Every kitchen deserves a collection of go-to cookbooks that inspire daily cooking and entertaining. Today we’re featuring essential titles that will transform your culinary repertoire: a science-backed guide to gut health for better energy and immunity, budget-friendly recipes that prove eating well doesn’t have to be expensive, and a beautifully illustrated exploration of spices that have shaped human history. Plus, discover fresh Mediterranean salads that celebrate seasonal produce, master quick Chinese comfort food ready in 30 minutes, learn foolproof batch cooking to save time and money, create magical Harry Potter-inspired sweets, explore authentic Mexican salsas that bring fire to any meal, and elevate your entertaining with Asian-inspired dinner party ideas.
Kitchen Essentials for February
Gut Health: The South African Guide
9780798185691 | Human & Rousseau | TPB
Vickie de Beer & Dr Stephen Schmidt

When your gut is healthy, you thrive. When it’s damaged, everything falls apart.’
What if the secret to more energy, a stronger immune system, improved digestion and effortless weight loss didn’t lie in expensive supplements, but in healing your gut? This book is the complete solution you’ve been looking for – part medical guide, part recipe book – built entirely on scientific research and designed for real life.
This isn’t another fad diet. It’s the definitive guide to transforming your health from the inside out, using practical strategies and real foods that work.
Get ready to learn:
• Why your gut controls everything – from brain function to weight, explained simply.
• Which foods are secretly harming you – and which can heal your gut lining naturally.
• What to cook – a complete 7-day repair meal plan with gut-healing recipes for every meal.
• How to make your own fermented foods – step-by-step recipes for healing, homemade probiotics including yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi.
• How to cook delicious meals that nourish, repair and restore your gut.
This isn’t just another health book. It’s the manual your body wishes it had come with.
Budget Food: 180 simple triple-tested recipes (Easy Everyday)
9781761501432 | Murdoch Books | HB

Over 180 TRIPLE-TESTED recipes – and a photo for every recipe!
Eating well on a budget is easy with an imaginative range of recipes for soups, pasta dishes, noodle and rice options, meat, fish and poultry, vegetarian meals and desserts.
The recipes are straightforward, use readily available ingredients and are ideal for our busy lifestyles.
Build a kitchen library with the EASY EVERYDAY series of save-the-day cookbooks. Also available: BOWL FOOD, FAST FOOD, VEGGIE FOOD.
The Grammar of Spice: Blend • Infuse • Restore
9780500299029 | Thames and Hudson Ltd | PB
Caz Hildebrand

A compact edition of this stylishly illustrated compendium of over sixty spices, brilliantly designed by the bestselling author of Herbarium.
Spices have played an intrinsic part in the human story, running through history, geography, anthropology, politics, religion, culture, art and design. From alligator pepper seeds which, in the Yoruba culture, are given to newborn babies to taste a few minutes after birth, to charoli seeds, which are used in traditional Indian sweets eaten during the festival of Holi, and caraway seeds, which were added to medieval love potions, each spice has its own significance in the lives of the people who use it. The story of spice is really the stories of human relationships, from growers and traders to cooks and explorers, all starting with a tiny seed.
The Grammar of Spice is one of the world’s missing books. It will change the way we understand spices and the role they play in defining not only our food but also our place in the world. The essence of each spice is explored in a brief history peppered with interesting anecdotes and tips, and accompanied by reproductions of surface decoration from Owen Jones’s original book, The Grammar of Ornament. The book is beautiful to look at and hold, packed with well-researched material, and will change the way a generation appreciates the incredible world of flavours and tastes that spices open up to us.
Very Good Salads: Middle Eastern salads and plates for sharing
9781923239708 | Smith Street Books | HB
Shuki Rosenboim & Louisa Allan

Very Good Salads is a seasonal cookbook filled with delicious salads, vegetable dishes and dips to accompany the ultimate falafel recipe.
Very Good Salads is filled with more than 50 Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired recipes that showcase the best seasonal produce, with an emphasis on vegetarian and vegan dishes.
From Shuki Rosenboim and Louisa Allan, the team behind cult-favorite Very Good Falafel in Melbourne, Australia, this seasonal cookbook includes veggie-filled plates, salads, dips, pita and pickles, alongside the best chickpea falafel recipe.
Each dish makes use of the whole vegetable, with classic and less-expected pairings such as watermelon salad with za’atar, radish and fried pita; freekeh and hazelnut; and grilled leek with pomegranate, walnuts, spring onion, mint, dill and lemon zest; as well as larger offerings such as silverbeet rice cake and stuffed tomatoes with saffron rice and dried mint. In addition, the book shares recipes for traditional dips and the ultimate pita recipe that produces flawless bread to stuff or serve alongside salads and share plates. It’s simple, classic fare, but food that has earned Shuki and Louisa a place in Melbourne restaurant royalty.
This beautiful cookbook is the perfect gift for salad fiends, vegetable lovers, wholefood cooks and those looking for new and creative ways to enjoy the best seasonal produce.
Simply Speedy Chinese: Meals in 30 Minutes or Less
9781837833801 | Quadrille Publishing | HB
Suzie Lee

