It’s been another golden year for cookbooks. Well, 2020 had to be good for something. With the shelves already groaning with countless thousands of food and drink related books, we should have reached saturation point long before now, yet somehow, food writers and chefs keep coming up with new and exciting ways of exploring and revealing the culinary world.
This year, when time seems to have stood still while simultaneously slipping through our fingers, I’ve been truly grateful to read a recipe that has inspired me to get in the kitchen and create a memorable moment, salvaging something tangible, yet transitory from these bleak months.
At their best, cookbooks capture the knowledge, expertise and passion of talented and dedicated people who, as well as making a few quid, want to share their hard won wisdom. There are plenty of examples of just that in our selection of the best of the year.
Cookbooks are the things of delight. Bound slabs of paper and ink that bring only joy. After all, what ill can come from Bill Granger’s scrambled eggs made with 300ml of whipping cream? (Let’s not dwell on health issues here, and besides, the recipe feeds four. I didn’t eat it all myself and anyone that tells you different is a liar.)
They spread the gospel of enlightenment through flavour, a scripture of nourishment and indulgence. So why not share the good news with family and friends this year and buy them a lovely new cookbook or two to add their collection, and if you click on the ‘Buy this book’ link in each of the reviews to make your purchase you’d really be helping us out. So, without further ado, please open you copy of The French Laundry, Per Se on page 230 and let us now recite our saviour Thomas Keller’s recipe for Paupiette of Dover Sole. Amen, and Merry Christmas to one and all.
Our highest rated cookbooks of 2020
The French Laundry, Per Se by Thomas Keller
What the publishers say: Keller opened Per Se in New York City in 2004, and since that time, the French Laundry and Per Se have become inextricably linked, influencing each other’s evolution through the exchange of chefs and ideas. A lot has changed in 20 years, and the recipes and techniques featured in The French Laundry, Per Se will delight and inspire professional and home cooks as only those in Keller’s books can. Here, he and his chefs offer meticulous, in-depth recipes for both beloved and iconic dishes–Salmon Cornet, “Peas and Carrots,” and Butter-Poached Lobster, for example–as well as essays of reflection, notes on the restaurants’ daily operations, information about farmers and purveyors, and lessons for young chefs the world over. In addition to more than 100 recipes, a basics chapter featuring such revelations as Parmesan mouse, tomato water, and a variety of stocks not only give readers insight into the foundations of these groundbreaking recipes but can also be used to elevate the food of any home cook. Full review coming soon
Buy this book
The French Laundry Per Se by Thomas Keller
£60, Artisan
Australian Food by Bill Granger
The sheer variety on offer including braised lamb ragu with tagliatelle and pecorino and green herb risotto with raw summer salad makes Australian Food a pandemic kitchen panacea but Granger’s skill as a creative chef and recipe writer, honed over more than a quarter of a century, ensures it will have enduring appeal.
Read the full review here
Cuisine: Australian/International
Suitable for: Beginners/Confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Five stars
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Australian Food
£20, Murdoch Books
Home Cookery Year by Claire Thompson
What the publishers say: Home Cookery Year is the new essential kitchen bible, year-round and every day. Claire Thomson writes foolproof, imaginative recipes to please the whole family – as a professional chef and mum of three, she understands what it’s like to whip up tasty, crowd-pleasing dishes in minimal time at the end of a busy working day.
