles and a meet-and-greet with Diaspora Spice Co. CEO Sana Javeri Kadri and Verve CEO Colby Barr, from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, March 15. Learn more at eventbrite.com.
Author tip: With the exceptions of turmeric and ginger, which hold on to their oils even when powdered, try to use fresh, whole (not pre-ground) spices. “Grinding fresh peppercorns or nutmeg might seem like a small detail, but it’s one that transforms your cooking from fine to flavorful as hell.”
Details: “The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook: Seasonal Home Cooking from South Asia’s Best Spice Farms,” by Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy (Harvest, $35) was released March 3 and is available at harpercollins.com.
“I Sleep in My Kitchen” by Mariam Daud with Emily Timberlake
Palestinian American chef Mariam Daud grew up in a family with 10 kids, whose parents ran the Pyramid, a restaurant in the Cleveland area from 1996 to 2004.
Daud draws inspiration from her mom’s approach to cooking, and adds her own Californian flair. “She loves teaching people about her food and her culture; that is why there are no ‘secret recipes’ in our family,” she writes about her mom in the cookbook’s introduction.
In its pages, you’ll find recipes for dishes like msakhan, a flatbread with chicken, sumac and caramelized onions; macarona bechamel, an Egyptian-style pasta bake; and saniyeh kofta, beef patties in tomato sauce. There are also many recommended dishes for Ramadan, which ends March 19.
Details: “I Sleep in My Kitchen: Comfort Food Recipes From My Palestinian American Kitchen” by Mariam Daud with Emily Timberlake (Clarkson Potter, $35) is out March 17 and is available for presale at penguinrandomhouse.com.
“Hello, Home Cooking” By Ham El-Waylly
A longtime chef contributor to New York Times and the chef behind Brooklyn restaurant Strange Delight, Ham El-Waylly shares recipes for dishes like tahini-roasted swordfish, chicken and mochi dumpling soup, green beans with dill butter, and kofta meatballs in the pages of this colorful, creative celebration of home cooking, putting a modern twist on nostalgic favorites.
El-Waylly’s cooking advice: “Tasting is the best way to improve your cooking. Taste everything and taste often.”
Details: You can pre-order “Hello, Home Cooking: Do-Able Dishes for Every Day” By Ham El-Waylly (Clarkson Potter, $35), which is out March 24, at penguinrandomhouse.com.
“My Greek Mom’s Recipes” by Gus Constantellis
The author behind this cookbook isn’t your traditional chef. In fact, he’s a stand-up comedian. Gus Constantellis rose to online fame first from impersonating his Greek mother, and then began filming with her. Her wit and no-nonsense qualities — and passion for food — drew fans from across the internet, before she died suddenly on vacation in Greece. Constantellis and his mom had been planning to write this cookbook together.
You’ll find recipes for keftedakia, Greek-style meatballs; youvetsi, lamb or beef stew; and dolmades, stuffed grape leaves, interspersed with heartfelt anecdotes and stories about Constantellis’ mom and family.
“First and foremost, the seventy-five recipes in this cookbook are absolutely delectable,” he writes. “These are tried and true. But beyond that, this cookbook is an exploration of grief told through the lens of food. Some of these stories are funny, some are sad, some are both at the same time. I wanted to find ways to keep my mother’s sharp wit alive in every recipe.”
Details: You can pre-order “My Greek Mom’s Recipes: She Died. I Wrote This Cookbook” by Gus Constantellis (Rock Point, $30), out April 14, at greenlightbookstore.com.
