Below were my top picks for cookbooks that would be worth waiting for, in the second half of 2025. Now I have them all, here are my thoughts!
Boustany by Sami Tamimi (Ebury Press) - The first solo cookbook release from much loved Sami Tamimi has certainly been a title worth waiting for! This book has a focus on vegetable based dishes from Sami’s Palestinian background. The recipes are vibrant and look to be full of flavour. It’s one of those vegetable focused books were meat isn’t missed, as the recipes are so interesting and delicious. There are vegan options for many recipes as well (though some are vegan to start with), and if you have access to a variety of vegetables you will really enjoy this book. I think Boustany, which means ‘my garden’ in Arabic, showcases vegetable forward cooking in a really exciting way, and I think this book will really come into its own now we are close to Summer as there are so many recipes I want to make that utilise Summer produce like tomatoes and eggplants (though many recipes for other times of the year too!).
I made Sami’s Spiced Apple Walnut and Lemon Cake a week ago, using poached quince instead of apple (as suggested by Sami in the recipe header) as I had some frozen I need to use up before we move house. I also used slivered almonds rather than walnuts as I have a lot of almonds to use up before we move as well! The cake is based on a traditional olive oil yoghurt cake, however Sami’s version (which has been shared with him from by members of the Greek Orthodox community in Palestine) uses sunflower oil and has no dairy, only eggs. When making this cake I was beginning to worry it wouldn’t work! The texture of the batter was very thick and for a moment I was concerned the cake was meant to have yoghurt or dairy but had been forgotten! Of course my concerns were wiped away when the cake come out of the oven looking amazing and was super delicious when we tried it! Of course I should have trusted Sami from the outset! I will definitely be making the cake again, and it’s a great one if you need something dairy free. I am keen to make so many recipes from this book, next on my list are the Lemon and Pistachio Cookies (p.286), then onto the many tomato and eggplant dishes in the earlier chapters!
Handfuls of Sunshine by Tilly Pamment (Murdoch)* - As I expected this book is pure joy. Small sized bakes for all occasions, with Tilly’s signature use of flavour (fruits, nuts and all the nice things), with a heavy side of flowers, with beautiful photography and styling. If you loved Tilly’s first book The Plain Cake Appreciation Society, you will love this one. The two books compliment each other, as Tilly’s first is mostly filled with delicious whole cakes, where as Handfuls of Sunshine has small cakes, biscuits, some yeasted bakes and pastry based bakes (all fitting the ‘handfuls’ small bakes theme) so there is a variety of types of bakes and many different recipes to The Plain Cake Appreciation Society.
I have so far made The Lemon and Fennel Seed Amaretti (p.180), with bergamot and a batch with blood orange, both delicious and both will be made again! I also made the Lemon Gems (p.94-97), little bite sized citrus which were also delicious. I also managed to attend one of Tilly’s book events in July, and tried some of the Baby Meringues (p.52-54), along with the Baby Cakes (p.114-116) which are tiny cupcakes with different flavoured Swiss meringue buttercream. I particularly enjoyed the passionfruit version! My Mum has also made the Blueberry, Coconut and Lemon Bars (p.143) which were so enjoyable and froze really well too - a very tasty gluten free bake! Handfuls of Sunshine is a great book for anyone who likes to bake, and wants an injection of brightness, joy and sunshine to their bookshelf. Even just looking at this book feels cheery!
*Thank you to Tilly and Murdoch Books for gifting me a copy of this book.
Modern Australian Baking by Christopher Thé (Hardie Grant) - This much anticipated first release from former Black Star Pastry owner Christoper Thé is gorgeous book filled with sweet and savoury recipes that heavily rely on native Australian ingredients. Modern Australian Baking is definitely what I would classify a ‘baking projects’ kind of book. Most of the bakes are quite involved, have many steps and elements. If a baking challenge is your kind of thing, I think you will like this book! The photography and styling is minimal in nature, which I think links with the themes of this book being ‘modern’ Australian baking, as well as highlighting the bakes themselves and in some cakes the delicate finishing touches to the recipes and how they are decorated. The chapters are divided by the seasons, and there is a detailed introductory section that is well worth a read, as Christoper explains what Modern Australian Baking means to him and explains the native ingredients he uses.
Chesnok by Polina Chesnakova (Hardie Grant) - There have been a few notable releases focussing on Eastern European food this year, and Chesnok by Polina Chesnakova adds another layer to how the diaspora of that part of the world remain connected to their heritage and culture via food. Polina’s book also encompasses the Caucasus and Central Asia, which gives Chesnok (meaning garlic!), a different perspective to other Eastern European cookbooks. Some of the dishes may be familiar to you, or may seem similar to other books focusing on this cuisine. However, like all recipes, things are made differently, region to region, country to country, village to village and family to family. So these recipes won’t be the same as you’ve seen before, even if some elements seem familiar or the same.
If you enjoy the food and flavours of Eastern Europe, and want to learn more about the food of the Caucasus and Central Asia, this is a great book to begin with or add to your collection. Chesnok is also a way for Polina to trace her family history and traditions via food, Polina (now living in the US), was born in Ukraine to a Russian mother and Armenian father who met in Georgia! There are so many influences there, it’s fantastic to see it all come together in a book that can harmonise all those influences through food, in ways we often don’t see outside of the food world. The photography is moody yet inviting and cosy in this book, a great addition to any cookbook shelf! I am looking forward to making the Georgian Ratatouille (p.126-7) and the Stuffed Peppers in Zesty Tomato Sauce (p.133).