What we say: One of the most exciting books of the year as a decidedly understated title. Claire Thomson’s book avoids laboured gimmicks or even niche cooking themes, seeking instead to simply provide a wealth of tantalising, achievable dishes for everyday life. An absolute must-have, the sheer variety of dishes on offer here would allow you to survive the next twelve months on this book alone. A Home Cookery Year year, if you will. Read the full review here
Cuisine: International
Suitable for: Beginners and confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Five stars
Buy this book
Home Cookery Year: Four Seasons, Over 200 Recipes for All Possible Occasions
£30, Quadrille Publishing Ltd
Falastin by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley
The recipes are uniformly enticing and well written, the articles are informative and fascinating, the book is beautifully designed and the location and food photography by Jenny Zarins is gorgeous.If you’re already a fan of Tamimi and Wigley (and Ottolenghi of course) there is just no way you won’t want to add this terrific book to your collection. If you are just getting into Middle Eastern cooking then is a great place to start. Read the full review here
Cuisine: Palestinian/Middle Eastern
Suitable for: Confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Five Stars
Buy the book
Falastin: A Cookbook
Ebury Press, £27
The Hand and Flowers Cookbook by Tom Kerridge
What the publisher’s say: The Hand & Flowers is the first (and only) pub in the world to acquire two Michelin stars. At this relaxed and accessible dining space in the heart of Buckinghamshire, Tom Kerridge serves up innovative, sophisticated dishes that masterfully reinvent and elevate British classics for the twenty-first century.
The incredible new cookbook presents 70 of the best dishes that have ever appeared on the menu, including Roast hog with salt-baked potatoes and apple sauce; Slow-cooked duck breast, peas, duck-fat chips and gravy; Smoked haddock omelette; Salt cod Scotch egg with red pepper sauce and picante chorizo; and Chocolate and ale cake with salted caramel and muscovado ice cream.
What we say: You’ll be glad to see all the classic dishes have been included and that the book’s claim to be a definitive collection of the pub’s recipe is an accurate one. At over 400 pages, the book has a pleasing heft, the design is colourful yet classic and elegant, and the food photography by Cristian Barnett is simply stunning. If you’re after Kerridge’s diet friendly fare, you are definitely barking up the wrong butter, cream and foie gras-laden tree, but if you are a fan of Tom Kerridge’s restaurants and want to challenge yourself in the kitchen, this is the book for you. It will also be of particular interest to professional chefs. Read the full review here.
Cuisine: British
Suitable for: Confident home cooks/Professional chefs
Cookbook Review Rating: Five stars
Buy this book
The Hand & Flowers Cookbook
£40, Bloomsbury Absolute
Home Style Cookery by Matty Mathseon
At 368 pages, Matheson has packed a lot in and pretty much delivers a dish for every occasion, drawing on a wide range of global culinary influences in the process. Matty Matheson is one of the most exciting and original voices to have emerged on the cookery scene in the last five years or so. His first book was a must buy. This one is even better. Read the full review here
Cuisine: Canadian/International
Suitable for: Confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Five stars
Buy this book
Matty Matheson: Home Style Cookery
£25, Abrams
The Rangoon Sisters by Amy Chung and Emily Chung
What the publishers say: The Rangoon Sisters is a celebration of the incredible food and flavours that are found throughout Myanmar, including over 80 evocative recipes that have been made easy and accessible for the modern home cook by supper club extraordinaires Emily and Amy Chung.
What we say: It’s a real pleasure to find a cookbook that hones down on a cuisine that will be unfamiliar to many British tongues whilst still remaining entirely accessible – right down to sourcing your ingredients. The result is a book that has seen as much use in our kitchen this year as any other, filled with irresistible flavours and unending inspiration. An unprecedented joy, with a killer mango and lime cheesecake recipe to boot. Read the full review here
Cuisine: Burmese
Suitable for: Beginners and confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Five stars
Buy this book
The Rangoon Sisters: Recipes from our Burmese family kitchen
£20, Ebury Press
Fäviken: 4015 Days, Beginning to End by Magnus Nilsson
Erik Olsson’s photographs that span the life of the restaurant provide a visually stunning counterpoint to Nilsson’s recipes, stories, anecdotes and musings. Who would want to read a book about a closed restaurant? When it’s somewhere as remarkable as Fäviken, and written by someone as talented as Nilsson, who wouldn’t?
