April 2016 cookbook roundup

Every month Jane and Fiona wade through hundreds of cookbooks, selecting and reviewing all the best new releases of U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand cookbooks. The only thing left for you to do is to add them to your Bookshelf.

The biggest April trend is grilling and barbecue, fitting as the Northern Hemisphere heads into cookout season. Vegetables continue to get their day in the sun, and first-time blogger cookbooks abound. You’ll also find emphasis on bold flavors and on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean ingredients in many of this month’s new books.

USA

Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore: Dinner for Everyone at the Table by Anna Thomas: Planning a meal can become quite complicated when family or guests have different dietary requirements. In this book, screenwriter, producer, and cookbook author Anna Thomas offers solutions for reuniting our divided tables. Learn more about the book in our author interview, and  enter our contest for your chance to win a copy of the book. Also, visit the World Calendar of Cookbook Events to find details on Anna’s book tour.

The New Mediterranean Jewish Table: Old World Recipes for the Modern Home by Joyce Goldstein: This book is an authoritative guide to Jewish home cooking from North Africa, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, and the Middle East. It explores the cuisines of three distinct Mediterranean Jewish cultures: the Sephardic, the Maghrebi, and the Mizrahi. Find details on Joyce’s book tour in the World Calendar of Cookbook Events.

The Elements of Pizza: Unlocking the Secrets to World-Class Pies at Home by Ken Forkish: A follow-up to the James Beard and IACP award-winning book Flour Water Salt Yeast, this cookbook takes an unprecedented look into the mechanics of pizza-dough making. It offers scores of recipes for pizzas in every style: Neapolitan, Roman, American pan pizza, New York-style, creative flat breads, gluten-free pizza, and more. View the Calendar of Events for details on Ken’s author appearances.

It’s All Easy: Delicious Weekday Recipes for the Super-Busy Home Cook by Gwyneth Paltrow: Fans of Paltrow’s GOOP lifestyle publication will appreciate this book, which is filled with quick recipes containing little or no sugar, fat, or gluten. The recipes are desribed as “surprisingly tasty.”

Little Flower Baking by Christine Moore and Cecilia Leung: Christine Moore is one of California’s most acclaimed bakers. Here she shares her best recipes, each adapted and carefully tested for the home cook. Extensively photographed and rich with Moore’s down-home warmth and wisdom, it inspires home cooks to make her rustically beautiful, always delicious cookies, cakes, pastries, savory baked goods, and more. Check out the Calendar of Events for book tour details.

Zen and Tonic: Savory and Fresh Cocktails for the Enlightened Drinker by Jules Aron: Aron, a mixologist, beverage consultant, and green lifestyle expert, has been tending bar at some of Manhattan’s finest dining establishments, bars, and clubs. Now she’s sharing her wealth of knowledge so everyone can enjoy delicious cocktails without going to a swanky bar. Enter our contest for a chance to win a copy of Zen and Tonic, and pick up great cocktail making tips in our author interview with Jules.

Layered: Baking, Building, and Styling Spectacular Cakes by Tessa Huff: Tired of plain vanilla and chocolate? This book combines new and exciting flavors of cake, fillings, and frostings-everything from pink peppercorn cherry to bourbon butterscotch, and pumpkin vanilla chai to riesling rhubarb and raspberry chocolate stout. Watch for an upcoming promotion for Layered and view Tessa’s book tour dates on the Calendar of Events.

Crisps, Cobblers, Custards & Creams by Jean Anderson: It seems like everything old is now new again with classic, home-style desserts like doughnuts and whoopie pies resurging in popularity. Despite this trend, few books have been published on the topic of Jean Anderson’s latest effort. The renowned author and food writer uses her years of expertise to put together a collection of attractive desserts that range from silky, rich puddings to hot, baked cobblers. Check out Jean’s book tour details in the Calendar of Events.

