Exciting New Cookbooks
This is probably one of the very greatest cookbooks published in the last 60 years and happily, it has just been re-released by publishers Grub Street. Whilst Good Things was originally published in 1971, this new issue makes this absolute classic available again and I think every cookery book collection should have a copy. Good Things still feels so relevant and is such a useful resource containing an interesting collection of uses for simple, seasonal ingredients. Organised by ingredient types and recipes, there are so many familiar and unfamiliar delights within this book.
The Diabetes Air Fryer Cookbook by Katie Caldesi
I’m really impressed with this excellent new book from Katie Caldesi, which I believe is her 19th cookbook. In a nutshell, what I like most about this book is that it contains some really enjoyable simple recipes that are absolutely geared towards easy, nutritious everyday cooking. It’s great food for busy days using easy-to-find ingredients. Katie and her husband Giancarlo have been following a low-carb diet for some years now and have found that it has resulted in a number of health benefits, including remission from type 2 diabetes. I am not a nutritionist and very much enjoy making and eating carbohydrates, but I do find cutting back on starchy foods and sugars makes a lot of sense for everyday eating. It can really help to lessen blood sugar spikes and keep diabetes under control. Cooking using the air fryer is so fast and easy, I know many people wouldn’t be without one now. I’ve really liked the recipes I’ve made so far and am delighted to recommend this useful book to you all.
Tango by Facundo Rodulfo & Pamela Neumann
I have been really excited to see this latest book from the utterly brilliant Blasta Books as I wanted to learn more about Argentinian food. It’s written by Facundo Rodulfo & Pamela Neumann who are from Buenos Aires and now run Tango Street Food in Killarney, Co. Kerry. It’s Ireland’s first and only Argentinian food market and it’s very popular.
I spent a month travelling around Argentina some years ago, heading from Buenos Aires all the way down to Ushuaia and back up to Mendoza via glaciers, lakes, Welsh towns(!) and the heights of the Andes. I was mesmerised by this fascinating and beautiful country and thoroughly enjoyed the food and wine along the way. There is so much more to Argentinian food than many people realise (although the beef, wine, ice cream and empanadas are all fantastic) and I love how this book explores this, with great recipes and charming illustrations to accompany and I can’t wait to cook more Argentinian food at home now.
This is such a vibrant and colourful new book which offers a brilliant introduction to Korean food. I spent a considerable time researching Korean food when writing my book FERMENTED back in 2014 and discovered much to like. This book contains so many wonderfully enticing but achievable recipes. I like that there are many well-known recipes within the book but they are presented in a way that makes them feel possible at home with ingredients that are accessible in shops and online. There are also plenty of exciting new ideas to try in this book and its approachable feel makes it feel particularly special.
Pull up a Chair by Martha Collison
This is a lovely new book from Martha, who many of you may know from her writing in Waitrose Weekend and for her time on The Great British Bake Off. This book contains some lovely ideas for food to make to share for a wide range of occasions; informal, special, intimate and celebratory. The recipes are organised by occasion and are really enticing. I have bookmarked the honey syrup buns, sweet wine peach galette, salmon tikka skewers with mango kachumber salad and Turkish eggs with parsnip fritters. The modern, appealing recipes might appeal very nicely to younger cooks too and I’d be keen to give this as a gift to anyone starting out with their first home.
This is a fascinating and beautiful book which opens a window into food and drink from Beirut. Lebanese food is just the sort of food I fancy eating often as it’s so fresh and flavourful and I’ve eaten so much of it on my many trips to the Gulf over the years. Author Hisham Assaad lives in Beirut and is a Lebanese culinary tour guide and that really made his insights and background information in the book so fascinating. I found many familiar recipes within the book alongside plenty of dishes that were completely unknown. All of which were hugely appealing and very approachable, made using broadly available ingredients and straightforward techniques. This is such an interesting and engaging book and one I know I will cook from extensively. Not only do I love to eat this sort of food, but I feel it lends itself to home cooking particularly well.