Phil Treagus-EvansIt’s that time of the year to start reviewing the best books of 2022 and today we’re looking at the best cookbooks of 2022. Cookbooks are popular for a number of reasons. For one, they provide a convenient way to find recipes for specific foods. Instead of having to search online or ask friends and family for ideas, you can simply consult a cookbook. Additionally, cookbooks usually include detailed instructions on how to prepare a dish, which can be helpful for inexperienced cooks.
They may also include information on the history or origins of certain dishes, giving readers a greater understanding of the food they are eating. Ultimately, cookbooks provide an easy way for people to learn about new cuisines and expand their culinary repertoire. Whether you’re a beginner or a experienced chef, there’s sure to be a cookbook out there that can teach you something new.
The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte
Mexican food is some of the best vegetarian food around. The dishes are full of flavor, and there is a wide variety of options to choose from. You can find everything from simple bean dishes to more complex ones with a variety of vegetables. And, of course, there are always plenty of options for sides and toppings. This beautiful cookbook is filled with vibrant vegetarian recipes, and also includes some vegan, gulden-free and dairy-free dishes too. It has incredible photography all the way through, plus the cover will standout on your shelf. It’s bound to be picked up by visitors when they peruse your bookshelves.
Chef and restaurateur Margarita Carrillo Arronte is part of a Mexican family with deep cultural and culinary roots. Over her 35-year career, popularizing Mexican cuisine throughout the world, Margarita has lectured at institutions and represented Mexico at the G-20 summit. Fodor’s Travel said of the book, ‘Encyclopedia of essential Mexican dishes from the Phaidon pantheon.’
The Wok by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is a chef, author, and food scientist. He’s the Chief Culinary Advisor of Serious Eats, and his first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, was a New York Times Best Seller and James Beard Award winner. Kenji’s work focuses on debunking culinary myths, understanding food science, and exploring the best methods for cooking. In his new book for 2022, The Wok, the author provides a definitive guide to the science and technique of cooking in a wok.
Publishers Weekly said of the book, “The intricacies of wok culture are brilliantly explored in this definitive offering from chef and New York Times cooking columnist López-Alt… Readers will be cooking with gas thanks to this fiery and insightful work.”
The Cook You Want To Be: Everyday Recipes to Impress by Andy Baraghani
A decade-old case leads the Thursday Murder club to a local news legend and a murder with no body to Andy Baraghani is a celebrated chef, food writer and television personality. He is best known for his work as a senior food editor at Bon Appétit magazine, where he helped to shape the publication’s signature style of modern, approachable cooking. Andy’s work has been featured in countless publications and he has appeared as a guest on numerous television shows.
Celebrated chef, Yotam Ottolenghi said of the book, “‘That Andy boy is clever,’ Andy thinks we’ll think, once we’ve tried one of his salads. He’s right! This book is full of things I want to make and cook, a selection of condiments and sauces I need a new shelf in the fridge for, and an altogether understandable obsession with sesame seeds. In The Cook You Want to Be, every recipe encourages us to take that one further twist or step to elevate it into the totally delicious.”
Nadiya’s Everyday Baking by Nadiya Hussain
Nadiya Hussain is a Bangladeshi-British baker, author and television personality. She first came to public attention after appearing as a contestant on the sixth series of The Great British Bake Off in 2015, in which she was crowned the winner. Since then, Hussain has become a household name, thanks to her down-to-earth personality and infectious enthusiasm for baking.
In her new cookbook for 2022, Hussain offers more than ninety sweet and savoury recipes for every meal and occasion. The book is organised by situation and occasion and includes recipes for chill out days, rainbow days, happy day, baking days and more. It also features some lovely photography of all of the delicious recipes within.
Ammu: Indian Home Cooking to Nourish Your Soul by Asma Khan
Asma Khan is a chef, restaurateur, and television personality. Asma Khan is chef and restaurateur of London’s highly-acclaimed Darjeeling Express. An unstoppable force for social change in the food industry and beyond, Asma has been revolutionizing the restaurant scene since 2017 with her world-renowned Indian food, all-female team, and her commitment to training immigrant women.. Khan has appeared on several television programmes, including The Great British Menu, Chef’s Table and Saturday Kitchen.
In this new cookbook for 2022 from one of the world’s most prominent female chefs, you will find a big range of heart-warming Indian recipes that are inspired by Khan’s childhood. Publishers Weekly said of the cookbook, “A delightful collection of personal recipes sure to entice lovers of Indian food … Khan cooks from the heart, and her appetising dishes and expert guidance are not to be missed.”
Mezcla: Recipes to Excite by Ixta Belfrage
Ixta Belfrage’s style of cooking draws inspiration from three countries she grew up travelling to and eating in; Brazil (where her mother is from), Italy (where she lived as a child), and Mexico (where her grandfather lived). Belfrage learned a lot whilst working Yotam Ottolenghi’s NOPI restaurant and the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, where she worked for Yotam Ottolenghi for five years. This cookbook features 100 recipes that are full of different cuisines blended together. It’s also one of the most beautiful cookbooks of 2022.
