My favourite cookbooks: spattered, scribbled & loved

I love cookbooks. Not just for the recipes, but for the stories, the ideas, the inspiration—and yes, I read them. Like, in bed. At night. Page by page. Some people binge Netflix; I binge vinaigrettes, marinades and slow roasts.

I go through them by the bucketload, with special thanks to my local library. And when I come across one that I know I’ll actually use over and over again, it earns a permanent spot on my kitchen shelf.

Here’s my current line-up of favourites—these are the ones that are splattered with sauce, full of scribbles and notes and bristling with Post-it flags. You know, the way proper cookbooks should look.

Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

I’m a big fan of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cooking and own quite a few of his books, but Jerusalem is my favourite. The storytelling, the photography and the recipes—all so beautiful and rich. It’s the kind of book you want to cook from and curl up with on a Sunday afternoon.
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Falastin: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi & Tara Wigley

An absolute favourite. It’s written by Sami Tamimi, who also co-wrote Jerusalem and it’s a powerful mix of recipes and storytelling from Palestine. The dishes are bold and vibrant and the book does a beautiful job of weaving food and culture together.
Further details: click here

Eat Istanbul by Andy Harris, & David Loftus

Part travel journal, part cookbook. I love how this one captures the bustle, spice and magic of Istanbul. The food is hearty and generous and the photos make me want to book a flight immediately.
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The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan

A beautiful gift from my lovely friend after we travelled around Iran together. The recipes are stunning, the stories full of warmth. Every time I cook from this book, I feel like I’m right back eating my way through Isfahan or Shiraz.
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You’ve probably figured out by now that I love Middle Eastern food. 😄

More Salad: Two Raw Sisters by Margo & Rosa Flanagan

If you think salad is just lettuce and cucumber, this book will prove you wrong. Creative combinations, bold dressings and loads of veg. I do tend to dial down the salt a bit, but otherwise—brilliant.
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RecipeTin Eats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi

Nagi just gets it. Her recipes are super doable, full of flavour and always a hit. This one’s a fairly new addition to my collection, but it’s already covered in flour and notes.
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The Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures Cookbook

The Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures by Annabel Langbein

There’s something so “New Zealand” about this book which was gifted to me when I first arrived back in 2009. No fuss, just good food made from simple ingredients, often straight from the garden. I love that it doesn’t try too hard.
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Nostrana: Flavours from My Italian Kitchen Garden by Bri DiMattina

This one’s a beautiful ode to Italian garden-to-table cooking. Bri’s recipes are brimming with fresh herbs, vegetables and rustic charm—just the kind of cooking that makes you linger at the table with a second glass of wine.
Further details: click here

The Roasting Tin series by Rukmini Iyer

These books are actually Mr M’s domain. He loves them. He’s cooking his way through the whole series and I love that he loves them—because I get to eat the results! Minimal washing up, maximum flavour. Win-win.
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Love cooking? Discover my favourite recipes here.