New Australian Cookbooks We Can’t Wait To Get Our (Oven) Mitts on This Year

Will 2026 be the year of idiosyncratic home baking? If the cookbook forecast is anything to go by, it may well be. There’s a high chance of fun with debuts from Raya’s Raymond Tan and Madeleine de Proust’s Hyoju Park and Rong Yao Soh. Emelia Jackson’s latest and a new title from Natalie Paull of Beatrix Bakes fame are in the mix, too. 

Overall, Melbourne chef Karen Martini might just win the year with four – yes, four – new cookbook releases. Speaking of beloved chefs, we’re also looking forward to new titles by Tony Tan, Josh Niland and Danielle Alvarez. Happy cooking (and shopping) everyone. 

Sang by Kenny Yong-soo Son

If we’re talking about essential Sydney restaurants, Sang has to be in the conversation. It’s where Kenny Yong-soo Son and his family serve classic Korean dishes with a modern MO, and this beautiful book is an extension of their table to yours. Menu favourites of snapper-and-cabbage mandu and mountain veg bibimbap are just a taste of the 100 recipes inside. 

Available now. Published by Hardie Grant (RRP $50).

Madeleines by Hyoju Park and Rong Yao Soh 

Some people do too much. Others lock in and focus on doing one thing really well. Hyoju Park and Rong Yao Soh, the duo behind Melbourne’s Madeleine de Proust, are the latter type. Their publishing debut is a definitive guide to making madeleines – from the classic brown-butter version to filled and coated varieties. 

Available now. Published by Quadrille (RRP $34.99).

Home Food by Elizabeth Hewson

Tired? Hungry? Elizabeth Hewson sees you. The Saturday Night Pasta author’s latest is packed with recipes for real people, and everything here is designed for maximum flavour and flexibility when you’re short on time. That means one-pot winners, midweek pastas, and an “it’s going to be OK chicken soup” that’ll save the day.

Available now. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $45).

You Had Me at Cake by Emelia Jackson

The Jack is back. The Masterchef winner’s third book is all about keeping things simple where cake is concerned. Inside you’ll find 80 recipes spanning big cakes, mini cakes, international cakes, classic cakes and more. Preheat your ovens, people. 

Available now. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $39.99).

Aunty Beryl’s Cookbook by Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo

Gamilaroi Elder Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo is an authority on native bush foods. She has advised top chefs including Kylie Kwong on their use, and holds a Medal of the Order of Australia for her dedication to Indigenous hospitality training. Her new book continues her life’s work of incorporating First Nations knowledge into everyday cooking, from salads to bakes and more. 

Available now. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $49.99).

Tender by Lucy Tweed

As Jon Snow kept reminding us in Game of Thrones: winter is coming. Good thing Lucy Tweed’s Tender is coming in hot alongside. The bestselling author’s ode to ragus, curries, soups and slow braises includes 90 easy recipes that’ll warm the heart and feed the soul.  

Available now. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $39.99).

You’re Welcome by Raymond Tan with Audrey Payne

Raymond Tan has been on a roll for a while now, but the superstar baker behind Melbourne’s Dua and Raya shows no signs of slowing down. This year, he’ll release his first cookbook (co-written by Broadsheet editor Audrey Payne), and it’s a baking party on every page. Right this way for sweet and savoury bakes with Southeast Asian flair. 

Available now. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $49.99).

Smoke, Rice, Water by Kishwar Chowdhury

From restaurants to cookbooks, South Asian cuisines have never been so well represented in Australia as they are now. Masterchef alum Kishwar Chowdhury adds to the conversation with this celebration of Bengali cuisine. From street snacks to Mughal court dishes, it includes 100 accessible recipes from the Bay of Bengal, a diverse region comprising most of Bangladesh and parts of India.

Available now. Published by Hardie Grant (RRP $50).

Hong Kong Cult Recipes by Tony Tan

One of Australia’s most respected chefs and authors is back with a fun little whip around the island in 80 recipes. Char siu, hor fun noodles, pineapple buns, plus a foreword by living culinary legend Stephanie Alexander make this mini-book one to slip in your back pocket for when you need a classic Cantonese recipe, fast.

Available now. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $29.99).

Bourke Street Bakery by Paul Allam and David McGuinness

The founders of one of our great hospo success stories will release the 21st-anniversary edition of their “ultimate baking companion” this year. Those with dog-eared original copies, as well as the legion still thinking about those famous pork and fennel sausage rolls two decades in, can revisit these 90 essential recipes from the Surry Hills bakery that raised an empire.

