Warning: These New Recipes Might Convince You to Buy More Cookbooks
I’ll admit it: I have a cookbook problem. More books than shelves, for sure, and more little slips of paper between their pages marking recipes I’m excited to cook than I can possibly fit into a week’s meals. Every day at Epicurious, more new cookbooks come across our desks—and luckily, we can call it work to give their recipes a spin. Below you’ll find a few staff favorites from recently published titles and books that are coming out soon, plus a few more beloved recipes from cookbooks we’ve been cooking through lately. You’ll find easy dinners, fun baking projects, and more. But don’t say we didn’t warn you: These dishes just might convince you to make a cookbook purchase or two. Hopefully, your shelves have space.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne1/39Crispy Curried Chicken Cutlets With a Lot of Cabbage
If you read Eric Kim’s ode to chewy brownies on Epicurious, you were probably already excited about his debut cookbook, which hit bookstore shelves on March 29. These crispy chicken cutlets are just a taste of the many reasons to own this book.
Photo by Eva Kolenko2/39Spicy Unstuffed Pasta Shells With Roasted Garlic and Chèvre
Stuffed shells? Delicious but fussy. Unstuffed shells, though, are a perfect weeknight dinner—fitting, since they come from a book subtitled “Simple Dinners for Every Day.” It comes out April 5, and it’s one of the few new cookbook recipes we’ve already been cooking on repeat.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad and Lillian Chou3/39Adjaran Khachapuri
This recipe from Epi contributor Olia Hercules appears in her second book, Kaukasis, alongside this large-format version of the classic Georgian cheesy bread.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton4/39Pastiera Napoletana
Pastiera Napoletana—a classic Italian Easter dessert—isn’t quick to make. But it’s definitely worth the time it takes. Find it here, and in Letitia Clark’s La Vita è Dolce.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne5/39Pressure Cooker Passion Fruit Curd
Can you imagine making a fruit curd, like lemon or passion fruit, in a pressure cooker? Sounds wild, but it works. We learned the tip from a little preview of Catherine Phipps’s Modern Pressure Cooking, which comes out May 3.
Photo by Laura Edward6/39Sheer Korma
This traditional dessert of milk, nuts, and vermicelli is often served on the morning of Eid in Indian households, but you can make it any time. It appears in chef Asma Khan’s new book, Ammu, which comes out May 3.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich8/39Cold Oven Pound Cake
If you don't have Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking yet, what are you even doing? Bake this cake, and you’ll see why this book is an absolute essential.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton9/39Three-Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
A Taiwanese classic that’s adapted just slightly from the version in Epi contributor Cathy Erway’s The Food of Taiwan.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne10/39Gooey Butter Cake
The signature dessert of St. Louis is just what its name suggests—a wonderfully gooey butter cake that doesn’t quite set when baked. If you’re into these kinds of regional specialties, you might need a copy of Anne Byrn’s American Cake.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton11/39Sherry Colada
A classic piña colada is much more boozy than this version, which is made with sherry instead of rum. Find it—and more low-ABV and no-ABV drinks—in Derek Brown’s Mindful Mixology.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich13/39Instant Pot Chicken Rendang
Grab Epi contributor Pat Tanumihardja’s book, and you’ll never be without Instant Pot recipe inspiration.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton14/39Hong Kong–Style French Toast
Of all the books released last year, Kristina Cho’s Mooncakes & Milk Bread might be the one we’re baking from most. It’s where you’ll find this peanut butter–stuffed French toast and so much more.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne15/39Nanaimo Bars
Making this iconic Canadian confection involves no baking at all.
Photo by Liz and Max Haraala Hamilton16/39Kunafa
It takes just an hour to make this showstopper of a dessert, which sports a crispy kataifi pastry top. This version, from Salma Hage’s Middle Eastern Sweets, is filled with ricotta and stretchy mozzarella.
Photo by Joanne Lee Molinaro17/39Dooboo Jorim (Braised Tofu)
Soft, velvety tofu is the star of this super-quick and easy dinner from The Korean Vegan Cookbook.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton19/39Tre Latte Olive Oil Cake
If you love tres leches, you’ll adore this olive oil–enriched version from Italian American. Our editor Joe Sevier called this dish the best dessert of the year.
