Best new cookbooks in August
Alimentari by Linda Malcolm and Paul Jones
Alimentari literally means ‘good food and camaraderie’ and that is just what is celebrated at the adored cafes in Fitzroy. Full of classic cafe choices and The Very Best Sandwiches in Melbourne, Alimentari recipes are perfect for sharing and entertaining. It’s where Mediterranean meets Middle Eastern, so think incredible salads, those sandwiches and easy one pot dinners for entertaining or for the family. If you love Ottolenghi, or the dishes in Community, then this is your next source of inspiration. Beautifully presented with photographs of café life, this book is a treasure for those wanting some easy charm in their kitchen. It’s the type of book that makes you want to collect old decorated tins and beautiful plates and team with salads full of grains, colour and sprigs of herbs. Alimentari could also mean: this is Melbourne at its best.
My Year Without Meat by Richard Cornish
There are recipes in this book but not many and they are at the very end of this tale. My Year Without Meat examines what it meant to food writer Richard Cornish to become a vegetarian for a short amount of time. It is a rumination on eating ethically, it’s a bow to vegetables and an insight into the life of a food journalist. As many of you know, Richard Cornish is hilarious and this book is full of laugh-out-loud moments, but in equal measure it accurately explores how and why Australians consume food the way we do. My Year Without Meat is the opposite of a didactic tale about the need to eat grains and greens, but rather a journalist’s insight into our meat industry. This book is an important contribution to those that wish to live better, longer and greener.
The Natural Cook by Matt Stone
Matt Stone is one of my heroes in the Melbourne food scene. I first saw him in action when he opened the Greenhouse with Joost Bakker; this was a remarkable pop up restaurant that worked hard to reuse, recycle and throw nothing away. It was fantastic, really, to imagine what our world could be if we all lived like that. This book is an illustration of how to live that dream, step-by-step, and create food that is delicious, beautiful and completely seasonal. It’s all about using local foods, and using every last bit of each ingredient. There are tricks and treats for those that want to bottle, ferment and steam, craft stock and sauces and dishes for sharing. Stone says, ‘Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.’ Owning this book would get you off the starting block.
Beef and Potatoes by Jean-Francois Mallet
Ah, the meal of gods, of hungry workers, pregnant women, children all over and the main stays of every carnivore cook across the world. There are over 200 recipes in this book that centre just on two key ingredients: think roast beef sandwiches, olive oil chips, beef and gravy pies, and warming boeuf bourguignon. Presented with an eye for art and humour this book seems to me the complete accolade for the most basic of delicious food. Jean-Francois Mallet studied at the renowned culinary arts school Ferrandi in Paris, and worked for several of France’s top chefs before he became a food photographer and pulled together this testimony to simple fare.
Pornburger by Mathew Ramsey
Our obsession with eating the perfect burger is not new. I learnt some time ago, that it’s not about the place, but the people you are with. So making the perfect burger always seems the most sensible way to go. Clearly I’m not alone because Pornburger man Ramsey has a huge following (2,400,000 visitors) on his blog, (pornburger.me) about tasty burgers to be. This collection is an extension of the craze and gives you guidance for 80 pretty insane sounding burgers. There are vegetarian options, sweet and savoury options and all with seriously outrageous names and a collection of ingredients that could/would/should knock your socks off. This is not a book about ‘sliders’, this is a book about the unadulterated joy of a meal in a bun.
Milk Made by Nick Haddow
Straight from the romance of another type of lifestyle, Nick Haddow is the founder of Bruny Island Cheese. The poor bloke has had to travel through Europe, the US and Australia to meet and learn from cheese makers. Here he shares the good, the bad and the ugly. The result is an encyclopaedia of cheese: how to eat it, store it and make it. Amongst others, there are recipes for fondue, pizzas and saag. Then there are the stories behind the cheeses and their makers. All of this knowledge is bound in a beautiful book with stunning photos. I like it mostly because it shows far Australian cheeses have come on the international market.
The Great Australian Beer Guide by James Smith
Beer is a big international business, and Australia is kicking goals all over the world. There are now over 300 brewing companies operating in Australia producing a range of beer only ever seen before in Europe. This book takes your hand and walks you through the maze of options. Of course if you wanted to start your own backyard venture, you’ll also find the information for making whatever your taste buds desire – beer-wise, that is.
