November 2021 New Cookbook Review

November 18, 2021 by
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One more month and 2021 will be behind us. I hope that 2022 will be more stable and less chaotic for the publishing and food world. As of the time of writing, the books below are published or are to be published by November 30th. But those dates can change at a moment’s notice. I’ve kept our 2021 preview post updated with any changes and continue to update the 2022 preview post.

If you would like to order any of these titles titles (or preorder/order any other books or items) using our affiliate links below or BUY BOOK button on the book details page, earns Eat Your Books revenue as an Amazon Associate from qualifying purchases when using our links:

 USA * Canada * UK * Book Depository

Please remember your local bookstores during this time as well.

If there is an  available for a cookbook, look for the orange icon in the blurb. Clicking on that icon will take you directly to the preview. Lastly, if events are planned for particular books/authors, I have included a link. Be sure to check our Calendar frequently for new entries.

I’ve tried to provide as much detail for those titles I have reviewed. As there are so many releases this month, the other titles of interest are books I have not had a chance to see. You can find out more about those titles in the Library record under book details.

To jump to a particular country’s listing, please click on the links below.

United States

Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book: Classic Baking Techniques for Gaining Baking Confidence by Kristin Hoffman: Baking guru, Kristin, aka Baker Bettie, breaks down the science of baking in her debut cookbook. From the purpose and function of ingredients, terminology, methods that work best for certain recipes to the essential rules of baking. This title is Baking 101 for novices and a refresher course for those of us who know a bit about baking. Kristin shares master recipes throughout then provides flavoring/variations for those.

Big Boards for Families: Healthy, Wholesome Charcuterie Boards and Food Spread Recipes that Bring Everyone Around the Table by Sandy Coughlin: Through stunning recipes and hosting tips from the founder of the Reluctant Entertainer recipe and hospitality blog this book shows us how to artfully craft and serve food boards to your close friends and family. Piece together these bountiful spreads with a variety of ingredients and options that allow you and your guests to customize every dish.

52 Weeks, 52 Sweets: Elegant Recipes for All Occasions by Vedika Luthra: An ode to seasonal baking, Vedika Luthra has crafted unique dessert recipes using seasonal ingredients and unique flavour combinations for occasions throughout the year. Indulge in 52 unique recipes, one for each week of the year, each accompanied by lovely photographs that will kick-start your sugar cravings and inspire you to create something special. Mango Publishing is becoming the “little publisher that could” with these wonderful, unique titles: Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book and Crazy Sweet Creations just to name a few others.

5-Ingredient Trader Joe’s Cookbook: Easy, Weeknight Meals Using Your Favorite In-Store Ingredients by Tracey Korsen: Transform popular Trader Joe’s products into delicious dishes that will have everyone begging for your recipe. It’s easy to make incredible home-cooked meals with the flavorful in-store items you already love, and for the ultimate convenience, these satisfying recipes feature five or fewer affordable ingredients.

The Ultimate Baking for One Cookbook: 175 Super Easy Recipes Made Just for You by Kelly Jaggers: Baking for one is harder than it may seem. It’s tricky to make sure you have the right measurements and ingredients to recreate a more manageable amount of your favorite treats. The good news is that it’s now possible to prepare single-serving recipes that are full of flavor, easy to make, and economical with Kelly’s new book.

A New Take on Cake: 200 Beautifully Doable Cake Mix Recipes for Bundts, Layers, Slabs, Loaves, Cookies, and More! by Anne Byrn: The “cake mix doctor” is back with a new book of recipes all utilizing a cake mix. The resulting bakes here look beautiful but I question this – if a recipe has eight to twelve ingredients why not just make the cake from scratch? If a cake requires a banana jam or homemade curd, why not take a few extra minutes and do it all from scratch? Anne addresses this in the book stating that having to buy the right kind of flour and measuring precisely isn’t for everyone. To argue against myself, I know there are great (and even organic) mixes out there so I may try a few recipes to decide if it is a big time saver. Events

Being Texan: Essays, Recipes, and Advice for the Lone Star Way of Life by Editors of Texas Monthly explores what it means to be a Texan in this anthology packed with essays, reportage, recipes, and recommendations from their renowned list of contributors.

Bittman Bread: No-Knead Whole-Grain Baking for Every Day by Mark Bittman is the ultimate guide to perfect homemade bread – starting with a wholesome, nourishing, no-knead recipe that’s actually easy for the at-home baker (and also happens to set you up with a sourdough starter for future loaves). Plus, recipes for every taste and any grain, with all the techniques and tips to bake delicious bread at home.

Cheese Sex Death: A Bible for the Cheese Obsessed by Erika Kubick: All things cheese are contained here. Buying, storing, plating and more. Make beautiful boards and recipes for ways to turn your cheese knowledge into yummy dishes.

Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking by Cheryl Day is a complete book of Southern baking recipes written by a great-grandchild of a former slave who is also one of our country’s most acclaimed bakers. In a tome filled with recipes for both savory and sweet baked goods and pastries, Day shows that the creators of our favorite Southern recipes were the slaves who worked in the kitchens of the grand home and plantations of the South. Today these recipes have become a beloved part of American cuisine, and Day shares the secrets to making all the Southern baking mainstays, like Flaky buttery biscuits and Skillet cornbread, and creative twists, like a Cold-oven pound cake and Sweet tea custard, as well as accompaniments and drinks to serve alongside. Filled with beautiful imagery and Cheryl’s researched history on most recipes e.g., Sally Lunn Bread, this is a must have for the baker’s cookbook library.

