January Cookbook Previews

January isn’t all about clean eating and juicing, although there are a few great titles to help us in our repentance for holiday indulgences. Books on dumplings, hygge and more work their way into January’s resolutions. Today, I will share a mix of titles that I am excited about this month with more to come later in the week.

How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life by Signe Johansen is a fresh, informative, fully illustrated guide to hygge. Hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) values a celebration of experiences over possessions (I’m only anti-hygge when it comes to cookbooks and French cookware), a feeling of coziness, hospitality, being kind to yourself and treasuring a sense of community. This book delivers a combination of recipes, helpful tips for cozy living at home, essential elements of living the Danish way – which, incidentally, encourages a daily dose of “healthy hedonism.” Lately, I’ve been loving books from this region of the world and look forward to telling you more about this title later in the month.
 

Feed Your Senses: An Arabian Culinary Adventure by Roaya Saleh is to be released later this month in the U.K. and U.S. It was delayed from its original December release date and I am hoping it hits the January 28th target publication date. Saleh is a remarkable force in the culinary world – a dynamic and innovative chef who brings new energy to Middle East cuisine with fresh ingredients and twists on traditional fare. The Bahraini mother of four boys left her career in banking and decided to indulge her passion and started “Villa Mama’s” a restaurant in the Saar area of Bahrain that serves organic Bahraini cuisine.  

Roots: The Complete Guide to the Underground Superfood (Superfoods for Life) by Stephanie Pedersen shares 75 delicious and nutritious recipes for root vegetables.  From the humble potato to beets, carrots, and yucca, root vegetables are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. Plus, they’re easy to prepare, readily available, inexpensive, and a treat to eat. Pedersen’s latest book in Sterling’s Superfood for Life series shows how to transform these nutritional powerhouses into tasty snacks, treats, smoothies, juices, meals, and desserts, as well as beauty products. It provides the latest research on these vegetables’ health benefits, along with helpful sidebars, interesting trivia, FAQs, and eight pages of beautiful color food photography. Featured roots include: beets, burdock, carrots, yucca, celeriac, jicama, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, salsify, sweet potatoes, sunchokes, turnips and more.  

Live to Eat: Cooking the Mediterranean Way by Michael Psilakis from acclaimed chef and author of How to Roast a Lamb offers a simple strategy for healthy cooking, highlighting the ease, deliciousness, and proven benefits of the Mediterranean diet. In this new title, Psilakis modernizes the food of his heritage to prove that clean, healthy meals can also be comforting and easy to prepare. Cooking the Mediterranean way means deliciousness, not deprivation: a nearly endless array of satisfying weeknight meals for your family can start with just seven easy-to-find staples, from Greek yogurt to simple tomato sauce. I’m a fan of Psilakis and eagerly await this new title. 

Gatherings by Flora Sheddon is being released in the U.K. this month and coming to the U.S. in April.  This book is a mixture of modern dishes, staple snacks, salads and sides, interesting bakes, and puddings perfect to end a feast with. Nothing overly fussy or complicated, just tasty, pretty plates of food. Choose from the chapters led by occasion or pick and choose from dishes such as Sloe Gin Braised Venison, Cocoa Nib Brownies and Redcurrant Pavlovas to put on a spread. There are menu ideas to show you how to pull it all together. 

The Dumpling Galaxy Cookbook by Helen You and Max Falkowitz celebrates the restaurant where adventurous foodies get the freshest dumplings in New York City. To think I lived so close to dumpling heaven when I first moved to Flushing. Sixty recipes for classic and unexpected dumplings and dim sum-like side dishes await us in this title. New York Times critic Pete Wells calls Helen You “a kind of genius for creating miniature worlds of flavor”. Lamb and Green Squash with Sichuan pepper; Spicy Shrimp and Celery; Wood Ear Mushroom and Cabbage; and desserts such as Sweet Pumpkin and Black Sesame Tang Yuan are examples of the dishes you will find. With information on the elements of a great dumpling, stunning photography, and detailed instructions for folding and cooking dumplings (my weakness), this cookbook is going to be well-used in my kitchen.
 

And last but not least, Oprah. Her cookbook, titled Food, Health, and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life debuted last week in the #1 spot on Amazon’s “U.S. Regional Cooking, Food & Wine” category. More information on this title can be found on Darcie’s article. I’ve heard great things about the quality of the recipes in this title and look forward to providing you more details in the monthly round-up.
 

Just a reminder be sure to enter the giveaways open here at Eat Your Books – more contests will be coming this week. A second preview post on books of January will be available soon.