Hereβs a list of my favourite cookbooks that I use over and over again that I think are worth gifting β to yourself or a lucky person in your life!
Independence statement: These are 100% my own independent opinions. There are no affiliate links here, and I have no commercial or personal relationship with any of the authors or publishers. These are genuinely just cookbooks I personally value!
Cookbooks are an investmentβ¦. both cost-wise and space-wise!! In fact, sometimes I even test drive cookbooks before I buy them by borrowing them from the library. If I renew them repeatedly, only then do I buy them. No joke!
If youβre going to buy a cookbook, you want it to be one you really, really want. Not one you buy on a whim, flip through a few times, and then languishes in a pile somewhere gathering dust. A cookbook collection should be a like a treasured record collection: Something youβve carefully amassed, curated (even sometimes been painfully forced to cull) over many years that youβre proud to display, and provides you endless enjoyment and inspiration.
So here are my top 14 cookbooks, the ones that I find myself thumbing through over and over again. How many of these do you already know of or own? π
Jerusalem & Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Why I love them: UGH, I hate that cookbook #1 is so obvious!!! But hand on heart, 5 years after purchasing it, Jerusalem remains one of my most popular cookbooks on my shelf.
Somewhat of a vegetarian recipe bible for foodies, it made me excited to eat more vegetables β and that is saying something for this cheese-loving, roast-loving carb-monster!!!
Ottolenghi followed up Jerusalem with a rapid succession of new cookbooks almost annually, and to be honest I havenβt been blown away by any of the others with the exception of Plenty, where the recipes are more reminiscent of those that I loved in Jerusalem.
While many of his recipes include one or two (or more!) specialty ingredients that I wouldnβt buy just to make a single recipe, mostly I love that I can get great flavour combination and unique ideas for preparing vegetables that are just really, really tasty even if I skip the odd spice or two.
Bonus: Jerusalem has a beautifully textured fabric-feel hardcover which makes it a bit extra special for gifting
Where to buy Plenty: AU | UK | US
Where to buy Jerusalem: AU | UK | US
Community by Hetty McKinnon
Why I love it: I call this cookbook the Sydney version of Ottolenghiβs Jerusalem. Filled with interesting salad recipes with unique flavour combinations, I also like the authorβs personality. She comes across as genuine, totally down-to-earth and her recipes reflect that: The recipes are straightforward and she doesnβt care for trendy fads, she just likes good food.
I also like the story behind the book. The author used to live in Redfern (in inner Sydney) and ran a lunch service called Arthur Street Kitchen, delivering salads to local businesses. This cookbook is filled with the recipes she used to make there!
Today she resides in Brooklyn and Iβve started seeing her work cropping up in New York Times Cooking, which speaks volumes of her credibility and talent.
Australian Womenβs Weekly Best Ever Recipes
Why I love it: My first cookbook! Well, the first cookbook I stole from my motherβ¦.π By far the oldest but also most-thumbed recipe book in my collection, this is for anyone who loves nostalgic recipes reflecting a bygone era of Australian food culture β before avo on toast was ever a thing and Sweet nβ Sour Pork was βexoticβ. Duck with Mangoes, Seafood Pancakes, Brandy Snapsβ¦. I love βem all!
The only reason it isnβt number 1 on the list is because itβs such an old book, itβs no longer in print. π©
Where to buy: search Ebay! Regretfully, unlikely to find outside Australia β¦
The Cookβs Companion by Stephanie Alexander
Why I love it: If you ever find yourself holding an ingredient in your hand wondering what on earth to do with it,Β turn to the Cookβs Companion. Cooking doyenne Stephanie Alexanderβs 1192-page tome is usefully organised A-Z by ingredient. Each ingredient has a description and preparation notes, followed by a series of practical, interesting and delicious recipes incorporating that ingredient. So comprehensive and practical is this book, if I had to think of one tactic to guarantee a win on Masterchef, Iβd memorise the Cookβs Companion β¦. all, um, 1192 pages?
Australian Fish & Seafood Cookbook by John Susman et al
Why I love it: A collaboration by some of Australiaβs most highly-respected seafood industry veterans, this book is a a goldmine of collective experience and wisdom about common Australian fishes and how to prepare them.
