Real Food Projects by Kate Walsh

I am not overwhelmed by this delightful book, rather, I am encouraged. I am not filled with guilt as I turn the pages, but rather inspiration. Yes, I say to myself, I could make that. I will make sauerkraut, or preserved garlic (so stupidly easy) and a quick cucumber pickle. I will be the talk of my friends with gorgeous gifts, the school fete committee will be beside themselves and my own family will understand purity because I will be offering them all things homemade! This book may just be the gentle reminder that you can be an earth goddess/earth god and still have time to drink wine and read books. This book is spot on with its choice of recipes, projects and attitude. Warning: this book will turn you into someone that collects jars.

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree by Sumayya Usmani

This attractive cookbook is all about the passionate food and culture of Pakistan, a country that has become a global melting pot of influences. The author tells us about her memories of eating and sharing with family wonderfully named sweet and sour dishes such as rose petal garam masala rub, chick pea batters and fish kofta curry. Many of the recipes included in this diverse cookbook are accompanied by photos of family, villages and farms within Pakistan. This tome is perfect for exploring a country or embracing a palate of food that is intense, passionate and splendid. It is said that if you give a Pakistani person something good to eat, then you have their heart forever. This is true, I believe, for us all.

A Year in My Real Food Kitchen by Emma Galloway

Have you heard the joke about vegans? How do you know a person is a vegan? Answer: because they tell you over and over again. Well, this book, despite strong vegan undertones (most of the recipes are vegan), does not fall into any preachy lines. I love this book; it’s pretty, it’s practical and is completely non-judgemental. Galloway has produced a book about food she cooks for her family, simple easy recipes that are affordable, achievable and contain seasonal produce. There are no substitute powders found only in exclusive health food shops among the ingredients she uses, but rather simple, delicious food. Think chocolate avocado tart (so, so good) and top salads like kale slaw. This New Zealand cook has a practical and warm approach to eating well with a green conscience.

Raw by Solla Eiríksdóttir

I don’t understand why Nordic countries have embraced the raw food movement with such glee. With a landscape full of ice and snow I would want to be sitting down to a steamy bowl of meat and cooked veggies. However, if there were a book to make me change my mind, then this beautifully stylised book would be the pick of the bunch. Raw is divided into sections  – breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc.  – and features such delights as vegan vanilla ice-cream, pizza (but not as you know it)and many more. There are even ‘green’ activities to partake in, for example dyeing cloth and growing veggies indoors. This is an impressive array of ideas and if this type of diet lights your fire, this book will make your vegan heart flip with happiness.

Not Just Jam by Matthew Evans

Matthew Evans is living the life many of us only dream of; certainly he is Australia’s favourite tree-changer. A former chef and food critic, he now he lives on his farm in southern Tasmania where he is a food writer and activist. We like the down-to-earth attitude he has and that comes through in his books. This particular assembly of techniques is a terrific pool of ideas for farmers, shoppers and urban freegans. (Yes, this is a real term referring to those who scour laneways and so on for trees bursting with fruit.) Not Just Jam is about what you can do to create a little old-fashioned goodness in your life. The recipes are meant to be simple: jam, pickles and sauces, but there is also a nod to Evans’ more exotic past with some of the flavour ideas. For example, apple cider mustard anyone? This book is perfect for anyone who likes to smother their toast, their meats, or their sandwiches in an array of traditional and delicious preserves.

Flavours Of Urban Melbourne

This book is a wonderful ode to all that makes Melbourne the best place in the world to live. Consequently, it makes a perfect gift. Wedding present: tick. Significant birthday gift: tick. Overseas visitor tourist guide: tick. This book is huge and covers the best food spots and recipes from all over Melbourne. There are special mentions, too, of places such as bar and food truckstop Welcome to Thornbury. There are titbits of advice, including which wine to serve with which dish. If you have a favourite place to eat/drink/shine in Melbourne, I reckon it’ll be in this delicious and creative guide to Melbourne.

Chris Gordon