Our food and gardening columnist Chris Gordon recommends five new cookbooks for battling seasonal blues.

Three Decades On: Lake House and Daylesford by Alla Wolf-Tasker

If you are reading this column, then you already know about the great Alla Wolf-Tasker, the award-winning creator of the Lake House dining experience and champion of local produce and Australian cuisine. Do not be daunted by her reputation, instead, open this book in the same way you would explore a Stephanie Alexander or Maggie Beer cookbook.

Korean Food Made Easy by Caroline Hwang

Melburnians are embracing kimchi and relishing layers of vegetables in bowls. This book is your guide to creating brilliant Korean food at home. It is simple to make with the right ingredients and wonderful for feeding a crowd. Think spicy seafood hot-pot, or crispy pork belly for weekend parties. None of it is hard to achieve and all of it is absolutely delicious.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian by Katy Holder

Perfectly in time for long, cold nights, this book will show you how to accomplish winter feasts with little preparation time, but with a long cooking time. I’m impressed with the variety of recipes on offer and Mediterranean vegetable and black bean chilli will surely become a family favourite.

Winter by Louise Franc

It’s time to cook those winter months away with soups and slow-roasted vegetables and bottles of red wine. If that (with a new binge-worthy show) sounds like your idea of a holiday, then Winter is your new go-to cookbook. There are over 140 recipes designed for your personal comfort, including chowders, braised meats, curries, and puddings including crumbles and chocolate saucing dishes.

#BakeForSyria by Lily Vanilli with Clerkenwell Boy & Serena Guen

Originally an offshoot of the successful #CookForSyria fundraising initiative, in #BakeForSyria Lily Vanilli has collaborated with famous chefs from all over the world and created this fantastic cookbook, filled with Syrian-inspired recipes, in order to raise money and awareness for UNICEF’s Syria Relief Fund.