Make a meal of it for autumn
The seasons are turning – which means it’s almost time to snuggle up indoors with a cookbook or two. ELLA WALKER shares her top picks
PACK away the sunblock and get out your casserole pans, autumn is a coming.
If you’re looking for some new dishes to add to your repertoire – whether you’re vegan, veggie or mainly carnivorous – take inspiration from these fab fall cookbooks...
SIMPLE by Kotam Ottolenghi (£25, Ebury Press)
YES, the man who’s taken Middle Eastern food mainstream in the UK, famed for his long and exotic lists of ingredients, is going for the simple approach with his latest recipe collection. Going big on veggie options, as you’d expect, we’re most excited about him putting a few twists on the humble jacket potato.
TIME by Gill Meller (£25, Quadrille)
RIVER COTTAGE team member Gill’s debut, Gather, was a beautiful slow burn of a book (and told us we should all be eating squirrel). Time sees him reminisce about the kitchens that have nurtured and welcomed him, and looks at cooking through the prism of morning, day and night.
CRAVINGS: HUNGRY FOR MORE by Chrissy Teigen (£16.99, Michael Joseph)
CHRISSY TEIGEN is wonderful, whether you care about her food or not – just check out her Instagram stories. The model, and wife of singer John Legend, returns with her second cookbook, packed with the stuff she genuinely eats (her banana bread is said to be spectacular).
THE NOMA GUIDE TO FERMENTATION by Rene Redzepi (£30, Artisan Publishers)
RENE is the legendary Danish chef who transformed foraging into fine dining art at notorious Copenhagen restaurant, Noma. Now you can find out how his chefs go about pickling and fermenting produce – your shelves are going to be laden with intriguing takes on kimchi, kogi, miso and kombuchas.
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION by Michel Roux Jnr (£25, Seven Dials)
IF ANYONE knows his French classics, it’s going to be Michel Roux Jnr. The Le Gavroche restaurateur revisits Gallic staples, but lightens up on the cream and butter, offering family-friendly dishes that won’t immediately clog your arteries.
WHERE THE WILD COOKS GO by Cerys Matthews (£25, Particular Books)
RADIO broadcaster Cerys, below left, blends music, poetry and culture in her kitchen, and the global recipes she whips have spilled into this cookbook. Expect folklore and snippets of experience to frame her recipes – just make sure you have a good playlist to cook to.
SLOW by Gizzi Erskine (£25, HQ)
IN opposition to the surplus of books promising fast meals, presenter and cook Gizzi is encouraging us to linger over stews, dawdle over supper and invest energy and feeling – no matter how long it takes – in what we’re cooking.
A LONG & MESSY BUSINESS by Rowley Leigh (£25, Unbound)
A WORK of love, this collection of food writer and chef Rowley Leigh’s essays – published originally in the Financial Times – was a crowdfunded effort. His words are accompanied by recipes, which he says include some “starters, some mains and some puddings but often are just something to eat when you are hungry”.
THE BOROUGH MARKET COOKBOOK by Ed Smith (£25, Hodder & Stoughton)
DESPITE the terror attack on Borough Market last June, the London foodie hub has not been diminished.
In honour of its traders and 1000-year history, food writer Ed Smith looks at Borough through the seasons, borrowing tips from the stall holders and producers along the way.