Cookbooks Worth Waiting For 2026 Part 1

After a bit of a delayed start to 2026 (who knew moving was that hectic?! Everyone, probably), I’m back with my first instalment of cookbooks worth waiting for. 

Some of these books are already out in the world, so the wait now is hardly anything. But all these titles have been on my radar for a while, and I think you might be keen to hear more about them too?

I’ve tried to limit the number of baking books on this list this year. I’m aware there were a few last year, and I’m also aware that like me, if you already have a few baking cookbooks in your collection, you might feel like you don’t need that many more right now. Let me know if you feel otherwise though! A separate round up of upcoming baking books can be arranged 😉.

Home Food by Elizabeth Hewson (March) - I really love Lizzie’s style of cooking, flavoursome, yet relatively unfussy. Lizzie has a unique way of creating recipes I really want to eat, that don’t seem typically ‘simple’ yet not overly complex either. There’s a lot of reliance on good pantry staples which is always a great way to bring flavour fast. I love Lizzie’s brand Saturday Night Pasta as well, plus her second book of the same name. I am really looking forward to Home Food, and while it was released this week, I am extending my waiting time a little with this book. I am attending one of Lizzie’s cookbook launch events later this month, and the ticket price comes with a copy of Home Food - but I’m quite sure this one will be worth waiting for!

Simple Italian Dinners by Melanie Lionello (May) - I have been following Mel on Instagram for a little while now, and I really like her approach to food. Mel is a qualified dietician and academic in the same field, yet her approach to food doesn’t come across as preachy or an ‘I know best’ kinda way (even though she probably does!). Mel’s Italian background comes through strongly in her cooking and love of food, and I really appreciate that her focus seems to be a lovely balance between, eating nutritious meals and also just really loving food and wanting to enjoy it (sometimes regardless of nutritional value or lack there of). Not all food needs to be ‘good for you’ in the traditional sense, sometimes food can be comforting, joyful, celebratory, festive or rooted in memory or tradition. I see all these play out in Mel’s recipes, plus her extensive knowledge as a dietician. I am looking forward to Simple Italian Dinners, as I think the title sums up how I like to eat so often. Simple, often Italian style or flavours, yet super flavoursome. I think between Home Food above, and Mel’s new book, I will have so much dinner inspiration this year!

Med-esque by Georgina Hayden (March) - I have really loved all of Georgina’s previous books, Taverna and Nistisima particularly, so I am always really keen to see what’s next in store from her. Med-esque follows on from Georgina’s last book, Greek-ish, where the recipes were inspired by Greek cuisine but weren’t necessarily traditional. Med-esque follows a similar theme but using inspiration from Mediterranean cooking, which is quite a diverse region full of fresh, bright and bold flavours. Georgina has a great way of making recipes accessible yet flavoursome, so I am looking forward to seeing what Med-esque has in store for us. 

Bittersweet by Thalia Ho (February) - There is no wait on this title, with it being released in February, but it makes the list here as I am a little delayed on my end and I still think it’s a great addition. Thalia’s first book Wild Sweetness is baking focused, but has a cute yet gothic style, with interesting use of flavour. It’s quite unlike any other baking book. I assume Bittersweet will contain more of Thalia’s signature style in both styling and ingredient choice. There are a few other baking/dessert books coming out in the first half of the year, but I think Thalia’s is most likely to bring something different to the table so it is the one I am most keen to add to my collection. Fellow cookbook reviewer Julia from Apples & Elderflower has already reviewed Thalia’s new book, so check that out as well if you are keen to add this one to your collection. 

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2022 Part Two - A Recap

These were the new release cookbooks I was most looking forward to in the second half of 2022, you can read the original list here. Now that I have (almost) all of them, and had some time to read through them, it’s time for a recap of the list.

Just a note - The links to the books are for reference only and are not sponsored, I’ve just included where I bought them from or where I wish I had bought them from! Though its always best to search around for the best price as it can vary depending on when you are buying as well. Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

Did any of these books get a place on your bookshelf last year? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments below. 

