Cookbooks Worth Waiting for 2025 Part 1 - A Recap

It’s finally time to check back in with my cookbooks worth waiting for list for the first half of 2025. Were the cookbooks waiting for? In short, yes! I am enjoying all four of these new cookbooks, have a read below for more on each one.

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Sour Cherries and Sunflowers by Anastasia Zolotarev (Quadrille)* - To say this book is an absolute joy is an understatement. Sour Cherries and Sunflowers is generous and inviting, with Anastasia bringing us into her families Ukrainian and Belarusian heritage through treasured recipes and family favourites. Sour Cherries and Sunflowers has a variety of recipes from things to enjoy in the morning, preserves, recipes to share and celebrate. This book may on the face of it seem similar to Kapusta below, however the two, whilst sharing some similarities, are quite different in terms of focus, design, photography and feel.

I was fortunate to attend a cooking class with Anastasia last weekend, which focused on making varenyky, Ukrainian dumplings. We made the kefir based dough found on page 95 of Anastasia’s cookbook, and a dairy free alternative, with three different fillings. The varenyky were delicious, especially served with slow cooked onions and sour cream. We also tried rye bread topped with beetroot prune and walnut salad (p.158), plus Tvorog Stuffed Aubergine Rolls (p.162), the Apple Pear and Blackcurrant variation of the crumble on page 190, a Chocolate Buckwheat Cake with Sour Cherry Sauce (p.192), Sauerkraut with Apple (p.64-5) and the sour cherry variation of the redcurrant kompot (similar to a homemade cordial) on page 91. Everything was delicious and I want to make almost everything again! I have also made Babushka Liana’s Aubergine Ikra (p.160), which is like a dip with Aubergine, capsicum and tomato, which I will definitely be making again. 

The recipes in this book are clearly a stand out (and if you can get to any of Anastasia’s book events you can try some for yourself as I did!), and there are even more I want to try. Aside from the recipes, the cover illustration is beautiful and the photography and styling is absolutely gorgeous. The use of light really stands out to me in the images, and there is such a calm inviting feel to the images and the book itself. 

*Thanks to Anastasia and Hardie Grant for gifting me a copy of this book.

Kapusta by Alissa Timoshkina (Quadrille) - Kapusta, the first of a small handful of Eastern European focused cookbook releases this year, is a triumph of vegetable forward recipes highlighting the most commonly used vegetables in Eastern Europe - cabbage (or Kapusta as it is known in the various Slavic languages across the region), beetroot, potato, carrot and mushrooms. The chapters of the book are divided by these vegetables, plus a chapter for dumplings and ferments, two staples of much Eastern European cuisine. Through Kapusta, Alissa is aiming to show what variety and flavour vegetable forward Eastern European recipes have, moving away from the boring cabbage trope many in Western countries have associated with Eastern European cuisine. I really think Alissa has achieved this, by presenting the recipes in a vibrant and interesting way, highlighting the differences and similarities of the various food cultures that make up Eastern European cuisine. If you were wanting to add more vegetable to your cooking repertoire, this is certainly a great book to help you with that. I also think between Kapusta and Sour Cherries and Sunflowers above, those of us who don’t eat much cabbage and don’t really know what to do with it, will have a whole new lease on our vegetable cooking and eating lives!

Beyond the interesting and accessible nature of the recipes, the research that has gone into them is clear when reading the headers for each recipe. Alissa has made an effort to highlight recipes from lesser known and minority cultures within Eastern Europe, such as the Volga Tatars and the Udmurts. There are also a number of recipes of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, which together with the recipes from other minority groups and those recipes we may be more familiar with, creates an understanding of the diversity that exists, and has existed forever in Eastern Europe, despite the image of and forced nature of the uniformity of the region especially under Soviet rule. 

The illustrations in Kapusta are really wonderful, and along with the design and colour scheme of the book create a bright vibrant, yet soft and calm feel to the book. The photography and styling in Kapusta also contributes to this feel, the use of shadow in some of the images reminds me that many of the vegetables Kapusta showcases are found predominantly in the cooler months, but that food and ingredients such as these can always bring light and colour to our kitchens and tables. In terms of recipes I have made the Beetroot and Egg Garlicky Mayo Spread (p.60) twice now, it was delicious on fresh bread and bread rolls for lunch. I also would love to try the Polish Potato and Gherkin Salad (p.84), the Tatar Manti with Carrots and Pumpkin (p.120) and the Knishes - Ashkenazi Buns with Caramelised Carrots and Chicken (p.138). 

