2023 has brought with it some brilliant new cookbooks. Our favourite chefs including Nadiya Hussain, Mary Berry, Rick Stein, and Jamie Oliver have released new volumes with simplicity, ease, and accessibility at their heart, while rising stars of the food world such as former Masterchef finalist Alexina Anatole and TikTok sensation Jon Kung have brought a fresh perspective with their unique takes on ingredients, flavours, and heritage.
Whether you’re hoping to nudge a novice cook in the right direction, searching for the perfect gift for the discerning foodie in your life, or simply eyeing up additions to your own wish list, we’ve got the perfect cookbook recommendation.
Looking for more gifting inspiration? From the best vegan cookbooks to the best cookbooks for bakers, and from stocking filler and secret Santa gifts to the perfect recipe book for the cook who has everything, discover all of our Christmas gift guides here.
Mary Makes it Easy
Queen of baking and home cooking Mary Berry is back with another great collection of recipes that takes the stress out of the kitchen. Wether you’re hosting a party, looking for new ways to make classic dishes, or simply looking to rustle up a mid-week dinner, this cookbook has you covered.
Perfect for: die-hard Mary Berry fans, or anyone who enjoys home-cooked classics with minimal fuss.
Simple, flavour-packed recipes for the whole family.
Demystifying the notion that cooking with spices is complicated.
From easy breakfasts and lunches, to side dishes and classic bakes.
Nadiya’s Simple Spices
Using just eight readily available spices, Nadiya has created an array of delicious and flavoursome recipes, from family-friendly hearty dinners to moreish starters and sides, to indulgent sweet treats.
Perfect for: anyone who wants to built up their spice cupboard but doesn’t know where to start, or the spice lover in search of new recipes for familiar ingredients.
Over 120 brand new recipes for everyday cooking.
From speedy pastas to decadent desserts.
A taste of the Mediterranean, using just 5 ingredients for each dish.
5 Ingredients Mediterranean
Taking inspiration from his travels around the Med, Jamie’s latest iteration of his hit five-ingredient recipe formula includes brilliantly simple stunners like Grilled Fattoush Salad, Sumac Chicken, and a no-bake Easy Fig Tart.
Perfect for: busy cooks who love finding flavour-packed recipes that won’t break the bank (or have them traipsing up and down the supermarket aisles).
Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers
Globe-trotting chef, author, and TV presenter Rick Stein brings his cooking closer to home with his latest book, which revolves around easy, comforting evening meals. Find delicious yet simple recipes covering suppers for one, two, and groups of friends, one-pot dinners, and plenty of meatless options.
Perfect for: lovers of hearty, home-cooked classic meals with a twist.
70 sweet and savoury bakes for everyday eating.
Plenty of fan favourite recipes and brand-new bakes.
From cupcakes and cookies to tarts and pastries.
Jane’s Patisserie Everyday
Jane Dunn, aka Jane’s Patisserie, is back with yet another beautiful baking cookbook. This time, she’s making her mouth-watering baking style accessible with her signature inventive flourishes. Discover delicious sweet and savoury classic bakes such as Homemade Custard Creams, five-ingredient Stuffed Mug Cake, Cheese Scones, and even time-saving midweek dinners like Tomato, Ricotta and Spinach Pasta Bake.
Perfect for: the sweet-tooth in your life, or anyone who wants to get into baking.
80 quick and healthy air fryer recipes.
Fan favourites and brand new recipes.
From speedy lunches and midweek dinners, to fakeaways and desserts.
Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book
Nathan Anthony, the home cook and food blogger behind @boredoflunch, has amassed a huge following thanks to his easy and healthy recipes that help people get the most out of their kitchen appliances. In this cookbook, find delicious dishes that can all be made in the air fryer, including Honey Chilli Beef, Cream Egg Croissant Balls, Sweet Potato Katsu Curry, and Fish Tacos.
For slow cooker fans, there’s also Nathan’s number one bestselling cookbook Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Slow Cooker Book.
Perfect for: air fryer obsessives, or anyone in search of quick and healthy midweek meals.
100 recipes that capture the essence of British rural life and home cooking.
Thoughtful dishes to celebrate the seasons and focus on hero ingredients.
From hearty winter stews and roasts, to fresh summer salads and desserts.
The Farm Table
This debut cookbook from chef and first-generation farmer Julius Roberts is a celebration of living off the land, sustainable farming and food practices, and making the most of produce at its freshest. Discover 100 hearty seasonal recipes to keep you fed year-round, alongside beautiful photography and Julius’ musings on rural life.
Perfect for: sustainably-minded foodies who love using fresh, seasonal produce (and dream of escaping to a farm – or allotment – once in a while).
Bitter
With her debut cookbook, City trader turned food writer (and former Masterchef finalist) Alexina Anatole is on a mission to prove that bitter flavours should be celebrated. Beautifully written and photographed, Bitter is the ultimate exploration of how to incorporate bitter flavours into your cooking – with magnificent results.
Perfect for: any foodie with a sophisticated palate and a taste for experimental yet gorgeous flavour combinations.
115 ultra-tasty and fresh recipes all using just 6 ingredients.
Fuss-free lunches and dinners, easy desserts, and crowd-pleasing feasts.
Simple, easy dishes for levelling up your weeknight cooking.
Mob 6
115 recipes. Six ingredients. One brilliant cookbook that will keep you fed and your friends, flatmates, or dinner dates endlessly impressed. Mob Kitchen’s latest cookbook turns simple everyday ingredients into flavoursome dishes that will have you leaving microwave meals and pot noodles behind for good.
Perfect for: the university student or novice cook in your life who needs easy recipes that pack a punch.
Brutto
Taking its name from the Italian adage “brutto ma buono” (“ugly but good”), this cookbook by the much-loved late author and restaurateur Russell Norman celebrates the ease and simplicity of good food and great flavours found in Florence, without fussing over presentation.
Perfect for: Italophiles, hosts with the most, or anyone who loves putting together effortlessly chic dinners.
Kung Food
With his debut cookbook, self-taught chef and TikTok sensation Jon Kung has drawn from his “third-culture kid” heritage to create 100 unique and inventive dishes that push the bounds of food traditions and cultures. Find fusion delights like Mapo Paneer, A Clay Pot Inspired by Jollof Rice, Dan Dan Lasagne, and Shanghainese Smoked Fish Tacos.
Perfect for: worldly foodies who love fusion cooking.
Start Here
In this comprehensive cookery bible, chef, recipe developer, and video producer Sohla El-Waylly intersperses over 200 mouth-watering recipes with everything you ever needed to know about cooking. From seasoning to sauces to how to fry the perfect egg, the step-by-step instructions and personal anecdotes in this book will make you a whizz in the kitchen, whatever your starting point.
Perfect for: anyone who wants to make 2024 the year they improve their cooking skills.
