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!
Ah cookery books i need to curate mine I think although they are all pretty well thumbed at different parts of the year. My oldest cook book is the commonsense cookery book(soft cover now torn and kept inside the book ) it has been my saviour many a time since i got it in in 1972 in 1st form (ah sigh showing my age.. ) I have the Stephanie Alexander as well as Maggie beers beautifully covered book β both turned to with regularity. I woukd love a copy of Anna Olsens bake and my fought over book (yes Ma you ARE to blame) is Mrs Beetons cook book given to my Mum when she married in 1952. She gave it to my oldest sister (who at that time didnβt cook) rather than me. I have been trying t o steal it from her ever since but its such a thick book it leaves too much empty space and my sister guards it like a doberman! I shall get it one day!!β¦thankyou for sharing your favourites Nagi I shall look for those titles. Happy Christmas & cheers Ailsa
Hi. Shana here and referring to Mrs Beetonβs book. You go get that because you love it. My Ma-ma always said this book β Beetonβs Household Management β was always to go to me. Apparently, I used to read recipes and wonder how to get a wallaby and thatβs not right for a pie.
Thats a lot of why i want it too Shana also this one has the proper format for invitations to royalty etc and you just never know when you want to invite royaltyπ€£. Make a preemptive move and write your name on the inside of the book β that was my mistake! Im still working on getting the book i got the royal albert tea set but she hasnt taken the bait so farπ€. You have a lively hokiday season and a Happy New Year!
Very interesting read! The only book I donβt have is the cooks companion. Have just looked up on Amazon Uk to buy that and itβs a whopping Β£71! Americas test kitchen is an invaluable site! Thanks!
You just need someone to gift it to YOU Pixi π N x
Actually I have now found a second hand copy for around β¬24 so itβs now on the way to me!
I managed to get a copy from the UK World of Books website for Β£23.49. I think it may have been their only copy though β sorry!
I notice you have Spice I Am on your bookshelf. Is it worth searching out? I realise itβs out of print.
Hi Lisa! Itβs only available in Australia π If you love real Thai food, you will be mad for this cookbook! I just added my thoughts on it in the post. It is my favourite Thai cookbook for sure! β N x
Nagi, I have many of the same cookbooks and I have a sneaking suspicion that Santa may lugging the GIANT Food Lab book by Kenji to me for Christmas. Definitely adding Nopalito to the list! Thank you! Also, Iβd suggest The Fearless Baker by Erin Jeanne McDowell. She explains everything so incredibly well. You can check out her videos on Food52 on You Tube. Warning, the videos are long but SO informative and entertaining. Thanks for sharing this great list with us!!
Perfect Dale, hoping Santa is kind to you!! π
Hi Dale, go with that Kenji book. There is a moment inside all of us that tips over and you see the molecules, heat, water and creation. My moment always is with combining minced meats. Of anything. You combine your recipe but if you over do it, overwork it β complete clump. Like bread.
Itβs not at all surprising that I have almost all of these books. Your cooking style and mine are very similar (although you are far, far better!) Happy to see the titles of the ones Iβm missing and will definitely add them to my Santa List. Have a wonderful Christmas and all the best (recipes and more) for the coming New Year.
Thanks so much Michele, I hope you have a great holiday! N x
Too funny β I stole Womenβs Weekly Best Recipes from my mother, too! (Well, she didnβt use it and doubt she has noticed it went). Still have it.
Haha!! I love this Jo!! N x
My parents gave me theirs and bought themselves a new one. I still use it for the Apricot Cheesecake and Shortbread.
Great list Nagi!
Too funny β I stole Womenβs Weekly Best Recipes from my mother, too! (Well, she didnβt use it). Still have it.
I cooked only few dishes out of this cookbook (they were delicious, though).
It was good to be stolen by Nagi, I guess.
Iβm not a great cook book collector but still have a few faves. I get old copies of my fave womenβs weekly cook books at op shops. Have replaced my βBest Everβ and βCooking Classβ and others. Iβm also buying copies for my kids for when they have their own places.
Thatβs so sweet Julie!! N x
I have nearly all these books plus dozens more culled from literally hundreds yet your site is my most pinned and recommended to friends of all!
Awesome Lyn!! π
I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA and Iβm going to be bias and say the food in SF is hard to find anywhere else. Since we moved to Loveland, CO with an elevation of 4982 ft above sea level, I had to order high altitude cooking cook books. I love baking and since being in Colorado, I havenβt baked with the fear of my baked goods coming out goofy. My family still enjoys your recipes. In fact, I made your Salisbury Steak tonight! Very flavorful. Tomorrow, your glazed carrots, kale butter rice and a grilled steak. Thank you for bringing delicious recipes into our home. As always, we love Dozer that big goofy ball.
Hi Vanessa, sorry I canβt help much with the high altitude baking β I canβt replicate it here to be able to test! Iβm so glad youβre loving my other recipes though, thanks so much for the great feedback π N x
Jumping up and down like a child as not only have cookery books always been my favourite gift to myself but friends and family know ahead what my next desires and loves are ! I have got rid of so many but still have over 800 on my shelves . . . nearly a third of my total library ! I began with Margaret Fulton and Stephanie Alexander and all the Womenβs Weekly ones way back and then came the rest ! As I cannot very well give a ten-page list of favourites shall we name Vincent and Mary Priceβs Cookbook as my past, beautiful darling Paula Wolfertβs βMoroccan Cookingβ as my present and Yotam Ottolenghiβs βFlavourβ I am buying myself for end of year for my future β cannot wait !
Wahoo!! Youβll love Ottolenghi Eha! N x
The food lab is a great choice! Highly recommend and I totally get why it would feature on this website. What Nagi and Kenji have in common (apart from creating magic for your mouth) is that they donβt just tell you what to cook or how to cook it, they empower home cooks by telling them WHY to cook it like that. And that knowledge is power and the key to branching out on your own, and feeling free and independent and enjoying your time in the kitchen.
Thanks so much Ashley!! N x
The one by Kenji sounds fascinating to me, i love the alchemy of cooking, so this feels right up my alley! And agree, Ottelenghi has to feature at least once!
Itβs well worth a read Janine!! N x
thank you for this!! I decided I wanted cookbooks for Christmas and this gives me some great ideas. I already have some of your suggestions (Plenty, Joy of Cooking, ATK) which affirms my choices! thanks again! I love your website and really love your recipes!!
Thanks so so much Cynthia!!! π₯° N x
I have your website, Nagi and thatβs enough for a beginner like me!
Oh shucks β thanks so much Yola, Iβm so glad youβre loving the recipes! N x
Agree. Totally. Nagiβs website is my go to.
I remember a story where Julia Child met Irma Rombauer and asked if she had really cooked all those recipes herself and Irma said βOf course notβ..No one has I bet.
But Julia did.