For more on Kapusta check out this interview with Alissa by Anna Kharzeeva on Instagram.

Lugma by Noor Murad (Quadrille) - Noor, who has previously co-authored books with Yotam Ottolenghi, brings us a generous and flavourful look at food from her Middle East. Noor grew up in Bahrain, though her Mother is English so she has quite a varied influence when it comes to food. Noor acknowledges in Lugma that her version of Middle Eastern food is highly influenced by going up in the Gulf, as opposed to the food of the Levant which many outside the Middle East are more familiar with. As I expected, the recipes in Lugma appear to be really flavourful, full of spices in particular. Many of the recipes, which mostly focus on the savoury though there are a few sweet as well, seem hearty, many needing a bit of time to stop and prepare. The kinds of things a little time taken to make will reward you with a delicious flavourful meal, and hopefully some leftovers too. 

Noor’s writing throughout Lugma is really engaging, and through that plus the recipes and photos, the reader gets to view Bahrain, a part of the Middle East not often covered in Western cookbooks, through Noor’s eyes and kitchen. The food photography in this book is clear and bright, with the location photography really highlighting the food and natural environment of Bahrain. As you might expect from someone who worked in the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, you’ll need a few spices and ingredients you might not already have to make some of these recipes - though I think your pantry and your table will be richer and tastier for it. Top of my list to try are the  Chicken Koftas with Fresh Tomato Sauce (p.209) and Muhammad oo Samak: Date Molasses Rice with Fish (p.139).

Rooza by Nadiya Hussain (SourceBooks) - Nadiya has published many cookbooks, but Rooza feels extra special. Rooza is an exploration of Islamic recipes inspired by Ramadhan and Eid, something that is very close to Nadiya’s heart and something she hasn’t been able to explore much via her cookbooks until now. Rooza has a rich, vibrant and generous feel to it, with slightly moody photography that utilises the contrast between shadow and light. The recipes stem from countries who have Muslim populations who observe Ramadhan including Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and Pakistan. The recipes which could be served as a dinner to break the fast, are complete meals in that they contain the sides to serve as well as the main element to the meal. So you don’t have to go searching for what to serve with it, Nadiya has made it really simple. There are also many sweet options throughout the book as well, which you could pair with the dinner options to serve as dessert. 

Outside of observing Ramadhan and celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, these recipes would be wonderful for any celebration, weekend meal, or even just a super tasty weeknight meal. The only thing I don’t like about this book is that I somehow managed to buy an American version, so all the recipes are in cups and Imperial measures! I’m hoping to find a UK published copy at some point to replace the one I have, but aside from that I am really enjoying this book from Nadiya.

To hear Nadiya talk more about Rooza check out this video on Instagram.

Cookbooks Worth Waiting For in 2025 Part 1

EDIT May 2025 - If you are keen to hear my final thoughts on all these books please click here to read the reviews now they have all been released! Thanks Kath.

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A new year equals new cookbooks! There are many to look forward to already in 2025, below are my top picks for the first half of the year.

2025 already seems to have a strong showing for Eastern European cuisine and stories, as well as cookbooks featuring Middle Eastern and South Asian food and authors. Diversity in cookbooks I think, is intrinsic to a good cookbook collection, so I am very much looking forward to learning more and discovering more recipes this year.

My picks feature cookbooks from first time authors and those with a book or two on our shelves already, these picks are as always a bit of a mixed bag but all titles I think will be worth waiting for! This list doesn’t capture everything that is coming soon in the world of cookbooks in the first half of 2025, and there are certainly more books I am keen to check out. Any other books added to my collection over the year will be reviewed over on my newsletter, sign up here so you get to read all the cookbook reviews and support my work.

Kapusta by Alissa Timoshkina (March 2025) - It’s been a while between books for Alissa, so I’m really looking forward to what Kapusta will bring. This book is all about vegetable forward recipes from Eastern Europe, which I think sounds very interesting and a way of looking at the food and food traditions of the various countries that make up Eastern Europe in a different way then we’ve seen before.

