11 cookbooks that inspired us in 2019

The best cookbook is the one whose author seems to be speaking right to you as you stand in a bookstore, flipping through (or clicking around online) and looking for inspiration: Does it make you want to stop by a market on your way home and then pull on an apron as soon as you get there? Or maybe you’re already in your kitchen, cutting board out, and not so sure just how a particular recipe might go, but you take comfort in instructions and tips that set you at ease.

Hundreds of cookbooks come through our office every year. Here are 11 recipes from 11 of our favorites from 2019, each picked by a staff member.

Coloradito

5 to 7 servings (makes 3 cups)

Every group of diners at Guelaguetza, the great Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles, is greeted with a gratis plate of chips drizzled with Coloradito mole and crumbles of fresh cheese. It’s a gift from the house, and it’s likely few patrons realize how much effort goes into the freebie.

More than 15 ingredients are needed for Guelaguetza’s Coloradito mole, and many of them require toasting, grinding, sauteing or soaking before they’re ready to mix into the sauce. The result of all this effort, however, is a mole of understated complexity, perfect in a wide variety of applications. You can use it as a sauce for roast chicken or, as the restaurant does, a dip for tortilla chips.

NOTE: During tomato season, you can sub out the Romas for tomatoes fresh from the vine, the sweeter the better.

Mexican chocolate is a unique product, often mixed with vanilla, cinnamon or both. You can buy 2.7-ounce discs online from Taza Chocolate. Its chocolates can frequently be found at Whole Foods, too. Dried guajillos and hoja santa leaves are available at Latin American grocery stores.

3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

2 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) diced Roma tomatoes

1/4 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

4 whole black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

2 tablespoons raisins

1/4 cup raw almonds

1/2 small white onion, quartered

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (3 1/4-ounce) bar Mexican chocolate

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 hoja santa leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Fill a small saucepan with several cups of water, enough to cover the chiles, and bring to a boil Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat, add the chiles and cover with a lid. Let the chiles sit for 30 minutes, until soft and tender. Transfer the chiles to a plate covered with paper towels, and reserve one cup of the soaking liquid.

Place the tomatoes in a pot with two tablespoons of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes soften and start to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.

In a skillet or comal over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, cinnamon, bread crumbs, oregano, thyme, peppercorns and cloves, stirring frequently until the mixture is fragrant and the sesame seeds take on a light, golden color, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the cinnamon. Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool.

Place the toasted herbs and spices in a molcajete or a spice grinder and grind until the mixture becomes a fine powder.

Place the reconstituted chiles in a blender with a 1/2 cup of the reserved soaking liquid. Add the raisins, almonds, onion and garlic and blend until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the chile mixture and the herbs-and-spice mixture, and stir until the ingredients are incorporated, about 2 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to scorch the mixture. Add the other 1/2 cup of soaking liquid to the pot and simmer for another 2 to 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chocolate, stirring frequently until the ingredients are incorporated and the sauce turns dark with chocolate.

Add the chicken stock, bay leaf and hoja santa leaf to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The mole should have the consistency of heavy cream. Add the salt and check for taste. Add more salt as necessary

Remove the bay leaf and hoja santa leaf, and serve with tortilla chips or fresh tortillas. Or use as a sauce for chicken or fried eggs.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 7): 190 calories, 4 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 15 g sugar

(Adapted from “Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico” by Bricia Lopez and the family behind LA’s Guelaguetza with Javier Cabral. Abrams, 2019.)

Sizzling Rice Crepes

6 servings (makes 6 crepes)

Cooking the crepes can take some practice. Adjust the heat and time until you get it right, but be assured that even if a few fall apart, the pieces will taste great. You’ll have dipping sauce, called nuoc cham, left over, which is good news because it’s good on anything. Use it to dress vegetables, noodles, rice or grilled meat.

MAKE AHEAD: The batter can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using. The sauce can sit at room temperature for several hours, or can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

• For the dipping sauce

1/2 cup warm water, or more as needed

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce, or more as needed

1 Thai or serrano chile pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

• For the crepe

3/4 cup (4 1/2 ounces) white rice flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 1/2 cups very hot water (see NOTE)

1/3 cup full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk, well stirred

10 ounces ground pork (may substitute ground turkey or beef)

8 ounces small shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

4 mushrooms, white button or shiitake, thinly sliced

1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion (about 1/2 small onion)

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) canola oil

3 cups mung bean sprouts

• For serving

1 lettuce head, such as bibb, Boston or green leaf

1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs, such as cilantro, mint and Thai basil

Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the water and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lime juice and 3 tablespoons fish sauce. Taste, and add more fish sauce, if desired. Add the chiles, if desired.

