Every December, I face the daunting task of weeding through the hundred or so cookbooks I’ve accumulated through the year to make room for the coming deluge of 2025 releases. It’s a tiny price I pay for the privilege of reviewing cookbooks weekly for the AJC. Trust me, I’m not complaining.
I love geeking out on the stories, photography, design and presentation of practical cooking information to figure out how each book fits into the current zeitgeist and marketplace. What I love even more is hungrily perusing the recipes, applying sticky notes to the ones that I test for immediate reviewing purposes and make for personal enjoyment later. Those with the most stickies will earn at least another year’s rent in my bookcase.
The five books and their representative recipes that I’ve singled out for here meet that criteria. All have qualities that stand out within their particular genres, and the recipes I’ve made from them are too good not to share.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Smashed Turkey Burgers with Sumac Onions and Parsley
Numerous cookbooks promise to ease stress in the kitchen. Yasmin Fahr’s “Cook Simply, Live Fully: Flexible, Flavorful Recipes for Any Mood” (Harper, $45) delivers with practical strategies and healthy, unfussy recipes that draw big flavor from inexpensive staples. This recipe shows how even ground turkey, so often bland and dry, can transform into something juicy and irresistible with the right balance of fresh herbs, warm spices, acidic tang, and salty, creamy feta.
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons ground sumac, divided, plus more as needed for serving
- 3 limes, halved (divided)
- Salt
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 1 bunch parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons thick full-fat yogurt, such as Greek yogurt or skyr, or labneh, plus more for serving
- 1 pound ground turkey meat, preferably dark meat
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
- Toasted or warmed lavash or pita, for serving
- Prepare the salad: In a small bowl, toss the onion with 2 teaspoons of the sumac, the juice from 2 limes, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Mix in all the parsley. Discard lime rinds. Set aside.
- Prepare the burgers: In a large bowl, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons sumac, the cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes, yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until a paste forms.
- Mix in the ground turkey and ½ cup of the feta until well combined, breaking up any lingering feta chunks. Divide the turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, lightly oil or wet your palms so it won’t stick to them and shape each portion into a loose ball.
- Heat a dry 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, tilting the pan to coat until the surface is slick with oil.
- Add the 4 balls, spacing them out, then use a solid, sturdy flat spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to smash them until they are ½-inch thick. Cook, without moving, until a crust has formed on the bottoms, and they easily release from the pan, about 4 minutes.
- Flip using a spatula and cook until browned on the second side and cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Squeeze half a lime over them; cut the remaining half into wedges for serving.
- Serve the burgers with the salad , remaining feta, bread, and lime wedges.
Serves 4.
Lightly adapted and reprinted with permission from “Cook Simply, Live Fully: Flexible, Flavorful Recipes for Any Mood” by Yasmin Fahr (HarperCollins). Copyright 2024 by Yasmin Fahr.
Per serving: 427 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 29 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 29 grams total fat (8 grams saturated), 104 milligrams cholesterol, 400 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Arizona Chopped Salad
Salads are often treated as an afterthought. Not for Darlene Schrijver. The salad bowl became a blank canvas for the former financial analyst while working with nutritionists to prepare healthy meals for her competitive weightlifting daughter. Friends clamored for her recipes, leading her to start a popular social media platform and compile her most clever combos in a cookbook of the same name: “The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, and Enjoy!” (Simon and Schuster, $32.50). A great example is this colorful melange based on an iconic specialty of the Grand Canyon State. It’s as filling and delicious as it is striking to look at, with ingredients arranged in stripes to resemble an Arizona sunset, and a party in a single bowl – no sides required.
For the dressing:
- ½ teaspoon pressed or grated garlic
- 2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
For the salad:
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 8 cups lightly packed arugula
- 2 cups diced red and/or yellow bell peppers
- 1 cup chopped smoked salmon
- 1 cup freeze-dried corn (fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels may be substituted)
- 1 cup shaved Asiago or Parmesan cheese, or 1 cup diced feta cheese
- ½ cup toasted pepitas or roasted sunflower seeds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- Make the dressing: Rinse the pressed garlic in a very fine mesh strainer and shake off any excess water. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, basil, oil, mayonnaise, buttermilk, cheese, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, black pepper and salt. Emulsify with an immersion blender (or in a food processor), then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the salad: Cook the couscous in boiling, salted water according to package directions, until tender and not chewy in the center, about 7 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside to cool completely.
