Before we get to the winning book for May, I wanted to introduce other books in celebration of AANHPI heritage month focusing in on some of the other cultures that weren’t included in the original list. But with a twist…
Here’s 6 fantastic cookbooks from authors whose cultures include Chamorro (the Indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, politically divided between Guam & the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Taiwanese, Korean, Thai, Filipino, & Burmese!
1 of the Best Cookbooks of the Year: Bon Appétit, The Boston Globe, Saveur, NPR, Food & Wine, Salon, Vice, Epicurious, & Publishers Weekly
An homage to what it means to be Korean American with delectable recipes that explore how new culinary traditions can be forged to honor both your past and your present.
Playful, poignant, and vulnerable, Korean American also includes essays on subjects ranging from the life-changing act of leaving home and returning as an adult, to what Thanksgiving means to a first-generation family, complete with a full holiday menu—all the while teaching readers about the Korean pantry, the history of Korean cooking in America, and the importance of white rice in Korean cuisine.
”I savored every word and want to cook every recipe!” —Nigella Lawson
Filipino recipes from the creator of the legendary Eggslut in LA, host of the hit online series The Burger Show, and the most prominent Filipino chef in the US.
Alvin's story of success, however, is an unlikely one. He emerged from his youth spent as part of an immigrant family in East LA feeling like he wasn't Filipino enough to be Filipino and not American enough to be an American, thus amboy, the term for a Filipino raised in America. He had to first overcome cultural traditions and family expectations to find his own path to success, and this unique cookbook tells that story through his recipes.
“Any book that starts out with a method for cooking rice is right on as far as I am concerned! Alvin begins there and sets out on a journey that tells the story of his personal and culinary life, stopping along the way to share the recipes of his family, his influences from the restaurant world and the side trips he has taken on his way to becoming the well-rounded chef and pied piper for the Filipino food movement that he is today. From beef & cabbage soup to Filipino/Japanese curry, this book will draw you along from story to story, recipe to recipe, and give you a glimpse into the mind of a fiercely creative and driven man told in a voice that is true and real.” —Andy Ricker
From the beloved San Francisco restaurant, a mouthwatering collection of recipes, including Fiery Tofu, Garlic Noodles, the legendary Tea Leaf Salad, and many more. Never before have the vivid flavors of Burmese cooking been so achievable for home cooks.
“The eponymous San Francisco restaurant is making quality Burmese food even more accessible than before with this insightful, thorough cookbook. Take mohinga, for example, the breakfast noodle soup you've probably never heard of that's considered Burma's national dish. And in between coconut chicken curry and tea leaf salad, you can read all about Myanmar's struggle for democracy, as well as the people and ingredients that make up this rich culture.” —"Best New Cookbooks," Tasting Table
A modern, brashly flavorful guide to cooking Taiwanese-American food, from Brooklyn’s lauded Win Son, Win Son Bakery, and Cathy Erway, celebrated writer and expert on the cuisine. Told through the eyes, taste buds, travels, and busy lives of Ku, Brown, and Erway, this book brings the cuisine of this misunderstood island nation into the spotlight. With 100 creative, yet accessible recipes, this book will unravel the history of this diaspora cuisine. While featuring classic dishes and well-known favorites, this cookbook also stretches this cuisine's definition, introducing new dishes with brazen twists that are fun, flavorful, and decidedly American-born in style.
"This book is as much a celebration of Taiwanese culture and cuisine as it is Win Son."―Eddie Huang
"The food at Win Son and in this book is so vibrant and so damned delicious, you will want to scrape the bowls clean."―Claus Meyer
Available for free from Kindle Unlimited
Preserving her heritage by sharing her proven taste-tested recipes with the world, this is one island girl divulging all her recipe secrets!
A Taste of Guam is a recipe book designed to share Indigenous Chamorro culture through food, and includes the author's collection of recipes: Chamorro BBQ, Other Island Favorites, Mix of America, Guam Desserts, and a Treasure Chest of Sweets.
“Chamorro food done right!” —Juan Elijah
“If you have ever been to Guam where America's day begins, you know about fiestas and village gatherings where everyone brings a dish. With Chicken Keloquin, red rice, and so many other delicious dishes, [A Taste of Guam details] what you can expect to be the norm on Guam dinner tables.” —Richard F. Jones
The gold standard for authentic Thai cuisine written by the official Culinary Ambassador of Thailand.
In this showstopping collection of must-try Thai dishes, culinary mastermind and bestselling author Jet Tila opens up the world of his Thai heritage for today’s home cooks with recipes that are authentic, accessible and ultra-craveable.
“There’s nothing better than when a born teacher teaches the cuisine he was born to cook. Jet Tila is that teacher and Thai is that cuisine.” ―Alton Brown
“Jet cooks with the same passion, heart and verve that he lives by. You’ll get a glimpse of the soul he puts into his cooking when you read this book, and you’ll get a mouthful of it when you try these recipes.” ―Duff Goldman
BUT WHAT BOOK ARE WE READING FOR THE CLUB?
Set in 1944 Chicago, Edgar Award-winner Naomi Hirahara’s eye-opening and poignant mystery, the story of a young woman searching for the truth about her revered older sister’s death, brings to focus the struggles of one Japanese American family released from mass incarceration at Manzanar during WWII.
Twenty-year-old Aki Ito and her parents have just been released from Manzanar, where they have been detained by the US government since the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, together with thousands of other Japanese Americans. The life in California the Itos were forced to leave behind is gone; instead, they are being resettled two thousand miles away in Chicago, where Aki’s older sister, Rose, was sent months earlier and moved to the new Japanese American neighborhood near Clark and Division streets. But on the eve of the Ito family’s reunion, Rose is killed by a subway train. Aki, who worshipped her sister, is stunned. Officials are ruling Rose’s death a suicide. Aki cannot believe her perfect, polished, and optimistic sister would end her life. Her instinct tells her there is much more to the story, and she knows she is the only person who could ever learn the truth.
Inspired by historical events, Clark and Division infuses an atmospheric and heartbreakingly real crime fiction plot with rich period details and delicately wrought personal stories Naomi Hirahara has gleaned from thirty years of research and archival work in Japanese American history.
“Clark and Division is a moving, eye-opening depiction of life after Manzanar. Naomi Hirahara has infused her mystery with a deep humanity, unearthing a piece of buried American history.” —George Takei
“Part historical fiction, part thriller, all a deeply moving family story, set in 1944 Chicago against the backdrop of the shameful treatment of Japanese-Americans by the U.S. government.”—Sara Paretsky, bestselling author of the Detective Warshawski series
(A special thank you to book club member, Julie Griffin for the suggestion.)
Happy reading!