The Best Cookbooks of 2023

This yearly list of mine could probably be renamed to ‘My Favourite Books of [insert year]’ as that’s really what this is. I’m obviously not comparing all cookbooks that were released in 2023, only the ones I personally own that were released last year. My tastes in food, flavour and cookbooks, as well as my knowledge of what’s out there across varying markets, obviously limits what books I will personally purchase in any given year and therefore what might make this kind of list. 

Lots of great cookbooks were released in 2023, and this is a small selection of them. This list comprises the books that have captured me the most from last year and I can’t stop thinking or talking about. If I added everything I really wanted the list would be ridiculously long and since brevity is not my strong suit when writing, I limit myself to around five books to avoid writing too many essay length blog posts 🤣. Though if you do want more cookbook chat paid subscribers to my newsletter get even more of that! You can sign up here if you’d like to.

I’ll be back next week with the first instalment of Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2024, but for now lets round out 2023, another great year for cookbooks!

The Plain Cake Appreciation Society by Tilly Pamment - To say I love this book is an understatement. A cookbook has not captivated me so much in a long time. Yes, I adore other cookbooks. But something about Tilly’s book keeps me coming back and actually baking from it. For me whether I have made lots or nothing from a cookbook isn’t necessarily an indication of how good the book is - cookbooks can be useful and worthy of a place on our bookshelves for more reasons than how many recipes have been cooked out of it. However, with this book it does feel like something to mention, as so few baking focused cookbooks have drawn me in so completely and actually had me baking multiple things from them in a long time.

As I’ve mentioned previously, the photography and styling is stunning in this book, combined with the colour palette used it really draws me in and I think makes me want to try the recipes even more. Since I last spoke about this book, the Raspberry-Studded Tea Bars (p.36) have been on high rotation in our household. I think we’ve made them at least half a dozen times since September 2023. We use a friand tin as I don’t have a suitable bar tin to use, and after the first batch decided to omit the ground up tea in the recipe which makes them even simpler to make. We often have a batch in the freezer as they freeze well, and make a great gluten free, lactose free, low fodmap treat (which is why we started making them in the first place). I highly recommend this recipe and so many others from The Plain Cake Appreciation Society! 

Portico by Leah Koenig - This was a long awaited release for me, as I recipe tested for this book back in 2021 (and I am doing the same for Leah’s next book!). I really like the story and the history Leah weaves through this book, which places a spotlight on Rome’s longstanding Jewish community and the food that has shaped their lives and history in such a well known culinary city as Rome. I personally really love a cookbook that does a deep dive on a particular city, area or community so Portico helps add to my collection and knowledge on Italian and Jewish cuisines in a way that shows their similarities and differences. This is done in a way that has seriously added to my recipes I want to try list, though I can highly recommend the Fennel Gratin (p.79) as this is a recipe I tested back on 2021 and loved. It’s different to a traditional gratin as there is no cream in the recipe, which is great if you are lactose intolerant or just don’t like creamy things like me. And if you love arancini, you should try the Mozzarella-Stuffed Risotto Fritters (p.140-1) also known as Suppli al Telefono as they are like the Roman Jewish cousin to arancini!

Recipes in the Mail by Amy Minichiello* - After hosting the Sydney launch of this book with Amy, I feel I can call her a friend, so my thoughts on this cookbook may be a little biased. However if you have an interest in old fashioned family recipes and connecting with the stories around those recipes you must add this book to your collection. This book has so much heart and soul, it feels like a personal invitation from Amy to join her in discovering and baking these recipes. And if you have met Amy, you’ll know that’s exactly how she is in person too. I think everyone who attended the Afternoon Tea we hosted back in August 2023 would agree (you can read more about the event and how the book came about here). The recipes in this cookbook mostly fall into the baking category with a couple of exceptions, where recipes fit for dinner are also included.

In preparation for the Afternoon Tea Amy and I hosted, we made many recipes from the book and I was able to try a few too. Standouts were Ma Lyn’s Fruit Slice (p.71) which I have made since then too, Nanna Joy’s Sausage Rolls (p.151-2) which I have also made again since the Afternoon Tea, and showing my bias completely now, I would also say my Grandma’s Pavlova (the recipe for which I shared with Amy when the Recipes in Mail project was not yet a book) with Amy’s addition of a creamy strawberry topping (p.46-7) was also a standout. Since then, one recipe has become a clear favourite for me, and that is Catherine’s Grandma’s Pikelets (p.22). In October 2023 I think I made these every week, and have made them so many times since then as well. To me they are the perfect breakfast, and any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days ready to be heated up and topped with fruit and maple syrup (my personal topping preference) for another breakfast.

