2023 has seen the release of many inspirational and thoughtful cookbooks from local and international chefs. Whether you're earth conscious, need to reduce your spending or want to recreate a meal from your favourite restaurant or country's cuisine there are options galore to suit every home cook. Below are twelve of our top choices to get you inspired.

CDMX: The Food of Mexico City by Rosa Cienfuegos

CDMX is a celebration of the food of Mexico City, the dishes that Rosa Cienfuegos grew up eating and now recreates in her two Sydney restaurants: Tamaleria and Icatate. It is the food that 'chilangos' (residents of Mexico City) enjoy at home and on the streets, in markets and cafes and bars. Authentic and often unique to Ciudad de Mexico, as the locals call it, CDMX's colourful recipes reflect the vibrancy, history and modern urban life of Mexico's liveliest city.

Filled with stunning food photography and on-the-scene shots of Mexico City, this is a cookbook for those who crave authenticity and who strive to accurately recreate their favorite food memories.

Rumi: The Food of Middle Eastern Appearance by Joseph Abboud

Chef Joseph Abboud's food looks Middle Eastern because its proud origins are a little bit Lebanese, a little bit Persian, and a little bit Turkish - but it also represents the heart of an honest and enduring eatery in inner Melbourne's Brunswick, named for the 13th-century poet. This is food cooked with an egalitarian ethos and, yes, with soul.

Forget veg-forward, this is hierarchy-free food; salads, fish, veg, meat and toum (with almost everything) all command their place in a meal at Joe's table. Regulars will give thanks for classics like the three-cheese Sigaras, the Rumi Meatballs and the famous Lamb Shoulder; everyone else has the joy of discovery ahead. To roll call a few, there's a Fattoush for Every Season, a delightfully 'inauthentic' Broccoli Tabbouleh, Joe's mother's Eggplant M'Nazleh and The Quail That Anthony Bourdain Ate.

Philoxenia: A Seat at My Table by Kon & Sia Karapanagiotidis

Join Kon Karapanagiotidis at his table in Philoxenia: A Seat at My Table, a beautiful and inspiring Greek vegetarian and vegan cookbook. Featuring more than 100 recipes passed down through the generations, this book will teach you to cook with community at your heart, filled with the knowledge and wisdom of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre's (ASRC) inspiring founder and his mother, Sia.

'Philoxenia' means to welcome a stranger. It's a message that pervades Greek culture and cooking. Chapter by chapter, this heartfelt book unfolds incredible meals drawn from this powerful philosophy, as well as from the love, hope and resilience that represent Kon's own grandparents' survival as refugees. Every vegetarian recipe includes instructions to make your dishes vegan or gluten-free. You'll even find tips on minimising waste and gardening, courtesy of Sia, and Kon's father, Leo.

More Is More by Molly Baz

In her bestselling debut cookbook, Cook This Book, Molly Baz taught the cooking essentials. In More Is More, she's teaching cooks how to level up their cooking, loosen up in front of that ripping hot pan, and seek deliciousness at all costs. More Is More is a philosophy that encourages more risk-taking, better intuition, fewer exact measurements, and a "don't stop 'til it tastes delicious" mentality.

The recipes are fit for any day of the week and for cooks of all skill levels. Each one will teach a technique or flavour combination that takes Molly's maximalist, 'leave no flavour on the cutting board' approach. So crank your ovens! Grab a fat pinch of salt! And if you're going to use an ingredient, truly use it. Just one lonely clove of garlic? Not in this cookbook!

Korean Home Cooking by Jina Jung

Welcome to Korean Home Cooking, where the food isn't complicated but there is an art and tradition in its arrangement. Combining several small dishes allows for a constant flow of people at the table, and a bright array of colours and flavours. Start with traditional, simple and tasty family recipes such as Kimchi Fried Rice, Bibimbap and Pork Bulgolgi, and stay for the opportunity to learn new skills, like fermenting your own pickles, and creating classic stews, soups and your own Korean barbecue. Enjoy this rich and ideal resource of authentic step-by-step recipes to help you create delicious Korean meals at home.

A Splash of Soy by Lara Lee

A Splash of Soy is full of everyday family recipes you'll love to eat. It is the simplicity and usefulness of soy that this book is named after, an ingredient so impressive it can transform a meal with just a splash.