Sour Cherries and Sunflowers by Anastasia Zolotarev (April 2025) - Another Eastern European centric release, is this first cookbook by Anastasia Zolotarev. I’ve seen a bit of the behind the scenes of the making of the book from Anastasia on Instagram, which is what led me to think I needed this book on my self. I really like the illustrated cover, and the connection between food and family this book seems like it will bring.

Lugma by Noor Murad (April 2025) - the first solo cookbook from Noor, who has previously worked with Yotam Ottolenghi, has me very intrigued. Another stunning illustrated cover (a bit of theme in this list!), and the promise of personal stories and food from around the Middle East - sounds like something I want and need in my cookbook collection!

Rooza by Nadiya Hussain (February 2025) - I am really excited to see this book from Nadiya. Rooza means fast, and it is what those in Bangladesh observing Ramadan call Ramadan. This book covers meals served during Ramadan from many different countries, and I am really looking forward to seeing all the recipes and learning more about this very important religious observance in the Muslim calendar. The wait won’t be long with this one, as the release date was last week, and my copy is awaiting my return at home!

The Best Cookbooks of 2024

I’m not sure how we’re here again, but somehow it’s time to talk about the best cookbooks of last year!

There were a lot of new cookbooks last year, quite a few in the baking category especially. Below are my top picks from everything that was released in 2024 (that I have in my collection anyway), these are the books I’d recommend adding to your collection if you haven’t already.

If you’d like to see reviews of these and other cookbooks from 2024, check out my newsletter archives here, more reviews here on my blog. Sign up to my newsletter to get content like this in your inbox regularly.

Let me know in the comments below what your top choices from the cookbooks released in 2024 are!

Sift: The Elements of Great Baking by Nicola Lamb (Ebury Press) - 2024 gave us a few new baking books, all good in their own right and all very different too, but I think Sift is the stand out. The level of research and generosity of information in here is astounding. It’s technical without being inaccessible or boring, plus the recipes vary in simplicity and complexity meaning it’s a book that could be used by many. This is the book to get if you want to learn more about baking.

Bethlehem by Fadi Kattan - I am not alone in my feelings about this book. I have seen others say they think it is one of the best of 2024, and I wholeheartedly agree. The generosity and care Fadi takes us through the food and recipes of Bethlehem, often through his own families stories and recipes, is something few other books can compare to. Cookbooks with a story always appeal to me, however Bethlehem is not just a cookbook with a story, it is a book with heart and soul. The photography is also excellent, and the cover design stunning. A book everyone needs on their shelf and in their kitchen. 

Taboon: Sweet and Savoury Delights from the Lebanese Bakery by Hisham Assaad (Smith Street Books) - Maybe one of the few cookbooks from 2024 that can compare to Bethlehem by Fadi Kattan, is Taboon. A similar vein of generosity, sharing and welcoming can be felt from this book. Focusing on the baked goods of Lebanon, especially through the lens of the displaced Palestinian community there, Taboon captures the recipes and stories around these foods in a way that is inviting and personal. There are many interesting recipes to try, both sweet and savoury, plus the photography is beautiful and engaging, as is Hisham’s writing. I don’t have Hisham’s first book Beyrut, so I don’t know how it compares to that, however I am hoping to rectify that situation as soon as I can!

Some of My Best Friends are Cookies by Emelia Jackson (Murdoch Books)*- I was a little skeptical about Emelia’s second book, not being the biggest fan of her first (which I am aware is a minority opinion!), but Some of My Best Friends are Cookies is so fun, and the initial explanation about the use of the word ‘cookie’ (sometimes mildly controversial in Australia) set me at ease quickly. I really enjoyed the way the book is divided up into sections, and Emelia’s clear love for biscuits and cookies is evident on every page. 

There is a great variety of recipes here too, something I think some baking books lacked in 2024. There are only so many cookbooks I can house, especially of the kind that are lovely and beautiful, but don’t contain many recipes I will actually make. Some of My Best Friends are Cookies is the antithesis to this (as is Sift above with regards to baking books), with baking cookies and biscuits in and of themselves being often smaller baking projects than their layered cake counterparts only adding to the usefulness of this small but mighty book. 

*Many thanks to Murdoch Books for gifting a copy of Some of My Best Friends Are Cookies to me.

