May 2025 New Cookbook Review

May 22, 2025 by
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May delivers a load of grilling/barbecue books, a new collection of vegan focused books from Workman (Make It Plant-Based!) and other titles such as a bakery cookbook from Canada and more. Our 2025 Cookbook Preview Post is continually updated. Don’t forget that you can create a wishlist and share it with your loved ones.

Our May 2025 EYB Cookbook Club Summary and June 2025 Great Big Cookbook Club Summary (please note the many changes and additions to this summary) can be found at the links provided.

A while back 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 almost 1,000 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 – authors state that preorders really help with their budgets for publicity, etc.

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 May books I have included a link. Be sure to check our Calendar frequently for new entries – there are loads of events around the world.

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

United States

The London Plane Flower & Cookbook: Stories & Recipes by Katherine Anderson: For ten years (2013-2022), The London Plane anchored a corner in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square, welcoming both locals and visitors from afar. This book is a gorgeous reflection of its community of cooks, bakers, florists, servers, and beloved customers. Filled with stunning photographs, floral information, comforting recipes and more, the title will bring joy to those who have visited this establishment in the past and those who have not. Recipes include Salt-preserved cherry blossoms, Rose and orange blossom meringues, Green eggs and ham tartine, Walnut thumbprints with lemon curd and Ricotta plum cake. I am finding great inspiration in this book and find myself marking dozens of recipes to make. EVENTS

Taranta; A Boston Chef’s Journey to Sustainability by Jose Duarte and Alison Arnett details a Boston chef’ s journey to sustainability. Duarte, a native of Peru, restaurant owner, innovator in restaurant environmental practices, and a champion of human rights for workers in restaurants and in food production, believes that the connections one makes through food and cooking can change the world for the better. The home cook will find easy-to-follow recipes for Peruvian specialties and learn why these foods are so beloved in the chef’s homeland. Sustainability is paramount in this title as well as ways to promote health in recipes and lore about beans, Peruvian elixirs and the ancient customs of Southern Italian families who forage for wild greens. Modern twists use slightly tangy Peruvian fruit lucuma to give tiramisu a South American beat and combine Peruvian ingredients with Italian techniques for deliciously new fare. Super-fast methods to make ceviche guide home cooks to rival restaurant fare while illuminating its history.

The Synergy Series by Gavin Kaysen: James Beard Award-winning Chef Gavin Kaysen announces the Spring 2025 release of his second self-published book offering unprecedented access to a compilation of the personal stories, philosophies, and recipes of 25 of America’s most influential chefs. The book emerges from an innovative dinner series by the same name, which Kaysen launched in 2016 at his Minneapolis restaurant Spoon and Stable. In the past 10 years, The Synergy Series events have raised over $300,000 for a variety of local and national charitable causes. Through stunning photography, intimate narratives, and distinctive recipes, the book aims to inspire culinary professionals and food enthusiasts while supporting the next generation of cooks in America.

Miami Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics To Your Table by Ellen Kanner is a plant-based celebration of the tropics, brimming with bold Latin and Caribbean flavors and beloved dishes reflecting Miami’s delicious diversity. Award-winning author and Miami native Ellen Kanner brings Miami to your table with over 80 recipes delivering succulence, sizzle, and the big sun-drenched flavors you love— all with a plant-based spin.

Cutting Up in the Kitchen: Food and Fun from Southern National’s Chef by Duane Nutter dives into the author’s fusion style of cooking that blends modern American bistro with regional direction and global inspiration that adds a new blast of flavor or a twist in the preparation to make familiar Southern food even better. Here there are more than 100 Southern-leaning recipes composed of familiar ingredients that are often infused with international flavors.

Hardcore Vegetarian: Welcome to the Vegedome! by Laura Lee Flanagan is a celebration of food and love for everyone. It is a journey into vegetarianism led by someone who fell into it inadvertently and is happily still learning as she goes. As a passionate home cook, Flanagan became what she describes as a “lazy vegetarian” while figuring out how to cook for herself and her vegetarian husband, musician Harley Flanagan. This book brings readers along for the successes and sometimes failures as Flanagan overhauls her kitchen and recipes from meaty to beety. She shares tips and insights from the people who taught her how to cook for the people she loves.

Ultimate Pound Cakes – Classic Recipe Collection: Updated and Expanded Edition by Phyllis Hoffman DePiano is an expanded version of the previously sold-out cookbook, you’ll find additional recipes from the late author and publishing maven’s treasure trove of pound cakes. Some of the new recipes included in this revised and expanded edition are Green tomato Bundt® cake, Peach cobbler pound cake, Kentucky browned butter Bundt® cake, and Churro and chocolate pound cake.

Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking to the President’s Taste by Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang is the first ever history of the many Asian Heritage chefs who have prepared meals for the presidents at the White House, at State Dinners, on Presidential Yachts, and at Camp David. From navy stewards to Executive White House Chefs, the presidential service of these chefs extends back more than a century and continues to the present day, yet many of their names are largely unknown. Miller draws out the unique stories of the Asian Heritage chefs whose culinary accomplishments and devotion to service combine to create a powerful chapter in America’s culinary history. Miller’s research is enriched by the biographies, memoirs, cookbooks, and news coverage of the early chefs, and by his own interviews with former and current White House chefs. We learn that each chef has taken a unique path to the American dream, but they share remarkable talents, a devotion to excellence, and a pride in their service. Through Deborah Chang, who selected and shaped sixty recipes that can be made in a twenty-first-century home kitchen, we see that featured chefs specialize not only in Asian dishes but also in creative approaches to fusion cuisine, healthy choices, and American classics such as fried chicken and chocolate cream pie.

Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from the Buttermilk Kitchen by Suzanne Vizethann, author of Welcome to Buttermilk Kitchen and chef of the Buttermilk Kitchen, is a beautiful, year-round, go-to cookbook highlighting more than 60 made-from-scratch brunch recipes incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables at their peak times of year. All of the recipes are simple yet refined, and the seasonal section openers include a list of peak ingredients for that season. The home cook can expect balanced dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious.

Sama Sama: Comfort Food from my Mixed Malaysian Kitchen by Julie Lin is being released in the US and UK this month. In Malay, sama sama (“same same”) is a way of saying “you’re welcome” to reinforce the idea of togetherness and equality in this everyday exchange. From the successful restaurateur and TV presenter, this book celebrates all parts of Julie’s identity (Malaysian, Chinese and Scottish) with heartwarming stories of food and self-discovery, reminding us that food is the thread that ties us all together. Through 90 delicious recipes, Julie encourages you to test your palate, adjust recipes to your liking and broaden your ideas of authenticity. Rather than lengthy recipes and complex processes, her “agak-agak” style is about cooking with soul, creating accessible dishes with explosive flavors.

Dad, What’s For Dinner?: Lifesaving Recipes to Avoid Meltdowns, Have Fun in the Kitchen, and Keep Your Kids Well Fed by David Nayfeld and Joshua David Stein is the dad’s guide to getting dinner on the table with more than 80 unfussy, uncompromising recipes for weeknights and beyond. This is a book for dads (and moms, and grandparents, and anyone else who needs to get dinner on the table.) It’s a book that believes “kids’ food” can mean more than just buttered noodles and honestly every recipe in this book is a keeper. This title is a user’s guide to cooking for (and sometimes with) your kids. A collection of more than 80 hearty, healthy recipes the whole family will love. EVENTS

Backyard BBQ with Fire and Spice: Filipino- and Cajun-Inspired Recipes for the Smoker and Grill by Tone Ramirez brings you into the author’s own backyard with an insider’s guide to how he crafts his hits. You’ll use a variety of cooking techniques and discover new flavor profiles with one-of-a-kind recipes sure to impress your family and friends. With robust exploration of techniques (five ways to make wings!) and fantastic recipes, this is a book that ups your BBQ game with every cook.

Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War by Hawa Hassan is an enthralling and intimate collection of essays and over 75 recipes that explores the history of eight countries to understand the impact of war on a culture’s cuisine and food system, from the James Beard Award–winning author of In Bibi’s Kitchen. Each chapter is devoted to a different country and opens with an informative essay on the culture and the foodways. Recipes follow highlighting indigenous ingredients and share intimate portraits of the people preserving food culture. EVENTS

The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for Everyday Luxury and Elevated Entertaining by Meredith Hayden is being released in the US, CA and UK this month. Inspired by years working as a chef in New York City and the Hamptons, as well as her childhood summers on Nantucket, Meredith Hayden makes food that is both unfussy and elegant – often with a touch of whimsy. Here she will teach you to cook like a professional hostess (and have fun while doing it). This is the kind of food to celebrate every season of life; the kind of cooking you don’t start until you’ve made yourself a drink first. Recipes range from 20-minute meals to show-stopping centerpieces, all fit for your next dinner party. This title is lovely with gorgeous photography, brilliant illustrations and recipes you will find yourself turning to time and again.

Baking Across America: A Vintage Recipe Road Trip by B. Dylan Hollis, bestselling author of Baking Yesteryear, takes us on a cross-country culinary journey with 100 uniquely American recipes. From the deserts of the Southwest to the Green Mountains of Vermont, the USA is as sweet as it gets. You’ll be hitting the pavement in vintage style as Dylan leads you on a journey through the culture capitals of America to bring you the very best bakes the country has to offer. His retro recipes span the decades from the 1850s to the 1990s and feature famous (and infamous!) desserts from every state. EVENTS

The Meat Teacher Cookbook – The Ultimate Backyard BBQ Guide for an A+ in Pitmastery by Matt Groark: From teacher turned grill master and TikTok sensation, comes the ultimate BBQ lesson plan: a fiery cookbook bursting mouthwatering recipes, plus easy-to-follow tips and tricks that will guarantee you graduate with an A+ at the pit. In this debut cookbook, Matt opens his backyard classroom for a crash course in sizzling meats and barbeque favorites. With his inviting no-frills, all-fun approach, he gives you essential tools, techniques, and confidence to master the barbeque. From perfecting pulled pork to slow cooking brisket, this title includes over 90 flavorful recipes for easy and delicious meals, sides, and appetizer.

Firepit Feast: Adventurous Recipes for Live-Fire Cooking by Diana Yen shares 75 approachable yet unique recipes full of flavor to make the most of a backyard stove or campside fire pit. Foil packets are beginner-friendly and make a meal all in one, sweet and savory skewers get placed on a fire grate to cook with little fuss, and stuffed banana boats get buried and cooked in the embers.

The Feel-Good Way: Simple Recipes for a Better Life by Cara Clark is packed with nearly 100 easy, delicious, macro-balanced recipes that will empower you to become an expert on the food that fuels your body and soul. There is no deprivation, no all-or-nothing, no absolute restrictions. Only a forever healthy lifestyle that you’ll want to continue because it makes you feel good – inside and out.

The Little Book of Negroni: A Celebration of the World’s Favourite Apéritif by Paul Knorr shares 40 delicious variations on the classic Negroni cocktail. With its divine trinity of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, a Negroni is a drink simultaneously timeless and contemporary. Easy to make but complex in taste, with endless opportunities of being reimagined.

Vegan Soulicious: Plant-based Island Cooking by Charlise Rookwood, the vegan influencer and host of The Black Vegan Cooking Show, brings a vegan approach to African and Caribbean-style cooking. In her debut cookbook, the author shares her favorite vegan dishes, as well as recipes that showcase African and Caribbean flavors that will make your tastebuds sing. In the process, she proves that plant-based food can be boldly flavorful, vibrantly beautiful, easy to make, and a reflection of cultural roots.

Make It Plant-Based! Mexican by Andrea Aliseda will help you discover the deliciousness of vegan versions of favorite Mexican foods – part of Workman’s new series of passionate plant-based cookbooks. The book includes starters, mains, masa-based meals, tacos, desserts, and salsas to suit every taste and occasion.

