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 beautiful Scandinavian cookbook, a vibrant plant-forward recipe collection, and a guide to uncomplicated comfort food you’ll crave repeatedly. Plus, three expertly curated drink books covering spritz cocktails, tequila creations, and whiskey classics.
Kitchen Essentials for July
Modern Nordic: Contemporary Recipes from a Scandinavian Kitchen
9781761451232 | Hardie Grant Books | HB
Simon Bajada

Modern Nordiccelebrates contemporary Scandinavian cuisine with a focus on local recipes that can easily be recreated at home.
Filled with dishes that typify the food of this vast geographical region, this book takes its influence from the traditional ingredients that can be found from Sweden to Finland and Denmark to Norway, and transforms them into modern everyday recipes that are hugely popular throughout Nordic homes.
The book is split into chapters, based on different food groups including ingredients found ‘from the forest’, ‘from the sea’, ‘from the land’, and ‘in the larder’, along with a basics chapter that demystifies the process of smoking food and other classic Scandinavian cooking techniques such as pickling.
At the end of the book there is also a glossary explaining substitutes and hard-to-find ingredients. Recipes concentrate on modern, everyday dishes that use the freshest of ingredients and are simple to create.
Matched with stunning Scandi-inspired photography throughout including imagery of landscapes, nature and produce shot on location, Modern Nordic is a feast for all the senses.
Plant to Plate: Delicious and Versatile Plant-Forward Recipes
9781837832927 | Smith Street Books | HB
Gaz Oakley

A few years ago, at his rural home in the Welsh countryside, Gaz Oakley planted a kitchen garden with the aim of utilising plants to their full potential. Inspired by his thriving veg and fruit plot, the 100 vibrant and versatile recipes within this book celebrate the bountiful produce nature has to offer.
Focusing on accessible ingredients like carrots, beetroot, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, apples and pears, Gaz has created a medley of seasonal, delicious dishes that showcase these crops at their best. With recipes including Strawberry and Lavender Welsh Cakes for a spin on a classic, savoury Stuffed Harissa Onions, and gorgeous Tomato, Thyme and Almond Upside Down Cake, there is something for every season and every taste.
Revealing the beauty of the passing seasons and the magic feeling that comes alongside harvesting and cooking your own food, Plant to Plate will inspire you to make the most of fresh produce and perhaps take inspiration for your very own veg patch.
Kitchen Keepers: Real-life Recipes to Make on Repeat
9781761450655 | Hardie Grant Books | PB
Katrina Meynink

Kitchen Keepers is a celebration of all that is excellent and delicious in home cooking.
Coming from a kitchen maximalist who knows how to dazzle when it comes to putting dinner on the table and to feeding loved ones with generosity and abundance, this is real food for the demands of a full, busy life. Food that is clear and uncomplicated yet bursting with flavour. Food that is not time- or cost-prohibitive, and food that you’ll want to make again. And again. And again.
The Cocktail Cabinet: Spritz: The essential drinks every spritz lover should know
9781923049888 | Smith Street Gift | HB
Kara Newman

Break open the cocktail cabinet to prepare spritz cocktails with this deck of mixologist favourites.
Whether you prefer a classic Americano or Biciletta, or a modern favourite like the Golden Gate spritz, a refreshing sip of an effervescent libation is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
The Cocktail Cabinet: Spritz features recipes for 50 of the best spritz creations. Whether you’re dreaming of a summertime staple like the Pimm’s spritz or after a festive fave like the Alpine spritz, there’s something for every palette.
With mid-century-inspired illustrations, easy-to-follow recipes, and guides to garnishes, glassware, ice, and syrups, this deck is the ideal pick for budding mixologists and bartending experts.
The Cocktail Cabinet: Tequila: The essential drinks every tequila & mezcal lover should know
9781923049604 | Smith Street Gift | HB
Kara Newman

Break open the cocktail cabinet to prepare tequila- and mezcal-based cocktails with this deck of mixologist favourites.
Whether you prefer a classic margarita or a sunrise, tequila and mezcal are the foundations of some truly great cocktails. Without them, we wouldn’t have the paloma, el diablo, or bloody marias.
The Cocktail Cabinet: Tequila distills the best of the spirits with 50 cards that feature recipes for any mood, whether you’d like to get smoky with an Oaxaca old fashioned or enjoy a lazy afternoon with a siesta.
With mid-century-inspired illustrations, easy-to-follow recipes, and guides to garnishes, glassware, ice, and syrups, this deck is the ideal pick for budding mixologists and bartending experts
Sunny Days, Taco Nights: A Cookbook
9781838669881 | Phaidon Press | PB
Eneique Olvera, Alonso Ruvalcaba

