The latest cookbooks to bring delight to the kitchen

Credit: Jennifer Soo

In Amber Guinness’s wonderfully evocative book about growing up in Italy, A House Party in Tuscany, she shares recipes for the food she makes for friends and visitors – from simple broad beans with pecorino to a sublime persimmon tiramisu – as well as the story of her family home and its current incarnation as a painting school.

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Stephanie Alexander has been educating and inspiring home cooks for almost 40 years and many consider her culinary bible, The Cook’s Companion, an essential kitchen tool. In Alexander’s latest book, Home, she reflects on her food journey, revisits old favourites, and adds exciting new recipes to her repertoire including a show-stopping paella and nostalgic chocolate ripple log.

There’s nothing quite like Malaysian food thanks to its Indian, Chinese, Portuguese and tribal influences and delicate balance of flavours. But while eating it is a pleasure, cooking it can be daunting. Mandy Yin successfully demystifies the cuisine for home cooks in Sambal Shiok, with simple Malaysia-inspired recipes for snacks, sweet treats and everything in between.

Like many of us, Benjamina Ebuehi turned to baking during lockdown, both to ease uncertainty and fill the days. The result of her therapeutic cooking, other than spoilt neighbours, is A Good Day to Bake. It’s full of cakes, biscuits, pies and puddings, many of which include a touch of savoury or spice; think cherry and coconut tahini cake and tarragon blondies.

Sri Lanka may be a relatively small island but its cuisine is big in flavour and heart. Many of the recipes in O Tama Carey’s Lanka Food: Serendipity & Spice are her family’s own, others gleaned from her travels and there is, of course, a chapter on the famous hoppers, so popular at Carey’s restaurant, Lankan Filling Station, in Sydney’s Darlinghurst.

If you want to take a peek into Yotam Ottolenghi’s engine room, where magic is made, Shelf Love is the first in a series by the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team. The premise? Providing us with the skills to use up the food we already have, not to mention tips for achieving the smoothest hummus we’ll ever have the pleasure of eating.

Georgina Hayden looked to the Mediterranean, Middle East and Eastern Europe for her delicious vegan recipes in Nistisima. A celebration of the food that is eaten during times of fasting, including a stunning pumpkin and raisin pie with harissa, this tome is perfect for those wanting a more plant-based diet without sacrificing variety or flavour.

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Emiko Davies, an Australian living in Tuscany, has an ongoing love affair with Venice. Cinnamon and Salt is her ode to the city, its people and, of course, the food – specifically the beloved cicchetti, or little morsels. Make fried meatballs and mozzarella sandwiches or Cipriani’s famous carpaccio, pour a bellini and imagine you’re there.

Torres Strait Islander chef Nornie Bero’s book, Mabu Mabu, takes the guesswork out of cooking with native ingredients and shines a light on Indigenous cuisine. Featuring dishes from her restaurant in Melbourne’s Yarraville such as kangaroo tail Bourguignonne and favourites such as kingfish namas – a type of ceviche made with lime and coconut – this book belongs in every Australian home.

So evocative is Claudia Roden’s writing, her books can be devoured like a novel. Her latest, Med, transports us to the Provence countryside, the isles of Greece or a souk in Marrakech; the food is equally captivating, chicken is slowly braised with grapes and a perfect lemon tart begs to be made.

It’s quite a feat to produce a tome of this size and make every recipe a temptation, but we’d expect nothing less from Neil Perry. The recipes in Everything I Love to Cook, from Rockpool classics such as the spanner crab omelette to family favourites and an excellent flourless chocolate cake, are simply executed and easily achieved.

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In Paon: Real Balinese Cooking co-authors Tjok Maya Kerthyasa and I Wayan Kresna Yasa go beyond sambal and satay to explore the culture and traditions of this beautiful island through its food. Recipes range from a ceremonial roast duck to making spice paste the traditional way, with an emphasis on intuition for a truly authentic Balinese experience.

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