Clauia Roden’s Mediterranean by Claudia Roden: This title was released in the UK in September. Claudia is credited with revolutionizing Western attitudes to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. More than thirty years on from her first Mediterranean cookbook, Claudia shares the sun-soaked simplicity of the Mediterranean with new recipes for effortless, everyday cooking. This is how the author cooks for friends and family by always putting flavor first, the use of beautiful ingredients and relaxed eating.

Brave New Meal: Fresh as F*ck Food for Every Table: A Vegan Cookbook by Bad Manners, Michelle Davis and Matt Holloway is being released in the US and UK this month. The authors first guide us in stocking our pantry and how to store our produce to make it last longer. In this book they are giving us a road map from the pantry to prep, to pairings to plating. They also provide a produce glossary that breaks down a lot of things we should know about the fresh stuff in our markets.

County Fair: Nostalgic Blue Ribbon–Winning Recipes from America’s Small Towns by Liza Gershman showcases close to eighty blue ribbon-winning recipes from across America’s state and county fairs, covering all manner of homemade pies and cakes, jams and jellies, pickles, preserves, and sweets, from the classic apple pie to the unique wild foraged preserve, the chokecherry jelly.

Death & Co Welcome Home by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, David Kaplan, Devon Tarby and Tyson Buhler is a playbook for home bartenders who want to take their drinks to the next level, featuring hundreds of the signature recipes (nearly 400) that keep Death & Co at the top of class.

Dessert Boards: 50 Beautifully Sweet Platters and Boards for Family, Friends, Holidays, and Any Occasion by Kellie Hemmerly shares easy-to-make boards featuring these desserts and sweets. The boards feature a stunning variety of sweet treats, from baked things like bars, cookies, shortbreads, bundt cakes, and mini pies, to fresh and colorful fruits of all kinds, to truffles, candies, s’mores, and more. Brace yourself – there are a plethora of board books headed our way this year and next.

Field Notes for Food Adventure: Recipes and Stories from the Woods to the Ocean by Brad Leone, star of Bon Appétit’s hit YouTube series It’s Alive, shares a year of cooking adventures, tall tales, and fun with fire and fermentation in this cookbook with more than 80 ingenious recipes.

Filipinx by Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan is vibrant, gorgeous and filled with recipes that are inspiring and impressive. Beginning with a seasoning matrix before delving into recipes such as Coconut milk chicken adobo, Seared rib eye with lemon and onion, Seafood and vegetable fritters, all make this another book I cannot wait to take into the kitchen!

Food52 Big Little Recipes: Good Food with Minimal Ingredients and Maximal Flavor by Emma Laperruque is inspired by Food52’s award-winning column. This clever cookbook features 60 new recipes that’ll deliver wow-worthy results with just a few ingredients. Rigatoni with corn sauce & sizzled corn, Sesame chicken with artichokes & arugula, and Hazelnut cake with sour cream-chocolate frosting are a few standouts for me.

Gabriel Kreuther: The Spirit of Alsace, a Cookbook by Gabriel Kreuther is the cookbook that fans of the James Beard Award-winning chef have long been waiting for. From one of the most respected chefs in the United States, this cookbook showcases the recipes inspired by Kreuther’s French-Swiss-German training and refined global style, one that embraces the spirits of both Alsace, his homeland, and of New York City, his adopted home. Sharing his restaurant creations and interpretations of traditional Alsatian dishes, Kreuther will teach the proper techniques for making every dish, whether simple or complex, a success.

Grains for Every Season: A New Way with Whole Grains and Grain Flours by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg is a book devoted to all things grain. Each chapter covers a particular variety: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, wheat (including varieties), and wild rice are all here along with recipes. The book also has a chapter on go-to recipes for many grains and how to stock your larder along with resource guide. The dishes here are tempting and the imagery beautiful. The writers behind Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables have delivered another book that will have everyone buzzing.

Home Made Basics: Simple Recipes, Made from Scratch by Yvette van Boven shares step-by-step explanations for the foundational dishes that can transform how you cook and what you eat at home. Accompanied by her signature illustrations and beautiful photography, van Boven offers more than 400 recipes for delightful dishes. Whether you’re new to cooking or an experienced home chef, this cookbook teaches you to make foundational and satisfying food without a lot of fuss or complicated ingredients. As usual with Yvette’s books, this title is stunning and I look forward to spending more time in its pages.

Hot Little Suppers: Simple Recipes to Feed Family and Friends by Carrie Morey of Callie’s Biscuits is worth the cost of admission for just the cinnamon biscuit recipe. Sweet mother of all things delicious, this one is a keeper. The book is organized by seasons with each season then being divided into sub-chapters: weeknight suppers, weekend suppers, hot little extras and drinks and desserts. The book begins with a chapter on biscuits as it should and for that I thank you Carrie. Sprinkled throughout the pages are Carrie’s “hot little tips” such as instructing us to freshly grate cheese as well as ideas for mixing things up a bit. This isn’t a book of Southern recipes – these are recipes that Carrie makes for her family and friends such as Italian wedding soup, Shrimp toast, and Snapper with cilantro chimichurri. Buy this book!

Instant Pot Bible: Copycat Recipes: 175 Original Ways to Remake Your Favorite Restaurant Recipes in Your Instant Pot by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough: The Instant Pot has become America’s favorite way to put good food on the table, fast, and Bruce and Mark are preeminent and bestselling authorities on cooking with it. Now, with copycat recipes dominating Instant Pot communitites online and Americans missing their favorite restaurants, they bring you 175 brand-new recipes to recreate popular restaurant meals at home with all the ease and flavor the Instant Pot is known for.