1. Pasta Grannies Comfort Cooking by Vicky Bennison - If you loved the first Pasta Grannies book, or just love pasta this is the book for you. This time Pasta Grannies ventures into some rice based dishes, pizzas and desserts too, so there is slightly more variety in the recipes compared with the first book. The stories of the grannies are just as heat warming as the first book, and the photography is just as excellent too. I realised when reading this book, that is one of the few I have looked through of late that isn’t focused on the author themselves. Vicky Bennison is showcasing the food of others, preserving recipes and writing down the history of peoples everyday lives. There is something genuinely comforting about that, and by the success of Vicky’s first book (she won a James Beard Award for it!), and the popularity of the related Pasta Grannies You Tube channel, many others must feel the same.

2. Home Is Where The Eggs Are by Molly Yeh - the Australian release of this book has been very delayed, and I still don’t have my preordered copy :( I will add my thoughts here once it arrives!

Update (May 2023) - I have now had Molly’s book for a little while, and it is pure joy which is what I have come to expect from her. I love the colour scheme, and the fact that this book feels typically ‘Molly’ but has just evolved to suit her different phase of life (in comparison to her first book which was pre kids for her and her husband). The focus on family food and things that can be made more quickly is noticeable, but not in a way that excludes people who don’t relate to that part of Molly’s life. The illustrations scattered about the book are delightful, and I really like the food photography as well. Molly’s style of cookbook is very different to the usual American style cookbook, that always feel very different to their European, British and Australian counterparts. I’ve noticed many US based cookbooks utilise a really different style of food photography that looks like artificial light and flash is used and everything can be quite intensely bright and over exposed. Molly’s aesthetic is the total opposite to this. It is calm, yet vibrant, and the images have noticeable shadow creating depth and clearly utilising natural light that really makes the food sing.

3. Home Food by Olia Hercules - When I first got this book, I wasn’t super impressed with it. Looking back I think it was more because I had preordered it from Booktopia, then once the book was released it took them ages to actually ship it to me. It was annoying, and I think it created more frustration than excitement around getting a new book. Now it’s been a few months since then, and I can see it really was the general frustration impairing my view of Home Food. At first I struggled to find recipes I wanted to make, now I’m not sure how all the recipes I’d like to try didn’t stand out to me back then. Many recipes are influenced by Olia’s Ukrainian heritage, and others from her time living in Cyprus, Italy and the UK. This book encapsulates what comfort food means to Olia, and she explains it so well in the longer form writing in the book. The photography by Olia’s husband Joe Woodhouse is also excellent and combined with her writing makes a wonderful book to pursue through (once you’re over the initial frustrating shipping delays of course!). In terms of cover design for once I think the US cover is nicer than the UK/Australian one, but really, that doesn’t detract from all the goodness that is inside.

4. Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour- As I expected these recipes look like they are flavourful and will bring a bit of Persian cooking to your kitchen. In the introduction Sabrina, says her style of cooking has changed more recently as she is now married with two step sons. She says she now gets the need for quick tasty meals and this book is a product of that. I think this is a good book for those looking for a different take on the meals you might want to make midweek, as the recipes don’t look overly fussy and you might try a few new flavours along the way. The photography is also nice in this book, with an image per recipe, plus I just really enjoy the vibrant cover design and the embossed pistachios on the cover.

5. The Joy of Better Cooking by Alice Zaslavsky - This cookbook really is joyful, and as I’ve said before it is just trademark Alice. This book positions itself to help you in the kitchen, but it also has things for those more experienced too. It seems to be able to cater for everyone, I think because Alice really walks the reader through each recipe is very generous with her cooking knowledge and explanations, but the recipes themselves aren’t those super basic things that more experienced cooks may wonder why they bothered with the book at all. The recipes are interesting, and might even challenge the generally favoured flavour and technique profiles of more experienced cooks. For some more info about the book and Alice’s cooking style more generally, you can check out the her segments on ABC News Breakfast (on iView or have a look at Alice’s Instagram as she shares them there as well).