Best Cookbooks of 2015

… and the winner is Nopi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully

This is our 7th year of compiling the Best of the Best, and there does seem to be a recurring pattern appearing. If Ottolenghi has a new book published worldwide that year, then there can only be one number 1 book.

In this year’s Best of the Best list we amalgamated more than 270 Best Cookbooks of 2015 lists from TV, Radio, Newspapers, Magazines, Websites, Blogs and Booksellers across the world (there are links to all of them below) to come up with the definitive guide to the best books on food and drink.

For those of you interested in data:

From 270 lists there were 2,566 votes
782 different cookbooks made the list
413 cookbooks had only one vote

Check out the Best cookbooks of 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 lists.

1. Nopi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully

This is the sixth year in a row that Ottolenghi has had a book in the top 10 and the fourth time he has had the number one book. It was the number one book in every country we get polls from.

2. The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt

EYB members will know Kenji’s work from the huge Serious Eats index (Kenji is their managing culinary director). In this also massive book he distills all the technique expertise he has gained working on the Food Lab column. The book is worth the price just for the perfect poached egg trick.

3. Zahav by Michael Solomonov and Stephen Cook

The first cookbook from the acclaimed Philadelphia restaurant is full of dishes that you can easily cook at home. Although up-to-date in flavors and technique, the recipes showcase the many influences on Israeli cooking from the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Eastern Europe.

4. Gjelina by Travis Lett

And another first cookbook from an acclaimed chef, this time from the other side of the USA in Venice, California. In the Cal-Med style with seasonal, vegetable-centered dishes.

5. Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson

This is Nigella’s first appearance in Best of the Best, which is surprising given how popular her books are. This book, with a theme of simple, calm cooking, has obviously resonated with the reviewers as well as the home cooks.

6. The Nordic Cookbook by Magnus Nilsson

Scandinavian cooking and baking was a top theme in 2015 – 6 books in the polls had Nordic or Scandi in their title. But this massive tome from Swedish chef Marcus Nilsson was the most popular with reviewers. The latest in Phaidon’s world series, it has over 700 recipes covering the rich culinary offerings of the Nordic region.

7. The Violet Bakery Cookbook by Claire Ptak

This book scored well with reviewers on both sides of the Atlantic, being written by a Californian who now owns a popular bakery in London. An ideal book for the baker who wants to claim that baked goods can be wholesome as well as indulgent.

8. Near & Far by Heidi Swanson

The 4th book from the popular vegetarian blogger (her blog 101 Cookbooks is one of the most popular that we index) has drawn inspiration from her many and varied travels. As with all her work, the photography is gorgeous.

9. My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl

The sudden closure of Gourmet magazine, and the loss of her job as editor, threw Ruth Reichl into a tailspin. Here she chronicles the year in which she built herself back up and the recipes that aided her recovery.

10. Mamushka by Olia Hercules

There may have been lots of Nordic books this year but there was only one from Ukraine and beyond – from the Black Sea to Baku and Armenia to Azerbaijan. You will find recipes not available in any other cookbook such as Wasp nest buns.

Runners Up

101 Easy Asian Recipes by Lucky Peach and Peter Meehan
The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook by Danny Bowien and Chris Ying
A Bird in the Hand by Diana Henry
Food52 Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore
Hartwood by Eric Henry and Mya Henry
Tacos by Alex Stupak and Jordana Bewster
V is for Vegetables by Michael Anthony
Vegetarian India (Curry Easy Vegetarian in the UK) by Madhur Jaffrey

Top British/Irish Picks

1. Nopi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully
=2. A Bird in the Hand by Diana Henry
=2. Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson
4. Mamushka by Olia Hercules
=5. A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones =5. A Year of Good Eating: The Kitchen Diaries III by Nigel Slater
=7. River Cottage Love Your Leftovers by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
=7. The Nordic Cookbook by Magnus Nilsson
=9. From Venice to Istanbul by Rick Stein
=9. Honey & Co: The Baking Book by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovitch

Top Australian/New Zealand Picks

1. Nopi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully
=2. Adam Liaw’s Asian Cookery School by Adam Liaw
=2. River Cottage Love Your Leftovers by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
=2. Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson
=2. The Cook and the Baker by Cherie Bevan and Tass Tauroa
=2. The Great Australian Cookbook
=7. Biota by James Viles
=7. Falafel for Breakfast by Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley
=7. Greek by George Calombaris
=7. Luke Nguyen’s France by Luke Nguyen
=7. Mr. Wilkinson’s Well-Dressed Salad by Matt Wilkinson

Top Canadian Picks

1. Nopi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully
2. True North by Derek Dammann and Chris Johns
=3. My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl
=3. Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson
=5. Gjelina by Travis Lett
=5. The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt
=5. Vegetarian India (Curry Easy Vegetarian in the UK) by Madhur Jaffrey
8. Montreal Cooks by Jonathan Cheung and Tays Spencer
=9. Food52 Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore
=9. Seven Spoons by Tara O’Brady

Top Drinks Books

1. The Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual by Sean Muldoon, Jack McGarry and Ben Schaffer
=2. The Wine Bible, 2nd Edition by Karen MacNeil
=2. Wine Folly by Madeline Puckett and Justin Hammack
=4. A Visual Guide to Drink by Ben Gibson and Patrick Mulligan
=4. The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson