The best new cookbooks in November
Chris Gordon, our monthly food and gardening columnist, shares four of her favourite cookbooks out in November.
Just Desserts by Charlotte Ree
These are all the things I love about Charlotte Ree’s debut book: the way it looks, the way it feels, and the possibility it offers that all these cakes and slices could be mine. Instagram sensation Charlotte Ree is famous for her delicious cooking and luckily for us mere mortals, she is sharing thirty of her most popular and delicious recipes in one outrageously gorgeous little package. I’m particularly taken with her too-easy-to-be-true shortbread caramel slice and the ice-cream sandwiches. This the perfect gift for every baker in your life.
Community: Salad Recipes from Arthur Street Kitchen (New Edition) by Hetty McKinnon
You bought Hetty McKinnon’s book five years ago because you loved sharing those delicious salads with all your friends and family. In this new edition, McKinnon shares new stories and recipes, including roasted sweet potato with lime cashew cream and my favourite, charred cos lettuce with lemony mushrooms, chickpeas and marinated feta. This edition reminds me of all the reasons to share meals, create memories and to be kind to the world. Did I mention it’s all vegetarian?
Pardiz: A Persian Food Journey by Manuela Darling-Gansser
This very personal book is filled with stories, brilliant photos and recipes created by Manuela Darling-Gansser to share the beauty of Iran. Pardiz shows how seamlessly Persian food fits with our modern-day trends of farmers markets, vegetable-centric dishes and the joys of a shared table. Darling-Gansser’s recipes are not complicated or time consuming, and if you’re cookbook traveller, then you’ll bask in the glory of this book as you sip your sweet mint tea.
Food Artisans of Japan: Recipes and Stories by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
We have seen the pictures on social media. We know that Japanese chefs are artists of the highest order. In this book, Nancy Singleton Hachisu introduces the food maestros of Japan. Each chef has been chosen because they go beyond courting media exposure or indeed Michelin stars. This is the book you own because you aspire to such artistry or simply because you are rightly in awe of this type of precision cooking. These recipes are not for the faint-hearted, but this is a stunningly beautiful book for lovers of travel, food and art.
