Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2022

This time of year always makes me think, ‘I can’t wait till we get to March’. Not only as I hate Summer, and I have hopes that it might cool down in March, but it’s that month that we always see new cookbook releases flooding on to the shelves. 

March seems to be a popular time of year to release a new cookbook - something about it’s proximity to the lead up to Mother’s Day maybe? - but whatever the reason, I really enjoy having something to look forward to. And as you can see by my list below, most of the titles I think are worth waiting for this year come out in March.

All of these titles are by authors whose previous books I have very much enjoyed, so I highly recommend their previous works as well. 

I have linked each book to the listing on Booktopia. This is not sponsored or an affiliate link, that is just where I mostly buy cookbooks from. Links to Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

Let me know in the comments below what cookbooks you are looking forward to this year.

1. Cinnamon and Salt: Cicchetti in Venice by Emiko Davies (30th March) - I love Emiko’s books. They are filled with stories as well as recipes, that transport you to another place, and sometimes to another time. I also really enjoy Emiko’s photography and the design of her books as well. And I suspect this next book will be no different. 

2. Around the Kitchen Table by Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron (29th March) - Sophie’s cookbooks are favourites of mine, with her recipes always being the kinds of things I really want to eat. And that combined with the calm reassurance of her Mum Annie’s guidance to all things drawing and creativity sounds like perfection. 

3. A Good Day to Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi (2nd March) - Benjamina’s first book, A New Way to Cake, is a favourite of mine for interesting and flavourful cakes. I really enjoy Benjamina’s use of flavour in her first book, and the fact that it wasn’t a baking book that resembled so many others. I am really looking forward to this new book and some new recipes from Benjamina. 

4. The Year of Miracles by Ella Risbridger (31st May) - I think we all loved Ella’s first book, Midnight Chicken. So naturally I want to see what Ella’s next book contains. Unlike many cookbooks, photography doesn’t play a part in Ella’s books, but her writing will be what transports you to her kitchen and give you a comforting and real look at how food and cooking has supported her in life’s hardest moments. 

5. Nistisima by Georgina Hayden (29th March) - Although this book is full of vegan recipes, which is not my usual go to, I trust that this book will be the exception to my general distain for all vegan cookbooks. Georgina has collated and researched vegan recipes from parts of the world where fasting from animal products for periods of time is part of the religious year. This to me makes the book so much more interesting, and I am really looking forward to seeing what types of recipes Georgina has in store for us. 

The Best Cookbooks of 2021

2021. Probably a year many of us would like to forget, and a year that we thought would go differently than it did.

Despite everything that year threw at us, there were still new cookbook releases. And so many good ones at that. These are my top picks for the best cookbooks of 2021, though there are more that I really enjoyed. 

The titles I’ve listed below are ones that I feel bring something more to the table, whether it be the quality of the recipes, photography, stories, themes or the fact that they brought something to my cookbook collection I didn’t know I needed. 

What would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.

Together by Jamie Oliver - I am really enjoying this new book from Jamie Oliver. I like that it doesn’t have a restrictive theme like some of his previous books, these recipes feel a bit like old school Jamie in a comforting way. The premise of this book is bringing people together, after being isolated for so long. Whilst bringing people together may still not be possible for many of us, the recipes look achievable and tasty and well worth trying even if you aren’t able to share it with many.

In Good Company by Sophie Hansen - I love Sophie’s books, and this one is no exception. The combination of Sophie’s recipes and photography is an utter joy. And while similar to Jamie Oliver’s book, the theme revolves getting people together which may feel a bit premature to some (I suppose we all hoped the pandemic would be firmly in the past by now), this book should be on your bookshelf and in your kitchen. The garlic, honey, rosemary roasted chicken pieces (p.76) has become a firm favourite in our house, and I have made the rhubarb and vanilla jam (p.157) about four times!

Home by Stephanie Alexander - This book really does what the title says, it feels homely and comforting. I really like Stephanie’s writing in this book, and the book is a mix of recipes with shorter and extended written pieces. I am rather ashamed to say this is the first book I own from Stephanie Alexander (please don’t judge me!), I know so many who consider her book The Cook’s Companion a staple in their kitchen. However, if you are now beyond the basics, I think Home is an excellent place to begin your Stephanie Alexander collection.

Middle Eastern Sweets by Salma Hage - I bought this book after someone recommended it to me. It was on my wish list, and it seemed all I needed was a small nudge to purchase! I love the flavours that are traditionally used in Middle Eastern sweets, such as rose, pistachio, dates etc, so I knew I would like this book. The recipes by Salma have been influenced by her family and upbringing in Lebanon, but also from the wider Middle East outside of Lebanon via Salma’s travels and food experiences over the years. There are so many things I want to try from this book, starting with the first recipe in the book for Barazek (Syrian Sesame and Pistachio Biscuits) on page 14. 

