March's Cookbookshelf
Spring-flavored & some treasured readings
January might have dragged on forever, but we blinked and February was swiftly devoured by time. Now it's already the end of March!
I look forward to the beginning of Spring with its stunning Cherry Blossoms both in San Diego, where is home and in NYC, where (I'd like one day to be home) I'll be traveling to in April.
Since I moved to the US, almost 7 years ago, I have grown this impatient fondness for the changing of the seasons, mostly because seasons don't noticeably change in some parts of Brazil — especially the Amazon. It rains and rains and rains. Then it's hot & humid. Then it goes back to rain. No complaints, I love the rain — especially in the forest.
Spring in Brazil tastes different than spring in the US, clearly. But what I've noticed that usually remains the same, is our change in appetite. The weather gets warmer and there we are craving lighter, fresher, colorful-er foods, bursting with deliciousness from within. Sweeter fruits, crunchier vegetables… Sweet peas, rhubarb, grapefruit, new potatoes, give me everything!
Most of us oblige to seasonality, even if we don't pay attention to it. It's the right thing to do. When Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse — a restaurant in Berkeley, CA opened in 1971 and has become known for its commitment to using fresh, local, and organic ingredients — and started feeding America with consciousness around seasonal eating, she was writing the story of a revolutionary idea.
Not that I need to tell you all of this, right? Is it wrong for me to assume that, if you reading this newsletter, you're well acquainted with chef Alice already? Well, I've learned in law school, culinary school, writing school, and mostly in life school, that assuming is never the way to go. If you'd like to learn more about her, here's what I'd recommend (even though it's not our main topic today):
The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution: A Cookbook;
The Art of Simple Food II: Recipes, Flavor, and Inspiration from the New Kitchen Garden: A Cookbook
My Pantry: Homemade Ingredients That Make Simple Meals Your Own: A Cookbook
Fanny at Chez Panisse: A Child's Restaurant Adventures with 46 Recipes (this is a bonus for the kids in your life).
In this interview with Vogue, she says
“We’ve deadened ourselves to this, which is another horrible crime of fast food culture. It’s taken away our ability to find meaning in everyday life. We’re looking on our phones for feelings that can’t be found there. A kiss on the cheek? Or touching a beautiful fabric? These feelings are found in the real world. We need to get back to the understanding that beauty can be found by taking in the endless wonder of nature—and also in small actions, like lighting candles on your dinner table.”
I couldn't agree more. And I'd add that, sometimes a small action as mandolin-ing an irresistible pink watermelon radish on your plate of leafy greens can change the whole thing, and it will soon become a habit to look out for some pop of color or nuance of flavor on what you eat; trust me.
In Marches, I'm at my happiest with a Baja-style Fish Taco in one hand and a glass of chilled rosé in the other. Or give me apricots, that now glow in every stand at the farmer's market. How about arugula? Crisp and slightly bitter, at its best generously dressed in extra virgin olive oil & red wine vinegar. It's so tasteful that no salt is needed.
There's room for seafood to shine. Dungeness and soft-shell crabs, salmon, and those plump prawns. Not a lot of desserts on the menu, but when I do, it's usually fresh fruit carefully sliced and put on top of fat spoonfuls of thick greek yogurt; a drizzle of agave, and a handful of chopped almonds, if feeling frisky. Oranges and tangerines if served right after lunch or dinner when you still share a table with your loved ones, taste like dessert, too.
This March, in particular, I've been diving into Ukrainian cookbooks.
When I made, the other day, my Grandma's Borscht recipe, in all its red scintillating glory, it immediately brought me back the desire for more vegetable-packed dished, which immediately rekindled the pleasure I feel in cooking Ukrainian recipes, which so often are vegetable-forward and emphasize the use of seasonal produce.
The cookbooks I want to recommend to you this March are near and dear to my heart and in the spirit of cooking springtime, offer a deep dive into Ukrainian cuisine. You probably don’t need all of them if you just feeding your curiosity a bit, so rest assured whichever you pick you'll be well served.
Budmo! is set apart by the creative and modern twist that Anna brings to traditional Ukrainian dishes. While the flavors and ingredients are rooted in tradition, the presentation and techniques are contemporary and fresh, which could be a reflection of Anna's immigration process from Ukraine to California at the age of twenty-one.