Read the full review here
Cuisine: Nordic
Suitable for: Professional chefs
Cookbook Review Rating: Five stars
Buy this book
Fäviken: 4015 Days, Beginning to End (FOOD COOK)
£45, Phaidon
My Wild Atlantic Kitchen by Maura O’Connell Foley
What the publishers say: A compilation of Maura O’Connell Foley’s favourite recipes created throughout her career in Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland spanning over six decades and is a comprehensive collection capturing over 250 recipes.
The book features stand-out dishes from the first tea shop she and her mother, Agnes, opened in 1961 to The Purple Heather Restaurant and Piano Bar, The Lime Tree Restaurant, Packie’s and Shelburne Lodge which she continues to run today with her husband Tom. Recipes include Drop Scone Pancakes with Dry Cured Bacon and Apple Syrup, Confit of Duck Leg with Pear and Ginger Salad and Twice Baked Hazelnut Goat’s Cheese Soufflé.
What we say: The recipes are great, the book looks fantastic and you’ll learn about an important piece of Irish restaurant history too. My Wild Atlantic Kitchen is one of my favourite books of the year and I bet it will yours too.
Cuisine: Irish
Suitable for: Confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Five stars
Buy this book
€35 Order from mywildatlantickitchen.com
(The book is also available from Amazon
My Wild Atlantic Kitchen: Recipes and Recollections
£35, Maura O’Connell Foley)
Sun and Rain Ana Ros
Roš‘s lack of any formal culinary training has led to a highly individual style based on the abundant natural larder of the extreme north-west of Slovenia which she transforms into eye-catchingly plated dishes such as marble trout roe with rosa di Gorizia chicory and yeast. Sun and Rain is a comprehensive look at the life, culinary philosophy, and cooking of a remarkable figure in the modern culinary scene. Read the full review here.
Cuisine: Slovenian/Progressive
Suitable for: Professional chefs
Cookbook Review Rating: Five stars
Buy the book
Ana Ros: Sun and Rain (Food Cook)
£39.95, Phaidon
Big names guaranteed to please
What the publishers say: Cook, Eat, Repeat is a delicious and delightful combination of recipes intertwined with narrative essays about food, all written in Nigella’s engaging and insightful prose. Whether asking ‘What is a Recipe?’ or declaring death to the Guilty Pleasure, Nigella’s wisdom about food and life comes to the fore, with tasty new recipes that readers will want to return to again and again including Butternut with Chilli, Ginger and Beetroot Yoghurt Sauce; Brown Butter Colcannon; Spaghetti with Chard and Anchovies; Chicken with Garlic Cream Sauce; Beef Cheeks with Port and Chestnuts; and Wide Noodles with Lamb in Aromatic Broth. This book has not been reviewed by cookbookreview.blog.
Flavour by Ottolenghi
What the publishers say: Ottolenghi FLAVOUR combines simple recipes for weeknights, low effort-high impact dishes, and standout meals for the relaxed cook. Packed with signature colourful photography, FLAVOUR not only inspires us with what to cook, but how flavour is dialled up and why it works.
What the critics say: The result, in typical Ottolenghi fashion, is multi-step, multi-ingredient, and multi-hued recipes whose promised flavors leap from the page — from cabbage “tacos” with celery root and date barbecue sauce to saffron tagliatelle with ricotta and crispy chipotle shallots. Chipotles and other chiles are actually in abundance here… thanks to Belfrage’s roots in Mexico City. Those flavors, as well as those from Brazilian, Italian, and multiple Asian cuisines (spy the shiitake congee and noodles with peanut laab), unite with the usual Ottolenghi suspects — za’atar, star anise, harissa, labneh — to make Flavor worth the look, even for the home chef who already has Plenty and Plenty More on the shelf. (Eater) This book has not been reviewed by cookbookreview.blog.
Buy this book
Ottolenghi FLAVOUR
£27, Ebury Press
7 Ways: Easy Ideas for Every Day of the Week by Jamie Oliver
The publisher says: Jamie’s looked at the top ingredients we buy week in, week out including chicken breasts, salmon fillets, mince, eggs, potatoes, broccoli and mushrooms. Jamie will share 7 achievable, exciting and tasty ways to cook 18 of our favourite ingredients, and each recipe will include a minimal amount of ingredients with everyday options from both an ease and nutritional point of view. With everything from fakeaways and traybakes to family and freezer favourites, you’ll find bags of inspiration to help you mix things up in the kitchen. This book has not been reviewed by cookbookreview.blog.
