It interweaves her life as a singleton living and working in 1990s Dubai with a heart-wrenching tale about how her grandfather was killed by a Japanese guard during World War II over a bowl of her grandmother’s sinagan sa bayabas (seafood soup). The United Kingdom-based author’s own story is especially poignant.

Instead, she tapped 30 Filipino expats from around the world, including White House chef Cristeta “Cris” Comerford and College of San Mateo Professor Lisa Guguitan Melnick, for this vibrant collection of recipes. “Trying to define Filipino cuisine in a few sentences will always fall short in capturing its essence,” writes Jacqueline Chio-Lauri. “Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking” by Michelle Rousseau and Suzanne Rousseau (De Capo Lifelong Books 320 pages $30) With great love and care, the Rousseaus shed light on those who have for too long “been forgotten, unacknowledged, and unseen,” including their great-grandmother, early 20th century restaurateur Martha Matilda Briggs, whose Jamaica patties were once heralded as “the most delicious patty in all of Kingston.” The Caribbean-inspired vegetarian recipes by sister authors Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau are appetizing, but what truly makes this book - named after the provision grounds that were allocated to slaves by plantation owners - special is the Rousseau sisters’ plunge into the history of the women behind Caribbean cooking. “Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Special Occasion” by Carla Hall with Genevieve Ko (Harper Wave 326 pages $29.99) are built on the backs and shoulders of African-American cooks.” (“I’m here to help y’all see us,” she writes.) The book is also a thoughtful road trip through the South that features profiles of black farmers and food makers, and serves as a reminder to readers that “those hot spots in the nicer neighborhoods where foodies are discovering ‘real’ Southern food.

Far from alienating, the prose is approachable and warm, especially, perhaps, for Hall’s white fans. “What we cooked for the slave owners effectively became what we know as American food today,” she writes. Recipes like Mixed Bitter Greens with Smoked Trout Potlikker and Pineapple-Habanero Honey Fried Chicken are tempting, but what makes this book so remarkable is Hall’s refusal to gloss-over the complicated foundations of soul food. In her third cookbook, Nashville-born chef and television personality Carla Hall shares her modern take on classic soul food dishes.

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