The Portable Feast: Creative Meals for Work and Play by Jeanne Kelley: No more sad desk lunches or soggy picnic sandwiches with more than one hundred recipes for inventive, wholesome dishes that are ready to roam. Recipes in the book are vegetable-forward and feature a selection of grain bowls built to go, but there are some desserts and indulgences as well. View the Calendar of Events for Jeanne’s book tour dates.

The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito by Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero and Rebecca Flint Marx: Within the Spanish culinary pantheon, Basque cooking from the north is considered one of the country’s most fascinating and essential traditions. In Basque, star chefs Raij and Montero take readers on a tour of the Basque countryside, in the process revealing the iconic ingredients, cooking techniques, and traditional dishes that define Basque cooking. They also share dishes from their award-winning New York restaurants.

Flavorwalla: Big Flavor. Bold Spices. A New Way to Cook the Foods You Love by Floyd Cardoz: At his many successful restaurants, including New York City’s famed Tabla, Floyd Cardoz built a name for himself by bringing extraordinary flavors to everyday foods. In this book, readers will learn how Cardoz amplifies the flavors in recipes that he cooks at home, where even the humblest of ingredients-such as eggs, steak, and vegetables-benefit from his nuanced use of spice.

Mexican Today: New and Rediscovered Recipes for Contemporary Kitchens by Pati Jinich. On her PBS TV series, now in its fifth season, as well as in frequent appearances on shows like The Chew, Pati Jinich has shown a flair for making Mexican cooking irresistibly accessible. In Mexican Today, she shares easy, generous dishes, both traditional ones and her own new spins. Find details on Pati’s book tour in the Calendar of Events.

something to food about by Questlove: What unites all of Questlove’s work as a drummer, producer, musical director, culinary entrepreneur, and author is a profound interest in creativity. In somethingtofoodabout, Questlove applies his boundless curiosity to the world of food. In conversations with ten innovative chefs in America, he explores what makes their creativity tick, how they see the world through their cooking and how their cooking teaches them to see the world. Check out the Calendar for details on Questlove’s book tour.  

An: To Eat: Recipes and Stories from a Vietnamese Family Kitchen by Helene An and Jacqueline An: In Vietnamese, “AN” means “TO EAT,” a happy coincidence, since the An family has built an award-winning restaurant empire. Helene An, executive chef and matriarch of the House of An, is hailed as the “mother of fusion” and was inducted into the Smithsonian Institute. Now her daughter Jacqueline tells the family story – which includes Helene’s transformation from pampered “princess” in French Colonial Vietnam, to refugee then restaurateur – and shares her mother’s delicious and previously “secret” recipes.

America’s Best Breakfasts: Favorite Local Recipes from Coast to Coast by Lee Brian Schrager and Adeena Sussman: America’s Best Breakfasts is a celebration of two of this nation’s honored traditions: hitting the open road and enjoying an endless variety of breakfasts. You won’t need a road trip to create the recipes from down-home diners, iconic establishments, and the newest local hot spots.

Short Stack Vol 20: Rhubarb by Sheri Castle: Even though it’s known as the “pie plant”, there is so much more to rhubarb, as author Sheri Castle has proven with this volume in the Short Stack series. Through recipes like pork chops with rhubarb pan dressing and rose-rhubarb trifle, Sheri shows us that this springtime stunner deserves our year-round attention. View Sheri’s book tour details in the Calendar of Events.

The Everyday Meat Guide by Ray Venezia: When Rachael Ray wants to tell her 2.6 million viewers how to shop wisely at the meat counter, she invites veteran butcher Ray Venezia on her show. This handbook condenses Venezia’s expert advice from 25 years behind the butcher block, giving every weeknight shopper and grill enthusiast the need-to-know information on meat grades, best values, and common cuts for poultry, pork, lamb, veal, and beef.

The Wurst of Lucky Peach: A Treasury of Encased Meat by Chris Ying and Editors of Lucky Peach: Lucky Peach presents a cookbook as a scrapbook, stuffed with curious local specialties, like cevapi, a caseless sausage that’s traveled all the way from the Balkans to underneath the M tracks in Ridgewood, Queens; a look into the great sausage trails of the world, from Bavaria to Texas Hill Country and beyond; and the ins and outs of making your own sausages, including fresh chorizo. Find details on author appearances in the Calendar of Events.

