POT LUCK

A seasonal cookbook that offers up diverse recipes with historical context.

In early 2020, food writer Weisblat was compiling a book on foods for funeral receptions, but as the Covid-19 pandemic descended, she focused instead on potluck meals and their warm, communal nature. This cookbook organizes recipes into three-month sections of the year, taking into account seasonal produce: Spring recipes include chives and asparagus, for example, while autumn and early winter recipes feature pumpkin and apple. Weisblat, who has a doctorate in American studies from the University of Texas at Austin, fleshes out some recipes with references to history. For example, she expands on the origins of the French Galette des rois (or “Kings’ Cake”) and traces the popularity of peanuts back to the work of agricultural scientist George Washington Carver. The recipes are culturally wide-ranging; many have a New England bent (Weisblat is based in Massachusetts), while others tackle Lunar New Year dumplings, Mexican tortilla soup, and the author’s own cross-cultural Samosa Latkes. Weisblat’s tone is warm and conversational: “Zucchini are cheap, and they’re good for you. As my Jewish grandmother used to say, ‘What’s not to like?’ ” The recipes are thorough, often offering taste or dietary modifications, which are welcome. However, the historical asides sometimes ramble, as during several pages about anchorman Walter Cronkite or an anecdote about author Lillian Hellman being “just plain mean” at the author’s senior commencement. Photos don’t accompany every recipe, and the ones present have a pixelated quality. This, coupled with the author’s admission that recipes “were in a sense chosen randomly,” makes the book feel slapdash or overstuffed at times. Still, Weisblat’s down-to-earth approach is endearing.

A sprawling collection of recipes with a lot of heart but one that could have been streamlined.