May 2023 New Cookbook Review

How did we already get through May? Almost half the year has sped by and I can’t decide if it’s how fast time is flying in cookbook world or the older I get the more the days race by. But, here we are in May with a slew of fantastic books from around the globe and please remember the 2023 Cookbook Preview Listing is being kept up-to-date weekly.

Two weeks ago we announced that we have connected the EYB database to ckbk’s library of digital cookbooks. ckbk is a cookbook subscription site where you can access the full content of more than 700 great cookbooks, the majority of which are indexed here on EYB (and more will be indexed every week). For all the details, please see Jane’s post. If any of this month’s books are a part of the ckbk library, we have identified them as such: ckbk.

If you would like to order any of these 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 * Australia 

Please also remember your local bookstores – for preorders as well.

If there is an   available for a cookbook, look for the orange icon in the blurb. Clicking on that link 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 there are loads of events around the world as more in-person and virtual events are being planned.

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

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Australia

I have written short blurbs for those titles that I have reviewed and which are not reissued books or now being published in a different country. Any others are listed in the Other Titles of Interest section and you may click on the book’s record to see the publisher’s description.

United States

Food & Drink: Modernist Cuisine Photography by Nathan Myhrvold is a beautiful photo book featuring over 200 vibrant images showcasing food in new and surprising ways. Myhrvold uses cutting-edge photography techniques that combine custom-built cameras and robotics with creativity, endless curiosity, and the willingness to get drenched with wine on occasion. The results are blueberries shot to appear like boulders, condiments exploding out of cannons, and wine catapulted to create the perfect splash.

Fagioli: The Bean Cuisine of Italy by Judith Barrett: This revised and expanded edition of Judith Barrett’s seminal book on Italian bean cuisine honors every region of Italy with more than 120 inspiring recipes for modern home cooks. This version is being published by Rancho Gordo and may be purchased using the Buy Book button.

The Book of Cocktail Ratios: The Surprising Simplicity of Classic Cocktails by Michael Ruhlman: In 2009, the best-selling title Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking simplified cooking for thousands of cooks. Now he applies the ratio system to cocktails. He explains that our most popular cocktails are really ratios – proportions of one ingredient relative to the others. Organized around five of our best-known, beloved, classic families of cocktails, each category follows a simple ratio from which myriad variations can be built: The Manhattan, The Gimlet, The Margarita, The Negroni, and the most debated cocktail ever, The Martini.

Zucchini Love: 43 Garden-Fresh Recipes for Salads, Soups, Breads, Lasagnas, Stir-Fries, and More by Cynthia Graubart proves how versatile this summer favorite can be! Both an easy-to-grow beginner crop for the newbie gardener and a popular offering at supermarkets and farmers markets alike, zucchinis take center stage in this single-subject cookbook, adding a high nutrient, low carb, and delicious twist to every meal. The James Beard Award-winning cookbook author brings her passion for producing veggie-forward family meals to over 40 recipes.  Events

I’ll Drink to That!: Broadway’s Legendary Stars, Classic Shows, and the Cocktails They Inspired by Laurence Maslon expertly mixes clever cocktails that pay homage to unforgettable Broadway shows – such as the Rainbow High from Evita and the Sidecar Named Desire – with authentic recipes for drinks that played supporting roles in beloved shows – like the legendary Vodka Stinger from Company – and shakes it up with a history of the cocktail on Broadway, detailed by one of the leading musical theater historians, Laurence Maslon.

The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts by Camper English details how to use directional freezing to make perfectly pure ice in a home freezer, carve it up into giant diamonds and other shapes, and embed it with garnishes, including edible orchids and olives. You’ll learn how to create a frozen bowl for Negroni punch, serve a Manhattan inside an ice sphere, and infuse cubes with colors and flavors to create cranberry cobblers, a color-changing Gin and Tonic, and other awesome drinks.

Foods and Flavors from Nepal by Jyoti Pathak: The author’s first cookbook Taste of Nepal won a Gourmand World Cookbook award for Best Foreign Cuisine Cookbook and showcased the foods and recipes of her native Nepal to a wider audience. This new cookbook brings the foods and flavors of Nepal alive with color photographs throughout, notes about important Nepali customs, festivals and holidays, and a collection of 185 recipes that spans traditional Nepali fare to popular fusion dishes, street foods and the modern Nepali table. Also included are helpful chapters on Nepali ingredients, utensils and cooking techniques and a glossary of Nepali-English words.