Let’s Eat Italy! by François-Régis Gaudry: From the same team that created Let’s Eat France! comes this celebration of Italian food in the form of an oversized, obsessively complete, visual feast of a book. With a mix of gastronomy, food science, history, cultural references, legend, lore, charts, graphs, photos, and illustrations, every one of the 400 pages in Let’s Eat Italy! is an alluring and amusing journey into Italian food.

Milk Street Vegetables: 250 Bold, Simple Recipes for Every Season by Christopher Kimball is a stunner of a book – which, of course, is what we’ve come to expect from the Milk Street team and Kimball. These recipes (many of them vegan) will inspire us to add more vegetables to our menu planning. Soups, salads, noodle dishes and more are shared here. Many of these recipes can stand on their own for a meal or be added to round out your menu. We are covering this book in our EYB Cookbook Club in November and December.

Mumbai Modern: Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by Indian Roots and California Cuisine by Amisha Gurbani: The blogger behind The Jam Lab offers 100 recipes, complete with her stunning photographs, including breakfasts (Whole wheat pancakes with ghee-sautéed banana and cardamom); appetizers and salads (Lentil fritters and yogurt sauce); mains (Masala veggie burgers); bread, rice, and snacks (Poori, Roti, Panzanella); sauces, dips, and jams (Avocado cilantro pepita sauce); desserts (Blood orange and hibiscus tart); and drinks (Kumquat ginger cinnamon whisky sour). This is a vibrant book filled with tempting dishes! We will be covering this book in our EYB Cookbook Club in December.

New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian by Freddie Bitsoie and James O. Fraioli: From Bitsoie, the executive chef at the Mitsitam Native Foods Café in the Smithsonian’s Natural Museum of the American Indian, and James Beard Award–winning author Fraioli, this book is a celebration of Indigenous cuisine. Offering delicious dishes like Cherrystone clam soup from the Northeastern Wampanoag and Spice-rubbed pork tenderloin from the Pueblo peoples, Bitsoie showcases the variety of flavor and culinary history from 566 federally recognized tribes and provides modern interpretations of 100 recipes that have long fed this country.

Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad: Released in the UK in September and making it to the US this month, this book is the first in an innovative new series for the busy home cook. All the signature Ottolenghi touches are here – big flavours, veggie-forward dishes, diverse influences – but are distilled to maximize ease and versatility. The #OTK books will share the Test Kitchen’s tried-and-tested recipes, with ways to tweak and modify them using whatever ingredients you have to hand. Designed in an interactive notebook style, they feature suggestions to adapt, spaces to write notes, and free-flowing Insta-inspired photography. Be sure to check out OTK’s YouTube series. AU/NZ Events; UK: Events

Plant Powered Mexican: Fast, Fresh Recipes from a Mexican-American Kitchen by Kate Ramos: Mexican recipes have long been known for their fresh, vibrant ingredients and delicious flavor combinations. However, it’s only recently that chefs and eaters alike have discovered something wonderful: many Mexican recipes taste just as good (or better!) when vegetables are the star. This collection of meat-free Mexican recipes includes favorites passed down from family as well as many of Kate’s own creations.

Ready, Set, Cook: How To Make Good Food with What’s On Hand (No Fancy Skills, Fancy Equipment, or Fancy Budget Required) by Dawn Perry (former food editor of Real Simple) shares the author’s secrets for creating delicious meals in no time. It starts with a well-stocked pantry. Dawn shows you what simple staples – some store-bought, others homemade – to keep in your cupboard, refrigerator, and freezer. She also provides more than 125 fool-proof recipes, ideas, and tricks for creating good food with what you have on hand.

Rebel Homemaker: Food, Family, Life by Drew Barrymore: In her first lifestyle book, she’ll take you inside her kitchen and her life, featuring thirty-six amazing recipes, from Yuzu Eggs to Brie and Apple Sandwiches to Harissa Spaghetti, which she developed along with chef Pilar Valdes, a personal friend and a regular guest on Drew’s CBS talk show. The book will also feature beautiful photos taken by Drew herself, spotlighting the very personal connection she has to food, wellness, and mental health. She’ll also share personal essays and stories about female friendship, single parenting, the importance of self-care and alone time, and how to slow down and share the joy of family and food, both during special occasions and as part of everyday life.

Sourdough Baking with Kids: The Science Behind Baking Bread Loaves with Your Entire Family by Natalya Syanova: Using three simple ingredients: water, flour and salt, Sourdough Baking with Kids teaches young bakers and their families about the science behind caring for active sourdough starter: how to create it, keep it alive, feed it when it’s hungry, and prepare it for baking. Each recipe in this book includes different ingredients, colors, and techniques for parents and kids to craft their own bread loaves together. Along the way, families can pick up breadcrumbs such as changes to observe in the dough, fun facts about bread around the world, and little lessons on the patience and discipline behind the process.

Scrumptious from the Girl Who Ate Everything by Christy Denney combines the author’s expert professional experience as a recipe writer for both Betty Crocker and General Mills with her life experience as a mother of five and one of ten siblings. Christy knows food often is the centerpiece of family life and can be a major undertaking, requiring creativity, planning, practice, and purpose. Christy showcases 101 of her favorite recipes, each beautifully photographed using natural light from a window in her home, and includes detailed instructions for prep time along with helpful tips.

Simple, Sweet Things in Life: A Collection of Cookies and Other Desserts to Celebrate Life’s Sweet and Simple Moments by Stephanie Rackley: The author is a Registered Dietitian and blogger who is sharing a compilation of delicious tried-and-true recipes with food triggers in mind. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Stephanie further understood the need for a cookie and desserts cookbook that anybody could pick up and enjoy regardless of their food allergies. This cookbook contains an Allergy Guide and includes recipes free from gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, peanuts, and soy. Other recipes have no added sugar, and a few are low-glycemic.

