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HOME by RD presents....

What's Cookin'?

A Guide to Our Cookbook Collection

Jenn Zipp holding cookbooks

Hi, I'm Jenn Zipp and I love food. I love everything about it. I love eating it, I love cooking it, I love talking about it, and I really love reading about it. I'm so excited to share with you some of the cookbooks we have in store right now. I'm really proud of how much we've expanded our collection, not just in the number of titles we carry, but also in the efforts our buyers have put in to make sure that the authors and culinary cultures are as diverse as we are! 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Music

Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Music

The recipes in this book are all about using what you have, and not feeling contractually bound to a recipe. It offers substitution suggestions for hard to find, out of season ingredients you may not have access to, or things you may just not like to eat. I also love that this book has a grocery shopping strategy to make sure that you're efficiently using your time, and being mindful of waste production. 
Favorite Recipe: Spaghetti aglio e olio with all-o the parsley, page 143, is like the adult version of buttered pasta with garlic salt, a college favorite of mine. 

Black Food by Bryant Terry
The best types of cookbooks are ones that tell a story. Black Food is a collection of essays, poems and prose about the African Diaspora told through the lens of food and cuisine. It's a tribute to the contributions of Black culinary pioneers, and points out how so much of what we consider to be "American" food is really what Black people have contributed to the gastronomical history of our country.
Favorite Recipe: Sweet Potato Grits on page 229 (but a bigger call out to the poem RICE! by Gail Patricia Myers, PhD.)
Quick + Slow
I very much appreciate that this book is broken into two sections; quick meals to throw together on a weeknight, and recipes for leisurely weekends. A design element that I love about this book is that it's bound in a way that makes it lay flat on your counter. If you've ever found yourself wrists deep in flour only to have your cookbook close on you mid way through a recipe, you know how lovely this feature is!
Favorite Recipe: Miso Porridge with Banana + Sesame Brittle, page 75. I love savory oats!
Korean American by Eric Kim
I love this book, plain and simple. This is for an intermediate level home chef with some access to some specialty grocery items, but there are some REALLY good recipes that have been in my after-work dinner rotation. Eric wrote this book during the pandemic, and developed many of the recipes with his mom. Anyone with an Asian mom knows how hard it is to pin them down for a recipe that includes measurements, so I commend Eric. 
Favorite Recipe: Budae Jiggae, page 101, comes with a beautiful story about what the meal historically means to many Korean people. 

Cook This Book by Molly Baz

My copy of this book is very worn and used. There really is something for everyone in this one. It's also been a great "teaching" book. There are QR codes littered throughout the pages that link you to "how-to" video from the author. Don't know how to properly cut an onion for Molly's Orzo al Limone recipe? Scan the QR code and get a video from Molly herself to show you how! 
Favorite Recipe: I've made the Slow-Roasted Piri-Piri(ish) Chicken with Crushed Potatoes and Aioli on page 77 so many times!

To Asia, With Love by Hetty McKinnon
A vegetarian forward Asian inspired cookbook dispelling the myth that Asian dishes are meat heavy. There are even recipe substitutions and omissions that make each recipe entirely vegan. All the photos in the book were taken by Hetty McKinnon to give it a complete "homemade" feel. 
Favorite Recipe: Lychee and Ginger Soft Serve (although, I'd probably put half the amount of ground ginger in it, unless you love that nostril clearing sensation with every bite.)
We're always adding new books to you collection. Stay up to date with new products by following us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter.
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