One thing I definitely inherited from my mother is the love of cookbooks. I love to read ones that aren’t just recipes but that tell stories – either how the recipe comes about, what it means to the author or about the ingredients. Oddly though, I’m just a looker and reader rather than a reader and maker. I also love cookbooks that put new spins on things or introduce me to different cuisines. Here are some current ones I’ve been looking at:
One of the best new cookbooks for 2016 is definitely Brooklyn Rustic by Bryan Calvert. Compiled by the founder of the famous JAMES eatery in Brooklyn, the book contains recipes that effortlessly combines traditional comforts foods with a touch of fine dining decadence, any one of the dishes in here would be perfect for a relaxed dinner party.
Buy at: amazon.com
Korean food is absolutely delicious, but some people are nervous of cooking it at home. This book takes all of the stress and mystery of Korean food away and provides you plenty of simple, tasty recipes as well as a Ameri-Korean twist that makes the more complicated dishes more familiar to the American palate.
Buy at: amazon.com
Once you’ve got the dinner sorted out, you need to know how to finish the evening off with a killer drink, and this awesome book is filled with enough cocktail recipes to keep the party going for a night or two! There is also lots of interesting information about tiki culture which will help to give you a better understanding of the drinks.
Buy at: amazon.com
This is a must have for any fans of the smash hit time travel series, giving recipes for lots of the traditional 18th century dishes that the characters are seen eating in the show.
Buy at: amazon.com
There is no doubt that that spiralizer is currently top of the list of kitchen gadgets that you absolutely must have, and this great book is filled with dozens of ideas for how to put the gadget to good use to produce delicious and inventive meals.
Buy at: amazon.com
Some people like classical French cuisine, and some people just like a good sandwich! This new book is basically the Bible for sandwich lovers, filled with fantastic combination ideas that take the art of sandwich making to an entirely new level.
Buy at: amazon.com
This is really handy cookbook that gives you recipes for sweet treat like tarts, pies and pastries, but more importantly is suggests which kinds of ice cream will perfectly compliment the flavour of the desert. Your friends will regard you as some kind of flavour genius!
Buy at: amazon.com
Cookbooks can often by dominated by recipes of different meats and poultry, but this great book puts vegetables back on centre stage with tonnes of recipes for vegetarians or for people who just want to cut back on their meat intake.
Buy at: amazon.com
This is a brilliant book that combines traditional African recipes with modern takes on cultural dishes to create suggestions that will really make your mouth water! Inside you will find everything from baked broccoli falafel to tamarind-flavoured pork, delicious!
Buy at: amazon.com
Happy reading and happy eating. I hope unlike me, you actually try some of the great recipes from these new cookbooks.