Make It Plant-Based! Indian by Srishti Jain: Plant-based eaters and curious home cooks will learn everything to start (or continue) their vegan journey and turn their favorite Indian foods into plant-based delights. Using store-bought pantry staples, fresh vegetables and fruit, and meat-free and dairy-free alternatives, proving it’s simple to make richly flavored dishes.

Make It Plant-Based! Filipino by Ria Elciario-McKeown: Plant-based eaters and curious home cooks will learn everything to start (or continue) their vegan journey and turn their favorite Filipino foods into plant-based delights. The book includes salads, stew, soups, snacks, mains, and desserts to suit every taste and occasion.

Make It Plant-Based! Southern by Mehreen Karim: Plant-based eaters and curious home cooks will learn everything to start (or continue) their vegan journey and turn their favorite Southern foods into plant-based delights. The book includes breakfast, starters, mains, soups, desserts, and condiments to suit every taste and occasion.

The Meathead Method: A BBQ Hall of Famer’s Secrets and Science on BBQ, Grilling, and Outdoor Cooking with 114 Recipes by Meadhead Goldwyn: In his long-awaited follow-up to his New York Times bestselling Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer and founder of Amazingribs.com, Meathead presents an unmatched guide to the science of great barbecue, grilling, griddling, and outdoor cooking with the latest cutting-edge science, covering even more cooking techniques – plus more than 110 creative and inspiring recipes. You’ll find cooking methods and techniques not covered in his first book, like brinerades (combining brines and marinades), sous vide que (combining sous vide and the grill or smoker), grill frying (the grill is the perfect place for deep frying), faux frying (great crunchy breading without all the oil), griddling, cooking with koji, stir-frying on a grill with a wok, tea smoking, tandoori cooking, pizza making, smoking cheeses, building rubs and sauce, and much more. There are three online recipes available. EVENTS

Sipsy-Doozy: 100+ Respectfully Crafted Cocktails for the Home Bartender by Nic Hamilton: After a pandemic-ridden two years in Los Angeles, the author – an Australian-born actor, musician, and somewhat-recently-turned content creator – moved to New York. He turned to the internet to showcase his passion for mixology, posting witty-yet-educational cocktail-crafting videos to TikTok, garnering an audience of over 1 million followers in a matter of weeks. Now in his premiere cocktail cookbook, he shares his own take on favorite cocktail classics alongside 80 original recipes.

Simple Pleasures – Incredibly Craveable Recipes for Everyday Cooking by Jodi Moreno: The James Beard–nominated chef captures life’s simple pleasures in her collection of super-easy-to-make, highly craveable comfort recipes. A few things you will be sure to find: lots of butter, crème fraiche in desserts, juicy ripe tomatoes everywhere, mounds of Parmesan cheese, blankets of sauces, layers of texture and flavor, and the perfect mix of indulgence + feel-good foods to nourish you inside and out.

What Can I Bring?: Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life by Casey Elsass takes the stress out of the partygoer’s eternal dilemma with 75 recipes that will make you the talk of the party – for the right reasons. Even when the host instructs you to only bring yourself, come prepared with giftable treats like Seasoned oyster crackers or Homemade hot fudge. With plenty of options and adaptations for special diets and allergies, including vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free recipes, and detailed instructions for packing and serving for minimal stress on-site, this book is your road map for crowd-pleasing party fare.

Food Person – A Novel by Adam Roberts a delectable comedy of manners about cooking, ambition, and friendship set in the food world as a young and socially awkward writer takes a job ghostwriting the cookbook for a famous (and famously chaotic) Hollywood starlet. EVENTS

Other titles of interest:

Canada

Crave – Cupcakes, Cakes, Cookies, and More from an Iconic Bakery by Carolyne McIntyre Jackson and Jodi Willoughby has 70+ recipes for all things sweet from the founders of the Prairies’ famous bakery. Celebrating the bakery’s twentieth year in business, the book features stunning recipe photography and anecdotes about the bakery’s beginnings, its loyal staff and customers, and the milestones as it has grown to six locations. With detailed how-tos on filling and decorating, stocking a desserts-ready pantry, and key kitchen tools, this title includes chapters dedicated to cupcakes and cakes, cookies and bars, pies (including the ultimate pie pastry), loaves, and recipes lovingly adapted for gluten-free and vegan diets.