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2024 Part 2 - A Recap

It’s time for a recap of the cookbooks I hoped would be ‘worth waiting for’ in the second half of 2024.

We’ve had some great new releases this year, and this collection continues that theme. There is quite a different selection of books here, in that they are all pretty different and each would add something quite different to your cookbook collection. My only feeling after living with these books a little while, and maybe after some of the other releases this year too is, how many books from the same author do we really need? Do you ever wonder if there is a limit to how many useful/purposeful books someone can release, especially when their new releases are so regular?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below - did you add any of these cookbooks to your collection too?

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Previous editions of Cookbooks Worth Waiting For can be found here, and if you would like these cookbook reviews plus those that feature exclusively in my newsletter, sign up to my weekly newsletter Friday Food Chat with Kath.

*Thanks to HardieGrant and Murdoch Books for gifting me copies of Sofra and Karkalla at Home respectively.

Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh (Ebury Press) - A new release from the Ottolenghi team is always worth waiting for! While Simple still remains my absolute favourite of all Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, Comfort has a great selection of recipes, and the influence of the other authors (Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley), give Comfort a point of difference from other more recent Ottolenghi releases. The influence of Helen’s Malaysian/Australian background is clear with much use of Asian flavours and ingredients, while still having a very ‘Ottolenghi’ feel. I am starting to feel I’m not sure how many more books I need from Yotam Ottolenghi, we have quite a collection now and while the introduction of co-authors has been a great way of diversifying the recipes published and giving each book a unique focus, I do feel (as with many authors who churn out books on a regular basis), there must be a point where we reach capacity in our collections for these authors. Out of Comfort, I am keen to try the Salmon Fishcakes with Chermoula Remoulade (p.80) and Verena’s Potato Salad (p.224). 

Sofra by Karima Hazim Chatila and Sivine Tabbouch (Quadrille*) - Sofra feels like it is filled with love. It is a personal look at Karima and Sivine’s deep personal connection to Lebanon, specifically through food. Family stories and weaved through the book, and the way their family now comes together through food is shown as a staple of Lebanese food, culture and family. The chapters are divided into various ‘spreads’, so dishes you can make and serve together for a crowd. These recipes really do feed a crowd, and those of us who have smaller families or households may have to adapt (halve recipes), or feel contented in the knowledge that leftovers will continue to feed us for a few days more. Many of the recipes require some time and effort, and would great to make on the weekend when you might have more time to spend on making a meal. Karima and Sivine give tips on how to prepare things in advance and how to plan out making their menus in each chapter so you are in good hands.

As you might know by now if you read previous cookbook reviews of mine, I love books like this one that share personal stories and capture recipes that have been in families for a long time. Cookbooks such as Sofra not only provide us with a view of the authors connection to a place or time, in this case Lebanon, but give us an avenue to create our own through their recipes. The photography in this book is wonderful, and the table shots of the whole menus are stunning - which of course they are as the photographer is Luisa Brimble! Queen of the top down table scape shot! In terms of recipes I am keen to try the Muhammara (p.144), Ejjeh (courgette and herb fritters) (p.150) and the Maamoul (p.196-7). 

Bake with Brooki by Brooke Bellamy (Penguin) - The hype around this baking book (and the Brisbane based bakery itself) is crazy, I think thanks mostly to social media. Bake with Brooki has basically sold out, and did so very quickly after it’s release. It’s a more substantially sized book than I was expecting, it definitely isn’t just a quickly put together piece of merchandise to capitalise on the social media hype around Brooki Bakehouse. If you are a fan of the bakery, or it’s owner Brooke, I think you’ll find the recipes you are looking for in Bake with Brooki. The chapters cover the famous Brooki cookies, brownies, cupcakes and whole cakes, cheesecakes and more. If you are a seasoned baker you might notice that many of these recipes look like iterations of the same thing with a different flavour profile, but if you just want the recipes from the bakery then the book definitely delivers that.

There is a definite American feel to this book, especially the photography (which I’m not super keen on, I prefer naturally lit photos which isn’t a big thing in American style cookbook shoots it seems), however Brooke’s major influence in baking, developing her famous cookie recipes and successful bakery has largely come from American bakeries and baked goods discovered on her travels. However, every recipe does have an image, so in terms of practicalities when actually making the recipes you should be able to clearly see what the recipe should look like in the end, which is of course a major purpose of food photography in cookbooks! As a Caramilk lover, I am keen to try the Caramilk Blondies (p.79) and I’d like to make the Biscoff Cookies (p.34) as well after having tried them from the bakery last year.

