Shake Up Your Kitchen Routine With 5 International Dishes

Savor some global flavor with these recipes from new cookbooks

Jennifer Bradley Franklin,

AARP

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Published September 25, 2023

stylized table setting featuring shiny blue and gold cloths and world globes of varying sizes and designs, some on plates with utensils and some in bowls, along with a candle, brass water pitcher and ornate glass wine decanters

Dan Saelinger

If your wanderlust has been awakened by tales (and photos) of fabulous summer vacations — an Italian holiday or a Mexico beach trip, perhaps — it’s time to whip up some globally inspired dishes in the comfort of your own home. From spices that can dial up the flavor in tried-and-true recipes to techniques that add a worldly flair, here are five global recipes from newly released cookbooks.

Kevin J. Miyazaki

Shakshuka! With a Nod to India

The Global Pantry Cookbook: Transform Your Everyday Cooking with Tahini, Gochujang, Miso, and Other Irresistible Ingredients will shake up how you approach your favorite recipes. Written by Scott Mowbray and Ann Taylor Pittman, both James Beard Award winners, the book offers practical ways to substitute global ingredients to add interest and dimension to dishes. For example, you can trade gochujang (Korean red chili paste) for hot sauce on chicken wings or add coconut milk to banana pudding – it’s magical! The recipe for Shakshuka — a traditional Middle Eastern and North African dish of poached eggs in spiced tomato sauce — gets a twist with the addition of mustard seeds, ginger and Kashmiri mirch (mild chili powder). It’s perfect as a brunch dish, appetizer or a meal on its own.

Try it: Shakshuka! With a Nod to India

Heami Lee

Chili Crisp Bulgogi Deopbap

Varied textures and flavors are some of the most pleasurable elements of eating and cooking. In his new book Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings, Brooklyn-based food writer and recipe developer James Park shares exciting ways to use his favorite condiment: chili crisp. So much more than a simple hot sauce, this ingredient with Chinese roots is made up of fried garlic and onions, oil, fried chile peppers and other aromatics to create an endlessly versatile addition to recipes ranging from savory breakfast dishes to, surprisingly, desserts. Beyond 50 detailed recipes, Park offers suggestions for getting creative with this widely available ingredient. His recipe for Chili Crisp Bulgogi Deopbap is so flavorful and satisfying that it just might make it into your regular dinner rotation.

Try it: Chili Crisp Bulgogi Deopbap

artichoke carpaccio from portico cookbook garnished with parsley on fancy plates with blue designs and a fork

Kristin Teig

Artichoke Carpaccio (Carpaccio di Carciofi)

Seven-time cookbook author Leah Koenig takes readers on a culinary journey through Rome’s history-rich Jewish community in Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome's Jewish Kitchen. As a leading authority on Jewish food, Koenig shares more than 100 beautifully photographed recipes, many of which have surprising, sometimes heartbreaking, histories. This sizable volume is pretty enough to earn a place on your cookbook shelf or on regular display as a coffee-table book. Try your hand at this recipe for Carpaccio or Artichoke Carpaccio, and prepare to be transported to the age-old trattorias on the streets of Via del Portico d’Ottavia, the main road in Rome’s Ghetto neighborhood.

Try it: Artichoke Carpaccio (Carpaccio di Carciofi)

palta reina de atún from latinísimo cookbook showing half an avocado with a scoop of tuna on top mixed with chopped tomato, celery and green onion

Kevin J. Miyazaki

Palta Reina de Atún (Tuna-Stuffed Avocados)

In Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America, Sandra A. Gutierrez shares treasured, time-honored recipes from the Latin American diaspora. The journalist, food writer, historian and professional cooking instructor is the author of five cookbooks, so each section is deeply researched, interesting and strikingly illustrated. Thanks to Gutierrez’s experience as an educator, home chefs can look forward to learning new techniques as they cook through its pages. For a simple, hearty appetizer, try her take on Palta Reina de Atún (tuna-stuffed avocados), which packs a flavorful, protein- and healthy fat-infused punch.

Try it: Palta Reina de Atún (Tuna-Stuffed Avocados)

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Gotcha Matcha Ice Cream Pie

Raised in Atlanta by Taiwanese immigrants, Natalie Keng believes that food is an ideal catalyst for people to accept more diversity. In her debut cookbook, Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea, Keng — who is best known for creating an award-winning line of Georgia-grown, Asian-inspired sauces sold in Whole Foods Markets — shares charming personal stories and historical insights to frame up her 100 recipes, many of which use easy-to-find ingredients. Try your hand at this tasty recipe for Gotcha Matcha Ice Cream Pie, which gets an antioxidant rich boost from Japanese green tea powder.

Try it: Gotcha Matcha Ice Cream Pie

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Jennifer Bradley Franklin is an Atlanta-based journalist, editor and author who has contributed to the Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, People magazine, USA Today and others. She's an avid traveler, ballroom dancer and is more than a little coffee obsessed. Read more of her work at jenniferbradleyfranklin.com.

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