Flavors of Oakland will take you on a culinary tour through one of America's most vibrant cities. In each of the 20 chapters you will meet an Oakland resident who shares their story and a treasured recipe from their culture. Magnificent photos of the people and recipes bring the Flavors of Oakland to your own kitchen wherever you may be.

This unique culinary history of America offers a fascinating look at our past and uses long-forgotten recipes to explain how eight flavors changed how we eat. The United States boasts a culturally and ethnically diverse population which makes for a continually changing culinary landscape. But a young historical gastronomist named Sarah Lohman discovered that American food is united by eight flavors: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and Sriracha. In Eight Flavors, Lohman sets out to explore how these influential ingredients made their way to the American table. She begins in the archives, searching through economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records. She pores over cookbooks and manuscripts, dating back to the eighteenth century, through modern standards like How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. Lohman discovers when each of these eight flavors first appear in American kitchens—then she asks why. Eight Flavors introduces the explorers, merchants, botanists, farmers, writers, and chefs whose choices came to define the American palate. Lohman takes you on a journey through the past to tell us something about our present, and our future. We meet John Crowninshield a New England merchant who traveled to Sumatra in the 1790s in search of black pepper. And Edmond Albius, a twelve-year-old slave who lived on an island off the coast of Madagascar, who discovered the technique still used to pollinate vanilla orchids today. Weaving together original research, historical recipes, gorgeous illustrations and Lohman’s own adventures both in the kitchen and in the field, Eight Flavors is a delicious treat—ready to be devoured.

Brown Sugar Kitchen is more than a restaurant. This soul-food outpost is a community gathering spot, a place to fill the belly, and the beating heart of West Oakland, a storied postindustrial neighborhood across the bay from San Francisco. The restaurant is a friendly beacon on a tree-lined parkway, nestled low and snug next to a scrap-metal yard in this Bay Area rust belt. Out front, customers congregate on long benches and sprawl in the grass, soaking up the sunshine, sipping at steaming mugs of Oakland-roasted coffee, waiting to snag one of the tables they glimpse through the swinging doors. Deals are done, friends are made; this is a community in action. In short order, they'll get their table, their pecan-studded sticky buns, their meaty hash topped with a quivering poached egg. Later in the day, the line grows, and the orders for chef-owner Tanya Holland's famous chicken and waffles or oyster po'boy fly. This is when satisfaction arrives. Brown Sugar Kitchen, the cookbook, stars 86 recipes for re-creating the restaurant's favorites at home, from a thick Shrimp Gumbo to celebrated Macaroni & Cheese to a show-stopping Caramel Layer Cake with Brown Butter–Caramel Frosting. And these aren't all stick-to-your-ribs recipes: Tanya's interpretations of soul food star locally grown, seasonal produce, too, in crisp, creative salads such as Romaine with Spring Vegetables & Cucumber-Buttermilk Dressing and Summer Squash Succotash. Soul-food classics get a modern spin in the case of B-Side BBQ Braised Smoked Tofu with Roasted Eggplant and a side of Roasted Green Beans with Sesame-Seed Dressing. Straight-forward, unfussy but inspired, these are recipes you'll turn to again and again. Rich visual storytelling reveals the food and the people that made and make West Oakland what it is today. Brown Sugar Kitchen truly captures the sense—and flavor—of this richly textured and delicious place.

The East Bay has always remained true to itself. It includes Oakland, the most ethnically diverse population in the nation; Berkeley, the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement; the island of Alameda, with its artisan breweries, wineries, and distilleries; and the Livermore Valley, one of California's oldest winemaking regions. East Bay Cooks is an impressive collection of eighty signature dishes from forty of the city's leading restaurants. It's a region that's got you covered, no matter what the craving. An uncomplicated taco with the power to stir the soul? A nourishing bowl of authentic Singaporean laksa? Shrimp and grits with layers of flavors never imagined? It's all here, and designed with home cooks in mind, so that re-creating signature dishes from the area's favorite chefs has never been easier