Advent by Anja Dunk - This book is filled with mostly sweet recipes that are enjoyed during the Christmas period in Germany. It’s interesting how different nations and cultures celebrate the festive season, and I am thoroughly enjoying learning more about how it’s done in Germany. I really like the design of the book, and the linocut prints that separate the chapters also created by Anja. There are now quite a few recipes I will need to add to my list for Christmas 2022, though I may not be able to wait that long!

Istria by Paola Bacchia - This book fascinated me as soon as I came across the preorder listing online. The area of Istria that, with the changeable land borders over history, has encapsulated parts of Italy, Solvenia, Austria and Croatia. Istria was an area I had not heard of and instantly wanted to know more about. This book is based on the recipes and stories of Paola’s father who was Istrian, and it’s filled with family history and thoughtful memories. The recipes have an Italian vibe, but with distinct influences from Austria, Solvenia and Croatia making the Istrian cuisine quite unique. 

Off The Shelf - 'A Table for Friends' by Skye McAlpine

Bought at: I pre-ordered it from Booktopia.

Recipes Made: Aphrodite’s Roast Chicken p.90, Roast Apples p.172 and Pistachio Butter Cake with Marzipan Icing p.232. 

The recipe for Aphrodite’s Roast Chicken is deceptively simple, in the sense that I doubted before I ate it that a mixture of so few ingredients (chicken, potato, lemon, rosemary and garlic) could produce a roast chicken any different from things I’d tried before. However, slicing the potatoes and placing them under the chicken, means they soak up so much flavour and are a joy to eat along with the chicken. To the point that I don’t know why anyone would bother cooking potatoes separately to their roast chicken after trying this recipe.

Similar to the Aphrodite’s Roast Chicken, the Roast Apples are amazingly simple, yet yield delicious results. Skye introduces the recipe as a substitute for apple sauce with some meats, however we used it as a very simple dessert. Served with ice cream it was delicious and very easy.

Having found Skye’s original recipe for her Pistachio Butter Cake with Marzipan Icing online a few years ago, I have made it many times and made variations and adaptations to it over time as well (a couple of them pictured below). It is a favourite cake of mine, as I love all things pistachio. I was so glad to see a version of it in this cookbook, as I think it is such a great recipe and such a reliable cake to make, that hopefully this means more people will be able to enjoy it. I have never made the cake with the marzipan icing, I usually make a simple glaze icing with lemon juice or rosewater.

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Favourite Things About the Book: My favourite thing about all of Skye’s work is her absolutely gorgeous photography and styling. This book is a real feast for the eyes, and it is so gentle and calming to look at. Combined with the design of the book and the use of colour, this cookbook just exudes joy and abundance, in a simple and achievable way. 

I also really like how most of these recipes are interesting flavour wise, yet not overly complex. While I haven’t made a large variety of recipes from this book, the recipes I have tried have been made many times (particularly the Roast Chicken and Pistachio Butter Cake), and have become staples in our home.

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Wintery Saffron Couscous p.48, Rigatoni with Mascarpone and Pancetta p.64, Spinach Mint and Melted Cheese Syrian Frittata p.80, Tagliatelle Gratin pp.86-7, Beetroot and Mint Salad p.118, Baby Artichoke Fennel and Pecorino Salad p.122, Fennel and Parmesan Purée p.136, Asparagus with Lemon and Toasted Almond Gratin p.138, Carrot Cumin and Mint Salad p.144, An Embarrassment of Spring Vegetables p.146, Roast Stuffed Tomatoes p.156, Creamy Baked Leeks with Mustard and Parmesan p.164 and Roasted Fennel Focaccia p.256

Cookbooks to Learn From

I believe you can always learn something from a cookbook, but there are some out there that are designed to really teach you something or be an authority on a particular topic, cooking style, region etc. 

I love cookbooks that add to my knowledge on a particular area of cooking, or those I can use to refer back to when I need help with a particular technique or flavour pairing. Below is a list of some I find most useful.

What would you add to the list?