Her approach makes the recipes accessible and appealing to a wide range of readers, from those who are familiar with Ukrainian cuisine to those who are discovering it for the first time, which could be you or me. I value this immensely because it's no easy task to present a whole cuisine through the written language. Anna masterfully does it.
Budmo! is organized into chapters that reflect different aspects of Ukrainian culture, including celebrations, traditions, and everyday life - genius! Each chapter is accompanied by a range of recipes that reflect the themes of that section, navigating from salads and a universe of pickles to marvelous (and famous) Ukrainian breads and dumplings.
The recipes themselves are so well written — clear and easy to follow, with detailed instructions and helpful tips from Anna. She also included a pantry list and a glossary, both so handy. You can tell there's a lot of thought in the way the book was designed with intention for the reader to really take a chance in cooking — extremely inviting.
Anna, on top of being this kind, generous and a super positive person, is also a powerful activist and her work has been tremendously impactful in helping her home country. For that reason alone I believe you should get the book, but oh, did I tell you that Budmo! is visually stunning and that her recipes work like a charm? It's going to be a tremendous addition to your bookshelf.
As a bonus, later this week I'll post here a special recipe that Anna was kind enough to share with us. You'll love it!
Some of my favorite recipes from the book are:
- Black Sea Pickled Mussels, pg 36
- Crispy Potato Kremzlyky, pg 120
- Sweet Dark Cherry Varenyky Dumplings, pg 140
This was the first Ukrainian cookbook I'd ever grabbed in my hands (which is also Olia's first cookbook) and instantly, I was hooked. Mamushka is composed of the personal and heartfelt stories that Hercules weaves throughout the book. From memories of cooking with her grandmother to tales of her travels across Ukraine and Eastern Europe, the book is infused with a sense of history, culture, and tradition that is both inspiring and touching.
Olia Hercules is an award-winning food writer, activist, and cookbook author born in Kakhovka, Ukraine. After studying journalism and working as a chef in several London restaurants, she began writing about food for publications and quickly established herself as an expert on Ukrainian and Eastern European cuisine. She has a very unique approach to both her writing and her cooking that surpasses her heritage but shows me how much understanding of these two worlds — writing & cooking— she has.
Mamushka is authentic, creative, and accessible. To me, this book shows the face of Ukrainian home cooking that oftentimes, as in many ethnic cuisines, tends to be hidden by the conservatorship of national recipes. By this, I mean you can find a portrait of how Ukrainians truly eat.
Some of my favorite recipes from the book are:
- Pork Ribs & Dumpling, pg 98
- Ukrainian "Narcotics", pg 136 (this is really interesting)
- Lick-your-fingers Tomatoes, pg 158
This book is remarkable work. Truly a model for purposeful food writing. Olia will guide you through the warm, welcoming kitchens of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and beyond. From the hearty stews of the Carpathian Mountains to the delicate pastries of the Black Sea coast, every recipe is a celebration of the unique ingredients and traditions of its region.
My favorite subject approach in this booking is fermentation, which is so unique to Eastern European kitchens, not only in Europe but wherever these kitchens have immigrated to. It touches my heart to look at the photos in this book and remember my grandma's kitchen growing up, filled with giant jars with all sorts of colorfully pickled vegetables on top of old, flimsy baby blue kitchen cabinets. The photograph is a work of art by her husband, Joe Woodhouse, by the way.
I could go on and on about this book, but I'd love for you to explore it on your own, and hopefully, you'll be back to tell me what you think. To me, these are a trustworthy picture of the richness of Ukrainian (and Eastern European) cuisine that we still have much to learn. For that, these books are treasures.
Some of my favorite recipes from the book are:
- Fermented Baked Milk, pg 64
- Walnut Tincture, pg 70
- Sour Cabbage leaf Rolls with Pork and Barley, pg 258
Lastly, Olia's newest:
Home Food: 100 Recipes to Comfort and Connect: Ukraine • Cyprus • Italy • England • and Beyond by Olia Hercules
I unfortunately haven’t had a chance to do a deep dive in this book already, but I thought it was worth mentioning it's going to be one of my April picks. From the little I could catch by quickly filling the pages, it's superb quality of writing and cooking, as you always can expect from the author. How about we explore it together?
Merci for reading with me,
Any chance you could put a brazilian steak churrasco style recipe?
The books look very appealing thank you for sharing. I look forward to the sample recipe you will post!