Mastering the Art of Entertaining by Joseph Marini shares the author’s secrets for being a thoughtful and authentic host when entertaining at home, along with distinctive recipes, tasteful advice on etiquette appropriate for today’s lifestyles, and a multitude of ways to make your next gathering unforgettable. The book shares close to 100 recipes that Joseph has used both throughout his career as a caterer and for his own personal use at home – each one accompanied by a gorgeous, full-page lifestyle photo and a recommendation on how to serve the dish with style.

Eddie Muller’s Noir Bar: Cocktails Inspired by the World of Film Noir (Turner Classic Movies) by Eddie Muller pairs carefully curated classic cocktails and modern noir-inspired libations with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and insights on 50 film noir favorites. ​Featuring dozens of movie stills, poster art, behind-the-scenes imagery, and stunning cocktail photography, Noir Bar is both a stylish and exciting excursion through classic cinema’s most popular genre.

The Healthy Back Kitchen: Move Easier, Cook Simpler: How to Enjoy Great Food While Managing Back Pain by America’s Test Kitchen and Griffin R. Baum: Written in collaboration with neurosurgeon Dr. Baum, this cookbook and guidebook teaches a simpler way of moving in the kitchen, with 225+ recipes designed to avoid prolonged standing and minimize exertion.

Magnolia Table, Volume 3: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines brings us her third cookbook filled with timeless and nostalgic recipes – now reimagined – for today’s home cook. In Joanna’s first cookbook, the #1 New York Times bestselling Magnolia Table, she introduced readers to her favorite passed-down family recipes. For her second cookbook, Magnolia Table, Volume 2, she pushed herself beyond her comfort zone to develop new recipes for her family. In this, her third cookbook, Joanna shares the recipes – old and new – that she’s enjoyed the most over the years.

Trap Kitchen: The Art of Street Cocktails by Malachi Jenkins, Roberto Smith, Brian Boykin and Kathy Iandoli provides flavorful drinks that can be mixed, matched, and bottled, bringing the party everywhere you go. The title includes creative mixes like the minty, rum cocktail Hulk Smash to a pineapple coconut flavored Trap Kitchen Cocktail, a nod to Trap Kitchen’s most famous pineapple chicken dish. This book is more than just a drink guide for mobile mixology. It’s sending a strong nod to a social, urban, and regional tradition of making new mixes for the casual cocktail fan while keeping the innovation of Trap Kitchen alive with every sip.

Williams-Sonoma: Everyday Italian Cookbook: 90+ Favorite Recipes for La Cucina Italiana by Domenica Marchetti celebrates Italian cuisine with more than 90 recipes for authentic, carefree dishes perfect for small gatherings and everyday meals with friends and family.

The Dominican Kitchen: Homestyle Recipes That Celebrate the Flavors, Traditions, and Culture of the Dominican Republic by Vanessa Mota brings the heart and soul of the recipes that the author grew up with in the Dominican Republic to our home kitchens. Created with easy-to-find ingredients and featuring comforting traditional flavors, Vanessa’s recipes are designed for modern parents like her who don’t have tons of time to spend perfecting a classic recipe, but who want to feed their families well every day.

100 Morning Treats by Sarah Kieffer: The baking genius behind the Vanilla Bean and numerous best selling cookbooks is back again with treats that can be enjoyed any time but targeted for the morning hours. There are one hundred morning treats to delight your family and friends at breakfast, a Sunday brunch or bake sale, a morning at the office, or kids’ soccer practice. Whatever your preference alongside your morning cup of coffee or tea – sweet or savory, buttery or flaky, hot off the griddle or taken to go – you’ll find a recipe for it here, from coffee cakes to danishes, doughnuts, scones, quick breads, quiches, and muffins galore! Sarah’s recipes always work and are always delicious!