Photo by Elena Heatherwick20/39Confit Tandoori Chickpeas
The Ottolenghi Test Kitchen’s latest, Shelf Love, is full of dishes you can actually pull off without much shopping if you have a well-stocked pantry. Take this flavorful dinner: All you need is a can of chickpeas, some garlic, fresh ginger, cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, and a handful of herbs and spices.
Photo by Sarah Kieffer21/39Victoria Sponge Cake
Can you imagine a prettier cake for a spring celebration? We’re pretty confident that it’s perfect, but there are even more options in Zoë Bakes Cakes.
Photo by Chris Terry22/39Butter Beans, Paprika, and Piquillo Peppers
This recipe from Selin Kiazim’s Three: Acid, Texture, Contrast transforms canned butter beans into a hearty, smoky, tangy dish that can be served on its own, with a poached egg, piled on toast, or tossed into a salad.
Photo by Kristin Teig23/39Chocolate Dynamite Cookies
We can’t stop talking about Roxana Jullapat’s Mother Grains. And we can’t choose a favorite recipe from the book. Perhaps you’ll have to try both these chocolate stunners and the fantastic oatmeal-date cookies and choose for us—then just keep baking your way through.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich25/39Curried Black-Eyed Peas
In this vegan recipe from Black Food, hearty black-eyed peas simmered in coconut milk get a boost of spice and flavor from habanero pepper and curry powder.
Photography by Gentl & Hyers26/39Lomito de Cerdo al Tamarindo y Menta (Tamarind Braised Pork Loin With Mint)
This juicy pork loin from Colombiana is braised in a mix of tamarind, chicken stock, and rum for maximum flavor.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne27/39Pastéis de Nata
These custard tarts from Portugal: The Cookbook have a melt-in-the-mouth, fragile, flaky crust and a not-too-sweet custard that is caramelized and darkened in spots.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne29/39Kingston Cookies
We learned to make this classic Australian sandwich cookie from Charlotte Ree’s Just Desserts.
Photo by Issy Croker30/39Creamy Parsnip, Leek, and White Bean Crumble
This savory crumble is pure comfort food. It appears in One: Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones.
Photo by Selina Lee31/39Instant Pot Japchae
So many Instant Pot recipes aren’t actually all that instant. But this one from the Korean Instant Pot Cookbook truly comes together in a snap.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne32/39Chewy Flourless Pistachio Cookies
Go beyond your basic chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies with Jesse Szewczyk’s book as your guide. These flourless beauties manage to be crispy and chewy at the same time.
Photo by Dan Perez33/39Broiled Eggplant Salad With Sumac Chicken and Pine Nuts
For this eggplant salad from The Arabesque Table, you’ll top broiled eggplant with cumin and sumac-spiced chicken, fresh chopped tomato, parsley, cilantro, shallot, and pine nuts.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne34/39Hello Dollies
Hello Dollies are sometimes called Seven Layer Bars, Magic Bars, or Coconut Dream Bars. This version, from 101 Greatest Cookies on the Planet by Erin Mylroie, uses Ritz crackers for a salty touch.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne35/39Pide With Cheese
Top this flatbread from The Turkish Cookbook with spring onions, crumbled sheep’s-milk cheese, parsley, and dill, then devour for an appetizer or afternoon snack.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad36/39Plachinda (Moldovan Breads With Cheese and Sorrel)
These flatbreads are stuffed with feta, tangy sorrel, or fresh spinach leaves, spring onions, and dill. Olia Hercules shares the recipe in Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne37/39Hong Kong Egg Tarts
It may be easier to buy egg tarts from a Chinese bakery—but nothing competes with the pride you’ll feel when you make them from scratch. This recipe appears in A. Wong: The Cookbook.
Photo by Dan Perez38/39Nut and Sesame Seed Stuffed Pancakes
These soft and chewy pancakes—inspired by atayef and Korean hotteok—are filled with nuts, sesame seeds, tahini, and grape molasses. They appear in The Arabesque Table by Reem Kassis.
