Third Culture cooking is American cooking: Delicious everyday multicultural recipes, borrowing from our parents and their parents’ homes, melding the old with the new and the familiar with the unfamiliar to create bold flavors and new classics for the next generation of cooks.

The food that author Zaynab Issa cooks—inspired by her East African and South Asian roots, the American suburban delights she grew up eating, and her international travels—is packed with unique and flavorful riffs.

Her affectionate homages to the chain restaurants we love are reflected here: fluffy cinnamon rolls that rival Cinnabon’s, Baskin Robbins–inspired almond fudge squares, and an artichoke dip that recalls TGI Fridays’ delights that will make you want to stay in.

To complete the collection, Zaynab looked to her primary inspiration, the women who’ve fed her, and meticulously recorded her favorite traditional dishes from each of them.

Beyond the recipes, Zaynab shares her tips on establishing yourself as a confident cook—one who prepares food consciously, hosts with pride, and is never without a well-stocked pantry.

The book includes sections like "Set Yourself Up for Success," which outlines Zaynab’s essential kitchen tools and ingredients, "On Food & Feelings" to guide the reader through cooking based on their mood, and "Host with the Most" featuring suggested menus and Zaynab’s method for executing any organized dinner. Finally, look to "Eating with Your Eyes" for her philosophy on serving beautiful food.

For extravagant entertaining as well as weeknight ease, Third Culture Cooking is a love letter to American home-cooking and the many influences that make it so.

Recipes include:

French Onion Ramen
Samosas Two Ways
Chocolate Cake with Chai Buttercream
Farzana’s Biryani
Thai-Style Crispy Salmon
Steak Sandwich with Date Chutney
Tandoori Tacos
Baklava Granola
Banana Cake with Tahini Fudge
Chicken Kitchri
and many more!

Zaynab Issa is a recipe developer, food editor, content creator, and Bon Appétit contributor. After working on a self-published zine that formalized her family’s East African Indian recipes, she began freelancing at Buzzfeed and contributing culturally rooted recipes and stories to Bon Appétit and Food52.

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