Love Japan: Recipes from our Japanese American Kitchen by Sawako Okuchi and Aaron Israel: There are loads of Japanese cookbooks but I am particularly enjoying this gorgeous title which is approachable for the home cook. Here we discover comforting homestyle Japanese American cuisine with 100 unique, simple, and tasty recipes from the owners of the innovative Brooklyn restaurant Shalom Japan. The Miso-honey broiled chicken is easy and tasty and is one of our EYBD Preview Recipes so you can try that now.

Flavor+Us: Cooking for Everyone by Rahanna Bisseret Martinez: In this approachable cookbook, the young author shares how to make food from around the world that respects the earth, workers, and consumers. A college freshman who has already cooked in the finest restaurants, she serves up lessons, tips, and tricks she has learned since her culinary career began at age thirteen, including techniques for everything from roasting and stir frying to pickling and infusing. The desserts and drinks chapters are perfect for hosting and making everyday meals special. The book is filled with stories from Rahanna’s experiences learning to cook in her family’s Californian kitchen, her time competing on Top Chef Junior, and the restaurants where she learned what cooking in community means.

Bake from Scratch, Volume 7: Artisan Recipes for the Home Baker by Brian Hart Hoffman: This latest collection of over 400 recipes from the editors of Bake from Scratch magazine features step-by-step tutorials, tried-and-tested recipes, and stunning photography. This cookbook will have you mastering yeasted breads, layer cakes and so much more in no time. Showcasing fresh, seasonal ingredients and celebrating tradition and history, this edition will offers something for every baking skill level from novice to expert. I adore the magazine but love having all the recipes in one gorgeous book!

Veg Forward: Super Delicious Recipes that Put Veggies at the Center of the Plate by Susan Spungen highlights the vegetables and fruits of each season. Susan creates delightfully simple recipes using whole, locally sourced foods. and teaches us about garden staples and favorites such as: tomatoes, zucchini, morels, ramps, and more. Events

Tenderheart: A Book About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds by Hetty McKinnon was first released in Australia in September 2022. I am a fan of all of Hetty’s work and this new title is one of her best. I find myself wanting to make all the dishes in this stunning book. It will be one of our cookbook options in the EYB Cookbook Club soon. Events

Franklin Smoke: Wood. Fire. Food. by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay is the third installment from the chef behind Franklin BBQ in Austin, Texas. Here Aaron turns to backyard live-fire cooking and smoking and addresses the mysterious area where smoker and grill intersect, describing when and how to best combine the two. This complete resource, which features inspiring and helpful photographs, proves that lighting a backyard fire is no big deal on a weeknight – and that you can (and should!) cook this way for fuller flavors and a deeper engagement with the elements.

The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood by John Ash takes a comprehensive dive into the world of cooking with salt- and freshwater treasures—shellfish, crustaceans, finned fish, and many more. A valuable resource for all things seafood for both home and professional cooks, the cookbook demystifies this immense world with easily accomplished recipes from a wide variety of cuisines. Featuring favorites from the kitchens of Hog Island Oyster Bars, every conceivable method for preparing mouthwatering recipes is represented: baking, braising, steaming, roasting, deep-frying, grilling, broiling, poaching, pan-frying, marinating, curing, smoking, and pickling, as well as serving raw. With more than 200 recipes, this authoritative compendium is proof that seafood is not only delicious but also one of the easiest and most versatile proteins to prepare.

Butcher On The Block: Everyday Recipes, Stories, and Inspirations from Your Local Butcher and Beyond by Matt Moore: From the author of Serial Griller and South’s Best Butts, comes a new cookbook of more than 125 everyday specialty recipes plus meaty stories and secret tips from butchers everywhere. Sometimes, the best way to get the best recipes is to just talk to your butcher. It’s an age-old adage that Matt Moore, the grandson of a butcher, took to heart. He traveled around the country and beyond to do just that. Here, he shares stories, coveted family recipes, and expert tips from the people behind the counter who sell your meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, and trimmings.