- In a large salad bowl, arrange the arugula on the bottom and top with the couscous, bell peppers, salmon, corn, cheese, pepitas or sunflower seeds and cranberries.
- Just before serving, drizzle with dressing to taste. Toss until the ingredients are evenly combined and coated with the dressing and serve.
Serves 4 as a meal; 6 to 8 as a side (about 1 ¼ cups dressing).
— Lightly adapted and excerpted from “The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, Enjoy! Recipes for Making Fabulous Salads Every Day” Copyright 2024 by Darlene Schrijver. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
Per serving, without dressing, based on 4: 463 calories (percent of calories from fat, 35), 27 grams protein, 52 grams carbohydrates, 21 grams total sugars, 7 grams fiber, 19 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 27 milligrams cholesterol, 847 milligrams sodium.
Per tablespoon of dressing: 45 calories (percent of calories from fat, 81), trace protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, trace fiber, 4 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 1 milligram cholesterol, 60 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Indian Coconut Shrimp Curry
I vaguely recall seeing the website RecipeTin Eats pop up on my computer screen in a random recipe Google search. But it wasn’t until I got a copy of “Delicious Tonight” (Countryman Press, $35) that I came to understand how its Australian creator, Nagi Maehashi, amassed a social media following of more than 5 million. Her previous book, “Dinner,” was a New York Times bestseller and was named Australian Book of the Year in 2023. I now count myself as a fan. This recipe captures the alluring spices and silky richness of the Indian classic, butter chicken, in a healthier, speedier way, subbing shrimp for the chicken, dialing back the fat, and relying on coconut milk and yogurt for the creaminess.
For the curry paste:
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated garlic
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the shrimp:
- 1 pound medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined (1 ¾ pounds before peeling)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
For the curry sauce:
- 1 cup tomato passata or canned crushed, pureed tomatoes
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter
For serving:
- Basmati rice
- Roughly chopped cilantro
- Make the curry paste: In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the paste and set aside for the sauce.
- Add the shrimp and salt to the remaining curry paste in the bowl and, with a rubber spatula, toss well to coat. Have a plate ready by the stove.
- Cook the shrimp: In a large, nonstick skillet, melt the coconut oil over high heat. Working quickly, lay half the curry paste-coated shrimp in the pan in a single layer. Cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook on the other side for 1 minute (don’t cook them all the way through), then transfer them to the plate. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, reserving the paste left in the bowl. Remove the pan to briefly cool.
- Make the curry sauce: Return the pan to medium heat and add the 3 tablespoons reserved curry paste, the tomato passata, coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt. Scrape any residual curry paste in the shrimp bowl into the pan and stir to blend.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens into a syrupy consistency. Add the ghee or butter and stir until it melts.
- Add the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the sauce and toss to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through. Place a mound of rice in each serving bowl and ladle the shrimp and sauce over each. Sprinkle with cilantro or mint, if desired, and serve.
Serves 4.
— Lightly adapted and reprinted with permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company from “Delicious Tonight” by Nagi Maehashi. Copyright 2024 by Nagi Maehashi.
Per serving: 333 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 19 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total sugars, 10 grams fiber, 23 grams total fat (18 grams saturated), 153 milligrams cholesterol, 1,125 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Skillet Spanakopita with Lemon-Brined Tofu Feta
Spanakopita, the classic savory Greek pie made of crispy phyllo layers encasing a rich spinach and feta filling, is not the kind of dish you think of making on a weeknight. But this rustic adaptation in “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques” (Ten Speed Press, $50) proves it can be. To veganize it, James Beard Award-winning author Joe Yonan replaces dairy feta with a surprisingly comparable plant-based facsimile made by soaking tofu cubes in a few simple ingredients that takes only minutes to make. It’s one of numerous inventive revelations in this flavor-packed guide that could tempt the most ardent carnivore into going meatless.
- 1 pound baby spinach, kale, or other leafy greens (or a combination), washed and well dried
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided plus more for brushing (about 6 tablespoons total)
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or pressed
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup crumbled Lemon-Brined Tofu Feta (see recipe), or storebought vegan feta
- ½ bunch (2 ounces) fresh dill, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 frozen sheets phyllo dough, thawed
- ½ lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. If using larger greens, stack the greens with stems attached, roll them up lengthwise like cigars, and slice them very thinly. If using pre-washed baby spinach, you can skip this step.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion slices and saute until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, pepper flakes and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the greens and cook until wilted and excess moisture has evaporated, 5 to 15 minutes, depending on hardiness of the greens. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the Lemon-Brined Tofu Feta (see recipe) dill, and lemon zest into the greens. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let cool slightly.
