Cookbook of the week: From the pages of a fave magazine come Cherry Bombe recipes by Padma Lakshmi, Jessica Koslow and more

If you are one of those old-school folks who frequents newsstands and still loves thumbing through glossy magazines for good stories and captivating photography, then you likely have had the magazine Cherry Bombe on your radar since it began in 2013. Published twice a year by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu, it’s a lovely thing, devoted to the intersection of women and food, with a particular interest in fashion. (Diamond is a former magazine editor, Wu, a former art director.) Cherry Bombe is irreverent and compelling, giving voice to women in the food world from Martha Stewart to Lena Dunham — both of whom have graced the cover, with cherries. Imagine “Mrs. Beeton’s Cookery Book” crossed with Lady Gaga.

Happily, probably inevitably, Diamond and Wu have now come out with a cookbook: “Cherry Bombe: The Cookbook.” Inside the book, published by Clarkson Potter, are 100 recipes from 100 women, among them Christina Tosi of Milk Bar; “Top Chef’s” Padma Lakshmi; Naomi Pomeroy of Portland, Ore.’s, Beast restaurant; Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams; Tartine’s Elisabeth Prueitt; and L.A.’s own Evan Kleiman (KCRW), Jessica Koslow (Sqirl), Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer (Kismet).

On some levels, like the magazine that engendered it, it’s a tongue-in-cheek book (pink cover, lots of cherries, pink KitchenAid). But on other levels, the cookbook is surprisingly straightforward, as the voices and stories that make the magazine so compelling are oddly missing, replaced by just the recipes themselves.

If you already subscribe to the magazine, you might want to make Lakshmi’s sweet and sour shrimp from the cookbook while you reread last year’s magazine cover story on the television personality and cookbook writer, which is a far more interesting read than the few sentences that operate as introduction to the dish. If you don’t have a copy of the magazine, well, maybe go pick up an issue while you’re out shopping for the ingredients for Prueitt’s chocolate hazelnut torte. (If you want even more Cherry Bombe, there’s also Cherry Bombe Radio and, on Oct. 14, a daylong conference called the Cherry Bombe Jubliee.)

With a stack of issues, you’ll have the best of both worlds: the assembled chapters (tools & rules; mains; sweet treats) of the cookbook, plus all the stories that load the magazine, including interviews, illustrations, photo essays and to-do lists. Nice.

Cookbook of the Week: “Cherry Bombe: The Cookbook” by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu (Clarkson Potter, $35).

SWEET AND SOUR SHRIMP WITH CHERRY TOMATOES

View the recipe in our California Cookbook:

40 minutes. Serves 4.

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined but tail-on

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 cup minced shallots

1 cup diced yellow bell pepper

2 dried red chiles, such as Kashmiri for mild heat or Thai for extra heat

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup diced dried apricots

1 whole preserved lemon, seeded and diced

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cooked rice, for serving

1. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover and set aside.

2. In a deep skillet or wok set over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, stir in the cumin and fennel seeds and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss in the shallots and bell pepper and continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes to soften the peppers.

3. Add the dried chiles, garlic and ginger to the skillet and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the butter and tomatoes, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the tomatoes release their juice and it begins to thicken, 12 to 15 minutes.

4. Toss in the dried apricots, preserved lemon and turmeric and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to marry the flavorings. Taste for seasoning and an additional ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste.

5. Stir in the shrimp, coating it with the sauce. Cook, stirring once or twice, just until the shrimp becomes opaque, 3 to 4 minutes, careful not to overcook. Toss in the cilantro and remove any chile tops that popped off during cooking. Serve over rice.

Each serving: Calories 307; Protein 22 grams; Carbohydrates 23 grams; Fiber 5 grams; Fat 15 grams; Saturated fat 5 grams; Cholesterol 197 mg; Sugar 13 grams; Sodium 1,819 mg

Note: Adapted from a recipe from Padma Lakshmi in the book “Cherry Bombe” by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu.

amy.scattergood@latimes.com

@ascattergood

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