A fun and playful cookbook featuring retro, decadent, and kid-friendly mac-and-cheese recipes from the popular Oakland restaurant Homeroom. Macaroni and cheese is one of America’s favorite comfort foods, beloved by kids and adults alike. But there’s no need to rely on prefab mixes—all you need is a handful of kitchen staples, some tasty cheese, and a little insider advice courtesy of Homeroom restaurant. This perennially popular Oakland, California, eatery—with its entire menu devoted to mac and cheese—now shares its secrets for the best-ever mac recipes that will help you think outside the box! These inventive dishes offer something for everyone: nostalgic homestyle recipes like Tuna Mac, international varieties like Sriracha Mac, decadent delights like Truffle Mac, and even the logic-defying Vegan Mac. You’ll also find recipes for quick veggie sides like Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and old-school desserts like frozen Peanut Butter Pie. With a basics section on perfecting mac sauce, choosing the best noodles, and customizing add-ins and toppings, plus an emphasis on quality ingredients and simple techniques, this fun, playful cookbook shows cheese-loving readers how to take this comfort-food staple to creative new heights.

The definitive plant-based Mexican cookbook for a new generation, featuring 100 recipes transforming traditional dishes into vegan celebrations of family and home ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Boston Globe and Glamour • “The stories will feed your soul and the recipes will channel your love for Mexican food in a wholesome plant-based way.”—Nisha Vora, creator of Rainbow Plant Life and author of The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook Edgar Castrejón went vegan as a college student when he realized that following a plant-based diet made him feel better, but he worried he would no longer fit in back at the table with his family. As a proud first-generation Mexican American growing up in Oakland, Edgar had spent countless hours with his mom, aunts, and grandmother in the kitchen, where family recipes were passed down through “las manos mágicas.” So Edgar began creating healthier, meatless variations on the dishes he grew up cooking and eating. Provecho features one hundred of Edgar’s ingenious vegan recipes that honor the traditional, often meat-heavy classics of Mexican and Latin American culture while cooking with compassion. Many take thirty minutes or less, rely on readily accessible ingredients, and feature Salvadoran and Colombian influences. And they’re all organized by how meals are approached in Edgar’s family: • La Mesa Llena (“The Full Table”): Mushroom Sancocho; No-Bake Enchiladas Verde with Jackfruit; Lentil-Cauliflower Empanadas • La Mesita (“The Small Table”): Sweet Potato and Kale Tacos; Quesadillas de Brócoli y Tofu; Vegan Queso Fundido • La Mañana Después de la Cruda (“The Morning After”): Burritos de Desayuno; “Huevos” Rancheros; Papas con Chorizo Vegano • Antojitos (“Little Cravings”): Vegan Chipotle Crema; Mi Tia Evelia’s Ceviche de Coliflor; Ensalada de Nopales • Bebidas (“Drinks”): Oat Milk Horchata; Jugo de Espinaca y Piña; Margarita Fuerte • Postrecitos (“Little Desserts”): Almond Milk Rice Pudding with Cashew Cream; Gelatina de Mango Coco; Apple Empanadas With Provecho, Edgar invites you to discover a whole new way to enjoy the flavors he has loved his entire life—and still wakes up craving every day.

AS SEEN IN THE NEW YORK TIMES PubWest Book Design Awards - Silver Winner in Cookbooks “Gorgeous” —The Washington Post Whether you are a longtime host of weekly Shabbat dinners or new to this global Jewish tradition, 52 Shabbats will spice up your Friday night in one way or another. This book offers a holistic scope of the Shabbat tradition for every reader, Jewish or otherwise. In it you’ll find: Over fifty primary recipes to anchor your menu More than twenty recipes for side dishes, accompaniments, and desserts Short essays that detail global foodways and histories Explanation of the Shabbat ritual Faith Kramer outlines recipe pairings in a mix-and-match friendly format, incorporating easy substitutes throughout the cookbook to make Shabbat accessible for all lifestyles. From gefilte fish to challah, berbere lentils to cardamom cheesecakes, these seasonally organized recipes will never fail to inspire your weekly dinner menu. MORE PRAISE FOR 52 SHABBATS: "Imaginative" —Los Angeles Times “For anyone who appreciates world flavors, history, and great techniques….A worthy companion to Joan Nathan’s King Solomon’s Table (2017).” —Booklist “Educational and tantalizing” —Foreword Reviews "[Faith Kramer's] inventive dishes are...packed with flavor." —Dianne Jacob, author of Will Write for Food “Clear and approachable....Faith has included recipes that not only have you rethinking Shabbat but dinner year-round.” —Calvin Crosby, The King’s English Bookshop