1. The Flavour Thesaurus and Lateral Cooking by Niki Segnit - Niki's books are the product of immense amounts of research and are so useful to have. The Flavour Thesaurus uses a flavour wheel to categorise different ingredients and then shows what combinations work and why. Lateral Cooking shows the links between cooking techniques and uses research from other cookbooks to explain how modifications can be made. There is a great interview with Niki on the Honey and Co Podcast where she explains the premise and work behind each book really well. These two books are probably the most used of my cooking reference books, they are filled with the answers to my questions and Lateral Cooking in particular is super useful for basic recipes and adapting recipes.

2. Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat - This list wouldn't be complete without Samin's super popular book! Samin shows us how salt, fat, acid and heat are the four main elements of cooking. This is a really worthwhile book to have, and there are some great interviews with Samin where she discusses her book on Radio Cherry Bombe and the Honey and Co Podcast. 

3. I also really love books like Citrus by Catherine Phipps, where one category of ingredient is the theme of the whole book. In Citrus, Catherine gives information about well and lesser known citrus and a whole variety of recipes in which they can be used. These types of books are great if you want to know more about a particular ingredient or often have an abundance of that ingredient. 

4. Books such as Pasta by Antonio Carluccio and Patisserie by Dupius and Cazor are great for getting an in depth look at a particular cooking technique or style. I love Antonio Carluccio's book Pasta, as it has some great tips for making pasta, different recipes and accompaniments for the pasta you've made. Books like Patisserie are great when you want to perfect skills that you may not use regularly in the kitchen. Both books have great step by step photos, and Patisserie has excellent illustrations of each dessert showing the layers and elements of each.

5. Finally, I love books such as Gastronomy of Italy by Anne Del Conte, Maggie's Harvest by Maggie Beer and How to Eat by Nigella Lawson as they are the kind of book you can use as a thesaurus to explain how to use particular ingredient or cook a particular type of dish. None of these books have many photos as they are heavy on useful information and I often use them when I have come across a particular ingredient and need some ideas as to how to cook it. I have found Maggie’s Harvest particularly useful when I am searching for ideas on how to cook a slightly less common ingredient such as duck eggs or zucchini flowers and Nigella’s book is really useful for those simple yet endlessly useful recipes like homemade stocks.

Books for Baking

There are lots of cookbooks out there, for every type of food, ingredient and cooking style imaginable.

Cookbooks about baking always catch my eye, but I do find some more helpful and inspiring than others. The types of baking books that you are drawn to will mostly depend how often you bake and how confident you feel in the kitchen. I have long moved on from books that focus on the basics, however they were once the books I looked to all the time.

The cookbooks about baking that I am drawn to now, are ones that provide inspiration around flavour and use of ingredients, have a cohesive story behind them and give guidance on more technical aspects of baking.

The books below are ones that I turn to for inspiration, technical advice, comforting recipes and honestly, they are all just nice to sit a have a look through with a cup of tea.

1.The New Way to Cake by Benjamina Ebuehi - The book is small and unassuming, but is packed full of cake recipes you won’t find in every book about baking. Benjamina’s book is divided into chapters around flavour, and flavour is what really drives this book, and sets it apart from many others. In short, there are no boring recipes in this cookbook!

2. Aran by Flora Shedden - From a bakery in far away Scotland, comes a series of recipes that are nod to traditional Scottish baking, but that also have quite the modern flair. Again I really enjoy the use of flavour in these recipes, and the unfussy nature of them too. 

3. The Pastry Chef’s Guide by Ravneet Gill - If you are wanting to get more into the technical side of baking and patisserie this is the book for you. Ravneet covers all the basics, both the simple and complex ones, all wrapped up in a small pretty pink book. 

4. Now for Something Sweet by Monday Morning Cooking Club - I spoke about this book recently, and I have to include in this list as it is a great addition for bakers of all levels. You are sure to find a comforting bake to make in this book, whether its something fairly quick and easy, or a little more complex and time consuming. 

5.The Violet Bakery Cookbook by Claire Ptak - Every time I look at this book I seem to find something new. Claire’s use of ingredients and flavour really surprised me when I bought this book a few years ago, and I feel like I have learnt a lot from her in that time about the use of different types of flours, sugars and the like for their contribution to flavour and texture in a bake. You can read more about my experience with this book here.

Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

Off The Shelf - 'Now for Something Sweet' by Monday Morning Cooking Club

Bought at: Booktopia - I was so looking forward to the release of this book I preordered it. 

Recipes Made: Spiced Honey Cake p.48, Passover Pear Cake p.57, Custard Chiffon p.112, Crunchies p.135, Coconut and Passionfruit Slab Cake p.142, 23 Minute Meringues p.274 and Anchovy Twists p.290.

