I'm starting a thread on cookbooks i recommend that i have either read, researched & heard from others, or own myself.

Personally i find that a good cookbook can teach you history, culture, show you glimpse into ones experiences aswell as a recipe. & blah blah blah here we go

Zaitoun by Yasmin Khan
Recommend this 1 most. Zaitoun(meaning olives) not only captures the essence of Palestinian food, but it shows the nuance experience of folks living in occupied Palestine. She lets people to use their own voice. On top if it all the photography is gorgeous.

cont.
Baladi by Joudie Kalla, haven't bought(yet) but can confidentiality vouch it
The Gaza Kitchen by Laila el-Haddad, lets you into the life of people living in occupied Gaza, very informal & the author is in Parts Unknown ep. Jerusalem
The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis

The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman

Sean talks about life on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Growing up. Talks about the relationships to food and the land. You get to peek into what modern Indigenous food is. & its so informal on native crops of Turtle Island.

Haven't acquired these yet(i have a long list ok) but Sean Sherman has recommended these

The Pueble Food Experience by Roxanne Swentzell & Patricia M. Perea
Recovering Our Ancestors Garden by Devon A. Mihesuah
Indigenous Food Sovereignty by Devon A. Mihesuah & Elizabeth Hoover

The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden

5 yrs of research went into creating this book.
Its dense but so informal. ALOT of history, 100s of recipes, influences, & beautiful photos. I got this while at a tapas wine bar & wished our food was half as good as displayed in the book lol

More Spanish cookbooks

The Spanish Cookbook (1966 1st edition) by Barbara Norman
Its a pretty small unintimidating book for casual cooking.

Morito by Sam & Sam Clark.
A chef friend owns it & has let me flip through it, it blends Mezze with tapas & overall looks pretty dope.

Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji

Almost entirely drawn illustrations & goes into detail of how & what. Youll learn Japanese culture & traditions, ingredients. Gastronomically this is 1 of the most refined cuisines but this book makes it feel much less intimidating.

Heres 2 more on Japanese cuisine.

Tokyo Cult Recipes by Maori Murota
Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Both have been recommended to by diff Japanese chefs I've met (theyre on my list) & look beautiful. Ive read that they're very clear & easy to execute aswell.

The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi & David Zilber

So this book is dense but, if you have any interest in pickling & Fermentation this is the perfect thing to study. The science is completely laid out, recipes to work off of, very clear instructions & illustrations.

Oaxaca: Home Cooking From The Heart of Mexico by Bricia Lopez

Photography of both Oaxaca & Cali. (where Bricias families restaurant is located.)
A bright, easy to follow book. Comes w/ stories of the Indigenous food & state & its diverse ingredients.

AND Mezcal cocktails.