COMO AQUA PARA CHOCOLATE
By: Laura Esquivel
Tita longs for Pedro, but can never have him because of her mother’s upholding of the family tradition: the youngest daughter cannot marry but instead must take care of her mother until she dies. Tita is only able to express herself when she cooks. Each chapter begins with a Mexican recipe that correlates to an event in Tita’s life.
A FINE DESSERT
By: Emily Jenkins
This picture book follows four families who all make the same blackberry fool dessert, spanning across four centuries. As you read, the technology, careers, and living conditions change for the characters, but the dessert stays the same. Then you are invited to make the simple recipe with your family!
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MURDER
By: Joanne Fluke
The first book in the beloved Hannah Swenson series, which follows a bakery owner turned amateur detective, delivers a solid mystery and an even more solid cookie recipe. Each title in this series comes with its own recipe as well.
OKRA STEW
By: Natalie Daise
This rhythmic, joyous picture book from Natalie Daise, the co-star of the hit Nickelodeon show “Gullah Gullah Island,” celebrates a special day of father-son cooking, and serves up a love letter to food, family, Gullah Geechee culture, and tradition—and includes the author’s own recipe!
THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP
By: Nina George
Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself; he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. The author tempts the reader with delicious mentions & recipes of famous French cooking.
FRY BREAD: A NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY STORY
By: Kevin Noble Maillard
Telling the story of both fry bread’s importance in Native American culture and the story of the vibrant and thriving culture itself, this picture book is a great introduction to Native culture for kids. The author has also included a recipe for fry bread you can make at home with your family!
PICKLE WORDS
By: April Pulley Sayre
Open this book to savor a riotous rainbow of pickles. Not just green cucumbers, but yellow peppers, pink cabbages, and purple plums! Pickles come in all shapes and sizes—and so do the words that describe them. Also included is an easy recipe for refrigerator pickles to try at home!
NATALIE TAN’S BOOK OF LUCK & FORTUNE
By: Roselle Lim
At the news of her mother’s death, Natalie Tan returns home. The two women hadn’t spoken since Natalie left in anger seven years ago. She is shocked to discover San Francisco’s Chinatown is fading, with businesses failing and families moving out. She’s even more surprised to learn she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant. The book abounds with mouth-watering recipes.
EMPANADAS FOR EVERYONE
By: Jackie Azúa Kramer
Every Saturday, Carina visits Tía Mimi in her barrio, which is always humming with life. Every Saturday, she loves to make empanadas with her aunt, singing: “I like empanadas! I like you! ¡Me gustan las empanadas! ¡Me gustas tú!” At the end of the book make your own Puerto Rican empanadas to share, with the author’s recipe!
POMEGRANATE SOUP
By: Marsha Mehran
To the exotic Aminpour sisters, Ireland looks like a much-needed safe haven. It has been seven years since Marjan Aminpour fled Iran with her younger sisters, Bahar and Layla. Each chapter boasts a recipe for a different Persian dish from chicken with walnuts and pomegranates to deep-fried elephant ears.