Karkalla At Home by Mindy Woods (Murdoch Books*) - Karkalla at Home brings native Australian ingredients and flavours to our kitchens by using them in recipes you might otherwise recognise. Mindy has given the reader everything they need to know about cooking with ingredients indigenous to Australia and our First Nations communities, from understanding the seasons via Indigenous cultural practices, to explaining everything we need to know about various Indigenous ingredients specifically, and even where to buy them from Indigenous owned/run businesses. The recipe section of the book is divided into meal/recipe types, and in the header of each recipe is a quick list of the specific Native ingredients needed for each recipe. I think this is a really helpful element for each recipe, as in some cases the Native ingredient may be the thing you need to seek out and buy before starting to recipe if you didn’t already have it.

I think the array of specialised ingredients could seem overwhelming to some, though I do think Mindy has gone to a lot of effort to make this element of the book extremely accessible - and to be honest if you aren’t interested in buying a few new ingredients and learning about Indigenous Australian food and culture, then you are probably missing the entire purpose of this cookbook. As author Mindy says in her introduction, “I believe that to truly understand a culture you must experience its food”, and I think Karkalla at Home will be a great addition to anyone’s cookbook collection who wish to do that. In terms of recipes, I am keen to try the Campfire Eggs with Native Dukkah (p.78), Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes with Macadamia Praline Butter (p.84-5) and the Prawn Skewers with Macadamia Satay (p.102). 

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2024 Part 2

This round of cookbooks worth waiting for was hard to choose. I don’t quite feel the same level of enthusiasm for the cookbooks due to be released in the second half of the year as I did in the first half - maybe the demise of Booktopia has something to do with it and having one less place to buy them from. 

There are also a few books being released later this year (not included in the list below), that I would really like to have a look through in person - so they don’t fit the ‘worth waiting for’ criteria as I would actually like to wait and see what they are like! They are titles from authors I have cookbooks from already, and I’m not 100% convinced their new title will add value to my cookbook collection. This feeling is based on their previous works, and a wonder about whether I need too many more cookbooks on one particular topic (and from the same authors). 

I think a few trips to book shops will be in my future to work out my feelings on some of the other new releases coming soon (what a hardship haha!), but for now, let’s get to those cookbooks I think will be worth waiting for!

Let me know in the comments what your top picks for the rest of the year are!

Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh (September 2024) - I generally look forward to all of the Ottolenghi groups books, though I have to say I am excited about this one as I enjoy Helen Goh’s recipes and use of flavour so I’m thinking this book may just be really good. No Ottolenghi cookbook has surpassed Simple (published in 2018) for me, and I can’t say I use the last three or so releases (Flavour, and the two Test Kitchen books) as much as I do Simple and those published before it. So while I know that this new title may not surpass Simple for me, I’m willing to give it a go since this book is touted as comfort food Ottolenghi style. And that sounds very good to me!

Sofra by Karima Hazim Chatila and Sivine Tabbouch (September 2024) - I came across this book on social media and was immediately interested in it. A debut cookbook from a mother daughter duo, this book is described as a love letter to Lebanon. It sounds like my kind of book as it will contain recipes, but also stories about the food and the authors connection to Lebanon and its cuisine. 

Bake with Brooki by Brooke Bellamy (October 2024) - After being sent some of the Brooki Bakery cookies by a friend last year, I am keen to see what this cookbook will be like. Baking books like this one feels like aren’t always my style - is the social media hype of the successful bakery in Brisbane going to translate well in cookbook form? I have found cookbooks that stem from social media success a bit lacking in the past. Despite being at a point where I’m not sure how many more baking books I need, I am interested to see how this one pans out and whether the cookbook can provide substance to the hectic social media and bakery pace owner Brooke seems to be riding. 