In this book, Lara gives us 80 game-changing recipes that close the gap between classic Asian dishes and easy, quick-to-table meals. Here you'll find inventive brunch ideas like a Tom Yum Bloody Mary, spicy sides like Sambal Patatas Bravas, easy noodles like Cheesy Kimchi Linguine with Gochujang Butter and many more punchy curries, stir-fries and rice recipes from glazed meat to fragrant veg. She also includes pantry swaps and vegan swaps so these fuss-free recipes can adapt to your own busy home kitchen.

The Farm Table by Julius Roberts

First-generation farmer and chef Julius Roberts shares honest tales of farming life and easy, thoughtful dishes to reconnect us to nature and the seasons.

Making the most of simple ingredients, The Farm Table is unfussy home cooking at its very best. A few good things on a plate, assembled with joy and ease.

Passionate about seasonality, Julius shows us how to make the most of produce, from crisp, crunchy apples in autumn, pink rhubarb in winter, asparagus in spring and the first summer strawberries.

Fresh by Stephanie Alexander

For the last 20 years, Stephanie Alexander, Australia's most respected and authoritative cook and food writer, has been encouraging our children to develop a deep love of good food. Through the Kitchen Garden Foundation, she has helped more than 1000 Australian schools and many thousands of families learn the simple but profound pleasures of the garden, the kitchen and the table.

In Fresh, she shares over 120 recipes, most of them vegetable based. These are the recipes that primary-aged children have cooked with flair and shared with enjoyment, upending the notion that kids don't like veggies and creating a generation of passionate and accomplished home cooks. The quick to prepare recipes will inspire cooks of all ages and backgrounds to use vegetables and herbs as the star ingredient.

Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Else by Daen Lia

Daen Lia's stunning modern Mediterranean dishes have taken social media by storm thanks to their show-stopping textures and bold flavours. This much-anticipated cookbook is the essential collection of her recipes for lovers of olive oil, garlic, butter and all things delicious.

Every dish is iconic, from Daen's famous crumbed chicken (that almost broke the internet) and the only bolognese recipe you'll ever need, to fluffy focaccia, perfect bagels and mouth-watering sandwiches, chilli and other flavoured oils for the pantry, and must-have condiments such as confit garlic, which will change your cooking game entirely.

Ramen by Makiko Sano

Lean into the food phenomenon and culture craze that's captured the world, with ramen, the healthy fast-food that is quick to cook and delicious to eat.

With slurpable noodles, umami broths and colourful customizable toppings, this unique comfort food can be endlessly adapted according to your individual tastes and creativity. Learn the basics of broths and noodles, plus a range of add-ons to adapt as you like. Take a journey from Japanese street stall favourites and Korean versions with kimchi and spicy gochugaru to home-cooked quick meals and Tiktok-style instant recipes. Whatever style you prefer – a light shoyu mushroom ramen, a meaty chashu pork ramen or the slow-cooking legendary tonkotsu ramen – here are recipes that make for enjoyable eating all times of the day or night.

The Food Fix by Yumi Stynes & Simon Davis

Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis met while working on one of Yumi's cookbooks and discovered they share an insatiable desire to nail the never-ending task of feeding a family. Inside their heads is an infinite Rolodex of recipes, plus endless hints and hacks for getting the most out of a meal without cracking the shits. So they decided to join forces and launched a podcast to solve the daily dilemma of what to cook for dinner.

Since its launch, the 5 Minute Food Fix has consistently been among the most downloaded food podcasts in the country, and has spawned a vast collection of fans who tune in religiously for dinner inspiration. This book pulls together the best hits from the pod and some never-before-seen recipes.

The Seriously Good Student Cookbook by Quadrille

80 simple but delicious recipes are broken down into chapters covering toast, eggs, sandwiches, pancakes, pasta, potatoes, rice and kebabs. With a photo for every recipe and clear instructions, you'll be able to create food that you actually want to eat.

Fancy a full English on toast or breakfast-stuffed croissants after a heavy night? Need something comforting for dinner like the ultimate carbonara or a colcannon-topped baked potato? Perhaps you want something easy but filling to see you through all those hours at the library, like a best-ever turkey club sandwich or a Mexican black rice bowl. Or maybe you have friends coming over and want to show off your cooking skills with spicy salami pizza sliders or pepper and chorizo skewers. Whenever you need something seriously good to eat, this book will make sure you never go hungry.