Not long ago, in the before-the-pandemic times it seemed so easy to hop on a plane, and within a few hours, be in a different world. The cultural exchange could start with a restaurant recommendation from a taxi driver, or by stumbling into a farmers market or wine shop.
With only a few countries accepting United States passports, many of us have delayed or canceled our international travel plans. In fact, Airbnb reports a surge in bookings in rural areas as many people are limiting their excursions to road trips and staycations. Even our North American neighbors Mexico and Canada remain closed to nonessential travelers.
As a small consolation, cookbooks that are on sale and coming this fall can take you to far-flung places through recipes and personal stories and provide the cultural interactions that help us understand the world.
While the books are no match to meeting the fisherman who catches your dinner in the south of France, they do introduce readers to people they will want to meet, and places they will want to visit when it's safe. Here are some cookbooks and recipes that will take you places.
"Falastin: A Cookbook" by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley; $35 (Ten Speed)
Described as "a love letter to Palestinian cooking," Falastin weaves stories by Sami Tamimi, the executive chef and founding partner of Ottolenghi restaurant group, with the history of the region that touches the Mediterranean Sea where Palestinians have lived for centuries. Readers will be transported to Jerusalem with reliable recipes that are indicative of Palestinian home cooking, including Arabic breads, lentils with pomegranate and eggplants, and labneh cheesecake with roasted apricots and cardamom.
