Cook books to help expand your knowledge in the kitchen
Made a resolution to cook more this year and still have no clue where to start? These best-selling recipe books are just what you need to get on track.
Zaika
By Romy Gill
From meat alternatives to nut milks, modern culinary innovations have made plant-based eating so much easier and enjoyable. However, these newfangled products can be an acquired taste, and difficult or expensive to source. When in doubt, refer to cuisines that have had the herbivore way figured out for centuries, like that of India for example. Zaika by British-Indian chef and food writer Romy Gill comes strongly recommended for its expansive recipe compilation that offers variety and flavour. Teaching the importance of fresh produce and the key spices of Ayurvedic medicine, it promises hearty and healthy dishes that satiate body and soul.
Simple
By Yotam Ottolenghi
Cooking does not need to be a grand affair in order to produce incredible results; by the time you attempt all 130 meals in Yotam Ottolenghi’s Simple, you will likely agree. All dishes, expressing the author’s signature Middle Eastern tastes, are meant to be made in either 30 minutes, with 10 ingredients or less, in a single pot, or prepared ahead of time for stress-free serving. Expect to find braised eggs with leeks and za’atar for brunch; a filling yet refreshing cauliflower, pomegranate and pistachio salad; lamb and feta meatballs worthy of comfort-meal status; and a fig and thyme clafoutis designed to impress at your next dinner party.
The Four Horsemen
By Nick Curtola, Gabe Ulla + James Murphy
Named after the foodie-favourite one Michelin-starred restaurant based in Brooklyn, New York City, this cookbook makes for a terrific addition to any globetrotting homecook and wine aficionado’s collection. Mirroring the eatery’s philosophy on having good food and drink as the centrepiece for a gathering of equally wonderful company, this read welcomes you to ponder the versatility of kitchen staples, and helps turn a basic salad or can of beans into something spectacular. Paired with notes by James Beard Award-winning natural wine expert Justin Chearno, it is just the thing to whip out when you have hungry loved ones coming over.
Dessert Person
By Claire Saffitz
Who can say no to the occasional sweet (or even savoury) indulgence? Former Bon Appétit star and personality behind hit YouTube series Gourmet Makes Claire Saffitz certainly makes it difficult to resist with Dessert Person. Bring the mouth-watering cakes and pastries featured in her show to life in your own kitchen, be it a concord grape crumble pie or a crispy mushroom galette. Baking can be a finicky process, but fret not as recipes are sorted according to skill level, with dos and don’ts clearly outlined alongside quick fixes for any problems you might encounter.
My Korea
By Hooni Kim
Known for earning the first Michelin star awarded to a Korean restaurant (Danji in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC), chef Hooni Kim is lauded as a leader in 21st-century Asian cuisine. His debut cookbook familiarises readers with his Holy Trinity of condiments — doenjang (fermented soybean paste), ganjang (Korean soy sauce) and gochujang (red chilli paste) — that act as the foundation for a majority of his homeland’s traditional dishes. Prepare delectable sides with the perfect balance of sour, salty, savoury and spicy, before levelling up with elevated classics like a sizzling dolsot bibimbap (mixed rice in a hot stone bowl) and mul naengmyeon (buckwheat noodles in chilled broth).
Vegetables Unleashed
By José Andrés
It is recommended that the average adult should eat at least 30g of fibre a day. That said, it is no secret most of us are not eating our greens. Too often, vegetables are wrongfully framed as bland and boring. Now, Spanish-American chef José Andrés is using his borderless cooking style to open eyes to the endless possibilities and flavours of the produce aisle. Here, you will find the usual suspects of veggie-focused eating — think uncomplicated lentil soups and robust gazpacho, easy to cook and store — as well as unusual, mind-blowing ones sure to broaden both mind and palate, like potatoes baked in fresh compost.
The Flavor Equation
By Nik Sharma
With a background in molecular biology, Nik Sharma has always been curious about how certain flavours and senses come together to make a dish more appealing. The Flavor Equation introduces five basic flavours and boosters that come together in different recipes. Each category — brightness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness and savouriness, as well as richness and fieriness — comes with recipes which explore the impact of textures, aromas and even sight on the overall dining experience, complete with illustrated charts and detailed photos taken by Sharma through microscopes to thoroughly explain how and why we taste things the way we do.
Tartine Bread
By Chad Robertson
A cult favourite among San Francisco locals for its exceptional baked goods that sell out within hours of opening, Tartine Bakery is a true Bay Area gem. Only a handful of bakers have been allowed behind the curtain to learn founder Chad Robertson’s techniques — until now. If you, like many others, jumped on the sourdough bandwagon during the pandemic, Tartine Bread just might be the key to upgrading your breadmaking skills. Using just the core ingredients of flour, water, salt and yeast, this book shows you how to replicate the bakehouse’s beloved rugged loaves in the comfort of your own home.
This article first appeared on Feb 24, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
