Stay at home. Remain six feet apart. Wear a mask. What keeps us healthy these days seems to threaten our human need for connection. With countless reminders of what we’ve temporarily lost, it may help to eat a delicious, homemade meal. It’s still time to follow safety guidelines, but it’s a good time to cook and eat.
Here at Jacksonville Public Library we have thousands of cookbooks and many more available in digital form. To access a cookbook on your smartphone or tablet, you don’t even need to enter the library. Whether you’re a professional or a beginner, if you know what you want to cook and have a JPL library card, we can loan you a book that can help. Just look through our online catalog or tell a staff member what you’re interested in making. We have both new and old cookbooks that feature current food trends. To help give you some ideas, I’ve listed 10 of these trends below with some notable examples of related cookbooks.
Note: The asterisk (*) at the end of some of the titles indicates that they’re also available in digital form.
1. Mediterranean foods
The food trends for 2020 include a continued rise in the popularity of diets focused on whole foods and healthy fats. Many people have tried the ketogenic or paleo diets, but according to U.S. News and World Reports, the Mediterranean diet remains both the healthiest and easiest to follow. It topped the list a trend-worthy three years in a row.
Books:
Mediterranean Cookbook by Marie-Pierre Moine
The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen*
The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Nancy Harmon Jenkins
The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Amy Riolo
Digital books:
Delicious Mediterranean Diet Recipes by various authors (Hoopla)
Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Valerie Alston (Hoopla)
Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Dummies by Meri Raffetto (EPUB/HTML)
2. Street foods
Simply put, street foods are the kinds of foods cooked and sold by street vendors. Locally, this usually involves a food truck. Jerry Watterson, the founder of Jacksonville Restaurant Reviews, told the Jacksonville Business Journal that we’ll probably see more food trucks in 2020, since it remains the most affordable way to start a new restaurant. For both recipes and information on our local scene, see the book Jacksonville Food Trucks by Nancy White. If you’re more adventurous and want to cook foods from around the world, check out Susan Feniger’s Street Food. For recipes from actual food trucks across the U.S., see Food Truck Road Trip by Kim Pham. If you want fancier tailgate party food, go with Eat Street: The ManBQue Guide to Making Street Food at Home.
Books:
Food Truck Road Trip by Kim Pham
Jacksonville Food Trucks by Nancy White
Susan Feniger's Street Food by Susan Feniger*
Digital books:
Chinese Street Food by Howie Southworth (Hoopla)
Latin American Street Food by Sandra A. Gutierrez (Hoopla)
Dos Caminos Mexican Street Food by Ivy Stark (Hoopla)
3. Plant-based meals
Lauren Titus, the editor of Edible Northeast Florida told the Jacksonville Business Journal that diners in 2020 will see more plant-based options as vegetables become a more important part of the plate. You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to love this food. There is something for everyone. If you like barbecue, check out VBQ by Nadine Horn. If you want hip, look for the Superiority Burger Cookbook, which was created by the NYC fast-food vegetarian restaurant. For healthy protein for your busy life, see Protein Ninja by Terry Hope Romero.
Books:
Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm*
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman*
Protein Ninja by Terry Hope Romero
A Plant-Based Life by Micaela Cook Karlsen
Digital books:
Plant-Based Cookbook by Trish Sebben-Krupka
Vegan for Everybody by America's Test Kitchen
4. Fusion
Sometimes chefs get creative and fuse flavors together with delicious results. According to Erin Byers Murray in her Thrillist essay The New Southern Cuisine: Don’t Call It Fusion, chefs in the south are increasingly combining foods and flavors from their native countries with local ingredients. Fusion might be different, but with a good cookbook, it isn't difficult. JPL has books on ways to combine foods not usually paired together. Don’t just look for recipes, though. Many of our best fusion cookbooks also involve immigrant chefs telling interesting personal stories.
Books:
Hip Asian Comfort Food by Dennis Chan
Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen by Joni-Marie Newman
Digital books:
Fiesta Latina by Rafael Palomino (EPUB/HTML/Kindle)
Haute Dogs by Russell Van Kraayenburg (EPUB/HTML/Kindle)
Milk Street by Christopher Kimball (EPUB/HTML/Kindle)
5. Filipino foods
With our growing Filipino population, it’s likely Jacksonville will continue to see an increased interest in Filipino food. JPL not only has cookbooks with the unique flavors of the Philippines, it also has some friendly staff members who can offer a few tips on the subject.