Myron Mixon’s BBQ Rules: The Old-School Guide to Smoking Meat by Myron Mixon and Kelly Alexander: In barbecue, “old-school” means cooking on a homemade coal-fired masonry pit, where the first step is burning wood to make your own coals. New York Times bestselling author and star of ‘Destination America’s BBQ Pitmasters’, Mixon offers step-by-step instructions on how to become a champion pitmaster in your own backyard.

Master of the Grill: Foolproof Recipes, Top-Rated Gadgets, Gear & Ingredients Plus Clever Test Kitchen Tips & Fascinating Food Science by America’s Test Kitchen Editors: If you are looking for something a bit less intense than traditional pit smoking, the ATK editors offer Master of the Grill, part field guide to grilling and barbecuing and part cookbook. In addition to the exhaustively tested recipes, the book includes a section that covers the pros and cons of gas and charcoal grills and explains the tools you’ll use with them.

Foolproof Preserving: A Guide to Small Batch Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Condiments, and More by America’s Test Kitchen Editors: The second ATK book this month focuses on the art of preserving produce, which has come full circle from grandmother’s kitchen to a whole new generation now eager to learn it.

Tarts by Frederic Anton: Two of France’s most critically acclaimed chefs come together to produce a book filled with a variety of tarts. The book is divided into three sections: savory, sweet, and making dough. Most recipes occupy a single page with simple, clear instructions illustrated with one full-page photograph that displays the result like an objet d’art. This is the English edition of a book published in France in 2014.

Good + Simple: Recipes to Eat Well and Thrive by Jasmine Hemsley and Melissa Hemsley: Sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley share their principles of healthy home cooking built around gut health, whole foods and affordable ingredients. Recipes range from reworked classics and prepare ahead dishes to breads, desserts and bakes. This is the US release of the hit book released in the UK in February.

Deliciously Ella Every Day by Ella Woodward: Another US edition of a book published in the UK earlier this year, it is the much-anticipated follow up to the popular blogger’s first book, Deliciously Ella. The book is packed with more of Ella’s trademark simple yet tempting plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free recipes. 

Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking by Dana Shultz: Dana Shultz founded the Minimalist Baker blog in 2012 to share her passion for simple cooking and quickly gained a devoted worldwide following. Now, in this long-awaited debut cookbook, Dana shares 101 vibrant, simple recipes that are entirely plant-based and mostly gluten-free. All recipes either require 10 ingredients or less, can be made in one bowl, or require 30 minutes or less to prepare.

The Power Greens Cookbook: 140 Delicious Superfood Recipes by Dana Jacobi: Acclaimed cookbook author and blogger Dana Jacobi expands your culinary repertoire and introduces the fifteen Power Greens-from arugula to watercress-that are loaded with health-supporting nutrients and phytochemicals. Jacobi also shares simple cooking techniques that help you prepare these super veggies quickly.

Great Bowls of Food by Robin Asbell: Cookbook writer Robin Asbell shares her favorite bowl food recipes, as well as a handy chart that helps readers to mix and match ingredients at a glance to create the perfect bowl. REcipes include rice bowls, grain bowls, and low-carb, high-protein Buddha bowls. Check out the Calendar of Events for Robin’s book tour dates.

The Vegetable Butcher: How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice, and Masterfully Cook Vegetables from Artichokes to Zucchini by Cara Mangini: In step-by-step photographs, “vegetable butcher” Cara Mangini shows how to break down a butternut squash, cut a cauliflower into steaks, peel a tomato properly, chiffonade kale, turn carrots into coins and parsnips into matchsticks, and find the meaty heart of an artichoke. Additionally, more than 150 original, simple recipes put vegetables front and center.