From flesh tasting notes to seasonality, cooking qualities to suggested preparations, itβs my go-to bible for seafood expertise. If youβre an Aussie passionate about sourcing and cooking quality fish, this book is a must for your shelf!
Billβs Food by Bill Granger
Why I love this book: To me, the first book by Bill Granger, Billβs Sydney Food, is still his best and contain many of the early recipes from his iconic restaurants. Sadly itβs very hard to get hold of new these days. So my other recommendations I own are Billβs Food and Simply Bill which are full of recipes of a similar style which I also very much enjoy.
Iβve always admired Grangerβs talent for stripping a dish back to its bare essentials, while losing none of its appeal in the process. In fact, the simplicity of his food and recipes are their appeal β the focused flavours, unfussy preparation and a minimum of ingredients required.
He also has true knack for understanding the Australian palate and what Australians love to eat, and thereβs no more apt a title for this book than Sydney Food.
Where to buy Billβs Food: AU | UK | US
Where to buy Simply Bill: AU | UK | US
The Joy of Cooking 2019
Written by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Becker, Megan Scott.
Why I love it: If I lived in America and could only have one cookbook, this would probably be it β itβs legendary! A recipe bible filled with American classics, I regard this as the American version of Australiaβs The Cookβs Companion by Stephanie Alexander.
It contains a recipe for everything you could ever want, from cakes to frostings, pies to roasts, sides to canapΓ©s. First published in 1931 by Irma Rombauer, itβs been republished and updated a number of times, most recently in 2019 by her great-grandson. This is the edition I have.
Nopalito by Gonzalo GuzmΓ‘n
Why I love it: Gifted to me by my friend Kevin from Kevin is Cooking (my personal go-to resource for all things Mexican!), I call this the Mexican version of Ottolenghiβs Jerusalem. Not only filled with the most tantalising and authentic Mexican recipes, the photos and stories are engaging and is one of those books that I actually read beyond just the recipes.
Written by the owner of the popular Nopalito restaurant in San Francisco, this blows away every other Mexican recipe book Iβve read or owned.
Sauces by Michel Roux
Why I love it: This book is currently the subject of a heated argument over rightful ownership between my brother and I, which is an indication of just how much itβs valued by us. (Update: He just realised he also has his own copy, hence the mystery and ensuing argument. I have now put my name on my copy! PS. Everyone take note that I was right in that argument??π)
This book was authored by the late Michel Roux, patriarch of an overachieving family of French-trained chefs with a plethora of Michelin stars earned between them. Thereβs an extraordinary diversity of sauces, both modern and classical, precisely documented in his book Sauces, all accompanied by stunningly beautiful photography.
I find myself thumbing through this book regularly, sometimes for inspiration, sometimes for instruction. But usually just to admire the photos, read the recipes and drool. The inspiration for many, many sauces on my website have come from this fantastic book.
The Food of Italy by Claudia Roden
Why I love it: Many others also do and itβs widely considered a classic on Italian food, originally published in 1989. Roden travels the entire country, north to south, devoting a chapter to every region. Each chapter showcases the regionβs typical as well as lesser-known dishes. Itβs fascinating to observe the incredible diversity of Italian food across different regions and is why Italians often explain to foreigners, βThereβs no such thing as βItalian food'β.
I love that this book showcases real Italian food β the food of the people β while opening our eyes to a vast world of delicious, inventive food beyond the often limited or clichΓ©d Italian food weβre accustomed to. Much of my education around traditional Italian food and cookery has come from this book.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
Why I love this book: An old book and author that has shot back to fame in the last decade, this is a must-have for those with a soft spot for sentimental and traditional Old World French cooking. Itβs filled with all the French classics, from Beef Bourguignon to Cheese SoufflΓ©, Quiche Lorraine to French Onion Soup.
Of course, itβs also packed with highly traditional and regional recipes that will be unfamiliar to many.
