Christmas is coming and with it the perfect excuse to indulge in the tempting world of glossy, colour saturated, illustrated shiny cookbooks.
As usual, we've scoured the bookshelves for the best cooking books out this year, the perfect stocking filler to tantalise and satisfy your favourite foodie this year.
From the best restaurant in the world to brushing up on the classics and learning how to butcher a fish from head to tail ... this eclectic selection should appeal to the back seat chef right through to the budding professional in your life.
1. The Whole Fish Cookbook By Josh Niland
Josh Niland has been inspiring chefs around the globe with his equivalent of "nose to tail" eating for fish this year. This stunning new edition of The Whole Fish Cookbook brings his fish butchery to the attention of the home cook. While it may be ambitious for beginners, covering technical aspects like dry ageing and butchery, it's definitely a great starting point in learning to how to better respect ingredients from the ocean.
2. Catálogo Mater
Fans of Central restaurant in Peru will relish the chance to discover more about the groundbreaking ingredient research that goes on at the Mater Iniciativa project behind Virgilio Martinez's restaurant with the publication of its first catalogue, Catálogo Mater, documenting 30 Peruvian species used in Central kitchens.
"a valuable reference not only for the diners of central interested in delving into their proposal, but also for students of gastronomy and nature in general, amateurs and professionals " says researcher Julio Rivera, Phd.
3. Mirazur (English) by Mauro Colagreco (Author), Massimo Bottura (Author), Eduardo Torres (Photographer)
Ok, so this Mirazur book came out in the autumn of last year, but a lot's happened since then. Chef/owner Mauro Colagreco has been named the best chef in the world, not once but twice with his Mirazur restaurant. So why not take a look inside the inner workings of this riviera oasis and discover some of what goes on behind the scenes in the best restaurant in the world. In the meantime try out these three festive recipes shared exclusively by Mauro Colagreco.
4. Tu casa mi casa by Enrique Olvera
Let the legendary leading Mexican chef Enrique Olvera into your kitchen with Tu casa mi casa and re-invent 100 earthy, flavourful and comforting Mexican recipes.
5. Hungry Eating, Road-Tripping and Risking it all with the greatest chef in the world by Jeff Gordinier
Journalist and food writer Jeff Gordinier spent four years chronicling the life of the world-class Danish chef Rene Redzepi when he embarked on a worldwide culinary adventure with him. The result is this perfectly formed stocking filler, Hungry Eating, Road-Tripping and Risking it all with the greatest chef in the world, ideal for ambitious chefs in the pursuit of perfection!
6. Greenfeast Autumn/Winter - Nigel Slater
Comforting winter dishes to warm the soul don't get much better than in Nigel Slater's new cookbook, Greenfeast Autumn/Winter. Most of the 110 recipes are simple, minimum ingredient and plant based and perfect for lifting the spirits as the long nights draw in. Think hearty soups, vibrant salads and crumbles.
7. Signature Dishes that Matter, curated by Susan Jung, Howie Kahn, Christine Muhlke, Pat Nourse, Andrea Petrini, Diego Salazar and Richard Vines
How many iconic restaurant dishes can you name? Probably not close on the 200 given voice in this new coffee table essential.
Part encyclopedic guide, part recipe book and part travel guide, Signature Dishes that Matter is the perfect book to dip in and out of picking up culinary trivia from 240 restaurant creations from more than 180 chefs across 30 countries.
8. The Book of St John by Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver
This year London's iconic St. John restaurant celebrated 25 years. One of the original pioneeres in nose to tail cooking and a restaurant born to celebrate British ingredients and recipes with Fergus Henderson at the helm. The Book of St. John is the book that takes fans on a journey through the workings of the kitchen to classic recipes like Grilled Lambs Hearts, Peas and Mint; Ox Tongue, Carrots and Caper Sauce and Beef Mince on Dripping Toast.
It's not one for the faint-hearted cook, but the robust cooking celebrating the whole animal! - with a few veg sides thrown in is enough to inspire most budding cooks.
9. Silver Spoon Classic
We've covered the 30 Italian recipes every home cook should master so why not learn how to make them all with the ultimate compilation of traditional home cooking of authentic Italian dishes? In Silver Spoon Classic, there's enough scope to satisfy the amateur home cook to more demanding recipes for the more experienced in the 170 recipes from across the country.
10. The Joy of Cooking by By Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Becker and Megan Scott
The enduring essential cookbook The Joy of Cooking was first published almost a century ago, earning its place as a kitchen bible in the US, and this new edition continues the legacy. It's been revised and expanded with more than six hundred new recipes and every section of every chapter to reflect the latest ingredients and techniques. The perfect one stop shop for the home cook who wants it all!
11. Madison Park - The Next Chapter
If you're looking for a culinary keepsake, try this look inside one of the greatest restaurants in the world with Madison Park - The Next Chapter. Earlier this year news rocked the culinary world when the powerhouse duo behind 11 Madison Park, Daniel Humm and Will Guidara parted company ending one of the most successful business partnerships in the industry.
This book will remain a slice of history from a moment in time. What's more only 11,000 copies of this deluxe edition were ever printed – each hand signed and numbered by the authors. If that's a stretch too far, opt for the single volume with 80 recipes, including 30 new.
12. South Essential Recipes Sean Brock
Sean Brock's meticulously researched ode to Southern comfort food, South Essential Recipes, covers 125 recipes, from starters to mains and desserts to drinks. From fried green tomatoes to smoked baby back ribs and from tomato okra stew to biscuits. This is comfort food at its finest!
13. Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries Of African American Cooking," by Toni Tipton-Martin
Discover the roots of African American cooking with technique, ingredients and dishes in legendary Toni Tipton-Martin's new book Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries Of African American Cooking. There are over 100 recipes, from classics such as Sweet Potato Biscuits, Seafood Gumbo, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Pecan Pie with Bourbon to lesser-known but even more decadent dishes like Bourbon & Apple Hot Toddies, Spoon Bread, and Baked Ham Glazed with Champagne, perfect for any occasion!