Bread and How to Eat It: A Cookbook and Manifesto by Rick Easton and Melissa McCart: This is a book about bread: how to make it and how to eat it at every stage of its lifecycle – from the James Beard Award-nominated owner of cult bakery, Bread & Salt. This book brings a timely revival of cucina povera (poverty cooking) – a bread-centric approach to meal prep that has fallen out of favor in American kitchens and which baker Rick Easton is hellbent on restoring. In these pages, home cooks will discover everything they need to bake their own bread (although Easton strongly recommends you frequent your local bakery, as people have for hundreds of years); things to make with bread (Bread meatballs, Pasta with bread crumbs and cauliflower); things to eat with bread (Greens and beans, Dried chestnut and white bean soup); and, of course, the ultimate guide to sandwiches you never knew you needed (Tuna with harissa, eggs, and olives).

Cook It Wild: Sensational Prep-Ahead Meals for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors by Chris Nuttall-Smith: Say goodbye to your canned beans, freeze-dried meals, and hot dogs. Making impressive dishes like Herby lemon dijon chicken thighs, Blistered fingerling potato and burrata poutine, or even fire-baked Pecan sticky buns is totally possible – even if you’re camping in the backwoods! Food writer and outdoorsman Chris Nuttall-Smith shows readers how by bringing the stress-free simplicity of meal-prepped cooking to the great outdoors.

Gather: Casual Cooking from Wine Country Gardens by Janet Fletcher showcases some of California’s most ambitious wineries’ culinary gardens and the fresh, wine-friendly dishes they inspire, all vividly captured by three-time James Beard Award–winner Janet Fletcher. 

The Great American Burger Book (Expanded and Updated Edition) by George Motz: The Great American Burger Book was the first book to showcase a wide range of regional burger styles and cooking methods. In this new, expanded edition, author and burger expert Motz covers traditional grilling techniques as well as how to smoke, steam, poach, smash, and deep-fry burgers based on signature recipes from around the country. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific regional burger, and includes the history of the method and details on how to create your own piece of American food history right at home. Written by the author of Hamburger America and hailed by the New York Times as a “leading authority” on hamburgers, this new expanded edition is a regional tour of America’s best burgers.

Resilient Kitchens: American Immigrant Cooking in a Time of Crisis, Essays and Recipes by Various Authors is a stimulating collection of essays about the lives of immigrants in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, told through the lens of food. It includes a vibrant mix of perspectives from professional food writers, restaurateurs, scholars, and activists, whose stories range from emotional reflections on hardship, loss, and resilience to journalistic investigations of racism in the American food system. Each contribution is accompanied by a recipe of special importance to the author, giving readers a taste of cuisines from around the world. Every essay is accompanied by gorgeous food photography, the authors’ snapshots of pandemic life, and hand-drawn illustrations by Filipino American artist Angelo Dolojan.

Other titles of interest:

• The Flavor Thesaurus: More Flavors by Niki Segnit (published in the US and UK – see blurb in UK section)
• Simple French Baking: 80 Sweet Recipes for the Home Cook by Manon Lagrève (published in UK last month)
• The Pepperpot Diaries: Stories from my Caribbean Table by Andi Oliver (was published in UK in April)
• Oh $#*%, What’s For Dinner?: No-Fuss Weeknight Recipes You’ll Swear By by Maria Sansone
• Paris Picnic Club: More Than 100 Recipes to Savor and Share – A Cookbook by Shaheen Peerbhai and Jennie Levitt (reissue of 2018 title)
• Tropical Standard: Cocktail Techniques & Reinvented Recipes by Garret Richard and Ben Schaffer
• Butter: An Obsession by Olivia Potts (previously released in UK in September 2022)
• Fitwaffle’s Baked in One: 100 Desserts Using Just One Pan by Eloise Head (previously released in UK in February of 2023)
• HealthyGirl Kitchen: 100+ Plant-Based Recipes to Live Your Healthiest Life by Danielle Brown
• Buzzworthy: 50 Cocktails Inspired by Iconic Female Authors by Jennifer Croll
• The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo García by Laura Tillman
• Mary Berry’s Baking Bible, Revised and Updated: Fully updated with over 250 new and classic recipes by Mary Berry (previously released in UK in March)
• Love Is a Pink Cake: Irresistible Bakes and Treats for Morning, Noon, and Night by Claire Ptak (US release of her UK title) Events

Canada

Eat Alberta First: A Year of Local Recipes from where the Prairies Meet the Mountains by Karen Anderson presents 90 tried and true recipes in celebration of Alberta’s farmers, ranchers, and food artisans. Alberta Food Tours founder and enthusiastic locavore Karen Anderson’s love of her province is enriched with the experience gained during her extensive global travels. Organized around uniquely Alberta seasons (including “Cabin Fever” and “Harvest Hurry Up”), with mini workshops on sourdough, foraging, and canning, gorgeous food and landscape photography, and an Alberta food sourcing list, the book is designed to help the home cook build reliance on their skills and on the province’s food producers.

