Book reviews: Fresh off the kitchen shelf
Curl up with one of these top new releases and cook up a plan. Dinner for one? Or gather the crew for an all-in feast.
Bitter by Jennifer McLagan
Murdoch Books $49.99
Chicory, coffee, anchovies, brussels sprouts, radicchio, beer, eye-squintingly tart grapefruit ... I love them all and this book has the lot. Its premise is simple: it's "born to be bitter" (chapter one), based on the complex, and unsung, flavour profile of bitterness, one the four basic tastes. There are punchy salad dressings, a radicchio risotto, mussels cooked up with beer and bay leaf and coriander, a lamb rack with a dark chocolate pepper sauce, and "sweets" that swing from grapefruit tart to an awesome-looking cardamom-laced walnut cake. Beautiful food photography by Aya Brackett and smart styling make this a sharp package.
I made Puntarella chicory with blood oranges.
Go-to winter dish Beer soup (beefy, creamy, with toasted sourdough and a dash of nutmeg).
Good for Those in search of sparky, gutsy dishes with oomph.
Nina Rousseau
The River Cottage Australia Cookbook by Paul West
Bloomsbury Publishing Australia, $45
First there was Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (he writes the foreword), British celeb chef and host of the River Cottage series, which began 15 years ago. Then there was chef Paul West, the Aussie star of River Cottage Australia, who moved to an eight-hectare farm in the Central Tilba and lived the river cottage way – sustainably, self-sufficiently, seasonally and locally. Of West's cookbook? I love it. LOVE it, I tell ya. It looks good, with beautifully styled photos and cute illustrations. But, more than that, it's a soulful sort of book, written from the heart, with simple, accessible recipes that let one main ingredient star, such as roasted baby carrot salad with labna and hazelnuts, beer-marinated chicken wings, or oyster pot pie. West's essential message: "Food should be a daily celebration. It should be something that brings together family and friends in good health and good times." This cookbook is a good blueprint.
I made Spaghetti with chilli, ricotta and rainbow chard picked from the garden (winner), milk buns (I let the milk and water get too hot and it denatured the yeast … will try again).
Go-to winter recipe Harissa chicken – spicy, easy, and now a firm fixture in my repertoire.
Good for Creating a spread for a group of mates, fast midweek dinners, and vegetarians (proceed to chapter one).
Raw by Omid Jaffari
Murdoch Books, $49.99 (out June 1)
I'm always a little wary of chefs who can take photos too – they can throw any old pile of ingredients together and make it look good. As if to prove the point, along comes Omid Jaffari – a chef, photographer and food stylist (more alarm bells) who happens to be one of Australia's first raw-food-diet warriors. His book contains 150 recipes for delicious-looking salads, pastas and desserts but – WAIT A MINUTE – they're all raw, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Jaffari, who has a stint at London's River Cafe to his name, runs raw food purveyor and cooking "academy" Botanical Cuisine in Melbourne. Could he tempt me to eat cold soup in winter? Almost, but not quite. The soup section of Raw contains 10 recipes and some sound great for a pre-summer health bender, but I find myself stuck on pages 226-268; "dessert" and "chocolate". Even here, though, this book is probably for those already at least part-way converted to all things raw with a white chocolate and mango sorbet conjured from just mango, coconut water and cacao butter. While many ingredients are accessible, there are plenty you'll need to track down. But for those who want to give everlasting life a crack, Jaffari's book contains the tools and information.
I made Nothing. A cold snap put my adventurous spirit on hold.
Go-to winter recipe Walnut bolognese "spaghetti".
Good for Health fanatics and raw foodists.
Jane Holroyd
My Abuelo's Mexican Feast by Daniella Germain
Hardie Grant Books $34.95
Daniella Germain's late grandfather loved a family feast – that much is clear from this, the successor to her first cookbook, My Abuela's Table. Like its predecessor, it is packed with the author's whimsical illustrations; instead of conventional, high-gloss food shots there are '70s family snapshots and drawings of ingredients and dishes. The book, a tribute to a barefoot boy turned surgeon and horse breeder, includes street foods and restaurant dishes but really comes into its own in sections canvassing hearty "ranch food" and tequila-based drinks; sweet tooths are amply catered for with lively sorbets and cute biscuits. Few dishes demand ingredients more exotic than avocado or coriander but if your pantry is not already stocked with a good variety of chillies it will pay to go shopping first. When the weather warms up I'll be going straight for the sassy, chipotle-spiked seafood cocktail.
I made Elote con queso (corn with cheese); salsa verde (green sauce); arroz con chorizo (rice with chorizo).
Go-to winter recipe Birria (neck of beef in spicy broth).
Good for Party fare and fast turnaround family meals.