The Southern Vegetable Book by Rebecca Lang: This cookbook highlights the Southern ability to create satisfying flavors from the simplest, freshest ingredients. The classic vegetables that we all know and love are represented, but lesser-known but equally-celebrated ones, such as Jerusalem artichokes and ramps, also make an appearance. The recipes in the book pay homage to classic Southern dishes while offering modern interpretations for the home cook.

Israel Eats by Steven Rothfeld: Rothfeld, a world-class photographer, spent several months traveling through Israel to explore the vibrant food scene. The locals guided him from one great restaurant to another, and to growers and producers of fine foods as well. This book is a delicious compilation of stories, recipes, and stunning photographs of Israel’s food culture today.

Nanban: Japanese Soul Food by Tim Anderson: Ramen, gyoza, fried chicken, udon, pork belly buns, and other boldly flavored, stick-to-your ribs dishes comprise Southern Japanese soul food. This hearty comfort food has become popular in the US as street food and in ramen bars. In a unique package that includes a cool exposed binding, Nanban brings home cooks the best of these crave-inducing treats. This is the US release of a UK book published last September.

Tokyo Cult Recipes by Maori Murota: While many people enjoy an almost cult-like reverence for Japanese cuisine, they’re intimidated to make this exquisite food at home. In this comprehensive cookbook, Maori Murota demystifies Japanese cooking, making it accessible and understood by anyone. The book is inspired by Murota’s memories of growing up in Tokyo, and was previously published in UK and Australia last year.

The South of France Cookbook by Nina Parker: With over 100 recipes inspired by the old-world glamour and elegance of St Tropez, The South of France Cookbook takes you on a journey to discover the culinary secrets of the town and delicious recipes that embody the region. Whether you’re looking for a savory breakfast, an early evening cocktail, a healthy yet delicious lunch, or a meal-making dessert, the South of France cookbook has something to offer.

Home Cooked: Essential Recipes for a New Way to Cook by Anya Fernald and Jessica Battilana: Sustainable food expert and founder of Belcampo Meat Co. Anya Fernald’s approach to cooking is anything but timid: rich sauces, meaty ragus, perfectly charred vegetables. And her execution is unfussy, with the singular goal of making delicious, exuberantly flavored, unpretentious food with the best ingredients.

My Healthy Dish by My Nguyen: In 2012, My Nguyen-a mother of two with a background in finance and dreams of becoming a dietitian-logged onto Instagram and started posting photos of meals she was making for her family on a regular basis. Her posts attracted more than 30,000 followers in four months, so she decided to give them more of what they were requesting via a blog titled My Healthy Dish. In her first cookbook, My presents more than eighty-five new family-friendly recipe.

Icy, Creamy, Healthy, Sweet by Christine Chitnis: When the days turn hot, ice pops are a natural, as are slushies, granitas, frozen yogurt, ice cream, shakes, floats, and more. In Icy, Creamy, Healthy, Sweet author Christine Chitnis provides recipes for treats that use fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, that are free of refined sugars, and that include vegan and dairy-free options.

The Cookies & Cups Cookbook: 125+ sweet & savory recipes reminding you to Always Eat Dessert First by Shelly Jaronsky: Authored in the witty, intimate style of the blog that draws more than three million monthly page views and a social media following of more than seven hundred thousand fans, The Cookies & Cups Cookbook provides recipes for reader-approved favorite sweets plus a bonus section dedicated to the quick and savory side of cooking.

Kosher USA: How Coke Became Kosher and Other Tales of Modern Food by Roger Horowitz:  Kosher USA follows the fascinating journey of kosher food through the modern industrial food system. It recounts how iconic products such as Coca-Cola and Jell-O tried to become kosher; the contentious debates among rabbis over the incorporation of modern science into Jewish law; and the difficulties encountered by kosher meat and other kosher foods that fell outside the American culinary consensus.

