Cookbooks offer us a chance to escape into different cuisines, to learn new skills or to simply feel inspired. In a world filled with online content, a cookbook is a tangible object to be opened, read, enjoyed and, ideally, dirtied in the kitchen. Here’s our pick of the best recent cookbooks from Ireland and abroad.
The Kai Cookbook
Jess Murphy (foreword by Diana Henry), Nine Bean Rows, €30
Kai is one of Galway’s best-known restaurants, with a reputation for a creative and joyful approach to food. New Zealander Jess Murphy has a skill for combining different influences with Irish produce to create dishes that are completely one of a kind.
In her latest cookbook, she gives us 100 of her favourite recipes drawn from Kai’s 14 years in business. Cleverly organised by the Celtic seasons, every recipe and gorgeous photo is imbued with the Kai ethos and love for its suppliers. Read it and be inspired to go west.
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Foxford Cafe Cookbook
Kathleen Flavin, O’Brien, €24.99
The Foxford story is one of passion for the past and the future. The Mayo woollen mill is one of the oldest in the country, with history in every corner. Under the leadership of Kathleen Flavin, the cafe at Foxford has grown into a glorious celebration of fresh, local and tasty food that is simply a joy to eat.
This new cookbook brings together the best of Flavin’s 15 years in Foxford, sharing recipes for salads, soups, cakes and cafe favourites such as pork and apple sausage rolls or smoked salmon fishcakes. The more ambitious can even try their hand at the famous Foxford Christmas pudding.
Scéal
Charlotte Leonard-Kane and Shane Palmer, Quadrille, €30
During lockdown, many of us became obsessed with baking sourdough. Those of us who struggled turned to one of the many excellent artisan bakeries across Ireland to get our fix.
Scéal is one such spot; once nomadic, it has now put down roots in Greystones, Co Wicklow. In this lovely book, Leonard-Kane and Palmer tell the human story of Scéal, and share their meticulous recipes for breads and pastries of all types. This is a book about baking, but it’s also much more. It’s a passionate and inspirational guide to the art of baking.
Mary 90
Mary Berry, BBC Books, €40.60
It’s sometimes hard to believe that Mary Berry published her first cookbook in 1966. For well over half a century, she has gently guided home cooks through the basics, before cementing her icon status as a judge on The Great British Bake Off.
Mary 90 is the accompanying cookbook to her new television series which celebrates her 90th birthday. It’s packed with her characteristically fuss-free recipes, both new and old, interspersed with personal stories. Whether it’s a coconut traybake, carrot cake or mushroom arancini, you just know you’re in safe hands with Berry.
Make & Freeze
Lou Robbie, Michael & Joseph, €22
Lou Robbie is a professional chef and mother of two. Her practical Instagram reels showing simple and nutritious snacks and meals have gone viral many times, earning her a legion of nearly one million followers.
In Make & Freeze, she shares her experience, giving busy families 100 recipes that span everything from lunch-box treats to family dinners, including recipes also for slow cookers and air fryers. With numerous tips for batch-meal prep and how to freeze each dish, you will always have healthy, tasty food on hand to feed the family.
Now You’re Cooking: 70 recipes that kids can make
Jolene and Lily Mae Cox, Nine Bean Rows, €30
At age 11, Lily Mae Cox may be the youngest author featured, but she’s a pro at cooking, having grown up doing so with mother Jolene, an award-winning food writer. Together they run regular online cookery classes aimed at kids, instilling basic techniques and a lifelong passion for cooking.
Their new book puts kids firmly at the centre. With 70 recipes for those aged five to 12, ranging from basic mashed potatoes to fish tacos and chicken tray bakes, all recipes have been tested and approved by Lily Mae herself.
Something From Nothing
Alison Roman, Quadrille, £27
American author Alison Roman has a true gift for combining big flavours into accessible and practical recipes. She describes her style as “something from nothing”, hence the title of her latest book, delivered in her characteristically warm tone. Ultimately, this is a book for food lovers who want maximum impact and minimum effort.
The recipes are bang on trend, reflecting the modern pan-European style of eating prevalent in so many restaurants. Dishes such as green bagna cauda, labneh with caramelised harissa, crispy schnitzel with browned butter radishes and lemon pepper pasta will have you reaching for this book time and time again.
Padella
Tim Siadatan, Bloomsbury, €28.71
You’ll never cook pasta in the same way once you’ve absorbed the tricks from London restaurant Padella.
With simple steps and clever tips, this cookbook will elevate your pasta game. Learn how to make your own, or how to adjust the cooking time of dried pasta for perfect results. Hang on to some of that pasta water to make silky sauces, and you’ll soon be turning out cacio e pepe like a pro.
