Family by Hetty McKinnon

Drum roll please: wonderful Hetty McKinnon is back with another soon-to-be-used-every-single-week cookbook that rejoices in gatherings and innovative, simple recipes. There are pastas to make, soups to comfort, salads that scream for crowds to enjoy and all with that familiar sense of warmth, colour and delicious tastes. There is something very liberating about McKinnon’s cookbooks and I think it’s because she understands the way families move through the week. This is a wonderful, big-hearted collection of recipes for us all.

Cauliflower is King by Leanne Kitchen

This is a cracker of a cookbook: simple to use and full of top ideas. Who knew that the cauliflower is absolutely the go-to vegetable for pretty much any savoury dish you can hope for? This imaginative collection of recipes includes instructions for cauliflower rice, cauliflower flour, cauliflower burgers and the list goes on to give you the inspiration to grab that beautiful flower-head and start chopping. Cauliflower is King is an easy to use cookbook and suitable for all.

Jamie Cooks Italy by Jamie Oliver (available 9 August)

We will never tire of Jamie, will we? His recipes are so accessible and fun, and his latest book (this is his 30th) is a celebration of the joy of Italian food. Jamie wants to share his affection for all things Italian with accessible recipes that bring the pleasure and passion of the world’s favourite cuisine to your kitchen at home. There are chapters on antipasto, on salads, rice, and pasta with a wonderful mix of fast- and slow-cooking, familiar classics with a ‘Jamie twist’. Whether cooking for yourself or cooking for friends and family, the aromas and tastes will hopefully transport you straight to the landscapes of Italy.

The Little Swedish Kitchen by Rachel Khoo

I fell in love with Ms Khoo some time ago when she showed us how to produce scrumptious French-style meals out of the tiniest kitchen in the world, dressed in the very best outfits. She’s back and this time her wee kitchen is based in Sweden! This book is perfect for all you Scandi-noir lovers out there. Khoo’s recipes are ideal to be pared with the latest wintery drama on SBS: think meatballs but also smoked sausage stroganoff and fish tacos, Swedish style. And of course, then there are the photos throughout that make you want to revamp your own tableware, or at least your kitchen linens.

Pizza de Luxe by Stefano Manfredi

Did you know that pizza is the most popular food in the entire world? If you don’t believe me, ask pizza master Manfredi. Here, in his sixth cookbook, he takes us on a tour of how to create the healthiest, tastiest pizza this side of Naples. Recipes include traditional favourites and innovative ideas. Known for his famous Sydney restaurants and appearances on television, Manfredi is the perfect person to give us the right advice about making the very best pizza. Apparently it’s all about the flour! Use the very best you can.

Taco-topia by Deborah Kaloper

In my home, tacos are the go-to meal when the kids are cooking us a meal. I’m going to be leaving this terrific ode to tacos lying around in the hope that my kids pick up some fresh ideas about what to pop in those nourishing corn-chip boats. Here, Melbourne-based California native Deborah Kaloper goes beyond the basics and includes new ideas to fill soft and hard tortillas in this sweet, beautifully illustrated cookbook. I’m going to make sure the kids skip the mac and cheese tacos option though and encourage instead the slow-cooked, braised-bean tacos. Whatever rocks your taco boat, this book has the answer to the questions you didn’t even know to ask.

Halliday Wine Companion 2019 by James Halliday

This is what we know about James Halliday: we know that he has been creating his Wine Companion book every year since 1986. We know that he has written about wine for over 40 years. As the young people would say, he’s solid. He knows a thing or two about Australian wine and his latest guide is indeed an incredible resource for a growing Australian industry. Again, Halliday shares his extensive knowledge of wine through detailed tasting notes with points, price, value symbol and advice on best-by drinking, as well as each wine’s closure and alcohol content. Again, this is the go-to guide for making the right decision about what to drink, and why.

Also out this month…

Former MasterChef Billy Law’s third book, XXL: Epic Food, Street Eats & Cult Dishes from Around the World and excellent advice in the form of Slow Down and Grow Something by Byron Smith with Tess Robinson.

Chris Gordon is the events manager for Readings.