In autumn 2015, there were quite a few new cookbooks released, which is always very interesting to us at Kitchen and Cook Shop. In this short article I’m going to take a quick look at five of the more popular recipe books published and see what kind of exciting dishes there might be for us to cook at home.
Please note that in this post I will be looking at the hardcover printed editions of the books, but you may find that some (or even all) of these recipe books are also available in Kindle format, eBook format or in paperback too.
NOPI: The Cookbook Hardcover by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully
Yotam Ottolenghi is a London-based restaurateur and food writer for The Guardian. He is the owner of the Ottolenghi restaurant delis in London and the highly regarded NOPI restaurant in Soho. This new cookbook contains over 100 of the most popular dishes from the Soho restaurant. It has been developed and written with long-time collaborator and NOPI head chef Ramael Scully. With a Malaysian, Chinese, Indian and Irish heritage, ‘Scully’ brings a distinctive Asian twist to the Ottolenghi kitchen.
The hardback book contains over 350 pages and the recipes within have been adapted so that the home cook can recreate the amazing dishes in their own kitchens. Ottolenghi fans will be familiar with starter dishes such as aubergine with black garlic or roasted squash with sweet tomatoes. Main courses include beef brisket croquettes and Persian love rice.
Chapters include starters and sides, fish, meat and vegetable mains, puddings, brunch, condiments and cocktails so there are plenty of recipes for all occasions. This cookbook sounds great to me, although I am a little concerned about how easy these recipes will be for me to cook at home, because I’m not that proficient in the kitchen!
Buy NOPI: The Cookbook on Amazon UK.
A Year of Good Eating: The Kitchen Diaries III by Nigel Slater
This huge tome of 560 pages is a completely fresh take on seasonal cooking by respected food writer and presenter, Nigel Slater. In this cookbook, the third installment of Nigel Slater’s classic Kitchen Diaries series, Nigel explores the pleasure of eating well throughout the year.
The stories and recipes in the Diaries are interspersed with short sections of seasonal quick, easy meals and larger dinners. Nigel’s characteristically simple recipes and inspiring writing make his new recipe book a great guide to good eating every day of the year. A Year of Good Eating is also available in Kindle format.
I have read Nigel Slater’s columns in The Observer newspaper before and I find his writing excellent, so I expect this book to be very well received.
Buy A Year of Good Eating: The Kitchen Diaries III by Nigel Slater on Amazon UK.
My Kind of Food: Recipes I Love to Cook at Home by John Torode
Most of you will know John Torode from mega-popular BBC1 TV shows MasterChef, Celebrity MasterChef and Junior MasterChef where he is the judge and presenter. He is also the presenter of A-Z of Cooking on BBC2. John is also regular writer for Good Food, Olive, Waitrose Magazine, and Good Housekeeping among other popular magazines.
In this 300+ page book he offers us recipes for his favourite dishes that he cooks at home. Some recipes he learned from family and others are inspired from his many years of experience in restaurant kitchens. Chapters of the book include Brunch and Lunch, Quick Meals, Outside Cooking, and Desserts.
I’ll be honest and admit that I personally don’t like to watch John Torode on the TV. I find him rude to the contestants, however many people love him so I’m sure that this book will fly off the shelves, but personally I won’t be buying it!
Buy My Kind of Food: Recipes I Love to Cook at Home by John Torode on Amazon UK.
Tom’s Table: My Favourite Everyday Recipes by Tom Kerridge
Tom Kerridge is a two Michelin-starred chef who now regularly appears on TV. He was recently called ‘the man of the moment’! I don’t know about that, but I know that I’m interested in Tom Kerridge’s cooking.
The recipes in this book really appeal to me too because I like meals that I can cook with ingredients that are easily available and affordable. In Tom’s Table you will find recipes such as cheddar and ale soup, the ultimate roast chicken, lamb ribs with roasted onions, stuffed green peppers, and home-made ketchups and much more. Perhaps it’s the pub lover in me that appreciates Tom and his passion for food that people like me enjoy eating.
When Christmas comes around, this will be one of the recipe books that I would love to receive as a gift. How about you? Is Tom’s Table a recipe book that you would like to read?
Buy Tom’s Table: My Favourite Everyday Recipes by Tom Kerridge on Amazon UK.
The Uncook Book: The Essential Guide to a Raw Food Lifestyle by Tanya Maher
Tanya Maher is a leading health coach and blogger with a large fan base of people from all over the world. She specialises in creating irresistible raw food recipes which are often on the menu in her two London cafés. In this book, Tanya draws on her years of experience as a raw food nutritionist to bring you recipes covering categories such as basic raw food recipes, fun family favorites and elegant entertaining with living foods.
Her recipes are easy-to-follow and have a modern edge; perfect for those that wish to embrace this healthy way of eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is even a section on delicious superfood cocktails, however I do not know if these cocktails include alcohol or not!
I have a couple of friends that already make raw food dishes, and to be honest, sometimes their menus are rather dull, so perhaps I shall invest in this book as a Christmas gift for them!
Buy The Uncook Book: The Essential Guide to a Raw Food Lifestyle on Amazon UK.
Great Recipe Books
I think that these five recipe books all bring something different to the kitchen table – from seasonal British dishes to Asian-inspired menus and lots more in between.