7 Ways: Easy Ideas for Every Day of the Week
£26, Michael Joseph
Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain
What the publishers say: Our beloved Bake-Off winner has created your ultimate baking cookbook to help you conquer cakes, biscuits, traybakes, tarts and pies, showstopping desserts, breads, savoury bakes, and even ‘no-bake’ bakes – all with her signature mouth-watering twists.
What the critics say: Whether you’re a baking novice or fit for the Bake Off tent, Nadiya pitches this cookbook in a really accessible way, with plenty of her down-to-earth guidance so that anyone can cook from it, whatever their skill level. (The Happy Foodie) This book has not been reviewed by cookbookreview.blog.
Buy this book
Naydia Bakes by Naydia Hussain
£22, Michael Joseph
The Great British Bake Off: Love to Bake by The Bake Off Team
What the publishers say: Pop round to a friend’s with tea and sympathy in the form of Chai Crackle Cookies; have fun making Paul’s Rainbow-coloured Bagels with your family; snuggle up and take comfort in Sticky Pear & Cinnamon Buns or a Pandowdy Swamp Pie; or liven up a charity cake sale with Mini Lemon & Pistachio Battenbergs or Prue’s stunning Raspberry & Salted Caramel Eclairs. Impressive occasion cakes and stunning bakes for gatherings are not forgotten – from a novelty frog birthday cake for a children’s party, through a towering croquembouche to wow your guests at the end of dinner, to a gorgeous, but easy-to-make wedding cake that’s worthy of any once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Throughout the book, judges’ recipes from Paul and Prue will hone your skills, while lifelong favourites from the 2020 bakers offer insight into the journeys that brought the contestants to the Bake Off tent and the reasons why they – like you – love to bake. This book has not been reviewed by cookbookreview.blog.
Buy this book
The Great British Bake Off: Love to Bake
£22, Sphere
All Rounders
Take One Tin by Lola Milne
What the publishers say: Quick, easy and environmentally friendly, tinned foods have many of the benefits of fresh, plus can also be used to create delicious, versatile meals without breaking the bank. With just a few ingredients from your storecupboard topped up with some fresh extras, you can create simple speedy suppers, tasty take-to-work lunches and even impressive dinner party desserts, including a hearty Flageolet Bean & Artichoke Gratin, a spicy Sri Lankan Mackerel Curry and a fruity Peach, Mango & Passion Fruit Pavlova.
What we say: Published with almost suspiciously good timing, Take One Tin was the best storecupboard cookbook on the shelves by the time lockdown hit. Using accessible ingredients and simple recipes, Lola Milne allowed readers to knock up some unexpectedly delicious meals from the tins already on their shelves.
Best for: Tier 3 Families and Survivalist Recluses
Cuisine: International
Suitable for: Beginners and confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Four stars
Buy this book
Take One Tin: 80 delicious meals from the storecupboard
Table Manners by Jessie and Lennie Ware
What the publishers say: Cooking through Table Manners is like having Jessie and Lennie at the table with you: brash, funny and full of opinions. In true Ware style, their cookbook is divided into Effortless, A Bit More Effort, Summertime, Desserts and Baking (thanks to Jessie’s brother Alex), Chrismukkah (Christmas, Hanukkah and celebrations) and, of course, Jewish-ish Food. These delicious, easy dishes are designed for real people with busy and sometimes chaotic lives with the ultimate goal of everyone eating together so unfiltered chat can flourish.
What we say: The Table Manners cookbook manages to capture everything that makes the podcast so appealing. For every ounce of personality, there is an equal measure of pure, unfettered passion for food. As well as being an above-average entry in the popstar cookbook sub-genre, Table Manners features enough recipes drawing on the Wares’ Jewish background to ensure it works wonderfully as a casual introduction to the cuisine.