Chef and author, Hawa Hassan said of the book, “Ixta’s cooking and writing are what have been missing from cookbooks. This one is bright, global, and bursting with new flavor combos. Ixta’s extensive travel and upbringing serve as the bedrock for this original and uncomplicated book. Mezcla is certainly going to become a staple in homes across the world.”
Home is Where the Eggs Are by Molly Yeh
Molly Yeh’s debut cookbook, “Home is where the eggs are,” is a love letter to both her adopted home of the Upper Midwest and her Chinese heritage. Throughout the book, Yeh’s warm voice and sense of humor shine through, making even the most challenging recipes seem approachable. Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just getting started in the kitchen, “Home is where the eggs are” is sure to become a treasured addition to your cookbook collection.
Molly Yeh is the Emmy- and James Beard Award-nominated star of Food Network’s series Girl Meets Farm, which is currently in its 11th season. Girl Meets Farm celebrates the very best of Molly’s food, with recipes inspired by her Jewish and Chinese heritage and a taste of the Midwest. Julia Turshen said of the book, “Molly Yeh’s work has always felt like it couldn’t come from anyone else—it’s specifically her, full of heart and personality. This new book extends that feeling into her home and family and is so warm and lovely.”
The Vegan Chinese Kitchen by Hannah Che
This cookbook from Hannah Che celebrates ‘zhai chi’, a plant-based Chinese cuisine that focuses on ingredients rich in umami flavour and actually dates all the way back to hundreds of years ago to Buddhist temple kitchens. The book has incredible photography of some of these delicious plant-based meals. Whether you’re a vegan or meat-eater, these recipes are sure to delight.
Hannah Che is a cook, writer, and photographer based in Portland, Oregon. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, she lived in China for several years with her family, and most recently, spent a year traveling throughout China and Taiwan training as a chef at the Guangzhou Vegetarian Culinary School. She is the creator of the blog The Plant-Based Wok.
Sicilia: A love letter to the good of Sicily by Ben Tish
This cookbook celebrates the food of Sicily, which provides a diverse range of flavours because of its deep rooted cultures. Known for it’s citrus flavours, mouthwatering sea food and a plethora of spices, Ben Tish has put together an incredible array of recipes to bring the taste of Sicily to your dining table.
Ben is the Culinary Director of the Stafford London in St James’s, where he oversees the food offering throughout the hotel including the Game Bird restaurant, the American bar and private dining. In September 2019 Ben opened Norma, a Sicilian-Moorish influenced restaurant. Ben appears regularly on TV including Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch, and Masterchef and writes for Delicious, Guardian, Telegraph, Times and other publications. Times Magazine said of the cookbook, “The book explores the island through its food, taking in traditional dishes, both simple and extravagant, as well as recipes that he has created, inspired by the sun-soaked Mediterranean way of life.”
My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi
Kwame Onwuachi’s cookbook, My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef, is more than just a collection of recipes. It’s a powerful and personal history of the author’s journey from the Bronx to the Top Chef kitchens of New York City. Onwuachi draws on his own experience to shed light on the barriers that many young black chefs face when trying to enter the culinary world. My America is both a delicious and inspiring read that will leave you eager to try out some of Onwuachi’s signature dishes.
The cookbook features over 125 recipes and celebrates the food of the African Diaspora, including recipes like Nigerian Jollof, Puerto Rican Red Bean Sofrito and more. Musician and author, Questlove, said of the cookbook “Kwame’s powerful, lyrical book is part memoir, part cookbook, but also all memoir and all cookbook. It’s other things, too—a history of food, a collection of mouth-watering photographs, and a repository of wisdom.”
The British Cookbook by Ben Mervis
An extensive guide to British cuisine, with a whole range of delicious recipes for you to try out. As you would expect from a book written by a food historian, it is exceptionally well research. You could just as easily sit down to read it, as you would use it to cook meals.
Ben Mervis is a respected food historian, researcher, and writer. He has worked at restaurant noma in Copenhagen, and as a contributor and researcher on Netflix’s Chef’s Table. In 2017 he launched the magazine Fare, an exploration of city culture through food, history, and community. Stephen Fry said of the book, ‘Oh what a perfect book. It makes me want to take a year off and stand in a kitchen, all day every day trying to bring these wonderful dishes to life… without a hint of jingoistic grandstanding it reminds us what a rich, varied and proud cuisines we have in Britain… so grateful to have this.’
What Makes a Good Cookbook?
There are a lot of factors that go into making a good cookbook. For starters, it should have clear and concise instructions. No one wants to spend hours in the kitchen trying to decipher a complicated recipe. The book should also feature a wide variety of recipes, so that cooks of all skill levels can find something to suit their needs. In addition, the recipes should be tested and retested to ensure that they work as advertised.
Finally, a good cookbook should be visually appealing, with beautiful photos of mouth-watering dishes. When all of these elements come together, the result is a cookbook that is both informative and inspiring.