While my five favourite recipe books remain unchanged, I’m always dipping in and out of a wide variety of titles.
Searching for inspiration and adding new dishes to my repertoire is vital for warding off the boredom that can so easily set in when you’re cooking daily for a family of four. Children aren’t always the most appreciative of diners, so it’s important that I take a great deal of pleasure from the process itself!
I’ve recently found myself constantly reaching for, and cooking from, the books listed below…
The eagerly anticipated publication from my favourite food writer, her first since Nigellissima in 2012, did not disappoint. Brimming with recipes that appear uncomplicated and relaxed, and full of prose that is a joy to read, I know this is a book I will reach for again and again.
With a whole chapter dedicated to bowl food, much of Simply Nigella is about creating cosy, delicious meals that are also restorative, both to cook and to eat. These words, taken from the book’s introduction, particularly resonate with me:
‘I have always believed that food you cook yourself is essentially good for you. This is not just because real ingredients are better for you than fake foods, but because the act of cooking for yourself is in itself a supremely positive act, an act of kindness.’
While I’ve only sampled a handful of recipes so far, my ‘to cook’ list is getting longer by the day!
Be sure to try: Salmon, Avocado, Watercress and Pumpkin Seed Salad, Butternut and Halloumi Burgers, Roast Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary, Garlic and Potatoes, Beef Chilli with Bourbon, Beer and Black Beans, Salted Chocolate Tart and Lemon Pavlova.
I picked this book up in the summer after hearing a handful of rave reviews. Although I didn’t realise it at the time, the author, Claire Thomson, actually lives in Bristol and, until fairly recently, ran a restaurant in Cotham.
Local connections aside, I adore this book and Thomson’s take on feeding a family. Divided into chapters dedicated to specific ingredients like milk, bread, grains and pulses, the recipes are innovative and inspiring.
Be sure to try: Easy Peasy Rose Ice Cream, Baked Pasta with Potato and Mountain Cheese, Slow Roasted Carrots with Brown Rice and Cherry Yogurt Cake
Part biography, part recipe collection, Audrey Hepburn’s son, Luca Dotti, has filled the pages of this unique book with wonderful recollections, anecdotes, drawings and previously unseen family photos. The food reflects Audrey’s life, with each recipe set within the context of a specific time period.
A recipe book as much for reading as it is for cooking, it feels like a personal scrapbook of Audrey’s world and the things she loved most.
Be sure to try: Penne alla Vodka, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, Pandeli’s Sea Bass en Papillote and Baked Potato with Smoked Salmon.
With a diet that leans towards pescatarian, I’m always searching for new and exciting ways to cook and prepare veg. This book is filled with interesting combinations and suggestions and I’ve been impressed with every single recipe I’ve tried.
We recently started using a local veg box delivery scheme and this title has been indispensable. With a well stocked pantry, it’s been easy to transform whatever vegetables we’ve received into hearty and delicious dinners. If you’re keen to increase your vegetable intake, I can’t recommend it enough.
Be sure to try: Green Beans, New Potatoes and Olives, Oven-Roasted Roots Frittata, Pasta with Greens, Garlic and Chilli and Big Baked Mushrooms.
There’s so many amazing recipe books released at this time of year. What have you been cooking from lately? I’d love to add your recommendations to my Christmas wish list!
Love Audrey xxx
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