CANADA

Made With Love by Kelly Childs and Erin Weatherbie: The mother-daughter team behind the fabulously successful, award-winning Kelly’s Bake Shoppe and Lettuce Love Café share their recipes for healthy, plant-based baking and cooking. Kelly and Erinn are stars on the rise: gorgeous, healthy, successful entrepreneurs who always live up to their commitment to “Bake You Happy!”

Whole Bowls by Allison Day: Day is the nutritionist and food blogger behind Yummy Beet. Her meal-sized bowl recipes showcase her love of this cozy serving dish, staying true to her philosophy of eating with visually alluring, seasonal, and delicious food you can feel good about. Along with more than fifty full-meal, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free recipes (not to mention the dozens of mini recipes-within-recipes), these pages contain an innovative, easy-to-follow “Whole Bowls Formula” to build your own creations for quick, everyday lunches and dinners.

Diva Q’s Barbecue by Danielle Bennett: Diva Q’s (aka Danielle Bennett’s) backyard barbecue book is packed with simple recipes for casual, down-to-earth family food. Get started with the six recipes you need to know most, then move to chapters on appetizers, pork, bacon (Diva Q’s claim to fame), beef, fowl, seafood, and more. The book also offers guidance on everying from getting great char marks, to picking the right meat–and even points you to Diva Q’s YouTube videos for extra help.

UK

The A-Z of Eating by Felicity Cloake: This book is ‘Full of recipes you want to cook’ says Diana Henry. This is a cookbook for people who are looking for inspiration rather than instruction; one that will make you look at familiar ingredients in a new light, and welcome new ones with open arms. Cloake offers an ingredient for each letter of the alphabet – twenty-six of her favourite things to eat, and recipes using them which will change the way that you think about these ingredients forever.

Vegetable Perfection by Mat Follas: MasterChef UK winner Mat Follas uses his considerable culinary skills and understanding of flavor to bring a selection of wow-factor vegetables dishes for vegans, vegetarians, and non-veggies alike. Organized by type, there are recipes for root veg, green veg, alliums and bulbs, potatoes and squash, legumes and pods, sweet veg, shoots and stems, mushroom and fungi, as well as recipe’s for a well-stocked chef’s store cupboard.

Savour: Salads for All Seasons by Peter Gordon: In this beautiful book, internationally acclaimed chef and ‘godfather’ of fusion cooking, Peter Gordon, encourages you to throw away any preconceived ideas about what makes a salad and to instead create inventive, mouth-watering dishes that you’ll want to make time and again. Stay tuned for a promotion of Savour to come shortly. In the meantime you can view Gordon’s book tour details in the Calendar of Events.

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree: Recipes & Memories from Pakistan by Sumayya Usmani: This contemporary Pakistani cookbook celebrates the varied, exciting and often-overlooked cuisine of a beautiful country. In it, former city lawyer turned food writer and cookery teacher Sumayya Usmani captures the rich and aromatic pleasure of Pakistani cooking through recipes while celebrating the heritage and traditions of her home country. Watch for a promotion to arrive very soon, and check out the World Calendar of Cookbook Events for Usmani’s book tour dates.

The Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan: A GBBO semi-finalist, Chetna Makan is known for her unique recipes, which introduce colorful spices, aromatic herbs and other Indian ingredients into traditional Western baked favorites. Examples include a sponge cake with a cardamom and coffee filling; puff pastry bites filled with fenugreek paneer; a swirly bread rolled with citrusy coriander, mint and green mango chutney; or a steamed strawberry pudding flavoured with cinnamon. The Cardamom Trail will be pubblished in the USA in early May.

Perfect Plates in 5 Ingredients by John Whaite: Known for his baking, the 2012 GBBO winner branches out in his latest book. Here he offers pared back recipes that are simple to cook but stunning to serve. With only 5 ingredients per recipe (plus the essentials of olive oil/butter/salt/pepper), this is practical, fun cooking.