Books:
The New Filipino Kitchen by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri
Fine Filipino Food by Karen H. Bartell
Quintessential Filipino Cooking by Liza Agbanlog
Filipino Cookbook by Miki Garcia
Digital books:
Authentic Recipes from The Philippines by Reynaldo G. Alejandro (Hoopla)
6. Probiotics and fermentation
With all the talk about microbiomes and gut health, it’s no surprise that the popularity of probiotic foods continues to rise. Many of these foods are fermented and can be expensive or hard to find, but it's possible to make them at home. JPL has great books on the subject, including The Noma Guide to Fermentation, a stylish book with drawings, photos and step-by-step instructions on how to ferment a variety of foods. If you’re working with vegetables, see Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten K. Shockey and Christopher Shockey. If you want to be an expert on the subject, read The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz.
Books:
The Noma Guide To Fermentation by René Redzepi
Fermented Foods for Health by Deirdre Rawlings
Mastering Fermentation by Mary Karlin
Probiotic and Prebiotic Recipes for Health by Tracy Olgeaty Gensler
The Korean Kimchi Cookbook by Man-jo Kim
Digital books:
Fermented Foods at Every Meal by Hayley Barisa Ryczek (Hoopla)
7. Vegan comfort food
No stranger to the Atlanta food scene for years, the popularity of vegan comfort foods is on the rise. Real Simple lists vegan comfort food as one of its six food trends for 2020. Some chefs spend their careers working to prove that food without animal fats can comfort, and JPL has impressive cookbooks by some of them. Pay close attention to find the recipes right for you, and remember that sugar and frying aren't necessarily out of bounds. If you want to treat yourself, start with Hot for Food Vegan Comfort Classics. The food in it looks so good, you’ll want to make it. If you're looking for healthy but still comforting, try Sweet Potato Soul by Jenné Claiborne.
Books:
Hot for Food Vegan Comfort Classics by Lauren Toyota
Gluten-Free Vegan Comfort Food by Susan O’Brien
Sweet Potato Soul by Jenné Claiborne
The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Book by Nadine Horn
Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen by Kathy Patalsky
Digital books:
Quick & Easy Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia C. Simpson (EPUB/HTML/Kindle)
But I Could Never Go Vegan! by Kristy Turner (Hoopla)
But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan! by Kristy Turner (Hoopla)
8. Asian bowls
You don’t need a plate for a great Asian meal. Whether soups, noodles or even salads, many come in a single bowl. According to Business Insider, some are surging in popularity. JPL has books for exploring the possibilities of Asian bowls, including the colorful beauty of their presentation. I've been most impressed by Bowl: Vegetarian Recipes for Ramen, Pho, Bibimbap, Dumplings, and Other One-Dish Meals by Lukas Volger.
Books:
Ramen Otaku : Mastering Ramen at Home by Sarah Gavigan
Noodles Every Day by Corinne Trang
Digital books:
Asian Noodles by Maki Watanabe (Hoopla)
Quick & Easy Asian Tapas and Noodles by Periplus Editors (EPUB/HTML/Kindle/Hoopla)
9. Innovative ice cream and non-dairy frozen desserts
Jacksonville has restaurants that serve artisanal ice cream, but you can make it at home. The trend here is in the new, sometimes ethnic flavors added. We’re also seeing new creations of ice cream-like non-dairy desserts. For a fun weekend kitchen project, see Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream by Laura O’Neill.
Books:
Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream by Laura O’Neill,
Vice Cream: Over 70 sinfully Delicious Dairy-Free Delights by Jeff Rogers
Ice Cream!: Delicious Ice Creams for All Occasions by Pippa Cuthbert
Digital books:
Ice Creams and Sorbets by Lou Seibert Pappas (EPUB/HTML/Kindle)
Ice Creams, Water Ices, Frozen Puddings by Sarah Tyson Heston Rorer (Hoopla)
Making Vegan Frozen Treats by Nicole Weston (Hoopla)
Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer (Hoopla)
How to Make Ice Cream by Nicole Weston (Hoopla)
Make Your Own Ice Cream by Sarah Tyson Rorer (Hoopla)
10. Brain foods
When it comes to getting our minds to work their best, we’re increasingly thinking about our stomachs. Cooking Light points out that we can expect to hear more about the gut-brain connection in 2020. There’s much we don’t know, but it’s hard to find a downside to so-called brain foods, especially since most tend to be heart-healthy as well. Please consult your physician for actual health advice, but for books with great recipes, JPL has you covered.
Books:
Power Foods for the brain by Neal Barnard
Brain Power Cookbook by the Reader’s Digest Association
The Brain Warrior's Way Cookbook by Tana Amen
The Grain Brain Cookbook by David Perlmutter
Digital books:
The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson (EPUB/HTML/Kindle)
