Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking

Lush and visually stunning, this cookbook immediately draws readers into the tropics with vibrant images of papayas, melons, and dragon fruits, alongside photos of gorgeous landscapes and colorful plates piled high with fresh and fermented foods. Accompanied by stories and poetry from island inhabitants, the recipes bring to life myriad island cuisines spanning the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans, focusing on what food historian Diaz (Coconuts & Collards) refers to as “resilient” pantry staples and traditional techniques with a modern twist. She provides invaluable advice for stocking a pantry and selecting cooking tools to create meals that depend on layering complex flavors with sauces, spice blends, and condiments. Recipe headnotes include personal narratives that showcase how much one can taste traditions if they understand the “why” behind techniques and ingredients.