Be warned: This book is not for beginners and Childβs recipes demand discipline and attention to detail. There are no short cuts, hacks and itβs not a book for people who need dinner on the table in an under an hour. Rather this is a book for those who enjoy the process of cooking, diving deep into the divine world of French food, spending a whole lazy Sunday pottering around in the kitchen.
Rates highly on the gift-giving scale, this is a classic!
The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Why I love this book: βKenji says this, Kenji says that, Kenjiβs technique is this, Kenjiβs tested that already β¦β. The name βKenjiβ gets thrown around quite a bit in the RecipeTin family cooking debates. We admire his science-based approach to cooking in pursuit of producing recipes that are as close to perfection as possible. Ultimate roast beef, the perfect crispy New York pizza, the Reverse Sear, the silkiest Mac and Cheeseβ¦. The famous Kenji hits go and on.
This cookbook isnβt for everyone. While it contains hundreds of recipes across the 1,000+ pages, much of the writing is dedicated to the science of food and cooking, and describing the process of each recipeβs development. Itβs a brilliant resource for people like me who create recipes and want to understand the why in order to improve my own food, without going to impractical lengths to achieve it. Kenji in other words, often has done a lot of legwork for me so I donβt have to β and I love him for it!
But know this β if you do follow his recipes and all his tips, your dish will be perfect!
Cool Beans by Joe Yonan
Why I love it: A book that makes you want to eat beans?? I know, itβs almost unbelievable!
Written by the food editor of The Washington Post, this is a cookbook that literally stopped me in my tracks. I opened the package by the mailbox and 10 minutes later, I was still standing there reading the book. Iβd never had guessed at the sheer amount of imagination that could be applied to this humble legume and craft an entire book of amazingly delicious recipes around it.
If you just donβt like beans, obviously this is not the book for you. But if youβre open to the possibilities of eating more of the worldβs greatest source of plant-based protein, you will love this book.
Online subscriptions
These arenβt hardcopy cookbooks, but instead online subscription-based recipe resources that I use a LOT. Probably more than any of the above listed print books β because I do live in the online world!!
While I know itβs not the same as wrapping a physical present, I thought Iβd add these to the list as digital gift ideas. I know itβs the sort of thing I would have loved if I didnβt already have subscriptions!
New York Times Cooking is one of my greatest online resources for wonderful recipes from highly-regarded cooks that I use for day to day cooking, and to experiment with new recipes.
Americaβs Test Kitchen & Cooksβ Illustratedβs tagline, βrecipes that workβ is no exaggeration! An excellent resource for fail-proof recipes you can trust will work, though I must confess I often tinker with flavouring.
Reader requested extras!
Adding a few more items to the list pursuant to reader messages!
Indian cooking
Creating really great restaurant curries from around the world is a bit of a passion of mine (hence a whole category of Curry recipes on my website!). But in the years Iβve been doing this, Iβve found that I donβt have a single βgo-toβ cookbook which is why itβs not listed. More often, I use informal YouTube videos made by Indian homecooks and restaurants, then cross check with cookbooks and chef recipes.
That is not to say I donβt have curry cookbooks I hold in high regard! Here are my favourites:
Atulβs Curries of the World by Atul Kocchar β not just Indian, he covers iconic curries across South East Asia as well as the Indian sub-continent. I LOVE this cookbook! Buy: AUS / US / UK
The Curry Guy Bible by Dan Toombs β mysteriously missing from my house and missing it! Buy it: AUS / US (only Kindle) / UK
Curry Nation by Madhur Jaffrey β filled with all the popular curries, a cookbook written by one of the UKβs favourite Indian cooks (the Brits are mad for their curries!!). Buy it: AUS / US (only Kindle) / UK
PS And yes, you may have spied Rick Steinβs India in the bookshelf up the top but Iβm sorry to say it doesnβt top my list. I rate the others considerably higher for recipes you can use without tweaking.
Spice I Am by Sujet Saenkham
Restaurant recipes from the chef-owner of Sydneyβs highly regarded Spice I Am and House Thai restaurants, this is filled with truly authentic Thai recipes, including his famous Pad Thai which I shared on my website many years ago.
