Cookbooks Worth Making Room For

By Carolyn WorthingtonEveryone around me knows that when it comes to cooking, I lean toward recipes with a French twist.Having attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, worked in a pastry shop in Lyon, and served as an observatrice at the Plaza Athne in Paris, I have the basics of French cooking in my soul.But I love trying new cookbooks, no matter what their style.Ill skim through new books and try a recipe or two, but its not often that I find one that becomes a go-to cookbook.

Over the past few months, Ive found two.Both are from Simon Element, and both are fabulous.Thats high praise from someone who has hundreds of cookbooks on her shelves.They are Dig In!, by Erin OBrien, and More Please!, by Rachel Mansfield.Heres one recipe from Dig In! to tantalize your tastebuds:One-Pan Sicilian Baked Cod with Roasted Tomatoes & OlivesMakes 4 servings teaspoons kosher salt, divided1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon smoked paprika teaspoon dried oregano4 (6-ounce) cod fillets, about 1 inch thick2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces), halved small red onion, thinly sliced cup halved kalamata olives cup dry white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc)4 garlic cloves, finely chopped2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 tablespoon drained capers teaspoon crushed red pepper2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about one lemon), for servingFresh torn basil, for garnishFresh torn mint, for garnishLemon wedges, for servingPreheat the oven to 400F.In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the salt, teaspoon of the black pepper, the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oregano.Place the fish on a plate and pat dry.Sprinkle the reserved spice mixture all over the fillets and pat to stick to the fish.

Set aside.In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add the tomatoes, onion, olives, wine, garlic, oil, capers, crushed red pepper, and the remaining tea-spoon each of salt and black pepper.Toss to combine.Bake until the tomatoes start to wrinkle and release their juice, 20 minutes.Make a space for the fish in the center of the baking dish and place the fish directly on the bottom of the dish surrounded by the vegetables.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork (see Hot Tips).TO SERVE: Divide the roasted vegetables among four plates and top with fish.

Sprinkle the lemon juice over each plate, garnish with the torn basil and mint, and serve with lemon wedges.HOT TIPS When cooking fish, an opaque color signals doneness, along with the flake test: Insert a fork into the thickest part of the fish and pull away at an angle to see if it flakes, indicating a perfect cook.Or use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 140 to 145F.Halibut or sea bass also work great; just adjust bake time depending on the fillets thickness.Excerpted from Dig In!: Over 100 Easy, Delicious, and Stress-Free Recipes to Make on Repeat.Copyright 2026, Erin OBrien.

Photography Copyright 2026 by Matt Armendariz.Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.All rights reserved.Read the full article in the Fall issue of Healthy Aging Magazine for more from both cookbooks, including additional recipes.

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