*my copy of this book was gifted to me by Amy as I contributed a recipe that was included in the book. There is no link to where this book can be bought as at the time of writing, I could not find anywhere that had it in stock (except for a $80+ copy via Amazon that would be shipping from the USA). I have seen it in some bookshops recently (Dec 23/Jan 24) Dymocks Chatswood and Novella Fine Books in Wahroonga (both in Sydney), however I would recommend asking your local/favourite bookshop if they can order it for you. Edit 26/02/24 - To find books such as Recipes in the Mail in local bookshops, use https://yourbookstore.io to find your nearest stockist or one that can ship to you, thank you to Kelly for alerting me to this great way of supporting our local bookshops online.

The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours by Niki Segnit- A running theme you may notice about some the cookbooks I talk about in lists like this one is my appreciation for research and the work that an author does to really provide an educational element to their work. This new instalment of The Flavour Thesaurus is a massive work of research, and like the first book, this research provides so much to any one who likes cooking and wants to understand food and flavour more. I am mostly enjoying the complementary nature of The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours with the original Flavour Thesaurus, as the second instalment continues on with the more flavours researched and explained in the same style as Niki’s first book. Between the two books there is a wealth of knowledge to work with when learning about how to pair flavour together, and The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours included flavours I had hoped I would find in the first one but were not included. This is a great book for anyone interested in cooking beyond recipes, or like me, does recipe development work.  

Malta by Simon Bajada - As mentioned above I love a book that does a deep dive on a particular place, cuisine or area so Malta immediately appealed to me. It also appealed to me as I knew basically nothing about Malta or Maltese cuisine and felt my cookbook collection could benefit from a book like this. The photography is really stunning, and between the food images and location images the reader gets a really great feel for Maltese food and a taste of what Malta would be like to visit. It looks sunny, hot and has a very Mediterranean vibe that made me feel like I was on a mini holiday looking at all the photos. 

The introductory section has a really good overview of Malta, Maltese history and how Malta’s geographic location and geography itself have influenced Maltese cuisine over time. Of course the brevity means there would be so much more to discover and learn, but it is a great starting point if you like me, know little about Malta and Maltese cuisine. 

Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024

Gingerbread Melting Moments

These are a cross between a melting moment and a gingerbread biscuit and if I do say so myself, they are very good!

Like regular gingerbread biscuit the flavour improves over a day or two. You can mix up the spices if you like, but I highly recommend having a variety of spices like those in the ingredients list.

These would make a nice gift, however they are equally nice just to have in the biscuit jar at home for something to nibble on in the lead up to Christmas.

Gingerbread Melting Moments

Ingredients:                                       

300g unsalted butter, softened

100g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

450g plain flour

1.5 tsp ground ginger

1.5 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cardamom

Ingredients for the filling:

80g unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp ground cardamom 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 145 degrees Celsius, and line three large baking trays with baking paper. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla  until creamy.

Add the flour and spices to the creamed butter, and mix on low speed until a dough forms. 

Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on the prepared trays (you should end up with 40-44 individual dough balls/biscuits) leaving a little space in between each. Then lightly press down each ball with the back of a fork so they flatten out a little. Dip your fork in flour if it is sticking to the dough.

Bake for 25 minutes. They will be cooked when the undersides of the biscuits are lightly golden. To ensure a even bake, rotate the baking trays in the oven around half way through. 

Allow to cool on their trays.

Once the biscuits have cooled make the filling by beating all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or by using a hand held mixer. Mix until light and fluffy and everything is well combined. 

Pair up the cooked biscuits, and turn one from each pair over so the underside is facing up. Spread or pipe the filling on to the underside of one biscuit in each biscuit pair, then gently sandwich the paired biscuits together.

Leave the biscuits for half an hour or so for the filling to firm up a bit (you can do this in the fridge in warmer weather). Biscuits will store well in an airtight container for a few days. 

Makes about 46 individual biscuits and 23 sandwiched biscuits. 

Double Layer Duck Egg Sponge Cake

A sponge cake is a good thing. A duck egg sponge cake is an extra good thing!

Whenever I manage to find duck eggs, which isn’t often at all, I make a sponge cake with them. Duck eggs, which can be a fair bit bigger than regular chicken eggs, give sponge cakes extra lift and height. Plus they often give an intense yellow colour to the sponge thanks to their yolks.

For this cake I used smaller duck eggs (which are similar to the size of jumbo chicken eggs), however if you have larger sized duck eggs you can reduce the amount of eggs you use by one.

This recipe can be found over on my Substack newsletter - Friday Food Chat with Kath.

