Do you know someone who loves nothing better than cooking up a storm in the kitchen? Gift them a beautiful new recipe book this Christmas. Both a joyful bookshelf addition and a practical guide, each of these culinary tomes are sure to inspire their creativity.
The British Cookbook By Ben Mervis
A feast for the eyes, as well as a source of many a feast (550 to be exact), this British Cookbook combines pictures of food and local scenery. It celebrates traditional Blighty-based dishes from all around the isles and shows you how to make the most of the nation’s larder by harnessing each season’s produce.
Parsi: From Persia to Bombay: recipes & tales from the ancient culture
If you like your food to come with a story, this book is the one to buy. Containing some fascinating tales of chef (and Parsi Supper Club originator) Farokh Talati’s adventures through India, life in West London and experience growing up in a Parsi family, his recipes are imbued with heart and heritage.
The River Cafe Look Book: Recipes For Kids Of All Ages By Ruth Rogers, Sian Wyn Owen, And Joseph Trivell
A compendium for all the family, this Look Book is designed to engage budding young chefs. It’s the first to be released by London’s famed River Cafe and centres on Italian recipes. Bold colours and arty photography make it a lovely item for the coffee table, as well as the kitchen table.
The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook By Margarita Carrillo Arronte
With plant-based meals and Mexican food very much in fashion, you’ll be bang on trend if you buy this guide, offering a range of vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free recipes. Learn how to prepare everything from Oaxacan mushroom turnovers to watermelon and tequila jicama salad platos fuertes.
Portugal: The Cookbook By Leandro Carreira
It may be winter here, but you can bring summer to your dining room, with lauded chef Leandro Carreira’s Mediterranean recipes. Portugal has fast become one of the most exciting countries for cuisine. Now you can learn how to make the national classics, along with hundreds of alternative contemporary Portuguese dishes.
Vegan At Home: Recipes For A Modern Plant-based Lifestyle By Solla Eiríksdóttir And Hildur Ársælsdóttir
Perfect for those beginning their plant-based journey, or for veteran vegans seeking new inspiration; these recipes have been prepared by an Icelandic celebrity chef. There are sections on basic dishes using staple items, quick and easy options and more advanced and complex creations (including advice on catering for a dinner party) too.
Ottolenghi Simple Cookbook & Ingredients Set
The iconic chef offers some superb starting points for those dipping a toe into gourmet waters, with unfussy meals holding universal appeal. And, unlike most cookbooks, this one comes with some of the harder-to-find ingredients (seven in total) you’ll need to prepare the recipes; so there’s no excuse not to get started.
The Italian Deli Cookbook
An oh so chic cookbook with a retro style cover, The Italian Deli Cookbook is a stylish addition to any home. Chef Theo Randall guides the reader through 100 family-friendly recipes and provides a useful directory of some of the best delis in the world, making it a useful reference point.
Korean American Food That Tastes Like Home
This too is a recipe meets storybook. It details author, and New York Times staff, writer Eric Kim’s ruminations on growing up as an American Korean and educates the reader on the Korean pantry and the history of this kind of cooking in the USA. Buy this if you fancy making unusual fusion dishes such as cheeseburger kimbap with crispy lemon-pepper bulgogi and quick-pickled shallots.
Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka
Named after the island’s signature fruit, Rambutan enables the reader to discover Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage through its beautiful photography and flavoursome recipes. Humour is a big presence in the book; one chapter is called “Curry Everything”. The hardback book is likely to whet your appetite for wanderlust, as well as food.