Our resident foodie Chris Gordon selects eight new cookbooks to inspire you in the kitchen this month.

The Cook’s Apprentice: Tips, Techniques and Recipes for New Foodies by Stephanie Alexander

This informative book is full to the brim with everything new ‘foodies’ need to know to become relaxed and confident in the kitchen. I would buy this book for kids who are watching food shows, smelling lime leaves and questioning what type of tofu you are buying. Not only are there excellent recipes, but there are also tips about essential tools, classic cooking terms and what flavours work together. I’m buying this book in hope that it inspires my teenage kids!

I Quit Sugar: Simplicious Flow by Sarah Wilson

The bestselling Sarah Wilson is back with another directive that can only be good: with over 300 recipes she shows us how to eat well with zero waste. It’s amazing. The recipes are straightforward and do use enormous amounts of vegetables but, as promised, there is no waste! This book is perfect for those wanting fuss-free, positive-action type food. I promise it’s not rocket science!

Smith & Deli-cious: Food from our Deli (That Happens to be Vegan) by Shannon Martinez & Mo Wyse

The second cookbook from Smith and Daughters’ Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse is the type of book that you dip into when you have a crowd at your doorstep or you’re just about to pack the car to head to the hills for a beautiful picnic. All of the recipes are vegan, but you won’t notice because all you’ll be thinking about is how mouth-watering it all is.

Love, Laugh, Bake! by Silvia Colloca

Silvia Colloca, passionate home-cook and baker, says there is nothing more satisfying than baking. Well I’m not sure if that’s true, but I too enjoy combining the simplest of ingredients and seeing them transform into the most scrumptious creations to share with friends and family. In Love, Laugh, Bake! Silvia shares the tricks and trades of baking, including her fresh take on gluten-free, and also vegan, baking. Think of this book as an easy means of ensuring baking success with a touch of Italian flair.

Lateral Cooking by Niki Segnit

This innovative cookbook is completely ingenious and a breath of fresh air for any home cook or chef. You know how you often add a little of your own to a recipe, substitute herbs, or add a dash of wine to your broth? Well this cookbook takes that sneaky personal move into account! This groundbreaking book is designed to help you develop your own recipes from the base of a particular dish. It’s almost like a Choose Your Own Adventure cookbook. Lateral Cooking encourages improvisation, resourcefulness, and, ultimately, the knowledge and confidence to cook the way you want. The result is surely greater creativity in the kitchen.

The Getting of Garlic by John Newton

John Newton is one of the great food chroniclers of our time. In The Getting of Garlic, he delves into the history and influence of this fine ingredient. This food history of Australia shows we held onto British assumptions about produce and cooking for a long time and these fed our views on racial hierarchies and our place in the world. Newton visits fine-dining restaurants and cafés to explore what people have cooked and eaten over centuries using garlic as a staple. His observations, and recipes old and new, show that we haven’t changed as much as we might think we have.

Eat at the Bar by Matt McConnell with Jo Gamvros

Jo Gamvros and Matt McConnell share the helm at Melbourne’s beloved Bar Lourinhã. If you have ever eaten there then you will already know that the genius of the food served is the European flair and the absolute tastiness of it all. Recipes are taken from all over Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy to bring together the greatest small sharing dishes of all time. This is both a travel book and cookbook, aspirational and inclusive, warm and inviting. It’s perfect for those of us dreaming of a European summer.

The Broadsheet Italian Cookbook by Broadsheet Media (available 9 October)

Broadsheet cookbooks are terrific; they are easy to follow, represent our daily city lives well and have glorious photos of contributors and dishes. This is an assembly of recipes from the best Italian restaurants in our country taken from our five larger cities. The book also includes information and recipes from Italian food institutions, delicatessens and farmers. This is for all who consider pasta a family favourite as well as the ultimate comfort dish, and for whom cheese is a way of life.