{"id":17757,"date":"2026-08-19T11:22:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T11:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/?p=17757"},"modified":"2026-09-13T12:26:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T12:26:16","slug":"two-new-cookbooks-worth-making-room-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/fall-2026\/two-new-cookbooks-worth-making-room-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Two New Cookbooks Worth Making Room For"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Carolyn Worthington<\/p><\/p>\n

E<\/span>veryone 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 Ath\u00e9n\u00e9e in Paris, I have the basics of French cooking in my soul.<\/p>\n

But I love trying new cookbooks, no matter what their style. I\u2019ll skim through new books and try a recipe or two, but it\u2019s not often that I find one that becomes a go-to cookbook. Over the past few months, I\u2019ve found two.<\/p>\n

Both are from Simon Element, and both are fabulous. That\u2019s high praise from someone who has hundreds of cookbooks on her shelves.<\/p>\n

They are Dig In<\/em>,<\/a> by Erin O\u2019Brien, and More Please!<\/em>,<\/a> by Rachel Mansfield.<\/p>\n

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Dig In! Over 100 Easy, Delicious and Stress-Free Recipes to Make on Repeat<\/em>\nBy Erin O\u2019Brien<\/h3>\n

Erin O\u2019Brien\u2019s new cookbook grew out of her lifestyle platform,<\/a> where she celebrates easy recipes, a stress-free approach to cooking, good music, and a glass of wine.<\/p>\n

Her love of cooking began during the days she spent in her mother and grandmother\u2019s Mexican restaurant in La Jolla, California.<\/p>\n

I love how she describes herself:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a Mexican American Southern California girl who inherited my obsession with food from the best chefs (and strongest women) I know: my mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother. They didn\u2019t just cook\u2014they built lives, businesses and communities around food. \u2026 it\u2019s no surprise that food became my ultimate love language.\u201d<\/p>\n

But you may be surprised to discover that this isn\u2019t a Mexican cookbook. O\u2019Brien pulls from international flavors and techniques, with influences ranging from Mexico to Italy and the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

She also admits that translating her family\u2019s cooking traditions into written recipes presented a challenge. They never measured anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom always says, \u2018I measure with my heart, my hands, and my head,\u2019 which is poetic\u2026but not exactly helpful when you\u2019re trying to write down a recipe,\u201d she said.\nO\u2019Brien began posting recipes in 2019 as a hobby. Today, she has built a lifestyle platform, creates YouTube videos and now has her first cookbook.<\/p>\n

She clearly loves to entertain. In fact, the book begins with a chapter on wine, complete with a cheat sheet on what to serve with what. Every recipe even comes with a suggested wine pairing.<\/p>\n

The book covers appetizers, salads, \u201cWTF to Make for Dinner\u201d (finally, an answer to that question!), pasta, soups, sides and desserts. Yes, O\u2019Brien comes from a Mexican-American culinary background, but these recipes are an eclectic mix of dishes you\u2019ll want to make over and over.<\/p>\n

And I mean that literally.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve tested more than 10 recipes from this book. Seriously.<\/p>\n

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One-Pan Sicilian Baked Cod with Roasted Tomatoes & Olives. Excerpted from Dig In!: Over 100 Easy, Delicious, and Stress-Free Recipes to Make on Repeat<\/a>. Copyright \u00a9 2026, Erin O\u2019Brien. Photography Copyright \u00a9 2026 by Matt Armendariz. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.<\/p><\/div>\n

One-Pan Sicilian Baked Cod with Roasted Tomatoes & Olives<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s hard to choose a favorite, but the One-Pan Sicilian Baked Cod with Roasted Tomatoes & Olives might be it. I\u2019ve made it several times. It\u2019s easy enough for a family dinner but impressive enough to serve to company.<\/p>\n

Cod fillets are seasoned with garlic powder, smoked paprika and oregano, then surrounded by a roasted medley of cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and Kalamata olives, flavored with white wine, garlic, capers and lemon juice and finished with fresh basil and mint.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien recommends serving the cod with Nana\u2019s Iconic Crunchy Lemon Salad, a sleek, delicious take on the classic Caesar. The simple dressing combines lemon juice, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salt and pepper.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it. Delicious.<\/p>\n

Seared Scallops with White Wine Butter Sauce & Crispy Pancetta<\/h3>\n

My second favorite is the Seared Scallops with White Wine Butter Sauce & Crispy Pancetta (shown above).<\/p>\n

Although scallops can be expensive, this recipe makes them worth dipping into your savings. My husband has generally pooh-poohed scallops, but he became a fan after tasting this recipe.<\/p>\n

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No Mayo Esquites. Excerpted from Dig In!: Over 100 Easy, Delicious, and Stress-Free Recipes to Make on Repeat. Copyright \u00a9 2026, Erin O\u2019Brien. Photography Copyright \u00a9 2026 by Matt Armendariz. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.<\/p><\/div>\n

No Mayo Esquites (Mexican Street Corn)<\/h3>\n

The Mexican Street Corn recipe is also right up there as a favorite. Esquites is a variation of Mexican corn. Instead of the corn being on the cob and slathered with Mexican crema or mayonnaise and flavored with spices, esquites are served in a cup or on a plate. O’Brien’s no-mayo version “lets the crumbled cotija bring the creaminess” and the seasonings deliver the punch. She notes this recipe disappears once it is served … as it did at my house!<\/p>\n

And there are plenty of other standouts I\u2019ve tried:<\/p>\n