Cookbook highlights with senior buyer and foodie Danielle Mirabella.
At the beginning of every new year, like many other people, I will often declare, ‘I don’t need any new cookbooks this year!’ You know the drill. And during January and February, this mantra is easy to follow as we generally see an influx of healthy lifestyle cookbooks. However, by March and April, autumn settles in, along with a new year in cookbook publishing, and these lofty intentions are soon abandoned – we don’t stand a chance.
Australian cookbook publishing is considered world leading and 2025 has proved no exception. Not only is this country lucky enough to be the home of many talented chefs and cooks, but we also have brilliant publishers, photographers and designers who all collaborate to bring us these stunning publications.
Naturally, cookbooks often follow trends, which we know as we’ve all stood in line at our local artisan bakery or patisserie! The Baker’s Book is the perfect collection of recipes gathered from many of these bakeries (30, in fact!). Ruby Goss encourages you to skip the queue and attempt one of your faves at home, and with an introduction by Natalie Paull and treats from the likes of Rosemary Andrews (Mietta) and Charlie Duffy (Small Batch), how could you not give it a go?
For gardeners, art lovers and Melbourne-history buffs, A Heide Harvest by Alice Crowe and Maximilian is a lovely collection of seasonal recipes, again from leading Australian chefs with the ever-evolving backdrop of the Heide Kitchen Garden. Pranzo by graphic designer and cook Guy Mirabella is a colourful feast of simple, seasonal Sicilian recipes with a distinctly Australian twist and it’s also a stunning object that captivates the senses. Guy being my father, I was enlisted in the endless recipe-testing process and for those of you who are, like me, fiercely opposed to chicken in pasta, the roast chicken linguine will make you reconsider. Seriously.
Other fabulous offerings from local chefs and cooks that draw from their heritage include What We Call Masala by Sarina Kamini, Lankan Filling by O Tama Carey and Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere by Nat Thaipun. Kamini’s domestic ayurvedic approach to cooking is a heady exploration of Indian spice wisdom. Lankan Filling is Carey’s second cookbook with Australian accents on classic Sri Lankan dishes, including her famous hot-butter jaffle and other standout dishes from her popular Sydney restaurant. MasterChef winner Nat Thaipun’s debut cookbook Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere is an accessible collection of Thai recipes in a very cool-looking package. Another highly visual feast is Secret Sauce by Melbourne-based star chef Rosheen Kaul, and it’s exactly what it says and what we all need: ‘crazy delicious’ condiments and the easy meals to bring them to life.
Australian cookbook queens Emiko Davies and Hetty Lui McKinnon both have offerings in 2025. Italy-based Japanese-Australian cook and food writer Davies’ The Japanese Pantry is a follow-up and companion to last year’s Gohan. It’s a tribute to her mother and childhood food, and an indispensable guide to Japanese pantry essentials. Linger is Lui McKinnon’s sixth cookbook, focusing on the shared eating experience and the art of lingering together – perfect for this celebratory time of year.
Another standout vegetarian release is Boustany by Sami Tamimi, co-author of Ottolenghi, Falastin and Jerusalem. Tamimi’s first solo book is a deeply personal celebration of Palestinian recipes and heritage. Helen Goh is another with a debut solo cookbook. She’s a fellow Ottolenghi recipe contributor (Sweet and Comfort), stalwart Good Weekend, The Guardian and Observer columnist, and a London-based Australian pastry chef – her book is the pick of the year for many of my colleagues. In Baking & the Meaning of Life, Goh shares 100 of her favourite sweet and savoury bakes, beautifully entwining personal stories throughout.
Finally, I could continue but must wrap this up with new books from two notable international authors embraced with enthusiasm by Australian home cooks: Alison Roman and Samin Nosrat. Something from Nothing is a collection of what Roman does best – using staple ingredients from a well-stocked pantry to create delicious recipes from ‘basically nothing’. Following her Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat fame, Nosrat brings us Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with the People You Love. And, really, this is what it’s all about, isn’t it?
