All Booked | Cookbooks are Books Too

Recipes for Thanksgiving

This edition of All Booked was originally emailed to subscribers on November 22, 2022. To receive our literary newsletter in your inbox, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

Hello, book lovelies!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Yes, I love the food, but it’s obviously so much more than that. As I get older, I feel gratitude on a whole other level. I feel grateful for my health, my family, my friends, my job, my happiness, and so much more. These past few years, and maybe becoming a parent, have made me so much more aware of how precious these things are, and how fleeting they can be. I love that we have a day where we gather with loved ones to express our gratitude over a shared meal. To me, that is so beautiful.

Now that we’re all feeling a little sappy, I want to bring it back to the fun part — the food. Last year, I wrote a newsletter about my favorite cookbooks, and I think that may be a fun Thanksgiving-week tradition to start. Below are a few cookbooks I own that I’ve been loving lately.

I am a big believer in going into a book knowing as little as possible. I try not to read too much of the synopses or reviews, since most of them over-share. My pitches below are short and sweet just for that reason.

Cooking with Italian Grandmothers by Jessica Theroux is a beautiful book that is so much more than a cookbook. Theroux travels across Italy and spends time living with various Italian grandmothers, learning their stories and their recipes. She shares what she learns in these pages. Not only will you find incredible recipes in here, but you may also cry while reading them. This book is so full of love. It’s an appreciation of family and a celebration of tradition. It’s one of my favorite cookbooks to sit down and read with a cup of coffee. Even if you don’t make anything from this book, it’s worth a read. I also recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Pasta Grannies.

A couple of years ago, I was part of a cookbook club where each month the host would choose a cookbook, and we would each make a dish from it and bring it to the dinner to enjoy as a group. It was such a great group of ladies, and our dinners were always beyond expectations. Cook This Book by Molly Baz was one of the chosen cookbooks from that club. It’s written with a focus on technique. Baz really breaks down the art of cooking, everything from how to chop an onion to mise en place to choosing out which salt to have in your kitchen. If you’re new to cooking, this would be a great place to start. It would also make a great gift for anyone looking to improve their skills in the kitchen.

My mother gifted me Flour by Joanne Chang a few years ago for Christmas. I will admit that it sat on my bookshelf for awhile. It seemed intimidating to me. I find baking hard, and Chang’s recipes seem advanced. But this year, I’ve been making a dent in them. Every couple of weeks, I’ll tackle a new cookie recipe or make some muffins. I haven’t ventured into the more difficult recipes yet, but I’ve been eyeing a few. Baking through this book has definitely made me more confident in my baking. I have a ways to go, but I’m having fun on this little baking journey of mine. Thanks, Mom 🙂

As always, I would love to hear from you. Please send me your go-to cookbooks. Whether they have been favorites for years or they’re new finds, you can reach me at emily@independent.com!

Your smitten bookworm, Emily

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