Simply Sweet Nostalgic Bakes: 60 Elegant Takes on Comfort Classics by Emma Duckworth: If you dream about the sweets and treats of your childhood but want something a little more special than the standard chocolate chip cookie or vanilla ice cream, look no further than Emma Duckworth’s collection of 55 scrumptious recipes. Each one has been carefully crafted to evoke the fond, comforting memories of days gone by while lending irresistible depths of flavor to even the most familiar desserts.

Sparkling Wine for Modern Times: A Drinker’s Guide to the Freewheeling World of Bubbles by Zachary Sussman: This approachable title considers sparkling wine traditions and offerings from around the world.

Sweet Talk Cookies: Creative Designs for Birthdays, Holidays, and Everyday by Hayley Callaway: If you’re sick of the same-old cookies, if you can’t possibly decorate another bland tree or stocking, look no further. The founder of Hayley Cakes and Cookies has just what you need. When it comes to designs, this is a book filled with cookies that have character, for year-round fun. Chapters span the seasons, including both holiday-related motifs and designs that simply celebrate something like summer fun.

Soup Club: 80 Cozy Recipes for Creative Plant-Based Soups and Stews to Share by Caroline Wright These days finding uplifting stories can be a challenge, but this one will help restore your faith in humanity. Food and Wine brings us the tale of the ‘Soup Queen of Seattle‘, cookbook writer Carolyn Wright. Carolyn battled brain cancer, and after she recovered, she went on a “mission to deliver soup to the community that nourished her.”

Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America by Mayukh Sen: This group biography from an electric new voice in food writing honors seven extraordinary women, all immigrants, who left an indelible mark on the way Americans eat today. Taste Makers stretches from World War II to the present, with absorbing and deeply researched portraits of figures including Mexican-born Elena Zelayeta, a blind chef; Marcella Hazan, the deity of Italian cuisine; and Norma Shirley, a champion of Jamaican dishes. I just received my order today and have the book on my nightstand ready to dive into. Darcie wrote about this title earlier this year. Events

The Great British Baking Show: A Bake for All Seasons by Great British Baking Show Bakers and Paul Hollywood is The Great British Bake Off’s ode to nature, packed with timely bakes lovingly created to showcase seasonal ingredients and draw inspiration from the changing moods and events of the year. Whether you’re looking to make the best of asparagus in spring, your prize strawberries in summer, pumpkin in autumn or blood oranges in winter, these recipes – from Prue, Paul, the Bake Off team and the 2021 bakers themselves – offer insight and inspiration throughout the year. From celebration cakes to traybakes, loaf cakes, and breads to pies, tarts and pastries, this book shows you how to make the very best of what each season has to offer. (UK version released in Sep 2021).

The King Arthur Baking Company: The Essential Cookie Companion by King Arthur Baking: From classic flavors to modern techniques, these 400 recipes will inspire and satisfy cookie lovers and bakers at every skill level. King Arthur Baking Company’s talented and trusted test kitchen experts provide an overview of essential cookie ingredients updated and revised along with step-by-step instructions and illustrations that result in visually impressive and incredible-tasting cookies. Recipes are enhanced with sidebars full of hints, shortcuts, troubleshooting advice, and recipe lore. With tips on substitutions and variations; information about gluten-free flours; details on measuring and weighing ingredients; instructions for making icings, fillings, and dips; and even advice on high-altitude baking, this truly is the ultimate cookie cookbook. We are in the process of updating the prior edition and will be indexing this new edition in the near future.

The Meat Cookbook: Know the Cuts, Master the Skills, over 250 Recipes by Nichola Fletcher: Cook more than 250 of the world’s best poultry, pork, beef, lamb, game, and offal dishes such as Jamaican jerk chicken, Portuguese pork with clams, Kerala beef, and saddle of roe venison with celery root purée. All the recipes include timing and temperature charts for perfect results every time, as well as expert advice on pairing meats with other foods for exciting flavor combinations.

The Eli’s Cheesecake Cookbook: More Remarkable Recipes from a Chicago Legend by Maureen and Elana Schulman, Jolene Worthington, Tara Lane and Diana Moles: The second edition of the Eli’s Cheesecake Cookbook has been fully expanded and updated in honor of the 40th anniversary of Eli’s Cheesecake. In addition to the classics featured in the first edition, the new edition features even more cheesecake recipes, including Basque, Cherry Vanilla, Hawaiian, Carrot Cake Cheesecake, and Holiday Cheesecake Dippers―one of Oprah’s Favorite Things. You’ll also find many more signature dishes from Eli’s The Place for Steak, including Chicken Vesuvio, Pepper Steak, Corned Beef Hash, Potato Pancakes, and French Onion Soup, and an all-new chapter showcasing Eli’s bakers from around the world sharing their favorite family recipes.

The Modern Tiffin: On-the-Go Vegan Dishes with Global Flair by Priyanka Naik: This book demonstrates how vegetables can indeed be the star of the dish, rather than merely a forgotten side dish. Including an array of fifty-five vegan recipes, such as the Italian Tiffin, which uses chickpeas and garam masala to create a new bruschetta, or the American Comfort Tiffin, which includes a Southern riff on a traditional Indian dessert Gulab Jamun, The Modern Tiffin shares this versatility through delicious vegetable-focused recipes tying back to Priyanka’s childhood, travels to nearly forty countries, and life as a first-generation, Indian-American in New York City.