Make the crepes: In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, salt and turmeric. Add the water and coconut milk and whisk to combine. Let the batter sit at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes.

On a large, rimmed baking sheet, divide the pork, shrimp, mushrooms and onion to make 6 portions of the crepe filling, each with equal amounts of the ingredients. Season them lightly with the salt.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees with the rack in the middle.

In an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat about 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add one portion of the filling ingredients and stir-fry them for about 1 minute, breaking up the pork with a spatula as it cooks. The shrimp should start to turn opaque, the mushrooms and onion should begin to wilt, and the pork start to change from pink to light brown.

Line the shrimp on one half of the pan and push the rest of the ingredients to the other side of the pan, forming a line down the center of the pan; you want to create two semicircles of ingredients with a space between them. (The empty space will create the line along which you will fold the crepe later.) Reduce the heat to medium. Whisk the crepe batter and scoop out 1/3 cup. Slowly pour the batter in the pan, distributing it evenly. Pick up the pan and swirl it gently to make sure the batter covers the bottom of the pan and envelops all the ingredients. The batter will puff and set pretty quickly.

Add about 3/4 cup bean sprouts over one half of the crepe, cover the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, until the sprouts wilt a little. Remove the lid, drizzle about 1 teaspoon oil around the edges of the crepe, and continue to cook for about 4 minutes. Using a spatula, lift one edge of the crepe. The underside should be brown and crisp. If it isn’t, let it cook for a few more minutes.

Using a spatula, fold the crepe over. It might break at the fold – that’s fine. Slide the crepe onto a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you repeat the steps to make 5 more crepes.

To serve, cut the crepes into bite-size pieces and wrap them in lettuce leaves, topped with herbs and dipping sauce.

NOTE: The water should be about 160 degrees. To get it close, mix equal parts boiling water and very hot tap water.

Nutrition | Per serving: 460 calories, 21 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 33 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar

(Adapted from “Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors” by Andrea Nguyen. Ten Speed Press, 2019.)

Cod With Spinach, Tomatoes And Shallots

4 servings

This recipe is everything we love about a Molly Stevens joint. There’s always something to learn: in this case, a lucid, concise lesson on making parchment packets as visual as a YouTube tutorial. And then there’s the way she combines mostly ordinary ingredients (fish, spinach, tomatoes, shallots) to create a dish far more elevated than the sum of its workaday parts.

Recipe note: The packets can be assembled several hours before cooking. Refrigerate until ready to bake, and add 4 minutes to the roasting time.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the packets

5 ounces baby spinach

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Four (6-ounce) cod, haddock or flounder fillets

2 tablespoons finely minced shallots

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, parsley, or chives

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with racks in the lower and upper thirds. Cut four 24-inch-long sheets of parchment paper. Fold each sheet in half, forming a 12-by-15-inch rectangle and, with a pencil, draw a half-heart shape on the paper, centering the heart on the folded edge and making the heart as large as you can. Using scissors, cut out the hearts. (The heart shape makes sealing easier.)

Open the heart shapes flat on your counter and lightly butter or oil the center of one side of each. Place a quarter of the spinach close to the crease on the buttered side of each piece of parchment paper. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the fish fillets among the packets, placing them directly on the spinach. (If the fillets are less than 1-inch thick, fold or tuck them into compact bundles that are about 1 inch thick.) Season the fish with salt and pepper and top each with shallots, herbs and tomatoes. If using butter, cut it into smaller pats and place on top of the fillets. If using oil, drizzle a little over each fillet. Splash the wine over the top.

Fold the other half of the paper over to cover the fish. Then, starting at the top of the heart shape, working with about 2 inches of the edge at a time, fold over about 1/2 inch, pressing down and rubbing your thumb across the fold to make a crisp crease. Move a little way along the edge and fold over a couple more inches, so that your folds are overlapping and double-folded. Continue working your way around the edge of the packet, making overlapping folds, like pleats, always pressing firmly and creasing so that the folds hold. Don’t expect the folded edge to be perfectly even; it will be somewhat crooked – this is part of its charm. Go back around, making a second fold at any place that doesn’t appear tightly sealed. If there’s a slight “tail” when you reach the end, give it a twist to seal. (If you don’t quite master the seal, you can make a quick cheat by stapling or paper-clipping the edges in place.)

