Explore Global Flavors at Home: Top Cookbooks and Recipes from Around the World
With travel on hold, bring the world to your kitchen. Rediscover past adventures and inspire new ones by cooking authentic dishes from global destinations. Our expert-recommended cookbooks pair vivid travel insights with easy-to-follow recipes, perfect for creating memorable family meals until passports are ready again.
Spain's Basque Country
BASQUE by Jose Pizarro (Hardie Grant). Photographer: Laura Edwards
Northern Spain's Basque Country boasts dramatic coastlines with quaint fishing villages and Europe's top surf spots, lush mountains, and vibrant cities like Bilbao—a hub of culture and architecture—and San Sebastián, famed for its Michelin-starred dining scene.
Bold flavors define Basque cuisine: think grilled T-bone steaks, fresh fish, sweet peppers on rustic plates, and elaborate pintxos (tapas-style bites). Visit a sagardotegi (cider house) for barrel-poured cider paired with salt-cod omelettes.
Croquetas are pintxos staples. José Pizarro's Basque: Spanish Recipes from San Sebastián & Beyond offers a versatile version with ham, mushrooms, or sun-dried tomatoes—always cheesy and delicious.
Spinach and Goat’s Cheese Croquetas
Begin with tomato soup featuring jamón and Idiazábal cheese, end with chocolate pots—all from Pizarro's cookbook.
Iran
Iran blends ancient Persian heritage with Silk Road influences, showcasing snow-capped mountains, vast deserts, and architectural gems like Imam Square's turquoise domes, Ali Ibn Hamza Mausoleum's glittering halls, and Nasir al-Mulk Mosque's stained-glass wonders.
Middle Eastern vegetarian delights shine: vibrant salads, dips, and breads. Yotam Ottolenghi’s acclaimed Simple makes recreating these fusions accessible.
Herb fritters adapt to your fresh herbs—experiment freely.
Iranian Herb Fritters
Try Ottolenghi’s slow-cooked chicken with corn crust or plum-blackberry-bay friand bake from Simple.
Lisbon
LISBON by Rebecca Seal (Hardie Grant). Photographer: Steven Joyce
Lisbon's terracotta roofs, river vistas, winding streets, yellow trams, terrace bars, and murals frame Portugal's stellar food scene—from Michelin fine dining to street eats and trendy warehouses.
Pastéis de nata are legendary. Pastéis de Belém is tourist-favorite, but Rebecca Seal's Lisbon champions Manteigaria in Chiado—watch masters at work with your espresso.
Homemade laminated dough takes time; use all-butter puff pastry as a shortcut.
Portuguese Custard Tarts
More Lisbon street foods like chorizo pâté and garlicky prawns in Rebecca Seal's Lisbon.
Bangkok
Bangkok's legendary street food thrives in bustling markets, fueling visits to golden temples, mega-malls, and rooftop bars.
Yaowarat (Chinatown) offers pad Thai, satay, fiery soups—and exotics like ant skewers. Leela Punyaratabandhu’s Bangkok brings top eats home (bugs optional).
Sub ginger for galangal, dried for fresh herbs, or order online.
Thai Hot and Sour Soup
Beef green curry or watermelon-fish dip from Leela Punyaratabandhu’s Bangkok.
Italy
Italy evokes Aperol in Venice, Tuscan hill towns, Sardinian shores—but perfect pasta eludes home cooks. Chef Evan Funke’s American Sfoglino changes that with rolling pin techniques for sfoglia, sauces, and broths.
Master tagliatelle; pair with crisped prosciutto and butter—or pantry staples.
Handmade Tagliatelle Pasta
Bolognese or passata di pomodoro from American Sfoglino.
Ghana
Ghana merits your travel list: golden beaches, Kakum National Park's canopy walk amid elephants and butterflies, Portuguese influences, and hiplife music.
Relaxed fare: fresh fish, salads, spiced dishes for family meals. “Africans have kept this incredible food a secret too long,” notes Zoe Adjonyoh in Zoe's Ghana Kitchen.
Peanut sauce pairs with meats, seafood, veggies—start with plantains or yams.
Lamb Cutlets with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Bean stew, suya goat kebabs in Zoe's Ghana Kitchen.
Mexico City
Mexico City's 25 million pulse with Xochimilco gardens, Art Deco Palacio de Bellas Artes, modern Santa Fe, and Aztec ruins.
State cuisines converge: street tacos, tostadas, tortas. Food tour expert Lesley Téllez’s Eat Mexico guides with favorites.
Find adobo, chipotles; sub flour tortillas for corn tostadas—or make your own.
Spicy Shredded Chicken Tostadas
Mole, tortillas, carnitas in Lesley Téllez’s Eat Mexico: Recipes from Mexico City's Streets, Markets and Fondas.
New York
Beyond Empire State, Central Park, explore Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx. NYC's icons demand cheesecake—Junior’s Brooklyn original (70+ years) per Marc Grossman’s New York Cult Recipes.
Embrace full indulgence; no skimping.
New York Cheesecake
Challah-brisket sandwiches like Katz’s in Marc Grossman’s New York Cult Recipes.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers beaches, vineyards, myths, ruins, and meze blending Turkish-Greek-Middle Eastern flavors—ideal for sharing.
Keftedes (meatballs) get a fish twist in Georgina Hayden’s Taverna.
Fish Keftedes in Mustard and Dill
Use any white fish: cod, haddock, pollock. More: pastitsio, livaneziko in Georgina Hayden’s Taverna.
India
Tackle Golden Triangle or Kerala backwaters. Diverse curries, dosas suit endless kitchen experiments. Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Easy eases beginners with spices and techniques.
Baked chicken curry uses pantry staples.
Baked Chicken Curry
Sweet-sour aubergines, Bengali salmon in Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Easy.
