The Food of Baharat by Helly Raichura
$59.99
The rise of South Asian cuisines has been a thrilling development in the Aussie dining scene in the last 12 months. At the forefront of this movement is Helly Raichura whose 20-seat Melbourne restaurant, Enter Via Laundry, is a journey through the Indian subcontinent and its diverse cuisines. As in her restaurant, Raichura is both chef and historian in her publishing debut, The Food of Baharat, and masterfully shows how Indian food isn’t just deeply regional – it’s epochal. Enter for 68 surprisingly achievable recipes drawing on thousands of years of Indian culinary history, from savoury lentil fritters mentioned in ancient Vedic texts to more familiar dishes from India’s colonised era, such as aloo paratha. Advanced home chefs will love to see Raichura’s intricate Masterchef pressure test dish, ‘I am not pasta’, in the final chapter on modern Indian cooking.Who’s it for? Those who want to step up their Indian cookery skills. Hardcore Helly fans.
Pranzo by Guy Mirabella
$59.99
Mirabella on the wall, who’s got Italian recipes to rule them all? It might be this renowned Australian cookbook designer, whose memories of a Sicilian upbringing on a farm on the Mornington Peninsula sprawl across the pages of this colourful tome. Recipes are divided by season, meaning gnocchi with plump roasted tomatoes in summer and soulful confit duck come winter. Pranzo is the Italian word for “lunch”, but these recipes rock regardless of when you’re plating up.Who’s it for? Anyone looking for a book of simple Italian recipes that hit every time.
Heide Harvest by Alice Crowe and Maximillian
$64.99
In 1934, Victorian couple John and Sunday Reed purchased a five-acre plot in Heidelberg on a stretch of the Birrarung/Yarra River, with a vision to foster a community of artists and writers. Today, the site is home to a sculpture park and five gallery spaces featuring more than 3600 artworks. The Reed’s original kitchen still thrives today and inspires 90 vibrant recipes by top Melbourne chefs including Annie Smithers (Du Fermier), Dom Gattermayr and Rose Richards (Florian & Juniper), and Daniel Lewis and Simon Benjamin (Napier Quarter).Who’s it for? Lovers of photogenic long lunch spreads that taste as good as they look.
Everything Is Indian by Justin Narayan
$39.99
No matter what he was cooking, Justin Narayan’s mum would always find “a tiny bit of Indian in there”. Well, mum, that’s what some might call style. The Masterchef winner’s Fijian-Indian heritage is the jumping off point for many of his recipes (the more trad ones can be whipped up in around 30 minutes). But, as the title suggests, Narayan can make Mexican and Middle Eastern fare feel effortlessly Indian-ish with just a few clever tweaks. He leaves nothing off the table either, weaving influences from his time living in Nedlands, Perth (Chinese) and Petersham, Sydney (Portuguese) into a cookbook that’s about as fun as they get. Who’s it for? Those looking for quick, flavour-punching weeknight meals or a weekend project.
Slow Cooking by Olivia Andrews
$29.99
If you don’t have an arsenal of recipes up your sleeve, slow cooking can become staid – fast. Enter food writer and recipe developer Olivia Andrews’s new compendium of slow-cooking recipes that include options for the stovetop, the oven and slow-cooking appliances. It stars set-and-forget recipes such as a whole roast chicken with tarragon and 40 garlic cloves, and a slew of other warming dishes spanning curries, stews and soups. There are loads of veggie options, plus recipes perfect for batch-cooking for the week ahead and strategies for turning cheaper cuts of meat into a brilliant meal. Who’s it for? Those who want recipe ideas for the cooler months ahead.
The Australian Ingredients Kitchen by Elder Bruno Dann and Tahlia Mandie
$39.99
Australia has a bounty of native ingredients, but because so many of us don’t know enough about their uses and flavours, we still opt for their international counterparts. This new cookbook aims to change that, with 60 approachable dishes from First Nations and non-Indigenous chefs as well as a rundown of the bush pantry. Expect recipes such as a cacao, coconut and gubinge (Kakadu plum) smoothie bowl; fried red snapper with samphire powder and maarr (native lemongrass); and “chilli con kanga” tortillas with warrigal greens salsa verde. There is also a bunch of sweets, including a raspberry and finger lime custard pie, and zesty desert lime and quandong popcorn.Who’s it for? Those looking to start their Australian pantry in earnest.
Pocket Pickler by Alex Elliott-Howery
$29.99
Since launching in 2011, Sydney’s Cornersmith has celebrated a waste-free, seasonal-cooking ethos. This mantra reached across two cafes (now closed), its picklery, cooking classes and several cookbooks. And it underpins co-founder Alex Elliott-Howery’s new cookbook, which shows how to pickle and ferment your way through the seasons, with 80 recipes ranging from quick pickles to kimchi and sauerkraut. In-depth instructions on preserving and bottling make it handy for both beginner and more advanced picklers, while recipes for the likes of plum and ginger chutney mean you’ll always have a last-minute gift up your sleeve.Who’s it for? Anyone looking to create a more sustainable home kitchen.
The Baker’s Book by Ruby Goss
$44.99
Some of the country’s best pastry chefs, cooks, and bakers have contributed recipes to this bible of baking. More than 60 recipes from familiar names are included within its colourful cover (by Melbourne artist Beci Orpin): Jo Barrett (Little Picket)’s beetroot and apple cake with wattleseed icing; Nadine Ingram’s (Flour and Stone) chocolate, amaretto, and sour cherry tart; a hibiscus cake from Nornie Bero of Mabu Mabu; and Gareth Whitton’s (Tarts Anon)’s pea and feta tart. Handily, many of the contributors have recently released their own cookbooks, making this a useful entry point to their recipes before you commit to buying an entire book.Who’s it for? The committed home baker who’s clued into the Australian food scene.
Cook Korea! by Billy Law
$49.99
Billy Law is a renaissance man. The Malaysian Australian Masterchef alum is a web designer, travel writer, food stylist, photographer and ceramicist. With his new cookbook, Cook Korea, he’s adding K-food expert to the repertoire. In this faithful tribute to the country’s flavour-punching cuisine, you’ll find 70 recipes for street food faves such as tteokbokki and japchae, and homestyle food including bulgogi and bibimbap. Need just one kimchi recipe? Billy’s got you covered. Who’s it for? K-food fans, first-time Korean cooks and everyone in between.
Kitchen Keepers by Katrina Meynink
$39.99
Clear, uncomplicated, flavourful recipes were the brief for Katrina Meynink’s third cookbook. The veteran food writer has turned her attention to “in-between food” – in other words, meals you can easily whip up amid the flurry of work, gym and social commitments. That means big bountiful salads, a whole chapter of SOS meals when time and motivation are low, and a compendium of couch comforters including butter dal, “Dirty Martini” chicken thighs and more. Kitchen Keepers also gives you tips on how to stretch a specialty ingredient, say lemongrass or buttermilk, across multiple meals. Also, some of these recipes are just plain fun. Jatz, tomato and harissa pie? Say less.Who’s it for? Busy people who still want to make time for a home-cooked meal.
Sour Cherries and Sunflowers by Anastasia Zolotarev
$44.99
You might remember Anastasia Zolotarev and her rustic eastern European cooking from the eighth season of Masterchef. The Sydney-based cook and recipe writer is back with her gorgeous debut cookbook, filled with recipes drawing on her Ukrainian and Belarusian heritage. Think blueberry and buckwheat pancakes for slow mornings at home, and Zolotarev’s modern takes on traditional European dumplings piroshki and varenyky.Who’s it for? Those looking for a soulful introduction to Eastern European cooking.