This Must Be the Place: Dispatches and Food From the Home Front by Rachael Ray: During the early months of the pandemic in upstate New York, far away from her New York City television studio, Rachael Ray and her husband, John, went to work in her home kitchen hosting the only cooking show on broadcast TV. From her kitchen counter and stove, with the help of her iPhone cameraman (John) and her detailed handwritten notebooks, Rachael produced more than 250 meals. Organized by season, this new book captures the recipes, images, and words that will forever shape this time for Rachael and her family, offering readers inspiration to rethink and rebuild what home means to them now.

Staples + 5: 100 Simple Recipes to Make the Most of Your Pantry by Tanorria Askew: Nothing provides peace of mind like a well-stocked kitchen. Learn how to maximize your stores of beans, flour, and grains with easy recipes that rely on a simple set of nonperishable ingredients supplemented by up to five fresh items. Get dinner on the table without extra trips to the store, throw together a casserole for a neighbor in need, or entertain unexpected guests without added stress. You’ll be ready for anything with 100 recipes for craveable comfort food to feed yourself, your family, and your community from this former Masterchef contestant.

Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets by Pati Jinich: For her newest book, Pati Jinich brings home the signature recipes that home cooks, market vendors, and chefs have shared with her as she crisscrossed her native country for the past decade. For more details see this inside peak.

Upper Crust: Homemade Bread the French Way by Marie-Laure Frechet is a stunner of a book filled with inspiration for all things bread. It was released in France in September. Eighteen bakers share their knowledge and recipes in this magnificent book that is a cookbook, a piece of art, and a trip to the best bakeries in the world. The first 200 pages are devoted to the mechanics and technique of bread baking: scoring, kneading and more with a wealth of information and photographs. The recipes start on page 201 and they are impressive and labeled per difficulty level. There is a chapter on traditional breads from all around the world, such as pita, focaccia, bagels, Georgian khachapuri, and Norwegian polar bread are reinterpreted in the French style. This will be a must have for the bread baker – beginner or experienced – it is a keeper.

Vegan, at Times: 120+ Recipes for Every Day or Every So Often by Jessica Seinfeld: The Seinfelds aren’t committed vegans. Instead of convincing you to become vegan or shaming you for eating meat, Jessica simply wants to show you how easy it is to be a vegan, at times, by cooking flavorful, affordable, and robust plant-based meals whenever you want—whether that’s every day, once a week, or just once in a while.

The Cajun Vegan Cookbook: A Modern Guide to Classic Cajun Cooking and Southern-Inspired Cuisine by Krimsey Lilleth: The chef and founder of the popular Los Angeles restaurant Krimsey’s Cajun Kitchen delivers an amazing debut cookbook. This book features 120+ recipes inspired by the Big Easy. Plant-based cooking/cookbooks have come a long way and this one is filled with recipes you will want to make for your family and friends. Cinnamon s’mores French toast roll-ups, West coast pistolettes (stuffed and fried bread rolls) and Almost-dessert twice baked sweet potatoes are just a couple of recipes that caught my attention – the book is filled with those attention grabbing dishes. Vegan/carnivores/vegetarians – grab this book!

The Sweet Side of Sourdough: 60 Irresistible Recipes for Pastries, Buns, Cakes, Cookies and More by Caroline Schiff: Sourdough isn’t just for savory baking! The robust tanginess of sourdough adds that little bit of something extra to your favorite cakes, bars, tarts, sweet breads and more that you didn’t know you were looking for, and pastry chef Caroline Schiff couldn’t make it easier to do. Set yourself up for sourdough success with her best tips for building and maintaining a starter and then bake your way to sweet sourdough bliss.

The Cake Chronicles: Bake a Journey Through 60 Incredible Creations! by Ana Zelic: Awe-inspiring cakes are just a page away in this cookbook that is positively overflowing with beautiful, scrumptious recipes. Whether you are looking for the tasty ease of a sheet cake, the moist, springy fun of a roll cake or the delicious artistry of a layer cake, The Cake Chronicles is here to bring you incredible confections to suit every whim and taste.

How to Sous Vide: Easy, Delicious Perfection Any Night of the Week: 100+ Simple, Irresistible Recipes by Daniel Shumski: The author of How to Instant Pot takes his expertise decoding a complicated piece of equipment to the sous vide machine! Here’s an accessible, thorough, rigorously tested guide to sous vide for the average home cook, with clear instructions on using the equipment, finishing the food once it’s been sous vided (e.g., techniques like grilling and reverse searing), and 100 easy, delicious recipes that offer the basics for sous vide-ing everything from chicken to salmon (even eggs and octopus!), and ingenious dishes featuring the results.

Roberta’s: Still Cookin’ by Carlo Mirarchi and Brandon Hoy is an oversized gorgeous book that offers a one way-ticket to the Roberta’s universe, packed with never-before-published recipes from the ever-evolving menu, alongside signature graphics, photographs, drawings, and stories from the restaurant responsible for single-handedly making pizza cool again. Hoy and Mirarchi explore the eight pillars of the Roberta’s menu: pantry, charcuterie, vegetables, grill, pizzas, pastas, drinks, and desserts.

Tasty Over the Top by Tasty: Here you’ll find seventy-five recipes that raise the bar with minimal effort, like Breakfast Biscuit Nachos (yes, split biscuits baked on a sheet pan with all the fixins), a sloppy joe/bacon cheeseburger mash-up, a BLT deconstructed into the salad of your dreams (think maple-glazed bacon and mayo-toasted croutons!), and more delicious, out-of-this-world ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between.

