Sarah Guerrero
Sarah Guerrero is a freelance writer and contributor to Slow North. She has a degree in international business from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and writes about sustainable business practices and ethical living.
5 Drool-Worthy Cookbooks from the Global Majority
My grandmother used to make tortillas and tamales by hand, but my mom was one of eleven children and didn’t get a chance to learn my grandmother’s recipes before leaving home. When my mom became a mother, however, she taught herself to make a pot of beans in the same way my grandmother would’ve made them.
Now, I make a pot of beans regularly to feed my own family. To me, a bowl of rice and beans that have been simmering on the stove all afternoon means home.
That’s partly why I love these five cookbooks from BIPOC authors. They offer generous invitations into the authors’ homes, to experience the same joy in making and enjoying their cultures’ beloved recipes. I’d be excited to find all five on my bookshelf!
1. Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking: From Everyday Meals to Celebration Cuisine by Maangchi
Maangchi is a YouTube sensation. Watching her cook makes it feel like I’m in her home with her. Her cookbooks are just as sensational - this one is super educational and a gateway to falling in love with all things Korean!
Reviewers rave about its in-depth ingredient explanations and photos to follow along with as you cook. I’m planning a trip to my local H Mart (Korean grocery store) and will definitely be taking this book with me.
2. The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman
Photo by Sarah Crowley
Sean Sherman, an Oglala Lakota chef and educator, uses his cookbook to introduce readers to indigenous cooking before colonization. There’s no fry bread; instead, the recipes feature indigenous fruits and vegetables and wild-foraged ingredients.
Reviewers rave about the simplicity of the recipes. Sherman even offers substitutions for ingredients that might be difficult to find! I’m excited to learn more about living with more purposeful connection to the earth from an expert.
3. Filipinix: Heritage Recipes from the Diaspora by Angela Dimayuga
My new Filipina-American friend has been sharing her culture and history with me, specifically stories of her family and her food. I can’t wait to see her in person again (and taste the lumpia she promised to make me!), but in the meantime, I’ll be flipping through the pages of Angela Dimayuga’s debut cookbook.
An acclaimed chef, Dimayuga shares beautiful stories and recipes from her own family. Reviewers use phrases like “indescribably delicious” to describe her food.
4. Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico by Bricia Lopez
Photo by Quentin Bacon
Bricia Lopez and her siblings own Guelaguetza, the famed Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles.
In this book, Lopez tells her own stories of growing up as an immigrant. Her cookbook features gorgeous photos of Oaxaca alongside award-winning recipes from the restaurant as well as recipes that Lopez grew up eating like homestyle moles, beans, and stews.
It’s a tribute to home and the joy of slow food.
5. Staples +5: 100 Simple Recipes to make the most of Your Pantry by Tanorria Askew
This new release is one of my favorites from 2021; my friends and I have been passing it around and drooling over the recipes. Tanorria is a former MasterChef contestant with an incredible knack for making simple, delicious recipes. As one reviewer noted, “Let's just stop and have a moment of silence for the blessing that is Tanorria.”
Tanorria draws on traditions she learned from her Midwestern and Southern roots - I’m earmarking the Black Bean & Sweet Potato Soup and the Blackberry Cobbler.
