5 of the best new cookbooks for winter
For those looking to fry up something new this winter, these are the cookbooks to have in your kitchen book shelf.
1. Barcelona Cult Recipes
The Catalonian capital is home to a vast and varied food culture, bringing together the best ingredients from land and sea. Mitsch, a German writer and part-time tour guide, has lived in Barcelona for more than 15 years, documenting the city’s ascent to its current position as a great culinary destination. In the new compact edition of his cookbook and travelogue, he escorts readers around its streets, stopping at rustic wine cellars, teeming markets and hidden kitchens.
Recipes for small plates include croquettes with cecina beef and leeks, prawns in garlic sauce and pureed salt cod. Some of the larger dishes, meanwhile, highlight multicultural influences, including artichokes — introduced during Moorish rule — in a potato gratin, and chicken and seafood draped in a sauce of dark chocolate, an ingredient introduced when Columbus returned from the New World. Interspersed with the 120 recipes are Mitsch’s favourite food spots, from the quirky bars and restaurants of the Gothic Quarter to the seafood section of La Boqueria Market, and a look at the social history of tapas. £12.99, Murdoch Books.
2. Danube
Award-winning food writer Georgescu’s latest release traces the gastronomic culture along the Danube River, beginning in her homeland, Romania, then travelling south. She charts more than 80 mostly meat-free recipes, including potato stew with filo crust, and semolina milk soufflé. £28, Hardie Grant.
3. The Flygerians Cookbook
The British-Nigerian Edun sisters’ first cookbook — named after their London street-food joint — is a homage to their heritage and their grandmother’s cooking. Expect traditional dishes plus twists on classics, such as jollof spaghetti, and agege bread and butter pudding. £22, Ryland Peters & Small.
4. Breaking Bao
Born in Toronto to parents from Hong Kong, pastry chef Lam combines Asian flavours with global baking techniques. She refashions centuries-old bao into recipes including gochujang pizza rolls and steamed sweetcorn bao with an oozing custard filling. £30, Chronicle Books.
5. Marcus’s France
Chef, restaurateur and broadcaster Wareing has spent much of his career exploring French cooking, and his latest book takes readers on a personal adventure across the country through updated takes on classic recipes, including pork chops with fennel, sage and onion. £26, Harper NonFiction.
To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