Pies Are Awesome: The Definitive Pie Art Book by Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin: World-renowned pie artist Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin shares her easy, approachable, and never-before-seen pie-art techniques, delicious recipes, and 28 pie designs centered around holidays and life occasions.

The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Tenth Anniversary Edition: The Recipes of Record by Amanda Hesser: Ten years after the phenomenal success of her once-in-a-generation cookbook, former New York Times food editor Amanda Hesser returns with an updated edition for a new wave of home cooks. She has added 70 new but instantly iconic dishes to her mother lode of more than a thousand recipes. (We are updating the older edition with page numbers and will be indexing this title soon.)

The Joy of Pizza: Everything You Need to Know by Dan Richer: The one thing that has stayed in my thoughts while listening to Nathan Myhrvold talk about Modernist Pizza is that Razza’s was one of the best pizzas the Modernist team had on their pizza quest. I was thrilled to learn that the genius behind Razza had a book coming out this month and this is that book! Dan’s knowledge from making the perfect pie to reviewing his “pizza evaluation rubric” is covered in detail in the 140 pages before the actual recipes begin. There are 52 recipes but the beauty of this book is the wisdom and guidance that Richer provides in its pages.

Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner and Pies: All of Your Thanksgiving Dinner and Dessert Classics Made Vegan! by Audrey Dunham, wife of Jeff Dunham, an American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor is a professional healthy lifestyle consultant, bodybuilding trainer, and nutritionist who has written several books on vegan cooking. In this title, Audrey covers everything you need to have a perfectly delicious vegan holiday with recipes such as Mushroom Wellington, Sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and pecans, Sweet cornbread and Buttermilk (nondairy milk and vinegar) biscuits. Pies and sides are shared as well. Be sure to check out Vegan Christmas Cookies and Cocoa which was published last year.

The New Cooking School Cookbook: Fundamentals by America’s Test Kitchen: This all-new exploration of the fundamentals of cooking is perfect for anyone (from brand-new to experienced cooks) who wants to learn not just the “hows” but also the “whys” of cooking. Why does pizza bake better on a stone? Why do mushrooms benefit from water when sautéing? Why should you salt food at multiple stages during the cooking process? More than 80 focused courses let you dive into your favorite topics.

The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes by Julia Momosé and Emma Janzen: Julia, a Japanese American bartender and partner of Kumiko and Kikko in Chicago, presents an enchanting journey into the realm of Japanese spirits and cocktails with eighty-five drink recipes. In this essential guide, she elegantly breaks down master techniques and provides in-depth information on cocktail culture, history, and heritage spirits that will both educate and inspire. The provocative recipes, inspired by the twenty-four micro-seasons that define the ebb and flow of life in Japan, include perfected classics like the Manhattan and Negroni, riffs on some of Japan’s most beloved cocktails like the whisky highball, and even alcohol-free drinks inspired by traditional ingredients, such as yuzu, matcha, and umé.

World Food: Paris: Heritage Recipes for Classic Cooking by James Oseland: With more than fifty accessible recipes and contributions from the city’s leading home cooks and chefs, World Food: Paris – part of the World Food series (see World Food: Mexico City) from award-winning author and food expert James Oseland – intimately captures the Parisian way with food as never before. Here James shares recipes from friends (for instance, Dorie) and market purveyors to cover topics such as the finest cheeses, olives and more. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take this book and In Love with Paris (below) and have a moment to savor them both.

Other titles published this month:

Canada

Acorn: Creative, Wildcrafted Vegetable Recipes by Shira Blustein: From fall to winter, to spring to summer, Acorn follows the beauty and bounty of the seasons, celebrating vegetables in all their delicious glory. Vegetables are at the heart of everything the internationally-acclaimed The Acorn restaurant does. Stunning photography and recipes such as a Potato pine nut soup with caramelized garlic, Aleppo powder, potato chips and smoked sunflower oil (which looks like a dish I could live on) to a Red-flowering currant puff-pastry tart with vanilla caramelized whey ricotta and red-flowering currant jelly – this is a book that is both elegant and approachable.

Best of Bridge Kitchen Simple: 125 Quick and Easy Recipes by Emily Richards and Sylvia Kong is a welcome return to easy techniques with simple ingredients designed to take the stress out of mealtime. These all-new 125 recipes will continue your trust in Best of Bridge to bring appetizing dishes.

The Little Prairie Book of Berries: Recipes for Saskatoons, Sea Buckthorn, Haskap Berries and More by Sheryl Normandeau is a celebration of some of the lesser-known berries local to the prairie region, including sea buckthorn, haskap, saskatoons, currants, sour cherries, and chokecherries. This little cookbook is all about the berries and small fruits grown in prairie gardens, gathered from U-pick farms, and foraged in the wild. Home cook and accomplished gardener Normandeau presents 65 recipes for everything from meat, poultry, and fish dishes, vegetable and grain dishes, to desserts, baked goods, beverages, and preserves (including fruit leather).

United Kingdom

The Alcorithm: A Fascinating Flavour Guide to Find Your Perfect Drink by Rob Buckhaven: Using the algorithm ‘If you like this, you’ll love that’, this book will lead you by your taste buds, using your existing favourite drinks and flavours to reveal vast varieties that will also suit your palate.