Rhubarb: New and Classic Recipes for Sweet and Savory Dishes by Søren Staun Petersen: The chef, photographer, and rhubarb enthusiast has compiled a collection of 35 recipes that show the true versatility of those bright red stalks. With chapters dedicated to savoury dishes and sweet, compotes (and serving ideas), chutney and relish, and drinks (alcoholic and non), Petersen makes the case for cooking with rhubarb all year round.

Salad Pizza Wine: And Many More Good Things from Elena by Janice Tiefenbach, Stephanie Mercier Voyer, Ryan Gray and Marley Sniatowsky: The team behind the award-winning Montreal pizza joint Elena presents a debut cookbook, delivering recipes for all of life’s good things, with fresh, delicious and easy-to-recreate takes on modern Italian dishes. More than a collection of recipes, this title shares Elena’s passion for natural wines too -the wine part of Salad Pizza Wine – as well as their goofs and thoughts on living a fuller life.

Oregon Wine + Food: The Cookbook by Danielle Centoni and Kerry Newberry charts the history of this region’s celebrated terroir through the stories of forty renegade winemakers and eighty recipes from some of the best chefs across the state. This title brings together the stories of forty renegade winemakers accompanied by eighty recipes from some of the state’s leading chefs. The recipes focus on ingredients abundant in the Pacific Northwest – fresh seafood, seasonal vegetables, native plants, and wild mushrooms – that can be enjoyed and procured by home cooks everywhere. Some recipes are personal favorites shared by the winemakers; others come from a kindred group of chefs who are just as dedicated to celebrating and preserving the region’s bounty.

Dad in the Kitchen: Over 100 Delicious Family Recipes You’ll Love to Make and They’ll Love to Eat by Cory Vitiello and Chris Johns: Highly-acclaimed chef and restaurateur Cory Vitiello (and ex-boyfriend of Meghan Markle) can cook in a professional kitchen with his eyes closed, but when he became a dad, he quickly had to adjust his culinary repertoire to cater to a much more demanding clientele: his young family. In his first book, Cory has teamed up with fellow dad and celebrated food writer Chris Johns on a crowd-pleasing collection of recipes that will instill confidence in all home cooks and develop the next generation of adventurous eaters in your family. With Cory and Chris as your guides, you’ll find ideas for any time of day, and any day of the week.

Together at SoBo: More Recipes and Stories from Tofino’s Beloved Restaurant by Lisa Ahier: To know Tofino is to know SoBo, the restaurant at the heart of this magnetic West Coast surf town. Since opening as a purple food truck 20 years ago, SoBo (short for “sophisticated bohemian”) has been bringing people together with Chef Lisa Ahier’s fresh West Coast fare. Year after year, locals and visitors alike return for her killer cooking and the relaxed warmth that can only be found here. Bring home this new slice of SoBo to share with your loved ones. Here, Ahier shares all-new recipes from her restaurant. Drawing from local produce and a wealth of seafood, these are Pacific Northwest recipes enhanced by Lisa’s Southern flair.

United Kingdom

Yiayia: Time-perfected Recipes from Greece’s Grandmothers by Anastasia Miari, author of Grand Dishes: Recipes and Stories from Grandmothers of the World ckbk, showcases regional Greek cookery and features sharing and feasting dishes, mainly vegetarian, from the kitchens of grandmothers across Greece. Follow Anastasia’s journey through Greece as each yiayia welcomes you into their home – cook with them in their kitchen, learn their time-perfected techniques and read the memories that season this book. With stunning location photography and heartwarming interviews, you can discover the true food of Greece and the characterful grandmothers behind beaded curtains in white-washed homes.