Get your favourite Chinese food on the table in minutes with Simply Speedy Chinese.
In each chapter, Suzie Lee will showcase her handy shortcuts, enabling you to get a tasty meal served up in 30 minutes or less. From Honey Chilli Beef and Quick Dumplings to Hot Peanut Butter Noodles and Mochi, satisfy your Chinese cravings quicker than the time it takes to order a takeaway.
Whether you’re a busy mum with only 10 minutes to spare before it’s time to put the kids down, a hungry student who needs brain food in 15 or a young professional with half an hour to whip something up after a long day at work, this is the book for you.
Suzie will also throw in her famous twists that allow you to tailor the recipes to your needs, so if you need super-quick meals that are also kid-, veggie- and budget-friendly, look no further!
Simply Speedy Chinese is a cookbook full of quick, easy and delicious recipes that are ready – and on the table – in no time.
Foolproof Batch Cooking: 60 Simple Meals to Save You Money, Time and Effort
9781837834969 | Quadrille Publishing Ltd | HB
Katie Marshall

Discover 60 versatile recipes to prep ahead, grab and cook, with step-by-step instructions.
Batch cooking is an essential way to get ahead for the week, saving you money, time and hassle. From freezer fillers to hearty soups and winter warmers, through roasting pan dinners, summer staples, and even innovative recipes that can be transformed into two meals with a few extra ingredients, Foolproof Batch Cooking ensures you’ll always love your leftovers.
With straightforward instructions, a photograph for every recipe and tips to avoid kitchen disasters, Foolproof Batch Cooking is packed with simple solutions to revolutionise eating on a budget.
The Foolproof series celebrates the simple ways to cook, eat and enjoy different dishes and techniques, and offers amazing new ways to elevate classics, as well revealing new sure-to-be favourites. The series includes: BBQ, One-Pot, Freezer, Veggie One-Pot, Fish, Picnic, Roasting Pan, and Slow Cooker.
Harry Potter Sweets and Treats Cookbook [Official Cookbook]: From Butterbeer-Inspired Candy to Golden Snitch Cupcakes, 60 Delicious Recipes Inspired by the Harry Potter Films
9798337401768 | Insight Editions | HB
Veronica Hinke

Recreate the most magical sweets from the wizarding world with 60 candy and baked good recipes inspired by the Harry Potter films!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to make your own Chocolate Frog? Satisfy your sweet tooth with sumptuous delights inspired by Honeydukes, the wizarding world’s popular sweetshop and beyond! This collection of 60 beguiling confections brings the magic of Harry Potter straight to every candy-lover’s kitchen. With step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and stunning photos, the official Harry Potter Sweets and Treats Cookbook will have you making Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s favorite magical sweets right at home in no time. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, or just indulging your sweet tooth, these recipes have been crafted to bring a touch of magic to everyday moments.
Coming Soon!
Sabor y Fuego: The Art of Authentic Mexican Salsa
9798886743234 | Weldon Owen | HB
Sonia Mendez

From the bright and tangy freshness of pico de gallo to the deep, smoky complexity of roasted salsas, this cookbook is the ultimate guide to flavorful and fiery sauces. Sonia Mendez brings you an exceptional variety of salsas that will transform any meal. Drawing on her family’s cherished taqueria recipes—some passed down through generations—Sonia also introduces exciting contemporary spins that showcase the versatility of Mexican sauces. Whether you’re seeking a salsa to liven up tacos, complement grilled meats, or simply serve with chips as a satisfying appetizer, this collection has you covered.
TRADITIONAL RECIPES & TECHNIQUE: Use traditional techniques to make authentic, delicious taqueria-style salsas passed down through generations
PAIRING AND SHARING SUGGESTIONS: Features creative dishes that pair perfectly with each salsa
FRESH & BOLD INGREDIENTS: More than 50 fresh and cooked salsas featuring bold ingredients like dried chiles, roasted peppers, and smoked paprika
Lucky Dragon Supper Club: Asian-inspired dinner party ideas for home cooks
9781761500855 | Murdoch Books | HB
Stephanie Feher

Stephanie Feher created the social media account Lucky Dragon Supper Club during covid lockdowns to share her culinary adventures with loved ones online. Since then, the brand has evolved to inspire people to eat good food and celebrate both community and the fun of entertaining.
These 88 recipes reflect Stephanie’s creativity, her Chinese–Hungarian heritage and her love of cooking.
From crowd-pleasing bites to share plates and epic mains, you can mix and match recipes to suit the occasion or use Steph’s themed menus to guide you.
Here’s a taster…
• Bites and cocktails: Prawn toast with chilli crisp mayo, The ultimate stuffed peppers, Cheats umami popcorn, Oolong highball.
• Smaller plates: Mum’s pork and chive dumplings, The best braised eggplant you will ever make, Mushrooms with chilli crunch.
• Bigger plates: Hainanese chicken rice, Gochujang orecchiette (her spin on vodka pasta), Xinjiang-style lamb skewers, Crispy pork belly plate, Laksa party.
• Salads and sides: XO egg fried rice, Japanese curry mac’n’cheese, Blistered green beans, Dad’s potato salad.
• Something sweet: F*ing good crumble, Sticky date cake with miso butterscotch sauce, Cherry lamington log.
• Foundations: Baos, Belt noodles, Dumpling wrappers, Supper Club vinaigrette, Supper Club condiments and seasonings.
The best dinner parties are about more than just the food, and Steph’s clever suggestions for setting the mood and prep-ahead hacks will ensure your night is relaxed and memorable. Whether it’s a date-night dinner for two, a cosy meal for a small group or an ambitious supper-club spread, this book has everything you need to host in style without the hassle


