Halliday Wine Companion 2024 by James Halliday & Campbell Mattinson (ed.)

For over 30 years, the Halliday Wine Companion has been recognised as the industry benchmark for Australian wine. Campbell Mattinson is now in the role of chief editor, with a team of experts, including Mr Halliday himself, to gift us mere drinkers with detailed tasting notes on price, value, and advice on best-by drinking. We all know what to expect and this year’s guide is another fabulous contribution. My handy tip for you all is to keep a copy of this in your car. It’s perfect for those trips to the country when you pass a welcoming sign to a local winery, and for checking before you go through the hallowed doors of your local bottle shop. You’re welcome.

How to Drink Australian by Jane Lopes & Jonathan Ross

This is an enormous and beautiful book which is not trying to replace the good work of James Halliday, but rather is aiming to give you the full picture of Australian wine. Consider this a manual of sorts; it is where you will learn why this merlot comes from that region, or why riesling is made over there. Informative and intelligent, it’s the type of book you delve into before you take a winery trip (maps included), gift to anyone that delights in Australian wine, or keep on your coffee table for easy reference. This is a book for those who are serious about wine.

The Flavour Thesaurus: More Flavours by Niki Segnit

I’m a huge fan of English foodie Niki Segnit: the woman behind brilliant flavour combinations in her global bestseller, The Flavour Thesaurus. In her latest missive, she gives us more options to bring to the table, and more excellent stories about restaurants and foodie history alongside her astute tasting notes. It’s a cookbook, but not as you know it. Think of these recipes with plant-based pairings as a celebration of taste. Segnit applies research, humour and sound creative guidance to give you a whole new adventure at mealtime. If you are the type of person who watches endless cooking shows or loves nothing more than curling up with a new foodie publication, this is your go-to cookbook.

Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed

Lucy Tweed is a marvel who has worked in food styling and creation for eons, while juggling motherhood and her own business. I reckon she understands that we are all a bit short on time. This is the book to pick up for quick takes on vegetarian meals for every day of the week. There are tremendously clever and delicious designs for dinner – soups, pastas, and salad recipes – but alongside each idea are options that allow you to be free-spirited. Think of it as a book of influence rather than a strident declaration of how to cook when you only have 24 minutes before chaos breaks out in your home.

Pasta et Al by Alec Morris

Do you ever play that game with your loved ones: what food could you not live without? For me, apart from potato crisps, it’s pasta, and I reckon I’m not alone. The author of Pasta et Al, lucky man, was taught how to make all types by his nonna, and now he teaches his sons. This book is the result of many weekends spent with them, rolling out various pasta shapes, and contains 30 different pasta doughs and many more recipes for the perfect sauce. It also ends the discussion on the very bast carbonara recipe – it is in this book, I promise. And you probably won’t buy packet spaghetti ever again if this book is on your shelf.

The Dinner Party by Martin Benn & Vicki Wild

Goodness, I want to be invited to dinner at (world-famous chef) Martin Benn and Vicki Wild’s place. I want to discuss politics, religion, and sex at their table. I know these are often cited as the topics not to raise in polite company, but if you were there dining on these wonderfully thoughtful, ingenious meals, no one would care because everyone would be so amenable to whatever topic was being discussed as long as the next course was coming out. This is the ultimate dinner-party planner. There are top tips for cocktails, nibbles and elaborate (but surprisingly do-able) desserts. This book will have you organising music playlists alongside divine three-course meals before you can even decide who to invite. While it’s not for the faint-hearted, I’m all in.