I have a love affair with cookbooks, maybe a borderline obsession but I’m totally okay with it. If you walked into my apartment now there’d be proof of that everywhere as I’m redecorating my office and while I’m waiting for a new bookshelf for all my cookbooks to call home, they’ve spread out to every available space - piles on the floor, on the coffee table and the dining room hutch. And while I love things to have their place, it makes me smile to see all this inspiration everywhere I look right now.

Here’s my thing about cookbooks. I always feel like I get a tangible piece of someone’s heart. Someone I might never meet in real life but instantly have a connection with and get small peek into their lives through their kitchen. There’s so much love that goes into a cookbook - more than just the recipes but the stories behind them, the history, and the meaning of the food that’s being cooked. There’s something so special in that.

I find myself going back to cookbooks more and more these days over social media or one the internet at all. For me it’s more intentional inspiration because tell me if this is you too - when you start the internet scroll it’s easy to see so many different things and get overwhelmed rather than inspired. With cookbooks I can choose a couple and flip through and stay focused on trying a few new things. And it always means more because I’ve usually read through the cookbook like a novel and feel like I know the author already.

So today I thought I’d share some of my favourite new additions to my collection and let you know that there’s something coming next month for paid subscribers. We’re doing a Cookbook Club! Because it’s always more fun to do things together, right?

Each month I’ll be choosing a cookbook to cook through. Over the month we’ll get the conversation going by sharing what we’ve cooked, things we learned and so much more! So if you need a little motivation try cooking some new things or just love cookbooks as much as me, come join us!

Cookbook Round Up

Here’s a few of the newest members of my cookbook family that I’ve especially loving:

Pierogi - this one has opened up my eyes to the world of pierogi! The shapes, different flavour combinations, the history and so much more. I also love how it instantly inspired me to come up with my own filling combinations; caramelized onion, charred brussel sprout and potato sure hit the spot.

Grand Dishes - stories of grandmothers from around the world and their recipes to boot? Yes please. There are so many unique faces and fascinating stories in this one.

New European Baking - this is where I drew my inspiration to tackle my first ever adventure in croissant making. There’s also so many beautiful, delicious treats that I’ve never had; Semla (soft dough, sweetly performed with cardamom, stuffed with almond paste & whipped cream), Rosinenbrotehen (German raisin buns), and Kolacky (Czech sweet round milk breads) to name a few.

The Miracle of Salt - I love a book that focuses on one thing and if you know me you know salt is something I could talk about ALOT. It really is a miracle and does plays such a big part in cooking delicious food. This book covers the history, explains the differences in all the kinds of salt and which to use when. The kimchi aioli and the duck breast prosciutto are on my list of things to make this month.

The Food Almanac - there is something so soothing about this book. The stories, the memoirs, the poems, and of course the recipes I just feel good whenever I pick it up. There’s a volume 2 which came out last year that I haven’t got to yet but if you love story and conversation around food as much as cooking it, you’ll love this one as much as I do!

Serendipity - I you’re food nerd like me and love the history of how foods came to be, you’ll love this one. It’s a good reminder when you’re in the kitchen that most things you love were a happy accident so don’t be afraid to experiment and make mistakes!

What are you cooking from right now? Let me know in the comments!

Want more with me? 

This publication is reader supported and it means the world if you choose to become a paid subscriber. You’ll also get access community threads, months round ups, more recipes and live hangouts, and more!

Subscribed

The Communal Table If you don’t know, this is my monthly cooking community where I lead classes, have guest teachers join us, there’s a cookbook club, foodie round tables where we nerd out about all things cooking and food, plus monthly giveaways of my favourite things, and so much more. If you’re looking for a space of rad people who love cooking as much as you do, come join us!

Learn more

Ready to learn the pleasure and the principles of cooking well? Let’s THE CREATIVE KITCHEN This if for you if you want to learn some foundational cooking skills so you can find your own creativity and flow in the kitchen. Because that’s what it’s all about!

THE CREATIVE KITCHEN

If you’re ready for the magical world of Sourdough, come on in HERE

SOUDOUGH 101