For those ready to explore new cuisines, fresh culinary ideas and perhaps even a new plant-based diet, a number of new cookbooks released this year promise to offer plenty of inspiration and tempting new recipes. From much-anticipated new releases from the likes of Anna Jones and Ed Smith to exciting debuts from acclaimed chefs such as Elizabeth Haigh and Ben Tisch, these are the must-have new cookbooks to buy now.
Award-winning cook Anna Jones has developed a cult following for her easy, healthy and delicious vegetarian recipes which have converted many readers into giving up meat. Her latest book features over 200 simple recipes, all of which have been crafted to minimize the number of pots and pans required, as well as the amount of waste. Sustainability is central to her recipes, and Jones offers practical advice for planning, shopping and reducing waste, and 100 recipes are focused on how to use up any amount of your most-eaten vegetables as well as other ingredients that are frequently thrown away. Dishes are wonderfully simple but packed with flavour — think baked dahl with tamarind-glazed sweet potato, Persian noodles and one-pan fritters.
Designed to celebrate Linda McCartney’s legacy and impact in convincing so many people to embrace a vegetarian diet, her family members – Paul, Mary and Stella – have pulled together and updated her most popular vegetarian recipes. The plant-based recipes are presented alongside favourite family stories and the dishes that the next McCartney generation are cooking for their own families at home. The 90 family-favourite recipes include plant-based interpretations of classic dishes such as American pancakes and chilli con carne, as well as new ideas from Paul, Mary and Stella, including pulled jackfruit burgers, panzanella and chocolate and peanut butter cookies. Expect tasty, healthy, sustainable recipes that are quick and family-friendly, ready to tempt even the pickiest eaters.
£39.95
Get a taste of what the most exciting new culinary talents are cooking up in your own kitchen with this new book by luxe publisher Phaidon. The publisher asked 20 of the globe’s leading chefs — 10 men and 10 women — to each select five emerging chefs from around the world. Each of the 100 selected chefs is profiled and offers an impressive selection of recipes, resulting in 300 total ideas from talents including Jeremy Chan of Nigeria-inspired Ikoyi London, Toyomitsu Nakayama of Toyo in Tokyo and Afro-fusion chef Dieuviel Malonga. For those particularly interested in the culinary world, the book also includes original commissioned essays that shed light on what makes a standout star today.
£26
The husband-and-wife duo have drawn crowds for their award-winning Middle Eastern dishes at their London spots. Now, they’re sharing their culinary secrets with their new cookbook, which focuses on fire-based recipes that the two have cooked up both at home and in their grill house, Honey & Smoke. The book is divided into five ingredient-led chapters, and the authors have strived to make the recipes as unfussy and joyful as possible. They pair also use five different cities as their reference points for the spices, flavours and aromas they incorporate into their recipes: Alexandria, Egypt; Amman, Jordan; Acre, Israel; Adana, Turkey; and Thessaloniki, Greece. From grilled peaches with almond tahini and charred endive to prawns in honey and fresh coriander, these recipes are rich in flavour and a joy to both cook and eat.
The Culinary Director of Norma Restaurant in Fitzrovia pens a love letter to Sicilian cooking in this rich and indulgent cookbook. As Tish outlines, Sicilian cooking is very particular given its interesting position at the intersection of the Mediterranean and North Africa, as well as its roots in frugal peasant cooking. The recipes span the region’s fresh seafood and mouth-watering meat dishes, and are all packed with vibrant, mouth-watering flavours. Make your way through the cookbook to explore the riches of Sicilian cooking, from saffron arancini, octopus and chickpea stew and limoncello semifreddo.Â
£22.99
The acclaimed chef Elizabeth Haigh, who earned a Michelin star for her incredible work at the Hackney-based restaurant Pidgin, has made her first cookbook a tribute to the Singaporean dishes that were passed down in her family. Meaning ‘to eat’ or ‘dinner time’ in Malay, Makan draws together recipes that had been central to her family’s cooking, as well as the diversity of Singaporean cooking, which reflects the influences of migrants and cuisines from all across Southeast Asia. This love-letter to her family’s culinary heritage features recipes such as Nonya-spiced braised duck ste, Singapore chilli crab and spicy noodle soup, with all traditional recipes adapted to use ingredients that can be easily sourced in the UK.
The author of The Borough Market Cookbook returns with a new cookbook, this time focused on flavour profiles. Fascinated by what drives us to crave certain dishes, which is typically influenced by mood, season, memory, and more, Smith set out to create recipes divided by flavour profiles that would match different cravings. Over 100 recipes are broken down into 6 different flavour categories: fresh and fragrant, chilli and heat, tart and sour, curried and spiced, rich and savoury, and cheesy and creamy. Smith ensures that every base is covered, so no matter what you’re after, there’s a dish and a recipe to match your mood.
The long-awaited second cookbook from celebrated architectural designer John Pawson and his wife Catherine captures the idyllic life of countryside cooking. Home Farm, the couple’s beautiful bucolic family home in the heart of the English countryside, is the inspiration for this collection of home-cooking style recipes. All recipes are designed to reflect the seasons and be shared amongst family and friends, putting a modern pastoral spin on classic British fare — think ham, cheese and leek scones, broad bean crostini and butternut squash and pumpkin soup. It’s a beautiful book for your shelf too, with stunning pictures of their countryside escape and beautiful nature writing.
£17.99
Foraging gained many new devotees during the pandemic, and David Hamilton is on a mission to convince anyone who’s holding out because they don’t know where to start to make the leap. Drawing on 25 years of foraging experience, Hamilton has created a comprehensive and beautiful guide to foraging, whether in city streets or countryside woodland. Along the way, Hamilton delves into the history and science of wild foods, as well as his own secrets, tips and recipes. Not only does he outline how to find the best wild goods, but he also teaches readers how to pick the best berries, preserve mushrooms and prepare delicious salads, risottos and puddings with your wild finds.
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