“What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn – I love it!” Jamie Oliver
Nom Wah Tea Parlor, located in New York City’s Chinatown, has been serving up delicious plates of dim sum with steaming cups of tea for over a century. Traditional favorites like Roast Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao), Scallion Pancakes and Spring Rolls now share the table with new flavor innovations like Sweet Potato Kale Wontons, Chorizo Potato Dumplings and Chinese Chopped Cheese Dumplings. More taste bud teasers to make are Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage, Garlic Eggplant Noodles, Walnut Shrimp, Sweet and Sour Pork Chops and Moon Cookies. History, stories and 75 recipes are seamlessly brought together in Wilson Tang’s “The Nom Wah Cookbook.”
“Chaat” by Maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy introduces us to the wide variety of prepared foods available on-the-go in India. Chaat is described as “The sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy, creamy, hot and cold snacks – street food, really – found in Indian markets, train stations, and home kitchens.” Some drinks and dishes may be familiar such as curry, chutney, samosas, chai and the sweet yogurt drink called Lassi. Maneet provides the base recipe for this refreshing beverage and a variety of flavor ideas including mango, strawberry and brewed espresso. New and tempting chaat to try might be Vada Pav (Potato Fritter Sandwich), Lemon Rice, Brinjal Achaar (Eggplant Pickles) and Jhal Muri (Puffed Rice with Peanuts, Chickpeas and Vegetables.) Maneet has gathered recipes from all over her home country so you can experience a taste of India in your home kitchen.
Sabrina Ghayour, author of “Persiana” invites us back to her table for more Middle Eastern-inspired recipes with “Simply: Easy Everyday Dishes.” Sabrina serves up tasty food you’ll want to add to your weekly meal rotation. For instance, Pomegranate Molasses and Honey-Glazed Meatballs, Harissa Chicken Noodle Lettuce Cups, Lamb, Cumin, Cilantro and Chile Kebabs, Ultimate Falafels plus Crispy Cod Wraps with Salsa and Harissa Lime Mayo. When it’s too hot to cook, Tomato & Peanut Salad with Tamarind Ginger and Honey Dressing, Pear, Chickpea and Green Leaf Salad with Maple Harissa Dressing and Strawberry, Soft Goat Cheese and Pistachio Salad are cool and refreshing ideas to keep in mind.
“The Chilean Kitchen” by Pilar Hernandez and Eileen Smith gives us 75 traditional recipes from this South American country. Chileans are very fond of bread whether it is the flaky container for savory fillings like Caramelized Onion or Beef Empanadas, sweetened for dessert as in Sweet Christmas Bread or a filled basket of Quick Skillet Bread on the table at mealtime. Hearty soups and stews are also favored and go well with bread like Potato-Squash Stew with Beef, Brothy Seafood Soup loaded with fresh mussels, shrimp, calamari and whitefish, Creamy Chickpea Soup and Grilled Steak Soup. Chile is known for its wines so this cookbook would not be complete without a few spirited drinks such as Chilean White Sangria with ripe sliced strawberries, Mulled Red Wine and finally, Earthquake Cocktail.