The recipe books to gift this year
This year, as we found ourselves eating out less and spending more time in the kitchen, many of us discovered – or rediscovered – an appreciation for home cooking. Whether you are buying for an expert or an uninitiated chef, we’ve rounded up the cookbooks that will make for the perfect gift this Christmas.
British Cheese on Toast by Steven Parker
A uniquely British phenomenon, there is something magical about cheese on toast. Two simple ingredients that, when put together, are the greatest of comfort foods and the quickest of meals. At its most basic level, this staple is a delicious pairing, as award-winning cheesemonger Steve Parker shows in this celebration of the nation’s favourite cheeses. The book highlights over 100 recipes plus advice on which cheese to use with which type of bread, as well as suggestions for innovative sweet and savoury flavour combinations to take things to another level.
Scandinavian Green by Trine Hahnemann
Scandinavian Green features naturally inspiring recipes that champion fruit and vegetables, providing tempting plant-based dishes that even meat-lovers will appreciate. In a nod to the Scandinavian way of eating, Trine has compiled over 100 vegetable-focussed recipes that will encourage anyone wanting to cut down on meat consumption to experiment and consider a greener way to cook and eat.
Under the Olive Tree by Irini Tzortzoglou
Under the Olive Tree is a stunning and user-friendly collection of delicious Greek family recipes from Irini Tzortzoglou, the 2019 champion of MasterChef UK. It spotlights accessible, everyday dishes for the home cook, as well as an entertaining section full of Irini’s tips and tricks for when you have a little more time or want to impress your guests. With over 80 recipes, from breakfasts to quick dinners, this cookbook is Irini’s celebration of Greece.
Through his pioneering scientific research, Tim Spector has been shocked to discover how little good evidence there is for many of our most deep-rooted ideas about food. In a series of short, myth-busting chapters, Spoon-Fed reveals why almost everything we’ve been told about food is wrong. Spector explores the scandalous lack of good science behind many medical and government food recommendations, and how the food industry holds sway over these policies and our choices. Spoon-Fed forces us to question every diet plan, official recommendation, miracle cure or food label we encounter and encourages us to rethink our whole relationship with food.
Midnight Chicken by Ella Risbridger
One night, Ella Risbridger found herself lying on her kitchen floor wondering if she would ever get up – and it was the thought of a chicken, of roasting it, and of eating it, that got her to her feet and made her want to be alive. Midnight Chicken is the story of Ella’s life in a tiny flat, and the food she cooked there. From roast garlic and tomato soup to charred leek lasagne or burnt butter brownies, she shares recipes about people, love, and the things that matter every day. This is a cookbook-of-stories to make you fall in love with the world again, equipped with a new afterword about life after the tiny flat.
Easy Vegan Bible by Katy Beskow
Easy to prepare using readily available ingredients, this book is not only ideal for new and established vegans, but also for home cooks looking for effortless ways to bring plant-based meals into their kitchen. The modern world of vegan cooking can often be confusing, but with a list of easy-to-source store-cupboard essentials, useful kitchen equipment, details on common vegan substitutions, and demystifying explanations of increasingly popular vegan ingredients, you’ll be able to produce delicious food, every time.
Restore, A Modern Guide To Sustainable Eating by Gizzi Erskine
This book is full of practical steps and advice that can help push you towards living and eating more sustainably. Gizzi provides over 100 recipes that consider the real carbon footprint of food and look at the reality of what we need to support our environment, our agricultural industry and bodies. Thoughtful, insightful, but above all delicious, this is very much a handbook on how to shop, eat and cook, full of recipes that celebrate life.
The Hand & Flowers by Tom Kerridge
The Hand & Flowers, by Tom Kerridge, is the first (and only) pub in the world to acquire two Michelin stars, and this eponymous cookbook gives insight to the iconic cuisine served there. The restaurant is known for offering innovative, sophisticated dishes that masterfully reinvent and elevate British classics for the twenty-first century. With specially commissioned photography by renowned photographer Cristian Barnett, this book presents 70 of the best dishes, beautifully celebrating one of the world’s best and most authentic restaurants.