Lidgate’s: The Meat Cookbook by Danny Lidgate and Hattie Ellis: Founded in 1870, Lidgate’s is a 160-year-old family business that has become a treasured landmark in London’s Holland Park. Bring their knowledge into your own kitchen with a cookbook that focuses on helping you achieve the best-tasting meat at home. Rather than a lengthy farm manual, or a nose-to-tail guide to eating, you’ll find simple ingredient pairings, creative ideas for every occasion and secrets of the trade.

Grillstock: The BBQ Book by Jon Finch and Ben Merrington: Grillstock have been pioneers of the American barbecue scene in the UK since 2010 with their original BBQ and music festival. Here they provide more than 100 recipes – including Grillstock secrets – plus favourites from the Smokehouse menus. You’ll also find tips on mastering the low ‘n’ slow style.

Quick and Easy Spanish Recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega: Spain’s most popular cookbook, 1080 Recipes, was published in 1972, and sold over 3 million copies in Spain. Quick and Easy Spanish Recipes culls the quickest and easiest recipes for an updated collection geared toward busy home cooks. Written by the authorities on Spanish cooking – the late Simone Ortega, and her daughter Inés – each of the 100 recipes has been tested and is accompanied by a photograph.This book is one of many eligible for the  EYB Member discount from publisher Phaidon.  This and all the following Phaidon books are published worldwide this months.

Where to Eat Pizza by Daniel Young: The world over, people want the inside scoop on where to get that ultimate slice of pizza. With quotes from chefs, critics, and industry experts, readers will learn about secret ingredients, special sauces, and the quest for the perfect crust. The guide includes detailed city maps, reviews, key information and honest comments from the people you’d expect to know. This book is eligible for the EYB Member discount from Phaidon.

Studio Olafur Eliasson: The Kitchen by Olafur Eliasson: Featuring over 100 vegetarian recipes cooked at Olafur Eliasson’s studio kitchen, these recipes have served as nourishment and source of creative inspiration and communal discussion every day for his staff, artists, and guest collaborators, including René Redzepi and Alice Waters. This is another book eligible for the EYB Member discount from Phaidon.

Octaphilosophy : From premiere chef André Chiang, whose Restaurant André is in the top 50 world’s best restaurants list. Restaurant André’s menu centres around Chiang’s ‘Octaphilosophy‘ taking into account his eight elements of gastronomy: salt, texture, memory, purity, terroir, south, artisan and uniqueness. Octaphilosophy explores one year in his restaurant. Save on this arty book with the EYB Member discount from Phaidon.

Raw: Recipes for a Modern Vegetarian Lifestyle by Solla Eiriksdottir: Celebrated Icelandic chef Solla Eiríksdóttir’s take on vegetarian and raw food. Divided into five chapters – breakfast, snacks, light lunches, main dishes, and sweet treats – readers can expect bright, fresh flavours. This book will appeal to raw food fans, the health conscious, and lovers of all things Nordic, and it too is eligible for the EYB Member discount from Phaidon.

The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook by Salma Hage: Hage is regarded as an authority on Middle Eastern home cooking. Her new cookbook seamlessly blends the Western trend of reducing meat consumption with the ancient culture of largely vegetarian, mezze-style dining. You can read more about the book in our author interview with Salma. Don’t forget to enter our contest for a chance to win a copy of the book, and note that this book qualifies for the EYB Member discount from Phaidon.

The Good Life Eatery Cookbook by Shirin Kouros and Yasmine Larizadeh: From the owners and the chef behind London’s revolutionary cafés comesThe Good Life Eatery Cookbook, with over 100 flavour-packed, simple, good-for-you recipes. Including brand-new dishes that have been developed especially for the book alongside iconic eatery favourites, all the dishes are super-quick and made with easy ingredients.

Elly Pear’s Feast Days & Fast Days by Elly Curshen: Since opening the hugely popular Pear Cafe nine years ago, Elly Pear has been on a quest for good food and new ideas. Having found real results sticking to the 5:2 way of eating, Elly shares some of her favourite, most exciting meat-free recipes for eating well and enjoying food on both fast days and feast days.