My Cypriot Table: Mediterranean Recipes for Gathering, Sharing, and Savoring by Irene Matys invites you to explore the humble but beautiful island of Cyprus in 100 recipes. This title is filled with mouthwatering dishes prepared in traditional styles, highlighting exciting ingredients, like orange blossom, mastic, mehlepi, and the country’s beloved national cheese, halloumi. More than just Cypriot mainstays, Irene shows readers how to mix and match Mediterranean flavours with North American ingredients to delicious effect.

Wood, Fire & Smoke: Recipes and Techniques for Wood-Fired Cooking by Michael Smith delivers over 80 innovative recipes and techniques for grilling, smoking, spit-roasting, cooking over coals, and more, from award-winning chef and master of wood-fired cooking. This title is a celebration of the intoxicating power of live-fire cooking and explores the many ways to cook with fire – methods include wood-grilled, wood-smoked, wood oven–roasted (or baked), pit-smoked, plancha-seared, fire-kissed, barbecued, and charcoal-cooked.

Poutine: A Deep-Fried Road Trip of Discovery by Justin Giovannetti Lamothe: While searching for the origins of Canada’s most famous fried dish, the award-winning journalist finds a reflection not only of the country’s intricate history, but also of his own neglected cultural roots. The recipe is deceptively simple – fried potatoes, cheese curds, gravy – but the story behind it is as rich and complex as Canada itself. Poutine is the closest thing Canada has to a national dish. Yet the odd, winding history of poutine has never been written – until now. Following lore about the dish’s rise from the road-side chip wagons of rural Quebec, Lamothe tells a story that mirrors the growth of modern Canada and the shifting cultural gap between La Belle Province and its English-speaking neighbours.

United Kingdom & Ireland

Live to Eat – The Food You Crave, the Nutrition You Need by Emily English: The number one Sunday Times bestselling author of So Good returns with a new collection of simple, nutritious recipes that you and your body will love. Here English simplifies healthy eating with over 80 brand-new recipes that are not only nutritionally balanced, but easy-to-prep and, most importantly, incredibly delicious. Sharing her knowledge with her millions of followers, Emily makes healthy eating a joy rather than a chore with accessible and achievable recipes grounded in nutritional science. As well as incredible recipes, Emily outlines simple habits and routines to make living a healthy lifestyle second nature.

Sicily: Recipes from an Italian Island by Enza Genovese is a beautiful collection of delicious Sicilian recipes, complete with specially commissioned photography of Sicily. In this collection of recipes curated by the Sicilian author, travel the entire island of Sicily in food, learning how to easily prepare the hallmark dishes of this Italian region, alongside some new favourites, at home. This book will be published in the US next month.

Tango by Facundo Rodulfo and Pam Neumann: The authors are the dynamic duo behind Tango Street Food in Killarney, County Kerry. Originally from Buenos Aires, they want to share not only the flavours of their homeland, but also their love of fostering cultural awareness and togetherness through food. This title brings a fresh new way of sharing Argentine food culture to everyone’s table. There is an event scheduled on May 25th featuring this book.

The Heart-Shaped Tin: Love, Loss, and Kitchen Objects by Bee Wilson is a strikingly original account from the award-winning food writer that charts how everyday objects take on deeply personal meanings in all our lives. One ordinary day, the tin in which Bee Wilson baked her wedding cake fell to the ground at her feet. This should have been unremarkable, except that her marriage had just ended. Unsettled by her own feelings about the heart-shaped tin, Wilson begins a search for others who have attached strong and even magical meanings to kitchen objects. She meets people who deal with grief or pain by projecting emotions onto certain objects, whether it is a beloved parent’s salt shaker, a cracked pasta bowl or an inherited china dinner service. Remembering her own mother, a dementia sufferer, she explores the ways that both of them have been haunted by deciding which kitchen utensils to hold on to and which to get rid of when you think you are losing your mind. This title will be released in the US in November.