Growing at Greenfields: A Seasonal Guide to Growing, Eating and Creating from a Beautiful Scottish Garden by Diana Yates shares the author’s guide to creating a flower and veg garden from scratch, and how it turned out to be larder, source of home decoration and a place of restoration and healing, too. From planting for pollinators to growing a pumpkin patch and storing your homegrown produce, Diana takes us through the growing year at her home, Greenfields.

Flavour Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes with Creative Twists by Crystelle Pereira is divided into two halves – savoury and sweet – and the book showcases the baking that took Crystelle to the final of The Great British Bake Off, as well as her flair for creative savoury dishes. Drawing inspiration from around the world, there are 75 flavour-packed recipes here for every occasion. Featuring a handy guide to Crystelle’s hero ingredients and star seasonings – all of which feature in multiple recipes – it couldn’t be easier to raise your flavour game. Events

Salt and the Art of Seasoning: From Curing to Charring and Baking to Brining, Techniques and Recipes to Help You Achieve Extraordinary Flavours by James Strawbridge: Understanding how to use salt can make or break a dish. Strawbridge’s latest title will not only help you master your use of seasoning, but it will allow you to reimagine how you cook, cure and work with salt in your kitchen – elevating your flavours to a whole new level. Includes over 100 salt-inspired recipes

Bao Family: Recipes from the eight culinary regions of China by Celine Chung is full of recipes sharing the love of bao as well as other Chinese dishes, the Bao Family cookbook symbolises the bridge between two cultures: the traditions of China and the modernity of Parisian life. This book is bursting with color and vibrancy and will have you in the kitchen cranking out all your favorite Chinese dishes in no time.

Brunch with Brother Marcus: Recipes from the Eastern Med by Tas Gaitanos and Alex Large: Brunch at Brother Marcus is a weekend institution in London, and here in their first book you can find out why. Tas and Alex take the flavours of the Eastern Med to make dishes worth getting out of bed for, from simple favourites like Menemen – a spicy scrambled eggs made with peppers and tomatoes – to the sublime: think Pulled lamb flatbreads or Rosti with fried chicken and eggs. ckbk

Comfort and Joy: Irresistible Pleasures from a Vegetarian Kitchen by Ravinder Bhogal is a fresh take on vegetarian and vegan cooking; not geared towards health or denial but indulging all the senses with a decadent global larder. It is a cookbook of great bounty, promising fortifying curries and stews, the warm embrace of aromatic fried bhajis and rich, satisfying desserts. For Ravinder food should be made and shared with abundance in mind, and this sense of pleasure is conveyed on every page. This title will be released in the US in September. Ravinder will be at Topping and Company in Bath on September 6th, 2023.

The North African Cook Book by Jeff Koehler shares a collection of 445 exciting and accessible recipes that celebrate North Africa’s vibrant and diverse food culture. Life in North Africa heavily revolves around that most important of passions, food. Drawing on Berber, Arabic, and Ottoman influences as well as French, Spanish, and Italian ones, this gorgeous cookbook explores the culinary diversity of the Maghreb, a region that spans Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.  

Pomegranates and Artichokes: Recipes and memories of a journey from Iran to Italy by Saghar Saterah: When the Iranian writer and food photographer moved to Italy at the age of 22, she was enchanted by the rich food culture of her adopted country, and this inspired a curiosity in the cuisine of her homeland and the surrounding countries of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean. Her gorgeous new book is the story of her own culinary journey from Iran to Italy, in which she describes the many parallels that link Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food cultures, and shows how ingredients and recipes – unconstrained by borders – are shared and transformed through the immigrant experience. Divided into three sections representing stops on Saghar’s culinary “road trip”­ – Iran, In Between, and Italy – this book features more than 80 recipes celebrating the foods of these regions. Illustrated with Saghar’s own beautiful photography and peppered with personal insights and experiences, this title tells the story of two food cultures, and the delicious space in between. ckbk

Honey: Recipes From a Beekeeper’s Kitchen by Amy Newsome, cook, gardener and beekeeper, delivers a homage to honey and its deliciously distinct varietals from around the globe. Marvel at the floral intricacies of honey’s terroir and all its wonderful flavours, before getting stuck in with 80 sweet and savoury recipes that celebrate the magic of cooking with honey; from honey ferments, fancy fritto misto and honeyed chipotle lamb tacos, to saffron & apricot honey buns, eucalyptus honey granita and a bergamot bee’s knees to wash everything down. Honey is one of my favorite ingredients and this lovely book will be well used.