Karkalla At Home by Mindy Woods (September 2024) - The beautiful design of this cookbooks cover caught my eye first, and then the subtitle (‘Native foods and everyday recipes for connecting to Country) and description kept my interest going. Author Mindy Woods is a restauranteur, and brings her deep knowledge to this cookbook by sharing stories and profiles of our continents most readily available native ingredients. I love that this cookbook is described as a ‘please-use-me- cookbook’ (I suppose the hope of all cookbook authors!), and promises to bring native foods into our kitchen. 

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2024 Part 1 - A Recap

Now the wait is over for all the books on my last cookbooks worth waiting for list, it’s time to let you know what they are like, and where they worth waiting for?! (Yes).

You can check out the original Cookbooks Worth Waiting For list for these books here.

What Can I Bring? by Sophie Hansen (Murdoch Books)* - As I mentioned previously, my family loves all of Sophie’s books (we even have duplicate copies of them so no sharing is necessary!). What Can I Bring? has the same use of seasonal ingredients and unfussy easeful recipes that I have come to expect from her books, but with the added bonus of recipes from others which adds more variety to the mix here. I have made the Strawberry Jam Crumble Slice (p.55) (with rhubarb jam, another of Sophie’s recipes from a previous book!), which was really nice and writing this reminds me that I do really need to make it again. My Mum made the Really, Really Good Roast Chicken with Orange and Bay (p.102), and confirmed yes it is, really, really good!

I love the bright colourful design of the book, and Sophie’s photography always makes me want to join in on whatever is happening in the scene (mostly eat the food!). This is the third cookbook (or fourth if you count Around the Kitchen Table co-written with her mum Annie Herron), that revolves around the theme of feeding people and sharing food with others. I think it’s something Sophie clearly does very well, however I find myself keen to see something a bit different if there is another cookbook in our future from Sophie (and hopefully there is!). Maybe a book purely dedicated to baking, or even something inspired by the podcast Sophie co-hosts with Germaine Leece, Something to Eat and Something to Read. Either way, I love all Sophie puts out into the world and her recipes and work remain firm favourites in this household. 

Beatrix Bakes Another Slice by Natalie Paull (Hardie Grant)* - Another joyful cookbook from Natalie Paull of former much loved Melbourne bakery Beatrix! While my hope of a few more simple bakes would be included in this second instalment of Beatrix Bakes (and of course this opinion is tempered with the fact that what you consider simple bakes may differ from mine!), there are a few more biscuit recipes than last time - I have tried the Macadamia and White Chocolate Chonky Chip Cookies (p.49) and they are very good (and very massive!). This book is definitely a ‘baking projects’ kind of baking book (there is even a chapter called ‘Day-off Baking Projects’). However if baking projects are your thing, or you like a nice selection of more involved things to make for when the occasion calls for it (again a very subjective thing!), this and Natalie’s first book are for you. 

Natalie has a way of explaining even the most complex baking techniques in a way that make you feel she is in the kitchen with you, gently supporting you through. The advisory sections throughout the book are well worth reading to help you get the ultimate outcome for all your baking efforts (and learn lots too!), along with the specific tips on each recipe on how to change things up. I also love a cookbook that utilises cute illustrations and lovely photography to give the book an inviting and interesting feel, that is also useful to the reader or potential baker - which Beatrix Bakes Another Slice has in spades (or should I say in slices!?). My next bake from this book will either be the Triple Ginger Gingerbread Hoops (p.57), which are something I remember buying and enjoying from Beatrix on my one visit there in 2019, or the Jammy Crumble Crostata (p.129)

Bethlehem by Fadi Kattan (Hardie Grant) - As I mentioned on the original list for this lot of cookbooks, I knew Bethlehem would be a cookbook I would be interested in. I was not wrong, and it is probably one of the most interesting cookbooks I have added to my collection in a little while. Fadi really takes the reader on a tour of Bethlehem, where we share in memories of Fadi’s family, and meet many people along the way who are part of the food culture of Bethlehem today. The location photography in particular is really fantastic in this book, as are the portraits of those Bethlehem natives who Fadi profiles in this book. Their stories are captivating and it really adds to the story of Bethlehem that Fadi is telling through food to highlight these people, like Um Nabil whom Fadi affectionately dubs the ‘Queen of Herbs’.

