The Cookshelf: Early Summer 2021

Afternoon Tea at Home
By Will Torrent
Ryland Peters & Small, February 2021, $28

With the weather turning nice, now is the perfect opportunity to brush off the patio table and treat yourself to afternoon tea. Not just a quick cup – a whole pot, accompanied by a selection of goodies both sweet and savory. If you are wondering if it is worth the trouble, take a peek at award-winning pastry chef Will Torrent’s book with 80 tempting recipes. Arranged seasonally, there are plenty of options for different tastes, occasions and ambition levels. A summer tea party might include ‘Coronation’ Chicken Sandwiches spiked with curry powder, mango chutney and topped with pickled red onion. Add in a classic scone studded with summer fruit. Finish up with a cool, creamy lemon posset, a dessert that features just three ingredients: lemon, sugar, and cream. Adventurous cooks will appreciate some of the more challenging recipes that showcase Torrent’s skill in pastry and chocolate. The book includes menu ideas for all kinds of celebrations, even Father’s Day, but the point is this: any day can be made special with afternoon tea at home.

The Kitchen without Borders: Recipes and Stories from Refugee and Immigrant Chefs
The Eat Offbeat Chefs
Workman Publishing Company, March 2021, $25

Eat Offbeat started as a venture by siblings Manal and Wissam Kahi to recreate then sell their grandmother’s hummus. Now it is a New York City-based catering company that employs immigrant and refugee chefs from over fifteen countries, operating on the idea that sharing food traditions builds community. The astonishing array of recipes are accompanied by heartwarming profiles of the contributing chefs. Chef Héctor of Venezuela offers up a healthy Hearts of Palm Salad with avocado and tomato and Carne Mechada, a shredded beef dish. Chef Rachana explains how to make Nepalese Chari Curry featuring chicken, ginger, and garam masala. Chef Nasrin, from Iran, showcases her Cake Baklava, chock full of pistachios, walnuts and almonds and seasoned with cardamom and saffron water, which is the perfect not-too-sweet ending to any meal. Some of the more unusual spice blends or specialty ingredients might not be readily available at the grocery store, but there are suggestions on where to find them online.
A bonus: for any book purchased now through March 1, 2022, the publisher will donate 2% of the cover price to the International Rescue Committee.

Rice
By Michael W. Twitty
The University of North Carolina Press, March 2021, $20

This new edition to the “Savor the South” series of cookbooks is written by culinary historian Michael W. Twitty, whose previous book The Cooking Gene won a James Beard award. Along with a diverse offering of 51 recipes, the book examines the arrival of rice to America and its rise to prominence in Southern cuisine. Readers benefit from Twitty’s rich, multi-sensory descriptions (that all but make up for the absence of photos or illustrations), and from his insightful guidance on ingredients and preparation. The narrative leans personal when Twitty shares dishes close to his heart, like his grandmother’s recipe for Country Captain à la Hazel, a curry-infused chicken and rice dish popular in the Carolina Low Country. Other Southern classics include Oyster Pilau, Pork Chops and Rice, and Okra Soup. The West African Jollof Rice, seasoned with tomato paste and habanero peppers, is one of several vegetarian-friendly dishes. For dessert, give Nancie’s Historic Rice Pudding, a colonialera dessert scented with lemon and nutmeg a try. Food, family, and history come together in this wonderful compilation.