The Book List
Katerina My 'best of' list of absolute favourite books on food and cooking.
December is a time for 'best of' lists.
So here is a list of my absolute favourite books on food and cooking (updated December 2023).
Perfect if you are looking for ideas to treat yourself or a loved one to a book for the kitchen (and beyond).
.
I always turn to Nigel Slater, again and again. He loves cooking for the journey as much as the result, and his writing is as delightful as it is delicious, all the while remaining completely unfussy. Getting hold of his first book 'Real Fast Food' way way back was a revelation: at long last a food writer who wrote about food the way I thought about it! I also note that he calls himself 'a cook who writes' (not a chef).
I particularly love Appetite (my go-to practical bible) and his very first book, Real Fast Food. His autobiography Toast makes for a delightful read too.
An Everlasting Meal, by Tamar Adler
My new favourite food writer! Her writing speaks my heart, and her extraordinary style is full of wonder and grace and earthy common sense. My copy of the book is full of scribbles and exclamation marks, and has been read front to back three times at least.
Her 2023 publication, The Everlasting Cookbook, is meant to be a bible for using up leftovers, but it kind of falls into the recipe trap (do this with that), so not my favourite.
The Secret of Cooking, by Bee Wilson
I have loved Bee Wilson's more journalistic writing for some time, this is a great practical cookbook, full of good ideas, and permission to keep things simple. My favourite of 2023!
Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, by Samin Nosrat
This
is the book that will help you understand how and why cooking works
like no other. In a way, the only cook book you'll ever need: once you
understand what you are doing you will never need a recipe again.
Samin's ingenious style stirs up equal measures of joy and respect and
will make you see any time spent in the kitchen in a completely new
light. Empowering, inspiring and infectious.
Btw, the book was also turned into a 4part Netflix series, with Samin travelling the world for a close encounter with these for elements of cooking.
The Flavour Thesaurus, by Niki Segnit
A
mind boggling treasure trove of ingredient combinations, from the very
obvious to the very strange. Answers (almost) all the questions of 'what
goes with what' that you can possibly have. An ingenious idea of a
book. An add-on version was published in 20203, The Flavour Thesaurus: More Flavours, which is (almost) just as good.
Nikki's other book, Lateral Cooking
is also a based on a similarly original idea: mapping out the sometimes
astounding transformation of dishes across genres and traditions - one
tweak at a time. Compelling and impressive.
Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, by Michael Pollan
Science, history, enthusiasm, curiosity and the occasional recipe: this inspirational book has it all. If this delightful book doesn't inspire you to spend more time in the kitchen you are probably a lost cause.
Anything by Anna Jones
Anna Jones
is a master of vibrant and colourful vegetable cooking, and her writing
makes both great reading and great eating. She also encourages
experimentation with brilliant visual 'templates'. My favourite is her
latest one-pot cooking book, One Pot, Pan, Planet and I also love A Modern Cook's Year (bought twice, after the first copy was pinched by my mum!).
Two Kitchens: 120 Family Recipes from Sicily and Rome by Rachel Roddy
This
is a book of stories and recipes intertwined, sprinkled with Italian
mama kitchen wisdom. Italian home cooking for everyday as its most down
to earth - an absolute joy!
A Cook's Companion by Stephanie Alexander
This
classic book is more of an extravagant tome considering the size and
price tag, but it's a fantastic resource to learn about ingredients,
covering the what, how, when, where and with what - from aubergines to
vanilla and beyond.
She has also written a 'smaller' (and cheaper) book of a similar concept A Cook's Apprentice, and I just discovered the original book has been condensed into an app - I haven't tried it yet, but knowing the book it seems like a snip at the price.
Ultra-Processed People, by Chris van Tulleken
Examining the questions around why do we all eat stuff that isn’t food … and why can’t we stop? Eye-opening first-class research on the addictiveness of processed food and the corrupt machinations of the food industry.
The Food Fix by Mark Hyman
Written
by a medical doctor who uses food as frontline medicine, this one is
all about what is wrong with food and the food system, and how to fix it
- one bite at a time. What and how we eat, cook, and shop has
wide-reaching implications, and, as thoughtfully argued in this book,
sits at the very the root of all modern man-made maladies - from public
health epidemics to social inequality and environmental destruction. An
eye-opening deep dive into the, unseen unsavoury and damaging workings
of the food industry, and what we can do about it (hint: cook more!)
Spoon-Fed: Why almost everything we've been told about food is wrong, by Tim Spector
Delivers
exactly what the title promises, demolishing most of the food myths. Written by Professor Tim Spector this is essential reading: accessible, engaging and eye-opening, even if you have never been interested in nutrition.
No Recipe by Edward Espe Brown
Cooking as a spiritual practice, from the perspective of a Zen monk - as intuitive as it gets! I love how he makes visible the parallels between cooking and life from every angle. "The truth is you're already a cook"
---
Note: I prefer to link to the author's or publisher's website rather than to a 'buy now' link to one of the world's largest corporations. Consider buying from your local book store or the alternative independent online service bookshop.org.
I now have my own 'book store' on bookshop.org with lists of my favourite books on cooking, eating and nutrition. This is an affiliate link that may earn me a small commission, while each purchase directly supports an independent book store.
