Recent Cookbooks Worth Chatting About - October 2022

I’ve added a few new cookbooks to my shelves recently and I thought I would share my initial thoughts about them with you.

There are so many new cookbook releases at the moment, it’s hard to keep up! And I think it’s always nice to hear what others thought of cookbooks and recipes. I know it helps me decide whether I actually want to purchase them or give them a go. 

If you like me, love cookbooks I recommend following a few accounts on Instagram (in addition to mine!) - @shipshapeeatworthy, @coffeecanelescookbooks & @lambsearsandhoney - which in addition to my thoughts below (and more cookbook chat here on the blog), should provide lots of cookbook reviews and recommendations to help inspire your cookbook collection or live vicariously through someone else’s!

1. From Scratch by Fiona Weir Walmsley - I like the sheer breadth of recipes in this book. If you want to make something from scratch (e.g. red wine vinegar, harissa or ghee) you’ll probably find it in here. I am really liking the look of the baking chapter, it’s not filled with the same old recipes, yet somehow covers the classics as well. I’m not loving the writing in this book so much, however and as long as the recipes have been well tested and work, I think this book will probably be worth it for the recipes alone.

2. Off to The Market by Alice Oehr - This is actually a children’s book not a cookbook. It’s a sweet story about shopping at the markets and of course the illustrations by Alice are excellent. I think it would make a great gift for any young child in your life.

3. Pasta Grannies Comfort Cooking by Vicky Bennison - This second instalment of the Pasta Grannies books is as heart warming as the first. The photography also stands out in this book, as while the recipes are the focus the human element of this project is also captured in a lovely way too. This book still has pasta recipes but also a few other bit and pieces like rice dishes and pizza recipes. I’ve already earmarked The Butterfly Pasta with Peas and Sausage from Romagna (page 116) to make ASAP.

4. The Joy of Better Cooking by Alice Zaslavsly - Released just last week, this book is just trademark joyful Alice. With its focus on creating more confidence in the kitchen, I wasn’t sure this book would hold recipes that I would actually want to make, I was worried they might be a little basic or simple. I am happy to say I was really wrong to worry about that, as there is not a boring or basic recipe in sight! There are lots of detailed explanations about substituting ingredients and things like that, which I think would be helpful for any level of cook. Definitely a book for everyone!

5. Around The Table by Julia Busittil Nishimura - When I heard Insta buddy Amy (@amy_minichiello_) say this book was Julia’s best yet a few weeks ago I knew this book was actually worth checking out. I had held off purchasing this one as I haven’t loved Julia’s second book and wasn’t enthralled with her first either. After ordering a copy on online, I started with the Spaghetti alla puttanesca (page 130), which with a combination of anchovies, garlic, olives and capers would never be short on flavour. I will have to try a few more recipes to really gauge how much I like this book, but it’s been a good start!

Have you added any cookbooks to your collection recently? Let me know in the comments below.

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

New Additions to my Cookbook Shelves

Separate to the new release cookbooks I have been most looking forward to in 2022 (you can find part one and part two of those lists here), there have been a few additional titles that have been excellent additions to my cookbook shelf. 

Some of these books are fairly recent, while others have been out for a little while. All have been added to my shelves in late 2021/early 2022 and I have found all of them extremely interesting. This list is a pretty mixed bag in terms of the types of cookbooks that make up this list, however they all have the common link of telling excellent stories and having a slightly educational element as well. 

1. Mabu Mabu by Nornie Bero - I had never heard of Nornie’s Melbourne based restaurant of the same name, however it is now on my list of places to eat at whenever I next go to Melbourne. In this book Nornie shares her Torres Strait heritage and upbringing with us so openly and how where she grew up influenced her cooking. I particularly liked the section called ‘The Native Pantry’ where Nornie itemises many Indigenous ingredients and explains how and when to use them. This is definitely a cookbook for every Australian kitchen. 

2. Oats in the North Wheat from the South by Regula Ysewijn - This book is subtitled ‘ The History of British Baking, Savoury and Sweet’ and it really lives up to that. Regula is from Belgium, however became enamoured with Great Britain at a young age. She has thoroughly researched the recipes in this book, and given them modern adaptations when needed. This book really preserves the baking history of Great Britain in a wonderful way. 

3. Too Good to Passover by Jennifer Felicia Abadi - This is another book that has been meticulously researched. Jennifer spent years interviewing people from the Sephardic Jewish diaspora from Africa, Asia and Europe about their Passover customs and recipes. This book is self published which is why the price is quite high, however if you have a keen interest in Jewish food and recipes this book is well worth the investment.