Byron: The Cookbook by Tom Byng and Fred Smith: Since 2007, Byron’s restaurants have become renowned for as the place to head for a proper hamburger. Founder Tom Byng and head chef Fred Smith know everything there is to know about burgers. Along with plenty of other comfort foods (chicken wings, onion rings, meatloaf, ranch salad, cherry pie, brownies and more), this book shares Tom and Fred’s brilliant recipes and insider tips.

Nathan Outlaw’s Everyday Seafood by Nathan Outlaw: In Everyday Seafood, top chef Nathan Outlaw offers brand-new recipes for all kinds of fish and shellfish. With simple tips on what to look out for when buying seafood, which fish are sustainable, simple cooking techniques and how to plan seafood menus, Nathan’s fabulous recipe ideas will ensure that you make seafood part of your everyday cooking.

M: A 24 Hour Cookbook by Michael Reid: Winner of the Open Table Diner’s Choice award for 2015, M is two restaurants in one. With RAW and GRILL side by side, and open from early morning until midnight every day, M venues offers diners endless opportunities, and this new cookbook presents them both. With essays and recipes covering a full 24 hours in these iconic London restaurants, M: A 24 Hour Cookbook showcases the very best the restaurant has to offer

At Home With Simon Wood by Simon Wood: The first cook book from the 2015 MasterChef Champion showcases Simon’s unique approach to fine dining at home and shares his tips, tricks and signature recipes to take your home-cooking to the next level. Throughout the book Simon presents a collection of elegant and delicious dishes such and includes invaluable tips on how to maximise flavours and textures, as well as how to plate to perfection.

The Saffron Tales: Recipes From the Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Khan: Armed with little more than a notebook and a bottle of pomegranate molasses, and fueled by memories of her family’s farm in the lush seaside province of Gilan, British-Iranian cook Yasmin Khan traversed Iran in search of the most delicious recipes. In The Saffron Tales, Yasmin weaves together a tapestry of stories from Iranian home kitchens with exclusive photography and fragrant, modern recipes that are rooted in the rich tradition of Persian cooking.

Eat Grub: The Ultimate Insect Cookbookby Shami Radia, Neil Whippey and Sebastian Holmes: Entomophagy – eating insects – is hardly a new phenomenon, but it is currently experiencing a rise in popularity. Restaurants are dishing up insects, the UN is publishing reports on the merits of insect-heavy diets and the Nordic Food Lab is exploring how delicious insects can be if one has an open mind. 

Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings, Savoury and Sweet by Regula Ysewijn: The great British pudding, versatile and wonderful in all its guises, has been a source of nourishment and delight since the days of the Roman occupation, and probably even before then. By faithfully recreating recipes from historical cookery texts and updating them for today’s kitchens and ingredients, Ysewijn has revived dozens of beautiful puddings for the modern home cook.

April features three reissues of classic cookery books from publisher Grub Street:
Is There a Nutmeg in the House? by Elizabeth David was originally published in 2000. It contains a selection of her journalistic and occasional work from four decades. In addition there is a considerable amount of unpublished material, none of the which appears in any of her other nine books.

Cuisine Niçoise by Jacques Médecin: Médecin’s legendary book, first published in 1972 and now reissued for the first time in hardback, offers an infectiously enthusiastic guide to the cookery of his city, Nice.

Vegetarianism: A History by Colin Spencer: Spencer’s comprehensive book, reissued in paperback for the first time in fifteen years, explores the psychology of abstention from flesh and attempts to discover why omnivorous humans at times voluntarily abstain from an available food.

FRANCE

Flavours from the French Mediterranean by Gérald Passedat: A Michelin three-star French chef divulges his tips and tricks garnered over nearly four decades in the kitchen along with suggested wine pairings for each dish. Overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, chef Gérald Passédat draws inspiration from the abundance of local seafood, sun-ripened vegetables, fragrant herbs, and sumptuous wines. Photographs of his beautifully prepared recipes are complemented by the spectacular land- and seascapes of the south of France-rolling vineyards, olive groves, shady terraces, bustling summer markets, and medieval towns aglow in the warm golden light of afternoon sun.

