A stylish and unexpected entry into the pantheon of great contemporary cookbooks, Hot Date! Sweet & Savory Recipes Celebrating the Date, from Party Food to Everyday Feasts will surpass your expectations. Rawaan Alkhatib, a cook, poet and artist of Palestinian and Indian descent, is a singular talent whose illustrations are reminiscent of the whimsy of Maira Kalman, but with a touch of Josef Frank’s lavish patterns thrown in for good measure. This extraordinary book expounds on a single ingredient—the titular date—and takes it in startling, awe-inspiring directions, all while keeping recipes relatively simple. For example, Alkhatib’s take on grilled cheese pairs kashkaval, “a mild yet unambiguously sheepy cheese from Bulgaria,” with the “sweet unctuousness” of dates. “I’m basically just asking you to add dates to your regular grilled cheese situation and see how that makes you feel,” she writes. But it’s a revelation. She also includes spins on traditional British Indian foods, like malai chicken with creamy stuffed dates, which Alkhatib suggests you serve bundled into warm naan with a squeeze of fresh lime. My favorite parts are the simple party foods and dessert recommendations, like the salted halwa brownie cookies that Alkhatib calls “a salty, chocolaty joy-storm.” Linda Xiao’s vivid photography coupled with full-bleed illustrations and bright pink edged pages have a maximalist ethos, which is a perfect foil for Hot Date!’s humble, single-ingredient focus. With her artful eye and bold style, Alkhatib clearly has her finger on the culinary pulse. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing dates pop up at your coolest friends’ dinner parties.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