Best for: Food Podcast Fans
Cuisine: European/Jewish
Suitable for: Beginners and confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Four stars
Buy this book
Table Manners: The Cookbook
£22, Ebury Press
For the food (and wine) nerd in your life
Coconut and Sambal Lara Lee
What the publishers say: Coconut & Sambal reveals the secrets behind authentic Indonesian cookery. With more than 80 traditional and vibrant recipes that have been passed down through the generations, you will discover dishes such as Nasi goreng, Beef rendang, Chilli prawn satay and Pandan cake, alongside a variety of recipes for sambals: fragrant, spicy relishes that are undoubtedly the heart and soul of every meal.
What the critics say: London chef and food writer Lee brings an intimate knowledge of Indonesian cuisine to this stunningly photographed debut collection of recipes gathered from the author’s Indonesian grandmother and from cooks Lee met traveling through the island nation… This sumptuous collection is perfect for home cooks and armchair travelers alike. (Publishers Weekly) This book has not been reviewed by cookbookreview.blog.
Buy this book
Coconut and Sambal by Lara Lee
£26, Bloomsbury Publishing
The Whole Chicken by Carl Clarke
What the publishers say: Carl Clarke has garnered the reputation from his industry peers and the general public alike as an authority and advocate on cooking ethically reared chicken. What he doesn’t know about chicken isn’t worth knowing, from brining and seasoning to poaching, grilling and frying.
What we say: The Whole Chicken is rich with globally inspired recipes that will mix up your usual roster of chicken dishes. Clarke writes passionately and unpretentiously in a book that is as fun to look at as it is to cook from.
Read the full review here
Cuisine: Global
Suitable for: Beginner to confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Four stars
Buy this book
The Whole Chicken: 100 easy but innovative ways to cook from beak to tail
£22, Hardie Grant
Stark by Ben and Sophie Crittenden
Stark is no ordinary Michelin-starred restaurant. Ben Crittenden converted a sandwich shop in Broadstairs and, working alone in a tiny kitchen, serves creative tasting menus to a dozen customers a night. It’s fitting then that Stark is also no ordinary cookbook. In addition to the recipes, 42 of them inclduing Hake, mushroom, dashi, the extraordinary story of the restaurant is told with breath-taking honesty. Read the full review here.
Cuisine: Progressive British
Suitable for: Professional chefs
Cookbook Review Rating: Four stars
Buy the book
Stark by Ben and Sophie Crittenden
£30, A Way With Media
Also available at Amazon Stark
A Purnell’s Journey: There and Back Again by Glynn Purnell
Weighing in at 6.5kg and standing over a foot tall, Glynn Purnell’s third book is a lavish production. The book follows Purnell’s route to Michelin success in the heart of Birmingham’s city centre along with a selection of Purnell’s restaurant’s ‘greatest hits’ including monkfish masala with red lentils, pickled carrots and coconut garnish that ably demonstrate the chef’s knack for creating memorable dishes that stand the test of time. There and Back Again serves up a generous enough helping of amusing anecdotes and stunning visuals to justify its hefty price tag. Read the full review here
Cuisine: Progressive British
Suitable for: Professional chefs
Cookbook Review Rating: Four stars
Buy this book
A Purnell’s Journey
£85, A Way With Media
Also available at Amazon: There And Back Again: A Purnell’s Journey
The Pie Room by Callum Franklin
What the publishers say: Calum knows good pies and in his debut cookbook, The Pie Room, he presents a treasure trove of recipes for some of his favourite ever pastry dishes. Want to learn how to create the ultimate sausage roll? Ever wished to master the humble chicken and mushroom pie? In this collection of recipes discover the secrets to 80 delicious and achievable pies and sides, both sweet and savoury, veggie and meat, including hot pork pies, cheesy dauphinoise and caramelised onion pie, hot and sour curried cod pie, the ultimate beef Wellington and rhubarb and custard tarts.