The only reason it doesnβt make my top 14 is because the recipes are quite specialised in that they err more on the side of really authentic which means many people (including my friends) can find the flavours a bit too βThai funkyβ with very strong fish sauce and dried shrimp flavours. I find I need to tweak the flavours a bit when cooking for other people.
But for those who know and are familiar with either of his restaurants or love the food in Thailand (outside of the touristy Westernised places), then you will LOVE this cookbook as much as I do. Definitely my highest rated Thai cookbook!
Buy Spice I Am online: AUS only Iβm afraid!
And there you have it! Those are the most used cookbooks in the world of RecipeTin, along with why I love them so much. Maybe thereβs someone in your life deserving of one?? (I am, of course, including you yourself in that suggestion β¦.! ) β Nagi x
Life of Dozer
I was just trying to take a photo of my cookbooks, and he even gets in the way of THAT!
I have three favorite cookbooks, and Iβve owned them since 1980 β the original Moosewood Cookbook and Anna Thomasβ Vegetarian Epicure, Vol I and II. All three of these cookbooks have beautiful hand-drawn illustrations β no photos β and they open automatically to my favorite recipes. Iβve given them as gifts for 40 years now, and I have yet to meet anyone who wasnβt thrilled by the recipes.
I love this Bette!!! N x
Wow! Some wonderful suggestions! I just got Caroline Edenβs Red Sands which is just as much a travelogue as a cookbook full of Central Asian recipes. I will definitely have to add some of your recommendations to my holiday shipping list. Thanks for sharing your love of food!
Youβre so welcome Sujata!! N x
Great suggestions! You are my number 1 recipe blogger! The one I find myself going back to over and over, for recipes that are easy and actually work!!!
I will confess, though, I would love to have a Recipe Tin Eats cookbook that I could hold in my hands and page thru over and over. It would also have awesome pictures of Dozer all throughout . Iβm pretty sure THAT would be my number one cookbook.
Any chance I can get my wish, Navi?π₯°π
Itβs on the cards Rozanne, I promise!!! N x
Another great post as always Nagi! Wondering β can you share with me your fav Indian cookbook? Yeah, busted β¦ noticed something in the pix on your bookshelf β¦ cheers!
Hi Charlene! I just added my favourites to the post: Atulβs Curries of the World, Curry Nation and The Curry Guy Bible! N x
Awesome β thanks so, so much!
Hi Nagi, seeing the βWomenβs Weekly Best Ever Recipesβ made me so nostalgic. I bought this in 1979 at a book fair in India when I was still in junior school, and itβs been one of my cherished possessionsβ¦ one I still have in great condition. Iβve made so many wonderful, successful recipes from it over the yearsβ¦ and spent countless hours just poring over the mesmerizing pictures and salivating over the contents!!!
Truly, a gem to haveβ¦. and for you to list. Thank you!
They truly are the best arenβt they Priya!!! N x
My favourite food blog is yours!! My family, friends and I are all grateful for your creativity, passion and joy of food. More great food has come out of my kitchen since I discovered your site. Your thoughts on the Food Lab have tweaked my interest. Definitely on my Christmas list now. Thank you.
I hope you love it as much as I do Diane, keep me updated! N x
Thank you for your suggestions. I already own every Bill Granger cookbook. I love his recipes and had the pleasure of meeting him. He is very humble and generous with his time.
I was quite surprised that Nigella didnβt make your list. I have all of her cookbooks as well.
youβre so welcome Kerry! There are so many, but these would be my top pics! N x
Hi Nagi π Charmaine Solomonβs Sri Lankan cook books are on βmy listβ β¦recommended by one of my best friendsβ¦one day i will get around to purchasing one! I need to eat a curry a week to be happy π
I have all the womenβs weekly cookbooks, kids have grown up loving the birthday cake book! Greasy pages and biro scribble through out the book bring back such wonderful memories! As does your recipes now!
Yes!!! The birthday cookbook is an Aussie classic isnβt it!! N x
Oh may I say OMG β βcause I SO often cook from her curries book but also the absolutely fabulous vegetarian East and West one β truly original and simple and fun and . . . !!
Thereβs a gem of a recipe book for childrenβs games titled βMud Pies and Other Recipesβ by Marjorie Winslow. Itβs a must for every kid, small or big.
