The best food and gardening books of the month, with Chris Gordon

5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver is a bloke with his finger on the pulse. He knows we all dream of spending time in the Mediterranean and that very few of us will ever realise that vision. But we can eat like we have been there. Using a solid fret-free formula, Oliver has produced another excellent cookbook to bring the fresh flavours of sunny landscapes to you. Think salads and platters of seafood, roasted meats and vegetables using accessible ingredients. Each recipe has been created so that it is achievable (5 ingredients only) and is suitable for huge family meals.


Alternative Reality: How Australian Wine Changed Course by Max Allen & the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show

Max Allen wants you to know more about Australian wine. There are so many new varieties emerging, and many a wine has found its place in our collective wine drinking consciousness through a wine competition held in Mildura. Since 2001, the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show has championed new non-mainstream grapes, the viticulturists, the sommeliers, and the drinkers. This book is your introduction to that very show. It is as if Max Allen has invited you to the very best wine-tasting event of the year and is personally introducing you to everyone.


Fresh by Stephanie Alexander

Let’s take a moment to consider the impact Stephanie Alexander has had on our lives. We feasted at her restaurants, our children learnt to grow and cook their own food through her Kitchen Garden Foundation, and she has provided us all with pragmatic and kind advice on what to cook and when. In her latest book, she provides mainly vegetable-based dishes that she has used successfully when teaching young ones to create meals. This means that even the most basic cooks in the house can muster a delicious and nutritious meal for everyone at home. This is a book to add to your Stephanie Alexander collection because you know you are in very safe and inspiring hands.


Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Else by Daen Lia

Daen Lia’s cooking knowledge comes from her Spanish and Sicilian mother, and offers a fresh take on Mediterranean food. How? Through simplicity and an enormous amount of olive oil. This cookbook is a collection of her go-to recipes for any occasion and the world of flavour has been packed into it. Everything about this book is gorgeous – the pictures, the easy-to-follow recipes and, most importantly, the result. It’s the type of book you use every day of the week, but especially on the weekend when you have time to roast that lamb and serve it with confit garlic.


The Land Gardeners: Soil to Table by Henrietta Courtauld & Bridget Elworthy

Here is the most beautiful book of the month. Filled with paintings by artist Nancy Cadogan and recipes by chef Lulu Cox, it is a glorious follow up to The Land Gardeners: Cut Flowers. Authors Bridget Elworthy and Henrietta Courtauld established The Land Gardeners to research soil and plant health through growing, cutting and design with flowers. This gorgeous, accessible book takes the next step and teaches you the steps to grow your own produce and cook delicious meals with it.


Korean Home Cooking by Jina Jung

Korean cuisine is having its moment – and for good reason. Korean food packs a flavour punch and can be easy to create. Jina Jung was taught to cook by her mother and grandmother, and shares these lessons for us all to enjoy. There are simple recipes in this collection and also recipes for the more adventurous among us. I’m a huge fan of Korean soups – the broth alone makes me feel at peace. This book will bring you joy and teach you a few lessons about adding flavours without a fuss.


Fish Butchery by Josh Niland

Josh Niland is a game-changer when it comes to fish and Fish Butchery, a follow-up to his award-winning The Whole Fish Cookbook, will show you why. Niland shows you why nothing from a fish needs to go to waste. Presented in three sections – Catch, Cut, and Craft – Fish Butchery shows you how and why it is important to relish each fish. And, of course, there are wonderful, inspirational recipes alongside detailed illustrated instructions.


Sustain by Jo Barrett

Jo Barrett treads lightly on our landscape. She uses time-honoured skills to ensure that everything in her kitchen is used – every vegetable stalk, leaf and flower. Sustain is an inspiring and accessible cookbook filled with tips, tools and recipes that show how easy it is to be kind and considerate when it comes to mealtime. This is a book you read cover to cover and mark pages for later reference.

Cover image for 5 Ingredients Mediterranean

5 Ingredients Mediterranean

Jamie Oliver

In stock at 8 shops, ships in 3-4 daysIn stock at 8 shops