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I made the Spiced Honey Cake last during during a lockdown inspired zoom cook-along with the Monday Morning Cooking Club. The recipe is adapted slightly from the honey cake in the Monday Morning Cooking Club’s first book, and is well known as an excellent honey cake. I really enjoyed making this cake, though I did find mine needed a fair bit more time to cook than the recipe says. Next time I make it I may increase the oven temperature a little to compensate. This is definitely one of those cakes that tastes even better a couple of days or so after baking and I certainly enjoyed eating slices of it days after the fun of the live zoom cooking class. 

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Passover Cake with Plum

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Passover Cake with Quince

I first made the Passover Pear Cake with plums rather than pears as it was early April and some plums were still around. It was delicious, even if I did get the order of the cake ‘layers’ a little off! I used superfine matzo meal that time as I had some, and it was definitely the nicest thing I’ve ever eaten that contains matzo meal! The cake was incredibly light and fluffy despite the matzo meal. The next time I made this cake I used poached quince and as one of the MMCC ladies had suggested to me, plain flour instead of superfine matzo meal. It was still such a good cake despite all the adaptations I made (both times I also used different nuts than the recipe suggested as well!), though I really should make it again with pears as the recipe says! 

I have made the Custard Chiffon many times over the years, as the recipe was first published in the MMCC’s first book. I the first time I tried this cake was at a Bake Club and MMCC event in 2014, where a few recipes were demonstrated and we got to try them too. It was the lightest fluffiest most delicious cake I had ever tasted, and I have been making it ever since. 

The recipe for Crunchies was intriguing to me, and I think the first recipe I made from this book. These bars are like a South African version of ANZAC biscuits, but even crunchier as the name suggests. They were delicious and very nice dunked into a cup of tea. 

The Coconut and Passionfruit Slab Cake has been the most popular recipe so far from this book for me. I think I made it two times within a month or so of the book being released, and have continued to make it ever since. It is an incredibly easy cake to make, and I have found I don’t need to use a stand mixer to make it. The cake is gluten free, and I think you could easily make it dairy free too by using a dairy free margarine/spread instead of butter. When passionfruit are in season I buy them and freeze the pulp - and this cake is inevitably what I bring out the frozen pulp for. 

I chose to make the 23 Minute Meringues last Christmas, when COVID related restrictions made our Christmas Day smaller than expected and making a large Pavlova for three people seemed a little much - it was also going to be hard to find fridge space for cream topped leftover Pav when there would inevitably be quite a lot of leftovers! I thought meringues would be a better option as leftovers could be kept in a container, and it just felt nice to try a new recipe too. 

I made the Anchovy Twists as part of another MMCC zoom cook-along last year, and they were a big hit with the family. We love anchovies so these were always going to be a winner, but the pastry was not only easy to make but also delicious to eat and not too heavy. The sour cream pastry used to make these is a great one for many sweet and savoury bakes, and one I will be coming back to again and again. 

Favourite Things About the Book: Recipes and stories are what the MMCC does best, and this book is no exception. I love the stories of each recipe contributor at the beginning of each chapter, and the delightful illustrations of the baked goods that go with it. The photography in this book is beautiful and I love that every recipe has a photo. The ‘How To’ sections at the beginning of some of the chapters would also be great for those new to baking or needing a confidence boost, making this book great for every baking level, not just those who are already quite confident and experienced. 

The recipes that the MMCC choose to add to their books are always well tested, and I really love being able to bake knowing it will work. The MMCC also have videos on their YouTube channel and IGTV on Instagram, so many of the recipes from all their books can be found there and you can see how they are made via those videos if you want more clarification. 

The variety of sweet (and a few savoury) recipes is really diverse from cookies and biscuits, to intricate layer cakes or tortes, simple cake and sweet breads. I was so excited when the MMCC said they were working on a cookbook with mostly sweet recipes, and I think this cookbook is not only a great addition to their other books, but also a great addition to anyone’s cookbook collection who love baking or want to bake more. 

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Persian Shortbread p.20, White Chocolate and Honey Madeleines p.62, Upside Down Peach Cake p.87, Russian Honey Cake p.92, Russian Sour Cream Smetna Torte p.94, Glazed Honey Chiffon p.115, Pumpkin Chiffon p.118, Passionfruit Tart p.154, Apple Honey and Cinnamon Challah p.180, Apple and Cinnamon Babke p.186-7, Cinnamon Streusel Babke p.190, Charoset Ice Cream p.242, Nut and Date Coins p.268, Spiced Cheese Biscuits p.293 and Frojalda (Turkish Cheese Bread) p.298 - so yeah, basically just the rest of the book!