My mother’s side is from the South, so there are certain regional staples that we cling to (shout out to the “meat and three” and fried fish sandwiches!), just as there are dishes we like that seem to be more mainstream American. But we also never shied away from trying different cuisines that popped up in our neighborhood, on TV, etc., and then trying to make those same dishes at home. I remember watching a Jamaican stew with dumplings being made on the Cooking Channel with my grandmother sometime in the early 2000s. Within a few days, she had procured the ingredients and whipped herself up a mean stew that I think could rival anyone’s in the Caribbean.
I’ve carried this love of trying new-to-me food with me well into adulthood. That’s why I was excited to write a list of suggestions for the Read Harder Challenge Task #12: Read/try a recipe from a cookbook about a culture whose food you’ve never eaten. There were a few things I had to consider, though. For one, not everyone makes it a point to try new cuisines like I do (which is kind of the reason the task exists, but I digress), or lives in a diverse area where a multitude of cuisines are available. This just meant that since I’m writing a list for others to try, I’m not following the task 100%, and have added cookbooks by cultures that I have eaten from.
To make this list, I thought of where a majority of our readership is (the US) and then thought of the most mainstream cuisines across the country to exclude them. You may think this means I included a lot of cookbooks that feature non-Western cuisines in this list, and you’d be right. Mostly. But there are also a few cookbooks that look at cuisines that belong to cultures—like the Navajo and Gullah Geechee, for example—that are inherently American, but whose food is not widely known across the country.
Whether you want to keep things local or spread out, these must-read cookbooks will take you from Navajo fry bread to Ethiopian injera and beyond.
 Maangchi’s Big Book Of Korean Cooking by MaangchiApparently, Maangchi is known as “YouTube’s Korean Julia Child,” which I didn’t know. What I do know is that following her recipe for kimchi has awarded me the best-tasting kimchi of my life, and that I would follow her and her cute personality to the ends of the earth. Here, her bubbly charm shines through as she shares recipes and techniques for beginner Korean recipes, like seafood scallion pancake and various banchan (or side dishes). —Erica Ezeifedi |
 My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame OnwuachiKwame Onwuachi is one of the biggest names in today’s culinary world. He’s won the James Beard Rising Chef of the Year award, competed on Top Chef, and opened five restaurants by the age of 30 — and he’s just getting started. My America is Onwuachi’s first cookbook, although you may have heard of his acclaimed memoir, Notes from a Young Black Chef. Raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana, Onwuachi is particularly interested in how the African diaspora has shaped global cuisine. His recipes are a celebration of African, Caribbean, and American flavors, and in between, he includes stories of his personal travels and ruminations on the connections between food and sense of place. This cookbook eschews shortcuts in favor of homemade sauces, stocks, and seasonings, so it’s perfect if you’re looking to really elevate your “from scratch” expertise. Recipes to try from My America: —Susie Dumond All access members continue below for more must-read (and must-eat-from!) cookbooks |
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