I’ve been indulging in a lot of stovetop travel recently (you know, like armchair travel but inspired by cookbooks). I’ve a hankering to return to New York City: I was last there decades ago as the first stop of my OE. Taking my first tentative steps at solo travel, I was reduced to tears in the subway by a surly ticket clerk who refused to accept my $10 note, yelling at me in front of the whole queue. My faith in goodness bloomed when the woman behind me pushed me aside, bought me a ticket then strode off into the crowd. Determined not to make the same mistake again, I broke the note by buying a pretzel from a cart at the station. Salty and chewy, it tasted of humiliation and gratitude. I doubt the pretzel recipe in this book could bring that back, but the other stalwarts of my backpacker budget – tuna melts, Reuben sandwiches and soup served in a canteen cup – are all celebrated here. So too are other influences, such as halal cart lamb with rice, spicy mushroom ramen and pernil with arroz, as the author careers across the five boroughs to taste the city’s diversity. Diner- menu-style graphics and mini-essays from those who make the pizza or run the deli talk the recipes into life. Even if you suspect all the clichés you’ve heard about New York are true, you still have to go to find out for yourself. When I do go back, even though my budget has grown I bet I’ll still be queuing for a pizza slice or peeling foil from a bodega chopped cheese. TRACY WHITMEY