Here at Air Canada enRoute, we love travelling for food. The next best thing? Travelling through food. Whether you’re craving a tangy pork belly adobo from the Philippines, a seafood pasta from the Adriatic coast or traditional Peruvian ceviche, the recipes in these cookbooks will have you journeying to faraway flavour towns from your own kitchen.
8 New Cookbooks That Will Take You Places
Sambal Shiok: The Malaysian Cookbook
($50, Quadrille Publishing c/o Chronicle Books) — To create the flavour–popping dishes at her London restaurant, Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar, Malaysian–born chef Mandy Yin combines her mother’s family recipes and her memories of Kuala Lumpur’s bustling hawker centres. Now, you can cook her lip–smacking food at home: In Sambal Shiok, you will find Satay Burgers, Sambal Mapo Tofu, Coconut Pudding with Salted Banana Caramel and more – all recipes that draw inspiration from Malaysia’s diverse cooking traditions, including Malay, Indian, Chinese, Peranakan and tribal Iban.
New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian
($50, Abrams Books) — Rabbit Stew with Corn Dumplings, Grilled Cactus Paddles, Sumac Seared Trout with Onion and Bacon Sauce – these are just a few of the creations from Freddie Bitsoie, the former executive chef at Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., in his cookbook, New Native Kitchen. The collection of 100 recipes showcases Indigenous flavours from across the U.S., including Bitsoie’s own Navajo fare, in modern and approachable ways for home cooks.
Related: Sheila Flaherty and Siobhan Detkavich on Reclaiming Indigenous Culture Through Food
Istria: Recipes and Stories from the Hidden Heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia
($47, Smith Street Books) — Istria, the peninsula that juts into the Adriatic Sea, is home to a mashup of Italian, Croatian and Slovenian cultures – and cuisines. Australian–based author Paola Bacchia, daughter of Italian migrants, shares traditional regional recipes as well as those from her childhood and her Istrian kin. The result is a collection that spans soups (Summer Tomato Soup), pasta and seafood (Spaghetti with Mussels) and baked goods (Apricot Strudel), incorporating Istria’s fresh bounty and drawing inspiration across borders.
Under Coconut Skies: Feasts & Stories from the Philippines
($47, Smith Street Books) — Sumptuous spreads of pork adobo and pomelo salad fill Australian–Filipino writer Yasmin Newman’s second cookbook on the flavours of the Philippines. Tour the country’s 7,000+ islands through her personal stories and colourful recipes, such as Coconut Salmon with Rainbow Radishes and Egg Noodles with Charred Tofu & Asian Greens.
Related: Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2021
Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes
from Across the African Diaspora ($54, 4 Color Books) — Torontonian chef Suzanne Barr’s Jerk Chicken Ramen and New York Times contributor Yewande Komolafe’s Crispy Cassava Skillet Cakes are among the recipes featured in this homage to the Black culinary community edited by American chef and food activist Bryant Terry. Interspersed with the recipes are original poetry and essays, including “Jollofing with Toni Morrison” by Sarah Ladipo Manyika and “Foodsteps in Motion” by Michael W. Twitty, resulting in a work that’s part cookbook, part vibrant celebration of Black cuisine and culture around the world.
The Latin American Cookbook
($60, Phaidon) — Consider this an encyclopedia of Latin American cuisine: Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez, whose Michelin–starred Lima restaurant Central earned the fourth spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2021, is the author of this compendium that contains more than 600 (!) recipes. Where to start? Martínez’s home country’s street cart ceviche is a good place, before moving onto the array of empanadas, tamales and tacos.
Field Notes for Food Adventure: Recipes and Stories from the Woods to the Ocean
($44, Little, Brown and Company) — An ode to the nature and ingredients of the American Northeast, this cookbook by Bon Appétit’s Brad Leone (you might know him from his YouTube series It’s Alive) will have you tagging along as he forages for ramps, fishes for lobster and taps maple trees. Then, he shows you how to put the ingredients to use in more than 80 recipes, including Fermented Spicy Ramps, Sous Vide Mountain Ribs and Cold Root Salad.
Mumbai Modern: Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by Indian Roots and California Cuisine
($47, The Countryman Press) — What do you get from a cookbook author who was born in Mumbai but has been living in the Bay Area for more than two decades? Recipes like Chickpea Flour Crepes with Carrot and Purple Cabbage Salad, Ultimate Mumbai–California Veggie Burger and Iced Masala Chai Latte with Lavender Foam. In more than 100 vegetarian recipes, Amisha Dodhia Gurbani, the home cook behind popular blog Jam Lab, celebrates her Indian–American kitchen and the abundant Northern California produce she cooks with every day.