Sounds fantastic Chris!! N x
Thanks for the list! Just purchased Michel Roux sauces book as a gift for my father in law based on your recommendation! He has been wanting to learn how to make sauces in a cooking class but this is the next best thing and think he will love it!
Thatβs great Emma!!! N x
You are my cookbook. I have had many and downsized. I have my personal family recipes handwritten book. But you are my go to girl for perfect recipes my family love.
βIs it Tin Food?β Is the catch cry at my home. Thank you for bringing back my joy of cooking. Xx
Oh how sweet!! I love hearing this Melissa, thanks so much!! N x
Hi Nagi,
Just went thoroughrough your cookbook list. Danger!!!! I only have about 1500 of them (issues with the strange concept called library π). There are two volumes of the art of french cooking. Have you tried Juliaβs Navarin dβagneau de printemps? (Spring lamb stew)? If not: you should. It is devine.
Greatings from Gent, Belgium
Fascinating stuff! I too, have the Australian Womenβs Weekly cookbook. My mother had a copy and when she passed,I couldnβt find it anywhere, all her recipes seem to have disappeared too π A couple of years later, I found that cookbook at a second hand shop though and snapped it up! Ah, the memories π I met Stephanie Alexander some 5 years ago now and got her book. All the others are unknown to me, eeek! Thanks for the inspiration π btw, thanks for always including Dozer pics, they always make my day π
Stephanie from the UK living in Spain. No list to me is not complete without Delia Smithβs Complete Cookery Course. Every recipe is detailed yet not too complex and simply works. She taught me to cook. As did my motherβs original hard copy The Joy of Cooking β though I did not try the beaver or raccoon recipes! The later versions removed a lot of stuff that was quite hilarious.
Beaver and raccoon π± no way!!!! N x
And squirrel!! My sweet mother-in-law gave me her copy which was passed on to her by her mother. That Joy of Cooking made me think that Iβd never have to worry about starving with all the instruction given on how to prepare pretty much anything βΊοΈ
Thanks for these recommendations β Iβve added them to my wish list.
One of my favorite cookbooks / books about food is βSalt, Fat, Acid, Heat.β I love the tales about various dishes and cooking processes described in a way that helps you understand (like youβve mentioned in the description to Kenjiβs book.) Once you understand how it works, then you can become creative without the fear of poisoning your family π
Also, Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi is only $5.99 right now on Kindle! Got a copy!
Oh thatβs awesome Zee!!! N x
You can buy The Womanβs Weekly Best Ever Recipes (second hand copy in good order) from Womenβs Weekly Cookbooks for $14.95 with $5.95 postage.
Cheers and merry Xmas to you and Dozer
Bruce
Bargain Bruce!!! Thanks for the tips! N x
Hi Nagi β Iβm donating my cookbooks now that Iβve found you! (Tho Iβll keep the WW Best Recipes now because you love it). Honestly, your recipes are fail and fool proof and my aim is to cook every single one (unless thereβs tripe) before I die! Thanks and love to you and Dozer, two real cuties! ππ
Oh shucks⦠what a compliment, thanks so much Cathy!! N x
One of my favourite βsleeperβ cookbooks βfalling cloudberriesβ by Tessa Kirosβ¦every recipe a masterpiece and the book is beautiful to read and displayβ¦
Ah yes β beautiful photography in that one!! N x
Thank you. Iβve stripped back my recipe books and ripped out my go to pages. As an Australian I do own Stephanie Alexanderβs. What a tome and the recipes and insights never get dated. Really need the bean book. Felt so ignorant and donβt know what to do. Thank you!
Many years ago I was lucky enough to find a couple of the Australian Womanβs Weekly cook books in the UK. They became my staple go-to-books when I got married 25 years ago.
Thatβs awesome Gertie!! N x
So with you, Gertie. My first Australian Womenβs Weekly cookbook was Basic Cooking. This is late 80βs and leaving home cookbook. Still have it and taught me cooking times, The basics β how to poach an egg, make a roast, be a bit flash if you want to .. I wish I could give my kids this as a basic handbook.