Our current travel itinerary is no itinerary at all.
Instead of hopping a plane, we’re staying put in our kitchens and cooking flavors from around the world. So swap your passport for these must-have global cookbooks and cook your way through some of the world’s more iconic culinary locations.
Just in time for the Olympics, we’re sharing 20 cookbooks, hundreds of recipes, and an infinite amount of ways to experience the tasted the world, all within the comfort of your kitchen.
Opening photo by Tatjana Ristanic
Paris, France: My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Lebovitz
David’s modern twists on classic French dishes from Coq au vin to Croque-Monsieur make what’s old new again. Cook these recipes, open a bottle of Pouilly-Fumé and play tunes by Bridgette Bardot, and your dinner guests will think you packed up Paris and brought it home.
Florence, Italy: Florentine: The True Cuisine of Florence by Emiko Davies
This book by Florentine food expert, Emiko Davies, is a love letter to Florence in culinary form. From market-inspired recipes to essential eats like Torta della Nonna and must-have dishes like Tagliata, this book is full of iconic Florentine dishes from one of our favorite Italian cities.
Rome, Italy: Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes From An Ancient City by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill
You know you need to book a trip to Rome when you are dreaming about Cacio e Pepe on the regular. In this tome, culinary and history experts Katie and Kristina, walkthrough generations of Roman cuisine in both stories and recipes.
San Sebastián, Spain: Basque: Spanish Recipes From San Sebsatian And Beyond by Jose Pizarro
When it comes to food cities, San Sebastián is at the top of our list. The capital of Basque country has such a wide range of food from tapas bars to Michelin-starred fine dining that it’s hard to have a bad meal. Jose Pizarro’s latest book showcases the range of flavors, but one of our favorites is this simple twist on Tomato Soup.
Copenhagen, Denmark: NOMA: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by René Redzepi
Copenhagen has topped the charts as of late with its creative New Nordic cuisine when it comes to hot culinary destinations. And at the heart of that movement is chef René Redzepi’s award-winning restaurant, Noma. This cookbook gives you a taste of those recipes that put this Scandinavian city on the culinary map.
Middle East: Arabesque: Modern Middle Eastern Food by Greg Malouf and Lucy Malouf
Hidden treasures from Malouf’s Middle Eastern roots and his extensive travels worldwide make this cookbook a unique culmination of home-cooked favorites to jet-setting trends.
Lebanon: Rose Water and Orange Blossoms: Fresh and Classic Recipes From My Lebanese Kitchen by Maureen Abood
Maureen’s take on classic Lebanese dishes is so fresh and inspiring that you’ll want to cook from it every day. The whole book is a winner, but we’re partial to the tomato galette and her technique for hummus, which makes for the smoothest we’ve ever made.
Middle East: Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Both Ottolenghi and Tamimi are culinary pioneers in their own right. Both are inspiring cooks. And both were born in Jerusalem in the same year, but Tamimi was born on the Arab east side and Ottolenghi on the Jewish west side. These friends came together for a book about the Holy City that’s just as complex and nuanced as the city itself.
Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo Cult Recipes by Maori Murota
Want to turn your kitchen into a Teppanyaki restaurant? Or an omakase sushi bar? Swap out your suitcase for soba, sushi, and sake, and explore the flavors of Tokyo.
Thailand: Pok Pok: Food And Stories From The Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants Of Thailand by Andy Ricker and JJ Goode
Traveling to Thailand to see the Emerald Buddha may not be in your near future, so cook from this book to travel through the country one dish at a time. In this book, Andy Ricker (of Portland’s Pok Pok) shares classics like Pad Thai, papaya salad, and larb as well as some of the restaurant’s cult favorites like their Fish Sauce Chicken wings.
Mexico City, Mexico: Eat Mexico: Recipes From Mexico City’s Streets, Markets & Fondas by Lesley Tellez
Pack your bags because we are heading to the colorful and vibrant Mexico City. Food writer and Mexico City food tour operator, Lesley Tellez, love Mexico City and it comes through in her cookbook that highlights the flavors of the Mexican capital.
French Caribbean: Creole by Babette de Rozières
French celebrity chef Babette de Rozières celebrates Creole food in this book that has long been a favorite here at Salt & Wind Travel. We love this book for its mix of classic and contemporary, chic and comfort. The seafood recipes are amazing from the stuffed clams and blaffs to the Conch ravioli. The desserts are also super interesting from the Mango Fricasse Parcels to the Caribbean take on Banans Foster.
Peru: Peru: The Cookbook by Gastón Acurio
Yes, it’s true: we’re dying to get to Peru and taste all that makes Lima’s food scene so unique. Until then, we’ll be diving into this book to bring Peruvian flavors to our cocina with the likes of ceviche and aguadito.
New York, New York: I Love New York: Ingredients and Recipes by Daniel Humm and Will Guidara
If there’s any duo that knows New York through and through its chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara who used to co-own celebrated restaurants Eleven Madison Park and Nomad. This love letter to New York City highlights the Big Apple’s best dishes and how to recreate them in your own kitchen.
San Francisco, California: Bar Tartine: Techniques & Recipes by Cortney Burns and Nicolaus Balla
San Francisco is too many hills away, so instead, we are taking a culinary journey without the hike. And if there’s one restaurant that celebrates San Francisco’s culinary creativity, it’s Bar Tartine.
Venice Beach, California: Gjelina: Cooking from Venice, California by Travis Lett
The weather forecast for Venice Beach, California, is 70 and sunny, which has us craving the beach and farmers markets. We are seduced by the simple flavors that make this restaurant’s cuisine a weekly part of locals’ routine that’s so popular it may just beat out green juices and yoga.
Across The Globe: Green Kitchen Travels: Healthy Vegetarian Food Inspired by Our Adventures by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl
The Vindahls is a family with an appetite to travel, and hunger to find the best vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes. With all the gorgeous photography and inspiring recipes that made their site, Green Kitchen Stories, so popular, this cookbook incorporates a meaningful flavor memory the family picked up at each stop.
Across The Globe: Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel by Heidi Swanson
As global cooks, we seek inspiration from every corner of the earth, so we adore this book by Heidi Swanson (the brains behind the celebrated 101 Cookbooks). Find the best vegetarian recipes to bring to your kitchen from farm to table without traveling from coast to coast.