Spice Kitchen: Vibrant Recipes And Spice Blends For The Home Cook by Sanjay Aggarwal: Most of us have a few unused spice blends in the back of the cupboard because we only cook with them for one particular dish. Or we feel a bit overwhelmed by the myriad spices in the supermarket, not knowing which ones marry together to create the best flavour. Sanjay’s Spice Kitchen is here to demystify spices, reassuring you that you don’t need endless time, fancy equipment or a full store cupboard to create delicious dishes with ease – whether it’s a working lunch, a midweek supper, a special date night, friends round at the weekend or a family feast.

Sweet Salone: Recipes from the Heart of Sierra Leone by Maria Bradford: As a small country on the west coast of Africa, throughout its history Sierra Leone has always embraced diversity – and this willingness to discover and grow has shaped Sierra Leone’s rich food culture. Forged by history, people and place, the cuisine is completely unique. Maria Bradford’s recipes, inspired by her grandmother’s cooking, have at their heart the traditional meals of Maria’s childhood, introducing delicious Afro-fusion dishes and flavours. Characterised by key ingredients including tamarind, beans, sesame seeds, mango, chilli and pineapple, in Maria’s hands these ingredients become something truly special. Moreover, she tells the story of the cuisine and the people, shedding light on everyday life through exclusive location photography.

Vietnamese Vegetarian: Simple Vegetarian Recipes From a Vietnamese Home Kitchen by Uyen Luu showcases over 80 of the tastiest vegetarian Vienamese recipes from the author of several Vietnamese cookbooks. With tips and tricks on how to adapt the recipes to use alternative ingredients, this title makes vegetarian Vietnamese food approachable.

The Flavor Thesaurus: More Flavors by Niki Segnit is the plant-led follow-up to The Flavor Thesaurus, “a rich and witty and erudite collection” (Epicurious), that featured 92 essential ingredients and hundreds of flavor combinations. Her new book explores the character and tasting notes of chickpea, fennel, pomegranate, kale, lentil, miso, mustard, rye, pine nut, pistachio, poppy seed, sesame, turmeric, and wild rice – as well as favorites like almond, avocado, garlic, lemon, and parsley from the original – then expertly teaches readers how to pair them with ingredients that complement. 

Recipes to Reconnect by Anna Boglione provides a blueprint for a better way of eating and living. Organised seasonally, each conversation is paired with a selection of recipes, carefully created by chefs in response to the ideas discussed. Themes explored include gut health, rewilding, mushrooms, farming, microbes, soil, fasting, sleep and mental health. Among the recipe and conversation pairings, Harry Boglione’s discussion of regenerative farming is followed by Jeremy Lee’s foraged dishes, Isabella Tree and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are paired on the theme of rewilding, Rachel de Thample’s fermented recipes respond to Dr. Alanna Collen’s discussion of microbes, Simon Rogan’s mushroom recipes are inspired by Merlin Sheldrake’s passion for fungi and following Charlie Morley’s interview on lucid dreaming are Skye Gyngell’s recipes, all designed to enable good sleep.

Other titles of interest:

• Summer Fruit Pastries: 60 Sumptuous Recipes from Galettes to Tartlets by Ryland Peters & Small
• The Ultimate Air-Fryer Cookbook: Quick, healthy, low-energy recipes for every occasion by Clare Andrews
• Lunch and Dinner from the Very Hungry Greek: 100 Quick Healthy Recipes Under 500 Calories by Christina Kynigos
• The Little Book of Bowl Food: Simple and Nourishing Recipes in a Bowl
• The Greens Cookbook: Extraordinary Vegetarian Cuisine by Deborah Madison (reissue of the original title).

Australia

Gluten-Free Baking Made Simple: Properly delicious Wholegreen Bakery recipes for home by Cherie Lyden is the new go-to cookbook for gluten-free bakers, filling the void of long unanswered cravings. From the humming kitchen of Wholegreen Bakery and the heart of its founder Cherie Lyden, this book is your playbook for re-creating the magic at home. Enjoy 80-plus sweet and savoury recipes that Cherie has developed and cooked over the years for her family, as well as at her renowned Sydney bakery. Each recipe includes the tips and know-how that Cherie has learnt over the years to achieve truly remarkable gluten-free results at home. As well, she shares her best flour blends, pantry essentials and the secret to the perfect crumb.