If you’d like recipes like this one coming straight into your inbox or Substack feed please sign up to join my weekly Friday Food Chats. I’d love to have you.

Cookbooks Worth Waiting For in 2023 Part 2 - A Recap

What a lovely stack of books! 

The second half of this year has produced some great new cookbooks, and these were my picks for the best and those worth waiting for - surely I am not the only one who counts down the weeks to cookbook releases?! 

Below are my thoughts on each book, they are all quite different but all worthy of their place on this list and on my shelf (maybe yours too?). My original thoughts on these books can be read here, plus you can catch up on past Cookbooks Worth Waiting For lists here as well.

Please let me know in the comments below if you have added any of these new releases to your cookbook collection, and what you thought of them!

The links provided are just for your reference. Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

The Plain Cake Appreciation Society by Tilly Pamment (July 2023) - I knew I would like this book. I was not prepared for how much I like it! The Plain Cake Appreciation Society is probably my favourite new release for the whole of 2023. This book is equal parts fantastic recipes and beautiful styling, photography and design. It feels like a warm hug, a comfort on busy or hard days, and gives a sense of Tilly’ warm gentle demeanour throughout. 

The Plain Cake Appreciation Society follows on from a series Tilly started on Instagram where she shared a recipe a week, and called it The Plain Cake Appreciation Society. These cakes weren’t the three day project extravaganza type cakes, but more simple homely, yet very flavoursome cakes one wants to eat with a cup of tea most days of the week. These are the kinds of cakes I like to bake and eat, so this book has only increased the number of recipes I want to bake for that mid-week tea and cake moment. 

Tea and flowers are taken very seriously in this book (as they should be), and each recipe comes with a suggestion for what tea to serve with the cake and what flowers might best accompany the cake. The combination of these elements, along with the gorgeous photography and styling, create a calm inspirational feeling that allows the reader (or baker) to know a nice cake (which despite the title of the book are really anything but plain - the flavours used will satisfy even the most complex of palettes), a moment of calm and a cup of tea are never far away. 

I have tried a few recipes from the book, and I am planning an Off the Shelf post in the near future to go through all of them in more detail. So far the stand out has been the Quince and Blackberry Cake (p.108-10) which comes with the recipe for poached quince (I told you the recipes were full of flavour!). The cake has a brown butter crumble which is genuinely the best and most delicious crumble I have ever tasted. The brown butter flavour really comes through and the short amount of time taken to brown the butter really is worth it. 

This is definitely a book for the bakers in your life (or yourself?!), I don’t recommend baking books all the time since I find so many of them are offering the same thing, or don’t feel like they have a really unique voice that really interests me beyond the baking books I already have. Tilly’s The Plain Cake Appreciation Society is the antithesis of this, and I am overjoyed to say it deserves a place on your bookshelf.

Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen by Leah Koenig (September 2023) - This book really lives up to the ‘cookbooks worth waiting for’ element of this series! As wait I have! Sometimes cookbook titles from the US take a while to get here, and the release date for this book was changed so many times I had serious fears I would not get this book until early 2024. Thankfully Portico is now available in Australia (it can be around $60AUD so have a look around for the best price), and I can now relax knowing this wonderful book is at my fingertips at a moments notice. 

As I mentioned a few months ago in the original post for this list, I did some recipe testing for this book back in 2021 and enjoyed all the recipes I made. I can now finally say that everything else in the book looks amazing too! As I thought, this book has a very different take on Roman cuisine and opens up so many more dishes to try from the Jewish community of Rome outside of what we might first think of when considering the food of Rome. 

I really enjoyed reading Leah’s introduction to the book, where she explains her connection to Roman Jewish cuisine and the impact it had on her. The brief explanation of Roman Jew’s 2000 year history in Rome was also a fascinating read, and reading Leah’s writing on the Ghetto in Rome and seeing the photos taken by Kristin Teig, brings back great memories of my last trip to Rome many years ago. A friend and I made sure to visit the Ghetto and Via del Portico d’Ottavia and we ate fried artichoke and sampled matzah as our side to our meal (rather than some kind of bread). We took a tour of the Tempio Maggiore di Roma, and I now lament we didn’t know about the bakery that sells their famous Pizza Ebraica - a biscuit (not an actual pizza!) filled with dried fruit and nuts. Luckily Leah has a recipe for it on page 273.  

Along with Pizza Ebraica I am very much looking forward to trying the Lemony Almond Cake (p.286), Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice (p.174-5) and the Whole Roasted Fish with Raisins and Pine Nuts (p.211). This is a book that is well worth adding to your shelf if you love Italian food and are keen to learn more and widen your understanding of more types of food from Italy. 