What we say: For many casual home cooks, pastry represents the last great mountain to climb. Franklin’s book explains the basics brilliantly, but allows for the reader to progress quickly to more interesting and tantalising offerings. Whilst the book doesn’t exactly promise to turn you into the master of elaborate decorations that Franklin is, it does provide a wide variety of unmissable dishes that will appeal both to beginners and confident pastry-wielders alike. Read the full review here
Cuisine: British
Suitable for: Confident home cooks/Professional chefs
Cookbook Review Rating: Four stars
Buy the book
The Pie Room: 80 achievable and show-stopping pies and sides for pie lovers everywhere
£26, Bloomsbury Absolute
Dirt by Bill Buford
If you’ve read and enjoyed Buford’s previous books, Dirt will not disappoint. If you’re unfamilar with French cuisine, this is an excellent introduction to the subject and even if you’re a Francophile, you will almost certainly learn something new. Buford may be guilty of throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the book (actually, there are kitchen sinks) but it is nevertheless an extremely readable book, albeit one that will probably appeal most to the food and restaurant nerds among us. Read the full review here
Cook Book Review rating: Four stars
Buy this book
Dirt: Adventures in French Cooking
£16.99, Johnathan Cape
For Vegetarian, Vegan and Plant-based cooks
Vegetarian Silver Spoon
There’s a homely feel to recipes such as chard and chickpea soup with tofu; buckwheat lasagne with broccoli and eggplant-tomato strudel. Lesser known ingredients such as black chickpeas (used in a salad with apple and Jerusalem artichoke) will invigorate any cook’s interest in meat and fish-free cooking, making The Vegetarian Silver Spoon a valuable addition to their cookbook collection. Read the full review here
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Suitable for: Beginners and confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Four stars
Buy this book
The Vegetarian Silver Spoon: Classic and Contemporary Italian Recipes (FOOD COOK)
£35, Phaidon
Vegan JapanEasy by Tim Anderson
What the publishers say: Believe it or not, Japanese cuisine in general is actually quite vegan-friendly, and many dishes can be made vegan with just a simple substitution or two. You can enjoy the same big, bold, salty-sweet-spicy-rich-umami recipes of modern Japanese soul food without so much as glancing down the meat and dairy aisles. And best of all, it’s super-easy to make! In Vegan Japaneasy, Tim Anderson taps into Japan’s rich culture of cookery that’s already vegan or very nearly vegan, so there are no sad substitutes and zero shortcomings on taste.
What we say: Tim Anderson continues a run of excellent Japan-centric cookbooks with this excellent vegan title. The rare sort of vegan cookbook that will be just as welcome with meat-eaters as with the intended audience, Anderson fills up on umami-rich, impossible-to-resist dishes. The French Onion Ramen is one of our recipe highlights of the entire year. Read the full review here
Cuisine: Japanese
Suitable for: Beginners and confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Four stars
Buy this book
Vegan JapanEasy: Classic & modern vegan Japanese recipes to cook at home
Restore by Gizzie Erskine
What the publishers say: Using the principles of eating seasonally, less meat and more plants, eating root-to-shoot or nose-to-tail, and using clever techniques to maximise flavour, Gizzi will give us recipes that don’t compromise on flavour or satisfaction, but which are better for us, and the planet. Thoughtful, insightful, but above all a delicious collection of recipes that show how good food doesn’t have to cost the earth.
What the critics say: An important read in the current climate, Gizzi Erskine’s latest book offers thought-provoking and insightful commentary on the issues surrounding the way we farm, cook, eat and shop, and how we can restore the earth, and our bodies, with food. As always, Gizzi’s recipes are creative, seriously satisfying and packed full of flavour. Think marmite, onion and roast root vegetable stew with cheesy scones, korma wings, wet and wild monkfish kievs and black pepper crab. (BBC Good Food) This book has not been reviewed by cookbookreview.blog.
Buy this book
Restore by Gizzi Erskine
£26, HQ
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