Bad Girl Bakery: The Cookbook by Jeni Iannetta: Scotland’s celebrated and award-winning bakery – Bad Girl Bakery – is known for their indulgent and generous bakes. Why “bad girl?” No, they don’t sell risqué bakes – the name pokes fun at people who frown on indulgences of the bakery kind and say “Oh, you bad girl.” This debut cookbook is jam-packed with deliciousness including recipes for Giant lemon drizzles, Coconut, chilli & lime cake, Loch Ness gin & tonic cupcakes and Sticky toffee layer with browned buttercream. Jeni provides instructions for layering cakes including step-by-step photographs of crumb coating and the like as well as variations on certain recipes, some vegan and gluten free options and gorgeous imagery. I just received my Waterstones’ order for this book and am in love!

Breaditation: De-stress by Making Bread by Manuel Mondade: The author is the current chair of the London borough of Southwark Refugee and Migrant Project, an organisation he has been working with for the past twenty years. Having helped people facing stressful situations in the course of his charitable work, and also having experienced the sense of achievement of his breadmaking students, he is interested in the therapeutic potential of baking. Here, together with psychotherapist Caroline Harrison, he shows how breadmaking can help anyone to enhance their mental wellbeing. An introduction explains the concept of ‘breaditation’ – breadmaking as therapy and the benefits it can bring for good mental health. Advice on essential equipment and the fundamentals of baking follows: understanding the dynamics of breadmaking; then the stages – kneading; shaping; proving; and baking. The book includes twenty-one straightforward recipes from different parts of the world, all of which give a sense of achievement in making them.

Mayylu!: Discovering Lebanon’s Hidden Culinary Heritage by Hana El-Hibri: No visitor will travel far through the Lebanese mountains without hearing Mayylu!, that warm invitation – a prelude to making new friends and to sharing good food and company. This ancient invocation of welcome captures the very essence of life in this rugged terrain. The spirit of Mayylu lies at the center of this heart-warming food book which is, in many ways, the embodiment of that shared experience. Lovingly told, with close step-by-step visuals of the preparation processes, a great many of these secrets of Lebanon’s ancient culinary heritage are published here for the first time.

One Pan, One Hob, One Meal by Elena Silcock (and published in the US): Included are 85 easy, budget-friendly recipes to suit busy lifestyles and those with limited kitchen space. All the delicious dishes can be made in one of two pans – either a large saucepan or a non-stick frying pan – and require little to no skill, as directions are just for cooking over a high, medium or low heat. All the recipes can be cooked on a gas, electric or induction hob and you will get the same incredible result every time.

The 30-Minute Mowgli: Instant Big Flavour! by Nisha Katona: Spice-packed, punchy, fresh Indian-inspired dishes to get on the table in 30 minutes or under. This is the food that Nisha, TV chef and creator and face of the Mowgli Indian restaurants, cooks at home – super speedy, made with easily sourced ingredients, and delivering big, bold flavours. There is a range of recipes here from Lemon chicken pasta, Ginger-beer pork and Sticky chicken thighs along with curries, bhajis (Ginger beer, onion and broccoli bhajis are on my list to make very soon with the chicken thighs) and more. A perfect book with over 70 recipes to bring a little Indian flavor into your busy evenings.

The Latin American Cookbook by Virgilio Martinez: Rarely has the incredible range of cuisines from Mexico’s tropical coasts to the icy islands at the foot of South America been documented as comprehensively as in this collection. Global star chef and Peruvian sensation Virgilio Martínez curates, with a personal deep dive into each region’s food culture, culinary delicacies, and local ingredients. The result: 600 remarkable recipes that bring to life the vibrancy of Latin America and its myriad influences – indigenous, European, Asian and beyond.

The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails by David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum covers drinks, processes, and techniques from around the world as well as those in the US and Europe. It provides clear explanations of the different ways that spirits are produced, including fermentation, distillation, and ageing, alongside a wealth of new detail on the emergence of cocktails and cocktail bars, including entries on key cocktails and influential mixologists and cocktail bars. Darcie wrote about this title in September.

Weekend: Eating at Home: From Long Lazy Lunches to Fast Family Fixes by Matt Tebbutt: From casual Friday night dinner to brunch with friends, light lunches and garden feasts, picnics and barbecues, to more lavish dinner parties and the classic Sunday lunch, Matt has all bases covered. Matt is used to spending his Saturdays cooking – as the host of BBC TV’s Saturday Kitchen, he’s never short of a fast meal idea or a meal for guests that will impress. With 100 recipes and menu combinations, beautiful photography, and simple yet inspiring dishes, make the weekend special again. On Nov 30th Matt has an event at Topping and Company with Olly Smith.

Thali: A Joyful Celebration of Indian Home Cooking by Maunika Gowardhan serves up over 80 easy and accessible recipes that show you just how simple it is to create a Thali at home. The word ‘Thali’ refers to the way meals are eaten in India; where a mixed selection of delicious dishes are served together on one platter. They offer a wonderful way to experiment with Indian flavors and dishes and to discover the rich and diverse range of this cuisine.

The Nordic Baker: Plant-Based Bakes and Seasonal Stories from a Kitchen in the Heart of Sweden by Sofia Nordgren guides you through a year of plant-based Nordic cakes, buns, breads, cookies and crackers and invites readers to keep things simple, go back to basics and cook with nature in mind in the most beautiful presentation to hit the printed page. Sofia’s blog paints a picture of what her cookbook is like – stunning, elegant and inspirational – all while keeping things easy and simple. This title will be released in the US in December but may be delayed until 2022 due to shipping issues.

Three: Acid, Texture, Contrast: The Essential Foundations to Redefine Everyday Cooking by Selin Kiazim: I love a book that teaches you “how to cook” not just how to follow a recipe. Selin’s book does just that. Three looks at the magic elements that make a plate of food truly come into its own: acid, texture and contrast – the fundamental building blocks that will transform a modest dish into the star of the show. There are over 125 recipes to level up our cooking and open new doors to creating flavorful dishes of our own.