Simply Dinners: Deliciously Easy Meals For Every Night of the Week by Mandy Miller Simmonds is a celebration of home cooking and invites you into a kitchen filled with warmth, simplicity, and 80 recipes crafted to fit seamlessly into busy lives. From dependable crowd-pleasers and fuss-free meals that minimise washing up, to quick dishes ready in under 30 minutes, every recipe is designed with ease and joy in mind.

Food You Want to Eat by Thomas Straker delivers delicious, restaurant-quality recipes that are uncomplicated and makes the most of seasonal ingredients. Filled with incredibly tasty dishes, essential techniques and an appreciation of quality products and sustainable sourcing, his first book is a celebration of food to be enjoyed at home. This title will be released in the US in August.

Cooking Fast and Slow: Easy, Comforting, (Mostly) Plant-Based Recipes for Busy People by Nadia Rudin is a collection of over 100 simple, satisfying, plant-packed recipes that are low on effort but big on flavor. The author, who is loved for her quick and delicious recipes whipped up after a long day as a personal chef, has created a cookbook full of (mostly) plant-based recipes that are guaranteed to comfort, nourish, and delight. With chapters organized by time frame that take less than 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour; slower recipes to savor at the weekend or with friends; meal-prep ideas to elevate your packed lunches; breakfasts to be enjoyed slow or on the go; and treats to satisfy every sweet tooth, there is a recipe for every occasion. These recipes are short on ingredients but big on flavor and nutrition, with plenty of suggestions for additions and substitutions to suit what you eat and what you have available. This title will be released in the US in August.

Barbecue – Smoked & Grilled Recipes From Across the Globe by Hugh Mangum and Shana Liebman features 280 beloved barbecue and grilling recipes from cultures across the globe. Organized by chapter – Skewers & Sausages, Mains, Sides, Sauces & Rubs, and Desserts – the book’s wide-ranging recipes span styles and techniques. Illustrated with more than 100 mouth-watering photographs, this vibrant cookbook also boasts a special section of recipes contributed by some of the world’s best-known chefs and experts in live fire cooking. This book is published in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia this month.

In for Dinner: 101 Delicious & Affordable Recipes to Batch Cook, Share and Enjoy by Rosie Kellet: For the past five years the home cook has been living communally with six others, making delicious seasonal food on a budget of £25 per person, per week. This, her first cookbook, shares 101 low-effort, high-reward, veg-forward recipes for weeknights when you’re counting down to payday, busy workdays with short lunch breaks, mornings that call for hearty yet cheap breakfasts, and special days with your favourite people. This title will be released in the US in August.

Picnic – Tempting & Transportable Recipes for Outdoor Eating by Ryland Peters & Small: Summer is the ultimate season for picnicking – whether it’s a gathering with friends in the park; a relaxed brunch for two in the garden; a nighttime open air concert or an affordable lunch for a family day out. Picnic foods should of course always be colourful, tempting and delicious, but just as importantly, practical to transport, require minimum effort when unpacked; require as little as possible in the way of utensils and of course packaging waste and plastic use kept to a minimum. The ideas in the book feature recipes for sharing boards, pasta, rice and grain salads just requiring a fork, chilled soups, bite-sized snacks and treats, and refreshing drinks to enjoy in the sunshine. Whether you are packing a cool box for the car, hopping on your bicycle with a basket, or hitting the beach with a full hamper, you’ll find all the recipe inspiration you need in this perfect collection of summer recipes.

Hot Sauce – Fiery Recipes for Drizzling, Dipping & Marinating by Dan May has something for everyone, with 60 offerings from all around the globe, spanning from mild to super spicy. Each recipe is easy to make, versatile and comes with a serving suggestion. With information on each region and chilli, this book is perfect for anyone wanting to spice up their cooking.