4. Venetian Republic by Nino Zoccali - In this book, Nino explores the food of the former Venetian Republic which existed between the 8th and 18th centuries. The food is influenced much by the sea, and the territories outside of modern day Venice that were part of the Republic over it’s life. These territories included part of Croatia and some Greek Islands, so the recipes in this book are quite diverse. Nino has divided the book into the regions of the Republic and has given much background on the region and the history as well. 

5. Pardiz by Manuela Darling-Gansser - This book was completely unexpected to me as I didn’t realise the author wasn’t from Iran (the setting of this book), but actually from Switzerland. Manuela’s family moved there in the 1950s, and this experience gives quite a different perspective on the Persian recipes in this book. The family history around Manuela’s time living in Iran is immensely interesting and the mix of food photography, on location images and family photos makes the book even more interesting and inviting.

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

Where to High Tea (in Sydney!)

Since I last did a list of where to have afternoon tea in Sydney, lots has changed. Some of the places don’t exist any more sadly, so I thought after having a lovely high tea recently, it was time to update my list of go to places.

The last list I created was back in 2018, and I still stand by the recommendations that are still open, sadly Rabbit Hole Tea and Petal Met Sugar have since closed. However sometimes, it’s nice to do a bit more than afternoon tea, and celebrate something special with a high tea. 

Recently I went to have a high tea with friends at the QVB Tea Room - for those outside of Sydney or Australia, QVB is the Queen Victoria Building in the centre of Sydney city, a beautiful old building containing shops and cafes, well worth a visit if you are in Sydney. 

I have had high tea at the QVB in the past, but not for some time. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice everything on the high tea stand was, and my friends dietary requirements were able to be catered for as well (at no extra cost either). The room you sit in for high tea is elegant and beautiful and it’s just a really nice place to be. 

The group that run the QVB Tea Room also run the high tea at the Gunner’s Barracks in northern Sydney. The location is a bit more difficult to get to, but the views of the harbour and city are lovely. I have to say this high tea doesn’t change much, so I have found it’s not worth going back too often! 

For a more relaxed vibe, The Tea Cosy at The Rocks in Sydney does fantastic Devonshire teas, and do a high tea like offering, with scones and finger sandwiches. 

Outside of Sydney, the high tea at The Hydro Majestic hotel in Medlow Bath(Blue Mountains, NSW), is also worth a visit. The views of the Megalong Valley are stunning and there is also an option for an Eastern High Tea if you aren’t a fan of the regular scones, sandwiches and cakes. 

Where is your favourite place to enjoy high tea?

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.

The Unexpected Perks of Lockdown

I was talking to a friend the other day, and we both agreed that small businesses pivoting to home delivery during lockdown has actually made some of these businesses more accessible to us than they have ever been before.

As much as I dream about travelling across Sydney to try some amazing looking food I’ve seen probably on Instagram, in reality, that dream remains just that, a dream. Mostly because it is completely impractical to spend the majority of a day travelling ages to buy a slice of cake. Plus even without lockdowns and the like, my desire to travel far and wide in my own city since the pandemic has reduced even lower than the relatively low levels I felt pre-pandemic. 

So being able to order almost anything online, not only allowed me to continue to support businesses, but try some products from businesses I probably never would have visited normally. 

Below are a few of my favourites I have tried during this now 11 week lockdown here in Sydney. What have you received via home delivery that you’ve really enjoyed lately?

Pepe Saya Butter - In pre-pandemic times I always found it hard to find a shop that stocked the majority if not all of the Pepe Saya range of butter and related products. Now I’ve found I can buy it all online, not only can I choose from the whole range, but the expiry dates on everything have a lot more leeway than what I could ever find in store. 

Butter Boy Bake - A fun cookie business I followed on Instagram with the vague thought that if I was ever in Manly where their store is, I might visit. Needless to say I haven’t been to Manly in many years and therefore never tried these cookies. Until Butter Boy Bake started delivering! Check their Instagram as they have select days where they will deliver to select suburbs on a rotating list. My favourite cookie was the birthday cake one!

Chiswick via Providoor - I’ve heard a bit about Providoor, and now there are quite a few restaurants on the Sydney version of the site. We ordered from Chiswick via Providoor recently and it was a really great meal, and dare I say, I enjoyed it more than going into an actual restaurant. 

Fabbrica Pasta - Another social media follow with vague hopes of one day visiting! Fabbrica regularly delivers within 7km of their store, however like Butter Boy select additional suburbs outside this radius each week to deliver also. Keep an eye out on their Instagram for the latest release of postcodes. I can highly recommend the Pork and Fennel Ragu. 

Brooklyn Boy Bagels (pictured above) - I got a delivery from Brooklyn Boy Bagels last Friday and it really made my day (possibly my whole week). Delivery was easy, and the range includes more than just bagels so I got a couple of loaves of challah and a sourdough as well. My freezer is now full of bread and I think that’s a good place to be.

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.