Cathy Gowdie
Prune by Gabrielle Hamilton
Hardie Grant Books $65
"Perky. Lively. Fresh. Seriously. Pay attention. I have seen some wilted crap come out of this kitchen." So goes Gabrielle Hamilton's note appended to her recipe for a salad of soft lettuces. In this hot-pink volume of unfussy recipes there's zero forgiveness for substandard produce or sloppy execution, and plenty of take-no-prisoners direction. "Please show some knife skills. It drives me crazy to see this go to the table in uneven chunks," say the notes for melon with lime syrup. Hamilton, owner-chef at New York's acclaimed Prune and author of bestselling memoir Blood, Bones & Butter, writes as though instructing cooks in her restaurant. Quantities and times aren't always spelled out, and recipes are garnished with underlinings and notes apparently jotted in felt-tip. That doesn't mean it won't work at home. The idiom and some ingredients are distinctly American but little is "cheffy" or technically beyond a confident home cook – just an abundance of exciting, achievable ideas for dishes from brunch to bedtime.
I made Farmhouse chicken braised in cider; fresh English and sugar snap peas with wasabi butter and honeycomb; salt and sugar-cured green tomatoes with fried pistachios.
Go-to winter recipe Soupy green rice with squid, mussels and shrimp.
Good for Everything, really; scope the section titled "Garbage" for great ways with kitchen leftovers.
Cathy Gowdie
Hog by Richard H. Turner
Hachette Australia $39.99
This handsome homage to the swine has its tongue firmly in jowl. There's a spread on the Ribwich, a fictional burger featured in an old episode of The Simpsons ("Now without lettuce," jokes the tagline) which has been created here with pickles and Baconnaise. There are loads of recipes for classic porcine hits such as crumbed tonkatsu or sweet and sour pork, alongside more creative interpretations such as wild boar wellington or pork kiev. The first recipe is a rather terrifying whole oven-roasted suckling pig. Other dishes such as souse, devilled kidneys, faggots and stuffed pig stomach will have many turning the page. The book's host, Richard H. Turner of London's legendary Pitt Cue Co, chats along with a knowing glint – "This is as unhealthy as it looks, so have a defibrillator on hand" – but many recipes require serious equipment (blowtorches, smokers) or intense ingredients (master stock, pork dripping), making Hog more of a coffee table book for committed carnivores.
I made Spicy pork salad.
Go-to winter recipe Roast rack of pork with garlic and herb crust.
Good for Nose-to-tail inspiration.
Michael Harry
The Gourmet Farmer Goes Fishing by Matthew Evans, Nick Haddow and Ross O'Meara
Murdoch Books $49.99
Matthew Evans, who champions the cause for sustainable seafood and fishing practices, teamed up with a couple of his mates, Nick Haddow from Bruny Island Cheese Co and Ross O'Meara from Bruny Island Food, for a fishing trip in the waters around Tassie, where they all now live. What began as a boys' trip resulted in this 256-page book on all you need to know about catching, cooking and eating seafood, written almost entirely on board the boat. These guys know their stuff; recipes are inspired by cuisines from all over the world, but don't let that worry you. Most recipes are simple and easy to follow, using ingredients that will already be in your cupboards. You'll create some wonderful dishes, from Vietnamese-style stuffed calamari and crayfish miso soup to leatherjacket en papillote and sour yellow curry of tuna. But this isn't just a cookbook. It's an education on where to fish and how to buy ethically and sustainably, offering alternatives if you can't find (or catch) what you need.
I made British fish cakes.
Go-to winter recipe Proper fish pie made with chunky snapper, hot-smoked fish, boiled eggs with a cheesy potato crust.
Good for Anyone interested in upping their seafood intake and wanting to learn about lesser-known species; fishing enthusiasts.
Jessica Dale
The New Nordic by Simon Bajada
Hardie Grant Books and SBS $49.95
I've a set of Normann Copenhagen salt and pepper grinders, and my lounge room is starting to replicate a Nordic design store, but I know very little about Nordic cuisine or how to cook it. The New Nordic by Simon Bajada – chef, food stylist, photographer and author – is a great introduction to modern Scandi cooking. You'll find skagenrora with cos and dill – a creamy fish mixture usually used as a sandwich filling – served in cos lettuce cups, the Swedish version of sang choy bao, or, venison – traditionally served as a smoked cold cut – paired with grilled plums and celery. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without recipes for meatballs, pickled herring and smorrebrod (all present) and also expect how-to guides on brining, smoking, pickling and curing. The handy "replacements" section at the back lists alternate options for ingredients that may be hard to source, such as lovage (use celery leaves), ramson (use a mix of garlic, spring onion and baby spinach) and skyr (try Greek yoghurt mixed with ricotta).
I made Chocolate potato cake. Two of my favourite ingredients together in a rich, chocolatey mud cake. How could I not?
Go-to winter recipe Beef brisket, spiced wine and cauliflower steaks.
Good for Scandi wannabes, adventurous cooks, Eurovision party bring-a-platers.
Jessica Dale