The impact of colonisation and the Israeli occupation are weaved through the story of Bethlehem, their impacts cannot be ignored. The diverting of water ways into settler communities away from their natural course, has changed the landscape and what can grow there. Fadi explains for example what his childhood memories of Jericho were and the types of herbs that grew there and the date tree farms. Now Fadi laments the loss of these things, and the displacement of the Bedouin population who had settled in this area, due to the encroaching Israeli settlements and the diverting of water to those settlements.  

For all the hardship, and there has been generations of this as those of us in the West are finally catching up with, Fadi and those he profiles in his book are proud to be Palestinian, and from Bethlehem. They are connected to their land and culture through the food they grow and cook, and how this food connects them as people and how it is used to celebrate holidays and mark everyday rituals. The recipes Fadi shares are separated by the seasons, and there is much to choose from. There are recipes like Falafel (p.220) and Shawarma (p.126) which you may expect to see from many cookbooks from the Middle East. However there are surprises (to me anyway, only having two other books dedicated to Palestinian food I am clearly still learning) such as Dibs and Tahina Shortbread (p.113) (dibs is grape molasses of which I have a jar and now with this book have quite a few recipes I could use it for!), Quince Jam (p.168), Poached Peaches in Pomegranate Juice (p.171) and Teta Julia’s Christmas Cake (p.230). 

Greekish by Georgina Hayden (Bloomsbury Publishing)- Georgina’s cookbooks are pure joy and this one is no different. The recipes shared in Greek-ish are Georgina’s take on traditional Greek recipes made a bit simpler for everyday cooking and eating. Unlike Georgina’s previous books which have drawn from her Greek Cypriot heritage and family more directly, this book uses this as its inspiration to create recipes that are shaped by Georgina’s “busy family life”. She has simplified some much loved Greek favourites, and utilised traditional Greek ingredients to ensure flavour and ease at the same time. Much to my approval, there is a large use of both feta and halloumi in this book (see page 62!) so I’m assuming that will be a big win for any cheese loving people out there. There is even a biscuit recipe containing feta cheese for those that need this delicious Greek staple in almost every meal (p.232). 

Recipes like Filo-Wrapped Feta with Spiced Honey (p.64), Beetroot and Dill Tzatziki with Fried Capers (p74), One-Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice (p.114) and Sticky Date and Tahini Aubergine (p.189) are top of my to cook list from Greekish (though I have marked many more recipes with sticky notes!). All the recipes have notes if they are vegetarian, dairy free or gluten free, and I think there is a nice selection of recipes to cater for meat eaters, vegetarians and everyone in between (for very excellent vegan recipes check out Georgina’s book Nistisima). 

I’ll Bring Dessert by Benjamina Ebuehi (Hardie Grant Quadrille)- If you have either of Benjamina’s previous books, you will be familiar with her distinctive use of flavour and ability to create recipes that stand out from the sea of baking books out there. I think this book is no different, but rather than a focus on cakes and baked goods the focus has every so slightly shifted to desserts (which thankfully (for me) still includes some cakes!). With this cookbook, Benjamina is hoping to assist all of us in becoming dessert people, the people who when asked to bring something to a gathering, will echo the name of the book and say ‘I’ll bring dessert’. Some of us may need little assistance in becoming dessert people in terms of eating, but new recipes ideas are always welcome when it comes to actually cooking dessert. As with Benjamina’s previous two books, the recipes are divided up into flavour profiles (e.g. something fruity, something creamy, something nutty etc), which I personally really like and find useful. 

The photography is also a real stand out in this cookbook, it is simple yet inviting and the lighting of each photograph feels just right. There are make ahead suggestions for each recipe, and the variety of desserts is so varied you will no doubt find something to suit what you might be looking for. I would really like to make the Rhubarb Meringue Cake (p.29-30) and the Poached Quince and Custard Crumble Cake (p.48-9), however those temped to stray past having cake for dessert will find all sorts of pies, crumbles, tarts and puddings (and lots more). 

I think for me, in terms of looking at I’ll Bring Dessert and Benjamina’s previous two books, I only prefer the previous two (A New Way to Cake and A Good Day to Bake), as I am more a cake/baking person than a dessert person and am more than happy to have cake for any meal of the day including dessert. 

*These books were gifted to me by their respective publishers. Murdoch Books was gifted with the understanding a review would be written, Hardie Grant was not. All opinions expressed are my own, and to be honest I would have purchased these books myself if they had not been gifted to me. Links to all books are just for your reference. Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.