From the latest releases from Mary Berry, Jamie Oliver, Nadiya Hussain and the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team, to inspiration for star bakers, pasta lovers and kitchen globetrotters, our pick of the 10 best cookbooks to give this Christmas promises a book for every cook.
Together
The ultimate guide to reconnecting with loved ones through the medium of good food, in Together, Jamie presents 18 inspiring menus for different occasions. Sun-dappled dinners, picnics in the park, boozy brunches, taco nights, cosy suppers and festive feasts; for each of these different occasions Jamie has created a menu of perfectly-matched recipes designed with sharing in mind.
Perfect gift for: The host with most (or the host that could use a helping hand).
Love to Cook
Across 120 brand-new recipes, all with her trademark straightforward guidance and guaranteed results, Mary reminds us of the comfort to be found in home cooking. With all of the favourites from her current BBC2 series included, Love to Cook is a quintessential classic from the nation’s favourite cook.
Perfect gift for: The Mary Berry fan.
Nadiya’s Fast Flavours
In her brand-new cookbook, Nadiya reveals the tips and tricks she uses to inject her ever-popular recipes with flavour, fast. Packed with her signature ingenious reimaginings of the classics as well as all of the recipes from the accompanying BBC2 series, Fast Flavours teaches you how to cook smarter, from choosing hard-working ingredients to learning to love your leftovers.
Perfect gift for: Time-poor family cooks.
OTK: Shelf Love
With an emphasis on getting creative with your store cupboard, making the most of your freezer, taking your veg box produce to new heights, and adapting recipes to suit your own style, Shelf Love, the first cookbook from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team, is a triumph of flavour-packed ingenuity.
Perfect gift for: Every cook on your list this year, from the Ottolenghi obsessive to the intuitive cook.
Rick Stein At Home
Featuring 100 ultimate home cooking recipes, including the most popular dishes from his recent BBC series, Cornwall, Rick Stein at Home celebrates everything from nostalgic classics to new favourites, all with an emphasis on ease, comfort and joy.
Perfect gift for: Rick Stein fans looking for a fresh set of his signature uncomplicated recipes with a home-grown focus.
The Sweet Roasting Tin
From cookies to traybakes, brownies to desserts, in The Sweet Roasting Tin Rukmini Iyer applies the same flavour-focused and fuss-free approach that revolutionised midweek cooking to the world of one-tin baking. Don’t forget, you can also pick up a limited edition gift set featuring The Sweet Roasting Tin and a Falcon enamelware tin here.
Perfect gift for: bakers of all levels and persuasions.
Jane’s Patisserie
From salted caramel drip cakes to NYC-style cookies and Biscoff cheesecakes, baking sensation Jane’s Patisserie is known for her colourful and customisable bakes. Jane’s first cookbook includes favourites from her blog and tonnes of exclusive new recipes requested by her devoted followers.
Perfect gift for: bakers looking to elevate their bakes to Instaworthy heights.
Med
30 years after the publication of her first Mediterranean cookbook, revered food writer Claudia Roden returns to this diverse region to bring us new recipes, fresh perspectives and untold stories. With stunning food and travel photography, Med is brimming with inspiration for recipes across the seasons.
Perfect gift for: any cookbook collector with an appreciation for accomplished food writing would be delighted to find Med under the tree this Christmas.
Soup Broth Bread
From hearty chunky vegetable soups to light and soothing broths, Rachel Allen’s Soup Broth Bread is a celebration of one of the most versatile and universally adored dishes. Organised according to season, there are recipes for all occasions and from all four corners of the globe, along with wholesome homemade breads and transformative garnishes.
Perfect gift for: cooks who love the soul-soothing potential of a good bowl of soup.
An A-Z of Pasta
Rachel Roddy’s unrivalled love letter to pasta explores 50 favourite shapes, organised alphabetically from alfabeto to ziti. Alongside fascinating insights into the history behind each shape and charming stories from Rachel’s life and travels in Italy, she suggests recipes for the best sauces to match them to, as well as failsafe instructions for making and shaping pasta from scratch.
Perfect gift for: Anyone who appreciates the unique delight of a plate of pasta.