Balli Balli : Quick & Easy Korean Cooking by Da-Hae West: Korea is often described as having a balli, balli culture (balli translates as ‘quickly’ in Korean) as it is a nation of people always in a hurry to get things done. Known for its bold flavours, Korean food has a balance of sweet, spicy, sour and umami notes. All of this combines to create this collection of speedy, yet incredibly tasty Korean dishes using all the classic Korean ingredients such as gochujang, kimchi and sesame. The recipes in the author’s latest book are simple and achievable to make after a long day’s work but can also be combined to make an impressive spread for when guests come to visit too. Look for a promotion and Quick Bites soon.

Pull Up a Chair – Recipes for Gatherings Big and Small, Morning to Night by Martha Collison invites you to pull up a chair to Matha’s table, where the recipes are big on flavor with minimal fuss, making sharing food with friends easier than ever. Whether you’re looking for a weekend brunch spread, a little treat to share over coffee with a friend, a three-course extravaganza or a weeknight winner for two, Martha has got you covered. The recipes are all easy to follow, and produce delicious results without hours of effort in the kitchen.

Plant to Plate: 100 Delicious and Versatile Plants-only Recipes by Gaz Oakley: At his home in Wales, Gaz Oakley set up a cottage garden from scratch with the aim of cooking plants-only dishes using his own freshly grown ingredients. Two years down the line he has a thriving veg and fruit plot and has developed 100 vibrant, versatile recipes using some of his favorite produce which he shares in his new book. Focusing on accessible veg like carrots, beet, cabbage and onions and on fruit including tomatoes, apples and pears, Gaz has created a medley of seasonal, delicious dishes that showcase these ingredients. Through these flavorsome recipes and imaginative illustrations mapping out the inspiration behind Gaz’s recipes, this title reveals the best ways make the most of fresh produce, so that you can recreate these wholesome recipes at home and take inspiration for your very own kitchen garden. EVENTS

Bindas: Comfort Food with an Indian Soul by Mehak Kansal: At Bindas eatery, the author’s bold food feeds the soul, layering flavors inspired by her Indian heritage, her travels, and her rural English upbringing. If you’re someone who takes their food seriously and loves to feed people, you’ll be blown away by these recipes which include Bombay cheese toast, Paneer tikka burger, Mehak’s bestselling Chicken makhani, Masala potato skins and the amazing Chai-misu. This is a joyful celebration of vibrant Indian dishes with a global outlook.

Home Shores: 100 Simple Fish Recipes to Cook at Home by Emily Scott shares tried-and-tested techniques and hints and tips for the recipes so that you will soon be cooking perfect pan-fried fish dinners and super seafood suppers with confidence at home. Coupled with Emily’s expert advice on what to look for when choosing and buying fish and shellfish, how best to prepare them, a chapter on using just tinned fish and another on Emily’s favourite flavored butters, sauces and sides, plus an equally important section on the art of making a good fish stock, this title is guaranteed to become your go-to kitchen companion whenever you fancy fish for dinner.

Buns – Sweet and Simple Bakes by Louise Hurst: Buns are the sort of minimum-effort, maximum-reward baking that is popular for a reason – and they’re surprisingly easy to make once you get the dough down. You really don’t need many ingredients either. Including a handful of basic dough recipes, with vegan and gluten-free options, you’ll find fun and delicious flavor combinations like saffron & almond, pistachio & lime and tahini & chocolate. Inspired by the world’s best bakes, recipes range from Italian orange maritozzi to classic Danish cinnamon buns, with many more in between.

For the Love of Lemons: Italian-inspired Sweet and Savoury Recipes by Letitia Clark: Sweet, sour, sharp and bitter, lemons provide colour, zest and joy on even the darkest of days. From crisp summer salads to deliciously do-able pasta dishes and indulgent sweet delights, this gorgeous book celebrates the versatility of this much-loved citrus fruit. Seamlessly weaving history, anecdote and stories, as well as ways to use lemons outside the kitchen, the bestselling author dives into the enchanting world of lemons with a vibrant collection of Italian-inspired recipes. There are 8 online recipes to try now. I have marked over a dozen recipes to make. EVENTS

