BOOKS for COOKS
Our top picks from 2018 – there’s one to suit everyone
BRILLIANT BAKING
Bread & Butter by Richard Snapes, Grant Harrington & Eve Hemingway (£22, Quadrille)
One of food’s greatest double acts, there’s nothing like proper bread and butter. Master the art of making your own; there’s a wide range of loaves, butter-based recipes and a chapter on what to do with the leftovers (the buttermilk scones are a must).
MODERN INDIAN
Khazana by Saliha Mahmood Ahmed (£25, Hodder & Stoughton) This debut cookbook from the 2017 Masterchef winner is inspired by the opulent Mughal empire and her travels across India. The perfect blend of Indian and Persian flavours, curries, rice, and beautiful samosas are lifted with rosewater, saffron, almonds and pomegranate.
FOR MIXOLOGISTS
Aperitif by Kate Hawkings (£16.99, Quadrille)
The ideal gift for booze aficionados, learn how to infuse your own spirits and mix the perfect negroni. Kate starts with a witty, engaging take on the history of aperitifs (it makes great bedtime reading), followed by 33 recipes and how best to serve them, from a classic martini to a rose petal vodka.
VEGGIE HEAVEN
The Happy Pear: Recipes for
Happiness by David & Stephen Flynn (£18.99, Penguin Ireland)
The kings of vegetarian cooking, Irish twins David and Stephen, are back with their third book. They cram serious flavour and passion into their recipes with indulgent curries, pasta, noodles and burgers that are actually good for you.
WEEKEND COOKING
Slow by Gizzi Erskine (£25, Harpercollins)
An antidote to fast-paced modern life, Gizzi encourages us to enjoy taking our time in the kitchen with these comforting recipes worth waiting for. There are warming pies, cheesy pasta bakes, hearty stews, creamy gratins and Sunday roasts. A great big hug in a cookbook.
FRENCH HOME COOKING
The French Revolution
by Michel Roux Jr (£25, Seven Dials)
We often think of French food as rich, but here Michel adapts the dishes he loved growing up – quiches, cassoulets and puds like tarte Tatin – making them lighter with more vegetables, pulses and fruit and, best of all, simpler, so they can be part of your everyday repertoire.
HELP A GOOD CAUSE
Together by The Hubb Community Kitchen (£9.99, Ebury Press) This incredible book is a collection of recipes from women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, who started cooking for their families and neighbours at a community kitchen nearby after many of them lost their homes. Profits from the book will help to fund the kitchen.
A TASTE OF ITALY
Jamie Cooks Italy by Jamie Oliver (£26, Michael Joseph) This is the ultimate guide to Italian cooking. Jamie takes us on a culinary adventure with his mentor and friend, Gennaro Contaldo, and shares the recipes they learn from the nonnas, the real masters of pasta who cook their treasured family recipes passed down through the generations.