Garlic, Olive Oil and Everything Else by Daen Lia (August 2023) - Daen’s first foray into cookbook writing is a fun look into her tasty cooking style, using lots of garlic and olive oil! These recipes are tasty and seem to be full of flavour. I really feel Daen’s cooking style translates beyond the world of TikTok and into our kitchens with recipes that are beyond trends, but are just good. I’d suggest Daen’s recipes maybe even suit this more traditional format better, as people picking up this book probably wouldn’t have an issue with the use of olive oil, salt or insert other random thing Daen has been criticised for on TikTok for - my only conclusion is those people aren’t really into food and don’t ‘get’ it? 

Daen’s Spanish and Italian heritage really shine through in this book, and if like me you love the style of food and ingredients used in those cuisines, you’ll love this book. I hope we see more of this kind of format from Daen in the future, this book did feel like there could have been more (in terms of recipes, it’s quite a thin book despite it’s slightly larger size overall) and I’m hoping it’s just a first taste of what will we seen from Daen. 

We have already tried the Pan-Fried Salmon with Cherry Tomato Confit (p.66), and I’m thinking I will need to make some of Daen’s Focaccia (p.96-99) and use the leftover Cherry Tomato Confit to top the foccacia! I really like the look of many of Daen’s seafood recipes, the One-Pan Roasted Fish Puttanesca (p.68) is high on my ‘to cook’ list, along with the Whole Roasted Snapper with Green Anchovy Butter (p.91). And I wouldn’t be getting the full Daen’s Kitchen experience if I didn’t make Confit Garlic (p.14)!

Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking by Emiko Davies (October 2023) - This book gives us a more personal glimpse into Emiko’s food history and influences in a way we haven’t before. I love Emiko’s Italian cookbooks, but this one is even more personal to Emiko as she has finally been able to share the Japanese side of her food self. We are so fortunate that she has, as this book feels deeply personal, and also really informative. I love the illustrated cover and those dotted throughout the book, and how Emiko has brought her trademark writing style to this book. In a similar style to Emiko’s previous cookbooks, this is a book you could just as easily curl up and read as cook from in your kitchen. 

The recipes range from basics like how to cook rice, and make staples like panko breadcrumbs and pickled ginger, to breakfast dishes, whole meals and recipes that have been influenced by more Western cooking styles and ingredients that have become popular in Japan over the years. 

These recipes are bound by the meaning behind the title of the book, Gohan. Gohan literally translates to ‘rice’ but as Emiko explains, when she spoke to her mother about naming the book this, her mother said that Gohan embodied the idea of an everyday home cooked meal, that wasn’t fussy yet was nourishing. “‘I think the best food is created when you cook for someone love’” said Emiko’s mum Sumie, and I think that, the connection to family via food (both past and present) and a connection to a place, really sums up not only this book but maybe a running theme of Emiko’s work more generally. 

I am looking forward to making some Pickled Ginger (p.35), learning how to properly steam rice (p.80-81), try my hand at Japanese Milk Bread (p.221-2) and continue to read more of Emiko’s writing in this book and learn more about her, her family and Japanese food and ingredients generally. 

Now and Then by Tessa Kiros (October 2023)* - If you have any of Tessa’s other cookbooks you will know her trademark style. The beautiful design, and use of pattern, the colourful ribbon bookmark and the recipes influenced by her life and family or travels. 

Each chapter focuses on recipes influenced by a place or time in Tessa’s life (now or then). The recipes vary a lot, and in any other context might not make sense as a whole. But since this book is part cookbook part memoir for Tessa, it makes sense because it is her story. Many of Tessa’s books remind me of scrapbooks (albeit fancy scrapbooks!), and this one is no different. I can’t help but think Tessa must have a big say in the design process as this book has many personal touches, but also such a different style to many other cookbooks around. 

The use of colour in the book is calm and inviting, as are the photographs throughout the book. Now & Then is a book you might buy for the beauty of it and the personal touches and story. Or for someone who is interested in peoples lives, the food that enriches them and beautiful things generally. I am looking forward to trying the Gingerbread (p.50) and the Pistachio Biscuits (p.381).

*This book was gifted to me by Murdoch Books, with the expectation a review would be written. All opinions are my own, and I would have purchased this book myself if it had not been gifted to me.

Crunchy Cinnamon Biscuits

Just when I think I couldn’t possibly come up with any new biscuit ideas, a new idea floats my way.

