I love a new cookbook: that moment when you flick rapidly through the pages, firing post-it notes into it for future meals. This year has seen new releases from Jamie Oliver, Tom Kerridge, more from Ottolenghi and peeks behind the inner workings of Dabbous and Heston’s brain. Hey, even yours truly got involved! There was lots of choice out there. Each year I like to highlight my top few of the year that I’ve really enjoyed.
3. Spice by Dhruv Baker
Dhruv Baker’s first cookbook is a fascinating voyage around his childhood favourites and contemporary spiced dishes. The photography is gorgeous and recipes enticing. I really enjoyed the yellow pork, a shoulder joint baked in yoghurt until meltingly tender.
2. Roast recipe collection by Sainsbury’s
This is an odd one. Supermarket round-up recipe books are usually pretty standard stuff; trolley-fillers. But I find myself returning to this book often. It’s a superb guide to different cuts of meat, to treating cuts of meat, and even better at coming up with novel ways to use up the leftovers. I was particularly taken with the recipe for pho which did a great job of capturing the spirit of the dish. I can’t find it to buy online any more but it’s likely to be hanging around the reduced section of your local Sainsbury’s now so pick it up.
1. Noodle by MiMi Aye
Look, I have to get something out of the way: I’ve known MiMi for years. We’ve blogged together, chatted at PR events and tweeted at each other. This year she released her own cookbook on one of her favourite topics: noodles. It would be absurdly easy for me to point at this and say “hey everybody, check out the best book of the year by someone I know really well!” But that’s not what this is.
Let’s define a great cookbook: one you flick through for ideas? One you cook from often? One you recommend to other people? That’s definitely the case for all three items on the checklist. I’ve cooked more than 30 recipes from it, enjoyed them all and cooked them for friends too. It’s also expanded my world of noodles, and I now make regular trips to Asian markets to top up my store cupboard. It’s now utterly essential and hasn’t moved from the recipe stand in the 6+ months I’ve had it. In short, highly recommended. Well done MiMi.
So what’s been your favourite cookbook of the year?
19 replies on “my favourite cookbooks of 2014”
Must get that roast book. And agree MiMi’s is must buy.
Spot on!
My only problem with cookbooks is I am rubbish at looking at them and always end up cooking the same stuff!
Well, not a problem if you enjoy it!
I tend to not buy so many cook books these days as many of the recipes are available on various websites. However, my favourites tend to be books which have a lot of information in general, not just about the food. for example the “Greedy Italians” books have such amazing photos, and info about Italian culture etc. Similarly the Hairy Bikers. I will not be buying Jamie Oliver’s latest, “Comfort food” because I don’t need any of the recipes and there’s rarely anything interesting to read in his books.
I would love to buy maybe one or two cook books with my birthday Waterstones and Amazon gift cards but so far I haven’t seen a single one that I fancy, though the one you have mentioned above, “Spice” might be worth a look.
I really like the Greedy Italians books, really enjoyable. An honourable mention would go to Plenty More by Ottolenghi.
I think I have that Sainsbury book so must get it out and start cooking from it! I have also met Dhruv who had heard of me when I met him at Hampton Court Good Food Festival (well he nodded when Lisa Faulkner introduced us LOL!) so I’d love to check out his book too!
That Sainsbury’s book really surprised me. There was no fanfare at all for Spice, completely fell off the radar.
I like the sound of that Mimi cookbook – and that reminds me, I still have a copy of yours to be cooking from! I’m so absent minded these days!
Go buy MiMi’s book now!
I am Loving the sound of the noodle book. I must out that on my Christmas wish list.
It’s so versatile Dannii, I’m sure you’d love it.
I’ve had my eye on MiMi’s book for ages. I adore all things noodle-based. Will have to add it to my Christmas list.
It’s a no-brainer, Noodle! is fab.
I adore cookbooks and haven’t got any of these. My favourite of 2014 has to be Do ahead Dinners by James Ramsden
I’ve had my eye on MiMi’s book for a while now so it’s good to know that it’s a well loved book.
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