K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or Less by Judy Joo: In recent years, the celebrity chef has gained widespread acclaim for her vibrant take on Korean cuisine, with signature dishes like extra crispy Korean fried chicken consistently drawing fans back for more. Fresh, fast, and full of flavour, her approach captures the essence of Korean street food with her own unique twist. With interest in Korean food (K-food) at an all-time high (it was recently voted the world’s most popular cuisine), there’s never been a better time to explore these flavours. However, Korean recipes are often seen as complex and time-consuming. This book offers a solution by showcasing a variety of quick-to-prepare dishes, along with a comprehensive selection of traditional Korean recipes. Each recipe comes with clear, time-specific instructions, and acclaimed chef Judy Joo guides you through creating delicious Korean treats that can be made in under 30 minutes while still packing a punch in terms of taste and satisfaction.

Other titles of interest:

Australia

Viet Kieu – Recipes Remembered from Vietnam by Thi Bich Phuong Le is a stunning book of Vietnamese cooking, techniques and stories, told from the perspective of the best regarded voice in this space in Australia today. Thi widens the lens on Vietnamese cooking, showing readers how its many influences (beyond the French to include China and India, particularly through spice) have rendered a cuisine that is complex, joyful, and layered. The narrative is interwoven with Thi’s compelling personal story: her mother’s collaboration with the US during the Vietnam War; Thi’s birth in a Malaysian refugee camp; growing up in outer western Sydney where trauma shaped her early and teen years, and her eventual connection with the rigor and routine of professional kitchens in Sydney and Melbourne into adulthood.

Kanpai!: 50 Cocktails Inspired by Japan by Naomi Coleman: Inspired by the meticulous traditions and craftsmanship of Japanese mixology, Kanpai! features fifty Japanese cocktail recipes. From much-loved classics like the whiskey highball and the bamboo, to modern favorites like the Chu-Hai and the vermouth sidecar, there is a cocktail for every occasion. With a playful illustration to accompany each recipe, this colorful cocktail guide is the perfect gift for seasoned imbibers and budding bartenders alike.

Sour Cherries and Sunflowers: A Taste of Home | Recipes from Eastern Europe and Beyond by Anastasia Zolotarev draws on the author’s Ukrainian and Belarusian heritage and celebrates the food and flavours of Eastern Europe. Through the pages, she seeks to find the balance between preserving tradition and sharing the evolution of her family’s recipes. This is a book that celebrates culture and connection, with recipes to preserve and feed the soul. For slow mornings at home, there are blueberry and buckwheat pancakes, whilst fried piroshkis, pelmeni and vareniki dumpling recipes are shared with tales of family gatherings around the table. You’ll find open rye sandwiches and blinis for celebrations and special gatherings, everyday recipes like babka, and borscht, as well as soups, salads, preserves, and even desserts such as honey and sour cream layer cake and plum rogaliki cookies.

New Zealand

Smart Bites + Cool Drinks: The Ultimate Platter & Cocktail Book by Leanne Kitchen and Antony Suvalko: Welcome to the world of platter food – where cooking meets conviviality, and you’re freed from the kitchen to enjoy the party too. This is food built for prepping ahead and sharing in Full Graze Mode, delivering big flavour without last-minute fluster. Think vibrant, Mediterranean-inspired dips, fluffy Chinese duck bao, and the pimped-up hummus of your dreams. And because no great spread is complete without a drink, this book also shakes things up with a lineup of next-level cocktails. From fresh, citrusy spritzes to bold, party-starting classics, there’s a sip for every occasion. Not every dish here lands on a literal platter – some arrive in bowls, some on plates, and some just wherever they look best. But who’s counting? The real star is the generous, communal spirit-because no matter how it’s served, this food (and these drinks) are all about gathering, grazing, and getting stuck in.

Category: New Cookbooks

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  • stahl_amy  on  May 29, 2025

    I went to a book signing on Tuesday for B. Dylan Hollis. His new book, Baking Across America, is beautiful and a fun regional lookbook (although I cringed when I saw Strawberry Pretzel Salad representing my hometown). Recommend seeing him on tour if you have the chance.

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