A few weeks ago I was making some biscuits for my mum, and while I added vanilla to the biscuits they were otherwise a little plain (as can happen when catering to dietary requirements). I had frozen half the dough, so the next time I baked them I decided to try and make them a little more interesting. Since the dough was already rolled into balls ready for baking, I couldn’t add anything more to the actual biscuit dough. But I could roll the dough balls in something to make them more tasty. I decided on a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, which worked a treat. Even though the dough was still frozen, the cinnamon stuck to the outsides, and once baked, proved more flavoursome than the first batch.

I decided I needed to recreate these biscuits, but in a non-dietary requirement friendly way (I had used low fodmap flour the first time, which I think made the biscuits a little flat). So I returned to my trusty basic biscuit recipe, and spiced them up a little!

The result was a very tasty, crunchy and cinnamon crackled biscuit that I can now add to my ever growing list of ‘things I can bake with not much time, energy or even ingredients’.

For a festive version of this recipe, check out my Crunchy Christmas Spiced Cookies here.

Crunchy Cinnamon Biscuits

Ingredients:

120g unsalted butter, melted

125g + 1 tsp caster sugar

100g brown sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

290g self raising flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line three large baking trays with baking paper.

In a small saucepan melt the butter over low-medium heat. Once the butter has melted remove from the heat and mix in the 125g caster sugar, brown sugar, golden syrup, vanilla and the egg.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and all of the ground ginger and cardamom.

Add the butter mixture to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

Cover and chill in fridge for at least 20 mins.

In a small bowl mix together the remaining 1 tsp each of caster sugar and cinnamon.

Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and roll into your cinnamon sugar mix. Place on the prepared trays - the biscuits will spread as they bake so leave enough room in between. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the trays in the oven about halfway through to ensure the biscuits cook evenly. 

Allow to cool on their trays, then store in an airtight container. 

Makes about 36 biscuits.

Ginger Oat and Raisin Slice

This recipe is loosely based on the Ma Lyn’s Fruit Slice in Amy Minichello’s cookbook Recipes in the Mail (p.71), which in turn comes from Christine O’Neill (and Ma Lyn of course!). 

When I was making the slice for the afternoon tea Amy and I hosted in August, the recipe really reminded me of how ANZAC Biscuits are made. The recipe refers to the slice base as a cake, but it really reminded me more of a biscuit. 

I enjoyed the slice so much, that the following weekend I made it again, and used Singing Magpie Produce’s Quince Syrup in place of the golden syrup, which added a lovely flavour and gave the slice a slighter deeper golden colour. When I was making the slice, the thought suddenly occurred to me, what would this slice be like if I added oats and ginger?

Something about the recipe’s similarities to ANZAC Biscuits, and me having not long used crystallised ginger in another recipe (I made these biscuits here but with crystallised ginger not stem), had my brain thinking up adaptations to Ma Lyn’s Fruit Slice and creating something new. 

I admit I sometimes do find it hard not to think about changes I can make to a recipe, or how a recipe could influence the creation of a new one. It’s not that the original recipe actually needs any changes, it is really really good as it is. However, recipe development and adapting recipes to work out how they could accommodate different flavours and ingredients just comes naturally to me. Recipe ideas come always come from somewhere, and sometimes one perfect recipe can bring many others to life. 

I took some of this slice to my work and one colleague said it reminded them of something their mum used to make, which was lovely to hear that a newly created recipe had some nostalgic value to someone else. Which ties back nicely to Amy’s cookbook and the nostalgia that I believe is what keeps all of us making and enjoying family recipes like those shared with Amy, that have in turn been shared in her book Recipes in the Mail. 

Oat Raisin and Ginger Slice

Ingredients: 

50g rolled oats (not instant oats)

80g golden raisins, chopped 

45g desiccated coconut

155g self raising flour

105g caster sugar

80g crystallised ginger, chopped

1 tsp ground ginger

125g unsalted butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method: 

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line a 30 x 20cm slice tin with baking paper, ensuring some hangs over the sides so you can easily get the slice out of the tin later.

In a large bowl, mix the oats, golden raisins, coconut, self-raising flour, sugar, crystallised ginger and ground ginger with a wooden spoon. 

In a small saucepan melt the butter and the golden syrup over low/medium heat until the butter has just melted. 

Add the butter mixture, and the vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix together until combined with the wooden spoon you used earlier. 

Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, and press it out so it reaches the edges of the tin and has a relatively smooth top. You can use your wooden spoon for this or a spatula.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the slice is nicely golden brown. 

Allow the slice to cool in the tin for about 15-20 minutes, then using the overhanging baking paper, gently transfer the slice to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Once the slice has cooled completely, you can cut it into however many portions you would like, or you could just cut of bits as you want to eat it.

Makes about 12-15 portions, store in a airtight container. Will keep for 4-6 days.