Newsletter: 📚Celebrating Jennifer Brennan’s pioneering Thai cookbook + Journeying along The Route to Parsi Cooking🍛

📚Celebrating Jennifer Brennan’s pioneering Thai cookbook + Journeying along The Route to Parsi Cooking🍛

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The Route to Parsi Cooking

‘The goal is to place Parsi food on the global culinary map so that people are aware of and learn more about my ancient cuisine, which is simple, nutritious, delicious, and affordable as it is always served family style.’ Niloufer Mavalvala

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Niloufer Mavalvala’s childhood was blessed with parents who loved to cook, and with the layered flavors of Parsi food—a mingling of Persian and Indian cuisines developed when Parsi migrants from ancient Persia landed in India. After moving to Dubai, and now settled in Canada, Niloufer began to teach others about the food of her childhood.

She started her recipe blog Niloufer’s Kitchen in 2013, and is now the author of several books—including The Art of Parsi Cooking, The World of Parsi Cooking, and the newly published The Route to Parsi Cooking: From Pars to India and Beyond.

As Niloufer sets out in the introduction to her latest book:

‘This cookbook has been written to share the culinary journey of the Zoroastrians as they migrated from the Persian Empire to the shores of India. It summarises how Parsi food has been influenced by Persian cuisine but is distinctively different in its preparation. As the title suggests, it is just the route to an end—a beautiful way of being intertwined with different cultures while maintaining a clear identity of its own. This book is my tribute to the preservation of the culture, heritage, and traditions that together make up this rich and ancient cuisine of the people of Pars. It also tells the story of what Parsi cuisine adopted and adapted to as our ancestors settled in the Indian subcontinent.’

Find recipes fragrant with spice, enriched by fruits, nuts, and coconut, and warmed by chillies—each recipe given fascinating context within Parsi cuisine. Try Ginger and Lentil Rice, garnished with coconut or friend onions. Try Yakhni Palau, a simple rice dish made with lamb, mutton or goat, whose name derives from a flavorful stock (yakhni). Sweets include this Nut and Spice Cake, made with clove and cinnamon, and this Coconut Lime Ice Cream.

Find all 63 recipes in The Route to Parsi Cooking

Pictured above: Chicken Dhansak from The Route to Parsi Cooking by Niloufer Mavalvala

The Original Thai Cookbook by Jennifer Brennan

‘Just who is Jennifer Brennan and why does her life and legacy matter just as much as Julia Child, Diana Kennedy, Edna Lewis, Marcella Hazan, Alice Waters, Madhur Jaffrey, Irene Kuo, and Paula Wolfert? For the answer, look no further than her debut publication, 1981’s The Original Thai Cookbook—the first seminal book on Thai food written in the English vernacular.’ Max Tan

To commemorate what would have been the 90th birthday of Jennifer Brennan, cookbook author, culinary educator, and champion of Asian and Southeast Asian food in the US, we bring you our latest feature—Behind the Cookbook: The Original Thai Cookbook. Cookbook collector Max Tan delves into the history of the West’s love affair with the bright, fresh, intense flavors of Thai food, and in particular the significant career and legacy of Jennifer Brennan—an author whose many years spent living in Asia informed her pioneering works on the cooking of South East Asia, and of the Indian subcontinent.

First published in 1981, the knowledge and recipes in The Original Thai Cookbook, are gleaned from the best part of a decade in the country, starting with Jennifer’s 1957 relocation there from the India of her childhood. Her evocation of place is lyrical and filled with a passion for Thailand’s first city, and the 139 recipes are an irresistible call to get cooking Thai food!

Try Sweet and Sour Fresh Cucumber, Thai Beef Salad, the gorgeously named Heavenly Chicken, and how about Thai Fried Bananas as a simple dessert. Instructions are extremely clear throughout, and the recipes inform and tempt in equal measure. Thank you Jennifer for bringing Thai food to our attention and our kitchens with such eloquence and style!

Read Max Tan’s feature on Jennifer Brennan

John Ash: a culinary legacy

John Ash, chef, restaurateur, culinary educator, and multi-award winning cookbook author, passed away on August 7. Born in Colorado in 1942, he trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and opened his eponymous restaurant John Ash & Co. in Sonoma County in 1980. With strong connections to local winemakers, he pioneered ‘Wine Country’ cooking, with wine pairing menus, and seasonal local ingredients.

The author of six cookbooks, two of which won James Beard awards, he was a great and generous communicator of culinary knowledge—his radio show The Good Food Hour ran for nearly 40 years, and often showcased local chefs and restaurants.

He was a skilled culinary educator, on a mission to teach all levels of cooks, and named Cooking School Teacher of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2008. Through food enjoyed at his restaurant, from his books and by his students, and in his influence on the culinary landscape of California, John Ash leaves an exceptional legacy.

Find 900+ John Ash recipes on ckbk

Food photography with Rupa: Part 6 – Edit Like a Pro (Without Overthinking It)

We're now at one of the most anticipated parts of food photography, the edit. It’s where so many people think the magic happens. You’ll often hear the phrase “Oh, you can just fix that in the edit.” But Rupa Nagamatoo is here to tell you: editing shouldn't be a crutch. It's not where the real magic happens. That starts in-camera. Editing is simply where Rupa believes one should add the finishing touches. The sprinkle of sea salt. The drizzle of olive oil. A way to elevate the image, not disguise mistakes.

If you found this series helpful and want to see how Rupa edits in real time, she has created a special bonus just for readers of this series.

To join the waitlist send a DM on Instagram @iphonefoodphotography with the word CKBKEditing and we’ll add you to the waitlist and send you details on how to access the video walkthrough where Rupa edits the image below (and one other) from start to finish, using only her iPhone and the editing techniques shared in this article.

You’ll also get three bonus editing tips that aren’t included here, perfect for levelling up your food photos even more.

And if you’ve been feeling inspired to start styling and shooting your own food, whether that’s a batch of home-baked bread or your latest savory masterpiece come join Rupa over on @iphonefoodphotography. You’ll find loads more tips, behind-the-scenes reels, and support to help you create standout content that truly reflects your food story

Read Food Photography with Rupa: Part Six

Ingredient focus: plums

The plum is a fruit of a member of the prunus family, which includes apricot, peach, sloe and cherry, and is particularly close to the cherry—the core difference being one of size. Plums ripen towards late summer, achieving a delicious combination of fruity acidity and sweetness. There are many types, varying in size and colour, from tiny yellow Mirabelle’s, to aromatic greengages, to elongated bluish Victoria plums, and large mild, deep-red plums. All are good to eat raw, and cook well into jams, tarts, cakes and the like.

Bake a Rustic Plum Pie, pair them with other fruit—such as in this Greengage and Passionfruit Jam—or nuts and booze in this Baked Plum & Almond Pudding with Brandy Cream. For more perfect plum recipes explore these 12 Ways with Plums.

6 of the best waffle recipes

The waffle is a homely indulgence worth celebrating—it is National Waffle Day on August 24. Here are six wonderful waffles, so dig out that waffle iron!