Pasta: Homemade Doughs and Classic Sauces by Australian Women’s Weekly: Making fresh pasta at home is a cooking project that invariably makes the list of ‘Recipes I’ve always wanted to make’. It is simpler than many people think and the process can be really satisfying. Basic pasta dough can be used in its sheet form (lasagne, cannelloni), filled and folded (tortellini, ravioli) or cut into lengths (pappardelle, linguine). Not to mention the hundreds of different shapes also available, fresh and dried. And what’s a silky smooth pasta without a perfectly-paired sauce- we have tomato-based favourites; creamy delights; rich and meaty; and those laden with vegetables or seafood.

The Year Round Slow Cooker by Australian Women’s Weekly: Who says you should only dust off your slow cooker in winter? This kitchen appliance is capable of creating tasty meals for all seasons. Whether you’re in the mood for something fresh and light or warming and comforting, they’ve got plenty of recipes to get you inspired and using your slow cooker all year round. The Everyday chapter includes recipes that are simple and effortless, while the Healthier chapter showcases fresh produce and super grains, and the Genius chapter will astonish you with what can be made in this trusty set-and-forget appliance

Heartbake: A Bittersweet Memoir by Charlotte Ree: In this heartfelt memoir of food, love and self-discovery, the author takes us along her journey of learning to cook in the wake of a divorce that left her feeling unsure of who she was and what she wanted at a time when the whole world was turned upside down. With each meal that she masters – a boiled egg, grilled cheese, lasagne, ricotta and pesto ravioli in a brown butter and sage sauce – we follow the story of Charlotte’s search for love-in friendship, in family, in romance, and love in herself as she begins to heal from the narratives she’d been telling herself for years.

Plant-based USA: A Travel Guide to Eating Animal-free in America: A Guidebook for Vegan, Vegetarian and Flexitarian Foodies by Veronica Fil is a food guidebook for anyone looking for plant-forward or vegan-friendly travel experiences throughout the United States. This guidebook and directory highlights novel, innovative and climate-conscious dining options, and is ideal for anyone who’s interested in incorporating more plant-based meals into their lifestyle. The book is organised into chapters by city and covers everything from restaurants, cafes, markets and festivals to shopping and accommodation. Plant-based USA also features personal stories, recipes and travel tips from leading chefs and public figures on the American plant-based scene.

What’s for Dinner?: Our Food. Our Choices. Our Planet. by Jill Griffiths delves into the way our food is grown and our responsibilities as eaters. Weaving together science, history and lived experience, this title takes readers on a journey to meet the plants, animals and people who put the food on our plates. It’s a book for anyone who eats.

The Great Aussie Roast: New Classics and Old Favourites by Louise Franc: The roast dinner remains a staple in homes and restaurants across the globe. It’s a cooking technique that harks back to our earliest days of hunting and roasting meat over the fire in communal celebration. Of course, much has changed since then and this book is filled with traditional and modern recipes for roasting. From the quintessential roast chook to Roasted eggplant with tahini and pomegranate, right through to Cinnamon-roasted peaches, this book features an Aussie roast for every occasion.

Mama Noi: Secrets from an Asian Mama’s Kitchen by Noi Paew Grasby: Much-loved mum to Marion Grasby and all-round force of nature, Mama Noi has released her long-awaited cookbook. In Mama Noi: Secrets From An Asian Mama’s Kitchen, you’ll find classic retro recipes just like the ones from the Chinese and Thai restaurant only done the Mama Noi way. Full of secrets and full of flavour.

Supernormal: Recipes Inspired by Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong by Andrew McConnell is an update of the chef’s cutting-edge 2015 title. Supernormal is one of Australia’s most loved restaurants inspired by the cooking of Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai, opening on Melbourne’s Flinders Lane in 2014 to great acclaim. This book is about midnight snacks and lunchtime feasting. It’s about bringing flavours together in surprising and traditional ways. And of course, it’s about sharing great food and eating well.