In Love with Paris: Recipes and Stories from the Most Romantic City in the World by Anne-Katrin Weber is a dreamy book about one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Gorgeous imagery and illustrations, recipes for Parisian delights both sweet and savory fill this book. In Love with Paris is a perfect gift this holiday season for someone who loves the city of lights – pair it with a copy of Oseland’s World Food: Paris and you’ll be on Santa’s good list.

Bread Ahead: The Expert Home Baker: A Masterclass in Classic Baking by Matthew Jones: This long-awaited follow up to Jones’ Baking School features 90 fool-proof, classic baking recipes, with both sweet and savory staples and plenty of seasonal favorites. Sprinkled throughout this beautiful book are cross-sections depicting the anatomy of a particular baked good (i.e., anatomy of a ciabatta) and many progression photos guiding us to stretching/folding/braiding doughs. The classics are here such as Treacle tart, Babka rolls and Croissants as well as recipes for what are sure to be new classics: Pumpkin special doughnuts, Lentil rolls and Herby mushroom buckwheat tart.

Australia

Firepit Barbecue: Easy Recipes for Deliciously Relaxed Get-togethers by Ross Dobson shares 90 recipes along with tips on the best wood to use, foolproof instructions to tame the flame and make the heat last, advice on how to prepare food for the grill, marinades for tenderising and adding flavour, plus ideas for delicious butters, salsas, dips and breads. This title will be released in the US and UK in Apr 2022.

How to Be Italian: Eat, Drink, Dress, Travel and Love La Dolce Vita by Maria Pasquale is a celebration of what it means to be from Italy – an education in drinking to savour the moment, travelling indulgently, and dolce far niente – the sweetness of doing nothing. From the innovation of Italian fashion and design, the golden age of its cinema, the Roman Empire’s cultural echoes, and some very good espresso, take a dip into the Italian psyche and learn to eat, love, dress, think, and have fun as only Italia can.

The Weekend Table: Great Thermomix Recipes for All Occasions by Tenina Holder is the go-to Thermomix cookbook for feeding all those you love – be it for casual weekends, a lazy Sunday brunch, kids’ birthday party, or family dinners. Drawing from Tenina’s ten-year history of great recipes that work without fail, this is a celebration of food for families with a little nod to spending time in the kitchen. Each recipe has stunning photography to accompany and assumes ownership of a thermal cooker.

A Year of Sundays: A Cookbook, a Conversation, and Reflections on the World Around Me by Belinda Jeffery shares a collection of the author’s much-adored and anticipated Sunday morning Instagram posts accompanied by beautiful recipes.

The Vegan Butcher: The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Meat by Zacchary Bird: Veganism isn’t about missing out – it’s about getting creative. Equal parts science and magic, this cookbook explores the vast world of plant-based meat possibilities. From easy replacements to full-blown kitchen experiments, there are recipes for cooks of every level, with substitutes for (almost) any dish you could think of. This book is truly impressive and one that vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike should have in their collection. Why? First of all, it is an explosion of color with pages that are hues of yellow with red and black font which for some reason sparks my interest all the more. Next, the photography is stunning (there are also step-by-step process photos of some techniques) and Zachary’s clear and detailed instructions are perfection that can turn any cook into a vegan maestro. Lastly, a vegan book doesn’t normally excite me but this one does. It has me excited to experiment and try new things in the kitchen.

Where the River Bends by Jane & Jimmy Barnes: The authors invite you to their kitchen table to share heart-warming stories and favourite dishes ranging from nutritious breakfasts and healthy lunches through classic pastas and Thai curries to Sunday roasts and delectable desserts. Inspired by the food they love and the legendary feasts they host for family and friends, Where the River Bends features more than 70 recipes, accompanied by personal recollections and anecdotes and stunning photography.

Ciao Bella!: Six Take Italy by Kate Langbroek: When the author first dreamed of moving to Italy, she imagined a magnificent sun-drenched pastiche of long lunches and wandering through cobbled laneways clutching a loaf of crusty bread and a bottle of wine, Sophia Loren-style, while handsome men called out ‘Ciao Bella!’ In the stark light of day the dream Kate shared with her husband Peter after an idyllic holiday in Italy seemed like madness. They didn’t speak Italian. They knew no one in Italy. They had four children. But the siren song of Italy was irresistible. Ciao Bella! is about having a dream and living it as Kate shares the sublime joys and utter chaos of adapting to a new life in Bologna, what you discover about yourself when you are a stranger in a strange land, and how she fell in love.

Indian Cooking Class by Christine Manfield: Mastering the incredible array of spices and techniques applied in the Indian kitchen can seem a daunting task for the casual cook. But in this book you’ll find easy-to-follow and approachable recipes that will see you making curry pastes and blending flavours with absolute confidence. I was able to review an electronic version of this impressive title. Certain “masterclass” recipes have 12 to 18 process photos to guide us through creating dishes such as Paneer or Buttermilk sambar and the photography of the finished dishes is spectacular. This is a true Indian cookery course.

Homemade: Cooking at Home with Melbourne’s Best Chefs, Cooks and Restaurants by Broadsheet Media is a love letter to Melbourne food and the people we share it with, featuring 80 diverse and cook-able recipes for home – curated by Broadsheet – by the city’s best food innovators. With added context about why chefs do things the way they do, it’s a book that will teach people how to cook, not just follow a recipe. The featured dishes are not about taking something out of a restaurant and serving it at home, but about the perfect dish for home.

Category: New Cookbooks

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