- Brush a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Brush a phyllo sheet lightly with oil, then nestle it inside the skillet, with ends hanging over the skillet.
- Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo, brushing them with olive oil, overlapping and gently pressing inside the skillet so that there is an even amount of phyllo hanging over the pan’s edges. Work quickly so they don’t dry out much, patching together any cracks or rips as you go with oil.
- Spread the greens mixture evenly inside the phyllo-lined skillet, then top with the lemon slices. Fold the overhanging phyllo loosely over the greens toward the center of the pan (there may still be some visible greens and lemon slices in the center). Brush the top lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds and nigella seeds (if using).
- Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, then transfer the skillet to the oven to bake until the phyllo is golden on top, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Cool in the pan set on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve hot, cold or room temperature.
Serves 4 to 6.
— Lightly adapted and reprinted with permission from “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” by Joe Yonan. Copyright 2024. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Per serving, based on 4: 436 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 17 grams protein, 36 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams total sugars, 6 grams fiber, 28 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 840 milligrams sodium
Lemon-Brined Tofu Feta
- 8 ounces firm, water-packed tofu, drained but liquid reserved
- 2 or 3 sprigs fresh dill
- Several strips of lemon zest
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 or 4 lemons)
- ½ cup pickle brine (from jarred pickles)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Cut the tofu into ½-inch cubes. Pack them loosely into a 12-ounce jar or other lidded container. Tuck in the dill sprigs and lemon zest.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, pickle brine and salt. Pour over the tofu. Add some of the reserved tofu water to submerge the tofu completely if necessary. Seal the jar with a lid, shake lightly, and refrigerate for at least 3 days before eating, or up to 2 weeks.
Makes 1 cup.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 109 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 10 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 649 milligrams sodium
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Strawberry Panna Cotta
Cookbooks that explore the intersection between the author’s American upbringing and immigrant roots was a popular theme in this year’s crop. Famed New York pastry chef Renato Poliafito deliciously nails the sweet spot between those influences in “Dolci! American Baking with an Italian Accent” (Knopf, $38). The recipe I’m most anxious to repeat is his panna cotta: a classic rendition of that quivery vanilla-infused Italian pudding ubiquitous, but with a dramatic twist in presentation that’s remarkably simple to pull off. You can, of course, forego the theatrics and just top it with fruit or a drizzle of honey as he suggests. Whichever adaptation you choose, this is a formula worth keeping in your back pocket any time the occasion calls for a sweet homemade ending.
For the custard:
- 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract
For the strawberry gelatin:
- 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup seedless strawberry jam
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- Make the panna cotta: In a muffin tin, set 4 8-ounce glasses at a 45-degree angle. If necessary, stuff the tins with paper towels to hold them in place.
- Pour ¼ cup water into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let sit for 2 minutes until the gelatin is hydrated, then bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, whisking to dissolve the gelatin, then immediately remove from the heat.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture and vanilla. Pour the mixture into a 4-cup measuring cup with a pour spout and evenly divide the mixture among the four glasses. The mixture should fill half of the glass at a diagonal, almost to the rim.
- Leaving the glasses in place, cover the tops of each with plastic wrap and transfer the tin to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight, until the custard is firm.
- Prepare the strawberry gelatin: Pour ½ cup water into a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let sit for 2 minutes until the gelatin is hydrated, then bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, whisking to dissolve the gelatin. Then immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the strawberry jam.
- Fill a large bowl with ice, then set a medium bowl in the center. Pour the strawberry mixture into the bowl and chill, stirring often, until it begins to thicken to a soft, gel-like texture, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the sliced strawberries. Remove the panna cotta glasses from the refrigerator and set upright. Pour the strawberry mixture evenly among the glasses, filling the empty angled space of each. Cover again with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- The wrapped panna cotta can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Serves 4.
– Lightly adapted and excerpted from “Dolci! American Baking with an Italian Accent” by Renato Poliafito with Casey Elsass. Copyright 2024 by Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Per serving: 538 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 6 grams protein, 76 grams carbohydrates, 58 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 24 grams total fat (15 grams saturated), 73 milligrams cholesterol, 73 milligrams sodium.
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