12 Days of Cookbooks (!!!) — Chatting About The Season’s New Books with Margaret Roach - الطبخ والحلويات المغربية والعربية

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

I hum this to myself a lot: When my first CSA arrives in June. When the first good tomatoes all but fall of the vine in early September. When snowflakes the size of golf balls drop from the sky. AND, most of all, when it’s time to talk about cookbooks with my friend Margaret Roach, the master gardener behind A Way to Garden

Last year, we talked about all-time favorites, the first books we ever owned, and the ones with the most besmirched pages. This year, we’ve kept our chat to the latest crop: the fall and winter 2018 cookbooks, and we hope our chat might give you some ideas for gift giving this season. Rest assured, there is something for everyone — the bakers, the boozers, the pie lovers, the pizza lovers, the Ina fans, the Dorie fans, the gadget collectors, and more.

I have not had a chance to cook from all of the books we discussed, and there are many others I haven’t had a chance to page through yet, namely Emily: The Cookbook, which is #1 on my Christmas wishlist—Santa, hope you’re reading. That said, I have cooked from a number of the season’s new books, and I’ve included some notes below.

A selection of the fall/winter 2018 cookbooks.

ALSO, Margaret and I are each giving away 12 cookbooks (!!!). To enter, leave a comment below: tell me what your favorite cookbook is for gifting (or just your favorite) and a little bit about why. Now, go double your chances to win by copying your comment into the comment box over at Margaret’s website.

Starting Monday Dec. 3, 2018, we’ll each draw one random winner a day through Dec. 14th. Here’s the order of the 12 Days of giveaways:

One entry per person. Entries end at midnight Thursday, Dec. 13, before the final drawing. U.S. only. Good luck to all.

To help organize, Margaret and I grouped the books into a few categories, the first being Weeknight-ish/Everyday Cooking. If you’re looking for some inspiration for getting dinner on the table, here are a few options.

Category #1: Weeknight-ish/Everyday Cooking

Ottolenghi Simple: not a vegetarian cookbook, but mostly vegetarian with lots of great inspiration, such as: harissa tofu scramble and sweet potato mash with lime salsa. (Note: This is the British version … be sure to order this one if you live in the States.)

Yotam Ottolenghi's Simple: Simple, everyday recipes, heavily vegetarian but not exclusively.

Milk Street Tuesday Nights: lots of global flavors; Christopher Kimball notes in the introduction that in most parts of the world, especially those not influenced by French cooking, which relies heavily on heat and time, flavor is built with ingredients not time: herbs, spices, fermented sauces, etc. Organized by Fast, Faster, Fastest. A few recipes are calling my name: Peanut-Sesame Noodles, Thai Spinanch, and White Balsamic Chicken.

Milk Street's Tuesday Nights: A collection of weeknight friendly meals with global flavors.

Everyday Dorie: love Dorie’s cooking style; made the spatchcocked chicken with za’atar, sumac, and cumin, and it was divine… stay tuned.

Everyday Dorie — Dorie Greenspans favorite, no-fuss, simple meals.

Cook Like a Pro: For Ina fans and beyond: loved the Charlie Bird farro salad.

Ina Garten's Cook Like A Pro: A selection of Ina's favorite recipes.

Skinny Taste One and Done: was astonished by the Instant Spaghetti and Meat Sauce, which was incredibly delicious and, best of all, made in one pot … I’m always so grateful for an easy cleanup. This book is all about one-pan cooking, whether it’s electric — pressure cooker, slow cooker, or air fryer — or not — Dutch oven, sheet pan, skillet, grill pan.

Skinny Taste One and Done Cookbook: for anyone who loves one-pot dinners.

Melissa Clark Comfort in an Instant: Haven’t made anything yet, but have a number of recipes bookmarked. For your Instant Pot-obsessing pal, this one would be a home run.

Melissa Clark's Comfort in an Instant: for any Instant Pot lover .... who doesn't love a little comfort?

Hungry for More: for Chrissie Tiegen fans and beyond. Made the oven-baked potato chips last night … delicious.

Chrissy Teigen's Cravings, peppered with humor and spice throughout, this books offers a selection of no-fuss, healthy-ish recipes.

Category #2: Global Flavors

Together: A collection of recipes created by the women affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London.

Together, the cookbook, a collection of recipes from a community of women affected by the Grenfall Tower tragedy.

• Israeli Soul: I want to make everything in this book. Thus far I’ve had success with the cauliflower shawarma, which I served with the quick tehina … yum. Also, the 5-minute hummus, made with the quick tehina, is so delicious and easy.

Michael Solomonov of Zahav in Philadelphia's latest cookbook: Israeli Soul, a book that celebrates the street food of Israel and all its delicious glory.

• Season: From blogger and San Francisco Chronicle contributor Nik Sharma, born in Bombay, Season is a collection of recipes influenced by an upbringing in Bombay and an acclimation to America.

Nik Sharma's Season cookbook: not a traditional Indian cookbook but a collection of recipes influenced by an upbringing in Bombay and an acclimation to America from the perspective of a gay immigrant.

• Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta not sure yet what exact category this should be in, but I made the saffron-carrot soup from the almond chapter of the book and topped it with the toasted almond dukkah from the same chapter, and it all was so delicious. I’m a longtime fan of Cal Peternell and can’t wait to explore this book a little bit more. Stay tuned for saffron-carrot soup recipe.

Cal Peternell's Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta

• A Common Table: From Cynthia McTernan, the blogger behind Two Red Bowls, A Common Table is a mix of stories and recipes inspired by both her and her husband’s cultural and geographical roots. Made the steamed scallion buns. Loved them.