Available June 29. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $49.99).

Epic Veg by Jessica Prescott

The sequel to Epic Salads, Prescott’s latest includes 80 meat-free recipes organised by vibe, from "veggie fix" to "creature comforts". Creamy mushroom pasta, brothy baked chickpeas and zesty edamame salad are a win for low-touch vegetarian cooking.

Available June 30. Published by Hardie Grant (RRP $49.99).

Native Ingredients Everyday by Nornie Bero

Focusing on 10 key ingredients – from pepperberry to strawberry gum – Mabu Mabu’s Nornie Bero shares culture, sourcing tips and more than 80 accessible recipes in her second book on native bush foods. Sign us up for wallaby bourguignon and wattleseed pavlova. 

Available June 30. Published by Hardie Grant (RRP $45).

Osozai: Everyday Japanese Home Cooking by Meg Tanaka

Cibi in Collingwood is where Harry Styles popped in for breakfast on his 2023 Australian tour. But the Japanese cafe and design store was on everyone else’s radar long before that. Now, owner Meg Tanaka is releasing her second book, featuring 70 recipes for everyday Japanese cooking. For pickles, bright salads and comforting mains right up Harry’s alley, step this way. 

Available September 1. Published by Harper Collins (RRP $39.99).

Sweet Heart by Natalie Paull 

Natalie Paull of Beatrix Bakes fame is having a bumper year. The Victorian baking icon released the 15th-anniversary edition of her influential debut in February. Now, she’s following it up with this very sweet new title. Recipes are organised by flavour and span classics such as raspberry-filled lamingtons, and future classics like pumpkin spice latte doughnuts. 

Available September 1. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $49.99). 

Saint Peter: Chapter and Verse by Josh Niland

Paddington’s Hot Listed fish restaurant Saint Peter celebrates 10 years in September. To mark the occasion, chef and co-owner Josh Niland has distilled a decade of wisdom leading one of the world’s most revolutionary kitchens into his fourth cookbook. Inside are three expansive essays and more than 140 recipes, including some of the acclaimed chef’s most iconic dishes.

Available September 1. Published by Hardie Grant (RRP $80).

Weeknights With Alice by Alice Zaslavsky

The queen of veg cooking returns in September with another devotional to all things green. This time, the James Beard award finalist delivers 80 easy recipes organised by colour and designed for a streamlined pantry and fuss-free cooking to get you through the week. Zaslavsky has also kindly supplied a “when you feel like” index to help choose recipes based on your mood.  

Available September 9. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $45). 

Asian Home Cooking by Adam Liaw 

The creator of some of Broadsheet’s most popular recipes is going large with his 11th cookbook. Inside are 200 recipes from Liaw’s travels across the continent, demonstrating the diversity of Asian cuisines beyond the takeaway staples we know. Think Japan’s nikujaga (simmered beef and potatoes), Vietnam’s canh chua ca (sweet and sour fish soup), and noodles from China’s north and south. 

Available September 29. Published by Hardie Grant (RRP $65). 

Cook: Fast and Cook: Slow by Karen Martini 

Martini has already dropped not one but two cookbooks this year. But the multi-talented chef and restaurateur ain’t done yet. These companions will make the quad: Choose Cook: Fast for low-touch, high-impact recipes such as chicken skewers with orange and black olive salsa. Or Cook: Slow for comforting weekend projects like braised lamb neck with white wine, tomato and oregano. Order us another Martini! 

Available September 29. Published by Hardie Grant (RRP $39.95 each).  

Home for Dinner by Julie Goodwin 

Another Masterchef OG is back to win shelf space with her seventh cookbook. As always, Goodwin is putting more healthy, family-friendly meals on our tables every night of the week. Highlights include a Spanish chicken tray bake, 30-minute “burning” noodles with prawns, and a veg bolognaise everyone will love. 

Available October 6. Published by Penguin (RRP $49.99). 

Made Simple by Danielle Alvarez 

When she’s not designing menus for Sydney Opera House or road-testing supermarket spaghetti brands for Broadsheet, Alvarez is busy writing some of our favourite cookbooks. Her latest, Made Simple, does what it says on the tin. Expect 80 unadorned recipes where produce does the talking, courtesy of one of Australia’s leading chefs. 

Available November 3. Published by Murdoch Books (RRP $45).