Read these tasty picture books featuring various foods and drinks, then try out their recipes!
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Anni Dreams of Biryani by Namita Moolani Mehra The café across the street from Anni's home in Little India makes the best biryani in the world. Fluffy and fragrant, spicy and succulent, Anni could eat it every day. In fact, Anni loves that biryani so much that she's determined to uncover the secret to the recipe. She has so many questions for Uncle, the grumpy chef and owner of the café. But he isn't providing any easy clues. So, with some careful planning, Anni sets out on a mission to find out the secret ingredients to this most special dish. Will Anni get the answers she's looking for...before it's too late? |
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Awe-Samosas by Marzieh Abbas It's Noor's first time making her Dadijaan's Special Samosa recipe. When she can't get in touch with her Dadijaan because it's nighttime in Pakistan, Noor must improvise to make her family's recipe without all of the correct ingredients. |
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Birthday Soup by Grace Seo Chang Maia wakes up on her birthday to a delicious smell brewing in the kitchen. Her family is making Miyeok guk, one of her favorite foods! miyeok guk is seaweed soup that new moms eat after giving birth to help replenish nutrients, and many Koreans eat this same soup on their birthdays to honor their mothers, who gave life to them. This year, Maia gets to help prepare Birthday Soup by chopping ingredients, drying the seaweed, and then adding everything to the sizzling pot. Maia wants to share the miyeok guk that she made with all of her friends at her birthday party later in the day, but wonders if they'd rather have pizza and cupcakes instead. With a little encouragement from her umma, Maia blends the two cultures that she's a part of to create a new birthday tradition. |
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Grilled Cheese? Yes, Please! by Tim Kleyn On a stormy night, Margot eagerly waits for her mother to return to make grilled cheese together, but as she and her grandfather welcome more and more seafarers sheltering from the storm, her hope and supplies dwindle until she discovers the importance ofa community and a helping hand. Includes recipe for grilled cheese. |
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Masala Chai, Fast and Slow by Rajani LaRocca Aarav loves his grandfather very much, but they’re as different as water and molasses. Where Aarav runs and races, Thatha likes to saunter and stroll. Every day at five o’clock, Thatha makes masala chai for the family, and no matter how much Aarav urges him to hurry, Thatha insists on taking his time. “Masala chai cannot be rushed,” says Thatha. “It must be made carefully.” One day, when Thatha sprains his ankle and must rest on the couch, Aarav eagerly decides he’d like to make the chai himself-after all, what would make his grandfather feel better than a cup of warm, spiced sweetness? But no matter how hard Aarav tries, his rushing causes him to miss some crucial step. Will Aarav be able to slow down and get the recipe right? |
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The Perfect Sushi by Emily Satoko Seo Miko likes things to be perfect. When she makes lopsided sushi for her grandmother’s birthday, she replaces it with perfectly formed sushi created by a restaurant robot. Upon delivering her gift, Miko discovers that kokoro (heart) - not impeccability - is the key ingredient to the perfect present. Sprinkled with engaging onomatopoeia, this unique title is infused with Japanese culture and delivers a universal message about the value of intention. A do-it-yourself sushi recipe is included. |
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Melt into the nooks and crannies of this book's unhurried pages, offering a place to rest and a pregnant pause for counting your many blessings--current and imminent! Here, a child and a mother measure, mix, knead, shape, and tuck their dough under a towel like a sleeping baby. Then, as they do every week, they wait while their dough rises, soon to be baked and gratefully shared at a Shabbat gathering with loved ones. Author Sidura Ludwig's poetic narration captures the experience of a Jewish family as they make challah--a lesson in patience, slowing down, faith, and family. Illustrator Sophia Vincent Guy brings light and warmth to the scene, from a sun-bleached, gossamer curtain to the rising steam from the bread, all rendered in delicate, decorative patterns. Whatever their background, readers will be happy to find the author's go-to recipe for challah at the end, along with a glossary and an author's note describing the personal meaning of her family's weekly ritual. |