Arrange the packets on two large rimmed baking sheets so that they don’t touch. Bake for 14 minutes. (If the fish packets have been in the refrigerator, increase the time to 18 minutes.)

Either place the packets directly on dinner plates and provide scissors so that your guests can snip open their own packets at the table, or carefully cut open the packets in the kitchen and slide the contents out onto dinner plates or pasta bowls and serve right away.

Nutrition | Per serving (using olive oil): 220 calories, 28 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 610 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugar

(Adapted from “All About Dinner: Simple Meals, Expert Advice,” by Molly Stevens. W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.)

Green Beans In Ginger Sauce

2 to 3 servings

Cookbook author Fuchsia Dunlop tells readers to use only “fresh, tender and fragrant” ginger when making the delicate sauce for the green beans. The dressing works well for other green vegetables, including spinach, and for cold chicken. Use frozen green beans if fresh or yard-long beans are unavailable.

Long beans are available at Asian markets, such as H-Mart.

1 1/2 cups green beans or yard-long beans

1 1/2 tablespoons very finely chopped ginger

1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons cold chicken stock or water

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

Trim the beans. (If using yard-long beans, cut them into shorter lengths.)

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beans and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water, then shake dry. Arrange the beans neatly on a serving dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, vinegar, salt, and stock or water until combined. Whisk in the sesame oil. (The vinegar should lend the sauce a light “tea color” and gentle sourness.) Pour the sauce over the beans or, for a more refined presentation, strain the sauce over the beans and then arrange the ginger across the top. Serve right away.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 3): 320 calories, 21 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 310 mg sodium, 9 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar

Adapted from “The Food of Sichuan,” by Fuchsia Dunlop. W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.)

Gulab Jamun Cake

10 to 12 servings (makes one 9-inch Bundt cake)

Gulab jamun is a quintessential Indian dessert, and here it’s been transformed into a much simpler Bundt cake. Inspired by the soft, fried dough balls, this cardamom-scented cake is soaked in a fragrant cinnamon, saffron, rose water and cardamom syrup. The result is a pudding-like Bundt that is delicately textured and flavored.

MAKE AHEAD: The cake improves with texture as it sits. It will keep airtight at room temperature for several days.

• For the cake

2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan

1 cup (215 grams) granulated sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups (227 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

• For the syrup and glaze

1 cup (240 milliliters) water

1 cup (215 grams) granulated sugar

One 3-inch cinnamon stick

8 cardamom pods

1 teaspoon saffron

2 teaspoons rose water

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 cups (180 grams) confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon dried rose petals (optional)

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with the rack in the middle. Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan liberally with butter.

Add the butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you may also use a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high for 3 minutes; the butter will turn pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to beat on medium-high until thoroughly combined, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt and mix on medium-high for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, add the flour and cardamom and mix on low until the flour is just incorporated. If needed, give the batter a quick stir with a spatula to fold in any dry bits.

Spoon the batter into the pan and tap the pan on the counter 3 to 5 times to remove air bubbles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Make the syrup and glaze: Ten minutes before the cake is done baking, in a small saucepan, stir together the water, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom pods and saffron. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and whisk in the rose water and lime juice. Discard the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) syrup and set aside. Poke holes in the bottom of the cake with a wooden skewer or fork. Take the remaining syrup and pour onto the cake while it is still warm and in the pan. It will look like a lot of syrup, but the cake will soak it all up. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes. Use a small, flexible spatula or a round-edged knife to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and then turn onto a serving plate. Don’t be alarmed if the cake has split in a few places because of the moisture of the syrup. That’s where the glaze comes in.

Whisk together the reserved syrup with the confectioners’ sugar and pour the glaze over the cake. Sprinkle with the dried rose petals, if desired. Cut into slices and serve.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 12): 430 calories, 4 g protein, 66 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 50 g sugar

(Adapted from “Milk & Cardamom,” by Hetal Vasavada. Page Street Publishing, 2019.)