The best food and gardening books of the month, with Chris Gordon
The Farm Table by Julius Roberts
Do you love Matthew Evans’ recipes? Perhaps Jamie Oliver’s? Now, combine those two tremendous cooks and consider the way they both use food in season with simple recipes. Well, move over boys because Julius is in town. This is English farmer and cook Julius Roberts’ first book, although you may have seen him on TV, and it is a beauty. It’s filled with ideas and ideals, all suited to anyone out there with a kitchen and a cane basket.
Pasta Love by Jaclyn Crupi
I love Jaclyn Crupi’s zest for stories and pathways from the kitchen to the garden and back again. In this gorgeous bundle of a cookbook, Crupi has talked with her elders – the nonnas of Melbourne – to create a very special ode to pasta and its myriad of sauces so that you, too, can swirl and whirl in the kitchen. This book is perfect for those in need of quick ideas on a Tuesday, and those with an entire Saturday afternoon in the kitchen.
Flavour by Sabrina Ghayour
This cookbook is a treat for anyone wanting more Middle Eastern flavours in their cooking. Here are an extra 100 recipes that show Sabrina Ghayour understands the home cook. She is a foodie teacher after all, as well as being an all-round star of simple and delicious food for filling a table with colour, texture, and a wonderful aroma. And on a personal note, the cake recipes are truly to die for, especially her lime, coconut and cardamom loaf cake.
Ramen Forever by Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson loves Japanese food. His collection of cookbooks is wonderfully evocative of Japanese culture and flavours. This celebration of a cookbook is designed for anyone ramen-obsessed, like my son. There are the steps for making broth, noodles and seasoning so that you could, in theory, have a new ramen dish for days on end. It’s truly an excellent idea because surely there is nothing more life-affirming than a steaming bowl of ramen. Serve with cold beer (is my advice).
The Korean Cookbook by Junghyun Park & Jungyoon Choi
This is the complete guide to Korean food written by two extraordinary writers. Junghyun Park is an acclaimed chef raised in Seoul. With his wife, Ellia Park, they run four world-famous restaurants in New York. Jungyoon Choi is a chef, culinary researcher, and writer with 25 years of experience. So, what can you expect from these two geniuses? Well, everything. This is the most concise Korean cookbook available and is a must for anyone wanting more fermenting, hotpots, and noodles.
Ester: Australian Cooking by Mat Lindsay & Pat Nourse
Things I must do nearly immediately: book a meal at Sydney’s Ester restaurant. Given that may take some sorting of my life, the next best thing to do is to give this book to my partner who is exceptional in the kitchen. Ester is a cookbook for those who want to know more tricks of the trade. This doesn’t mean that this cookbook is only for those with ‘extra’ skills, but rather for those who want to be a little more creative in the kitchen. Also, Mat Lindsay says oysters are essential for any celebration. What’s not to love there?
Now & Then by Tessa Kiros
Goodness, Tessa Kiros’s cookbooks are beautifully presented, with images and stories to go alongside every flower-covered page. Reading her cookbooks is both a visual and a culinary treat. This one is a collection of international flavours and tales from her home in Italy, through to her visits to Thailand, Mexico, and New Orleans. It’s a delightful journey to all the foodie havens, and as a bonus, each recipe is simple, elegant, and obtainable. Tessa Kiros is a gem for all who love pretty plates and delicious food.
Philoxenia: A Seat at My Table by Kon & Sia Karapanagiotidis
We already admire Kon Karapanagitidis’s tireless advocacy work with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Now, with his mum at his side, he shares vegetarian and vegan delights with a wonderful Greek nod. Think luscious pastries, vegetables bathed in olive oil and lemon, and meals to share with friends from far-flung places. This cookbook will fill your tummy and warm your heart, with a percentage of the sales going straight back to the ASRC.
Additionally, throughout October Readings will be donating $2 to the ASRC for every copy of Philoxenia sold.
