Around the World in Cookbooks

I love food, I love books….so why don’t I own more cookbooks?!

This revelation came to me standing in the basement of Tottenham Court Road’s Waterstone's, in the cookbook section while sophisticated sorts sipped their coffees around me (there's a great café down there).

Having been raised by a chef in a Greek family where food is always top of the agenda, I love to cook. However I’m quite an intuitive chef and like experimenting and doing my own thing (which usually involves adding in a splash of the wine I’m drinking at the time!) . Hence why I’ve avoided cookbooks.

However the new breed of cookbooks have so much more to offer than recipes. They link culture, traditions, music and beautiful photography to give an all-round view of a country's cuisine.

Here are the ones at the top of my wish list:

Dishoom: From Bombay with Love

Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar, Naved Nasir

A beautiful book from a true icon of the London food scene. Anyone who has eaten at Dishoom will be familiar with it’s immersive take on Bombay cuisine that reaches far beyond the food- the whir of overhead fans, the seductivly dim lighting and the smoky scent of incense. This has all been translated to the page.

Baan: Recipes and stories from my Thai home

Kay Plunkett-Hogge

I’m obsessed with all kinds of Asian cuisine at the moment so until I can afford the trip to the source, this book is a pretty good alternative. Plus the design and images are very on trend.

Tokyo Stories: A Japanese Cookbook

Tim Anderson

I adore the quirky cover of this one! There are some really interesting recipes that I can’t wait to try out.

Taverna

Georgina Hayden

A wonderful portrayal of rustic Greek Cypriot home cooking that goes well beyond halloumi and souvlaki.

Tel Aviv: Food. Stories. People

Haya Molcho & Nuriel Molcho

This really showcases Tel Aviv’s vibrant culture with some great meals that featuring ingredients that are new to me.

The Red Rooster Cookbook

Marcus Samuelsson

I discovered this book while sitting in the lobby of The Curtain in Shoreditch. I was gripped by the melting pot of Harlem cuisine and it’s wonderful scene setting tips such as drink suggestions and playlists.

What's your favourite cookbook right now?

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All images via Goodreads