INDIA

Five Morsels of Love by Archana Pidathala: Our first ever Indian book in the roundup is a self-published book with a fascinating back story. Five Morsels of Love is a collection of over 100 heirloom Andhra recipes based on G.Nirmala Reddy’s 1974 Telugu cookbook Vanita Vantakalu. In the book, Pidathal (Nirmala Reddy’s granddaughter) captures a cross-section of their family recipes. With anecdotal stories and narrative introducing the reader to the flavors of Andhra Pradesh, this cookbook not only has detailed, well-curated and tested recipes, but is also an interesting and enjoyable read. See her book tour dates in the Calendar.

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

A Free Range Life: Share the Love by Annabel Langbein: The fourth instalment in Annabel’s series of seasonal publications, Share the Love brings together more than 120 soul-warming eating ideas, including everything from cosy brunches and hearty oven bakes to zesty winter salads and easy Asian dinners. Great ideas for make-ahead meals, family friendly sausage recipes and bento lunchbox ideas are combined with best-ever chocolate baking, citrus desserts and Annabel’s favourite autumn preserves. For those who want to be really organised there’s a six-week meal planner and lots of ideas for entertaining, including vegetarians and gluten-free guests.

Florentine: The True Cuisine of Florence by Emiko Davies: Following on from her popular blog about her adopted city of Florence, Emiko transports readers to the piazzas of the city with a collection of delicious recipes and stunning photographs from Tuscany’s capital. From pastry shops and bakeries to butchers and Eriko delves into the stories behind the dishes, their culinary history, and gastronomic traditions.

Real Food Projects: 30 Skills. 46 Recipes. From Scratch by Kate Walsh: The skills that Walsh has been teaching the in her classes in Sydney are now being shared in her first book. She’s a passionate believer that learning how to cook a few kitchen staples from scratch, using fresh local and seasonal produce is the best way to improve your health and that of our food system. Even if you’re a kitchen rookie, she’ll have you churning your own butter and slathering it on your own no-knead-bread, barbecuing your own homemade sausages or using the season’s freshest fruits to make your own cordials. Step-by-step instructions and photographs guide you from start to finish.

Surfing the Menu by Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn: Following on from their TV Series of the same name the two ex Masterchef cooks travel from the west coast, to the north, and then to the east coast of Australia to explore taking great delight in exploring what’s cooking and the incredible produce of each spectacular region.

The Pie Project: Hot, Cold, Hand, Cheat. 60 Pies – All of Them Sweet by Pheobe Wood and Kirsten Jenkins: Producing a beautiful pie for dessert is always impressive, and with 60 to choose from in this book, there’s something for everyone. Choose from Hot Pies, Cold, Skillet Pies and Hand Pies – with homemade pastry or purchased pastry (no judging!). Maple Syrup, Apple and Stem Ginger Pie and Grape, Marscapone and Honey Skillet Pie sound pretty good.

Seasons to Share: Nourishing Family and Friends with Nutritious, Seasonal Wholefoods by Jacqueline Alwill: Nutritionist and caterer Jacqueline regularly appears on Australian radio and television. In her first book, she has created sixteen seasonal menus from 130 wholefood recipes to be served as part of a larger meal for family and friends.

Kitchen Garden Companion: Growing by Stephanie Alexander: If you only have a few pots on your balcony or a large plot Stephanie will show you how to get your kitchen garden started. She explains how you can plant, grow and harvest 73 different vegetables, herbs and fruit.  This is an updated paperback edition (Vol. 1) of Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden Companion. 

The Complete Asian Cookbook (New Edition) by Charmaine Solomon: A new edition of this classic cookbook that has been in print for 30 years. Various versions can be found on many EYB members Bookshelves. If you have any interest in Asian cooking this comprehensive tome – with over 800 recipes from 16 countries – is one you should have in your collection.