Cooking is different in the fall. After months of hastily tossed salads and the char of barbecue at nearly every dinner, it’s time to reacquaint ourselves with the oven. Produce dims a bit; a little more technique (and butter) helps. And so does a new cookbook or two to show us how it’s done: zippy curries that pack a heat strong enough to stave off winter gloom, three different kinds of babka, the folds of dumpling wrappers and the pull of noodle dough. That’s all here—and more—in these new and upcoming fall cookbooks.
Flavor Equationby Nik Sharma
If there’s one book out this fall that I think has true lasting power—you know,Joy of Cooking–level lasting power—it’s this one. Not to knock any of the other ambitious new books; it’s just that Nik Sharma’s latest is such a wild and well-researched resource, it’s hard to compete. Sharma is a cook’s cook. He’s able to elucidate even the most fancy techniques. While big flavor dishes are maybe his forte (like the rich lamb chops above, cut by a zingy Scallion Mint Salsa) his sweets in particular find a subtle harmony of delicate flavors: Peppermint Marshmallows, a Chocolate Miso Bread Pudding, and Spiced Coffee Kulfi are all pleasingly bold but balanced.
I’m tempted to chalk it up to pure genius, but that would discredit Sharma’s hard work. He’s a trained molecular geneticist, which might be part of why he understands the science behind adding whole rather than ground spices to add a gentle kick to that kulfi. But unlike the showy molecular gastronomy chefs out there, Sharma uses his scientific background for flavor, not foam. And, some of that know-how can be yours, too: UseThe Flavor Equationas a recipe book or a reference book or just marvel at the dramatic and tactile photos. (Oh, yeah: Sharma does that part himself too.) After a summer of barely-there cooking, this is the food—dramatic, complex, and confidently funky—that I crave for fall. —Out October 27
Aegeanby Marianna Leivaditaki
Fans of London’s North African and Mediterranean tapas spot Morito will recognize some of the flavors here:Aegeanis the product of the restaurant’s executive chef, Marianna Leivaditaki. While cuttlefish, lamb chops, and summer salads all dot the menu of Morito, inAeganLeivaditaki is able to truly dive into the unique specificities of her native Cretan cuisine. Those who enjoyed the vivid documentarian photographs of the recently releasedSummer Kitchensby another Londoner, Olia Hercules, will love this book’s photos of the island, also shot by Elena Heatherwick.
The book is divided into recipes from sea, land, and mountains with a final sweets chapter (called, charmingly, for after). The rustic seafood preparations really shine: a whole charcoal-grilled fish dressed simply with lemon, oil, and herbs; a pot of Kakavia, fisherman’s soup; and a spicy clam salad are all plenty beautiful on their own. In their entirety, they offer cooking inspiration for 20 or so varieties of fish and shellfish. To anyone committed to eating sustainable seafood who’s been thwarted by a cookbook’s narrow selection before, this one’s for you. —Out September 4
Chaatby Maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy
It’s hard to imagine not loving chaats: Few snacks manage to be lusciously creamy and brightly acidic, crackly, saucy, and chewy all at once. Yet somehow, these varied Indian snacks often do it all. Maneet Chauhan, who grew up in Ranchi in East India but is now based in Nashville, where she runs three restaurants, remembers the chaats and snacks of her childhood train trips across India in this book.