Acclaimed Mexican chef Enrique Olvera presents the ultimate insider’s guide to preparing and enjoying authentic tacos
Enrique Olvera is known for the sophisticated Mexican cuisine he serves at his globally renowned restaurants, including the iconic Pujol, in Mexico City. However, his true passion is the everyday taco, which he regards as the most ‘democratic’ of foods. In Sunny Days, Taco Nights, Olvera presents an in-depth exploration of the taco’s history and many different styles, ingredients, and accompaniments, and much more.
Equal parts culinary history and cookbook, the book features 100 recipes designed for home cooks, arranged into two main chapters: Classics, which features street tacos; and Originals, which explores Olvera’s contemporary reinventions of well-known originals. Classic recipes include Fish Tacos from northwest Mexico; Chicharron Tacos from Monterrey; Chorizo Tacos with spinach; and Steak Tacos common at street vendor tricycles in Mexico City. Contemporary reinventions include Brussels Sprouts Tacos with spicy peanut butter; Ceviche Tacos; Pork Belly Tacos with smoked beans; and Eggs & Green Bean Tacos inspired by Olvera’s childhood breakfasts.
Visually stunning, with vivid food photography and a palette inspired by native corn in Mexico, Sunny Days, Taco Nights is the definitive book on one of the world’s most beloved foods.
Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round
9781526679017 | Bloomsbury Publishing | HB
Paul Hollywood

JOYFUL BAKES FROM THE KING OF GREAT BRITISH BAKING
Celebrate every special moment with Paul Hollywood! With 10+ years as a beloved Bake Off judge, and many more as a pro baker, Paul is ready to share the joys and secrets of great baking with you. It’s the only book you’ll ever need for:
– ULTIMATE BIRTHDAY CAKES AND BAKES from Sprinkletti to Chocolate Fudge to Lemon Drizzle
– SUMMER PIES, TARTS AND QUICHES, perfect for picnics and BBQs
– SHOWSTOPPER BAKES to impress your friends and family
Expect family favourites and classics-with-a-twist like Paul’s Strawberry Heart Scones, party-time Mojito Cupcakes and cosy Pumpkin-Spiced Macarons. Plus plenty of crowd-pleasing savoury winners like Black Bean Empanadas and Hollywood’s Hot Dogs.
Filled with easy-to-follow recipes and mouth-watering photography, Celebrate makes the occasions that mean the most to us all the more memorable.
7-Ingredient Mediterranean: 100+ Simple, Vibrant Recipes
9781400349302 | Cider Mill Press | HB
Cider Mill Press

Transport yourself to the sun-soaked shores of the Mediterranean with over 100 quick, effortless, and vibrant recipes all using just seven ingredients. Whether it’s family meal prep, cooking for one, or choosing a healthier style of eating, this 7 ingredient cookbook is sure to have a recipe for you!
Welcome to the Mediterranean, simplified. From the coastal regions of Italy to the spice markets of Morocco and the Middle East, these meals harness the power of a few select ingredients to create irresistible dishes that are rich in flavors and textures. This cookbook is designed to make healthy eating accessible and absolutely delicious, making it easy to incorporate balanced meals for heart health and longevity into your daily life. With seven ingredients there are infinite flavors—enjoy everything from zesty salads to hearty pastas, succulent seafood, and robust vegetarian options that explore the rich tapestry of Mediterranean cooking.
Inside you’ll find:
- 100+ easy recipes for wholesome appetizers and sides, hearty mains, and refreshing desserts
- No-fuss meals perfect for busy weeknights
- Recipes emphasizing fresh produce, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins for nutritious meals that don’t skimp on taste
- Eye-catching photography to showcase each dish
- Dishes from the Mediterranean regions including – Italian, Middle Eastern, Spanish, French, and more
Simplicity is the secret ingredient to extraordinary dishes. Get bold, authentic flavor without the complexity with 7-Ingredient Mediterranean.
The World of Whisky: The New Traditions
9781400340934 | Cider Mill Press | HB
Felipe Schrieberg

An insider’s look at the world of whiskey, this luxurious clothbound book offers a look at whiskey’s rich history, production process, distilleries, cocktail recipes, and more. Whisky enthusiasts can learn more about the craft, iconic brands, and micro-distilleries found across the world in this comprehensive guide perfect for gifting.
Offering a wealth of knowledge on whisky’s rich history, production process, distilleries, and latest innovations, it also provides an insider’s look into how the best whisky makers around the world approach their craft across both iconic brands known around the world to small micro-distilleries making the best whisky in countries not normally associated with this celebrated spirit.
Through in-depth profiles and interviews with celebrated experts and the world’s best distillers, blenders and entrepreneurs, award-winning whisky writer and author Felipe Schrieberg explores the radical changes and innovations that have shifted how whisky around the world is produced, perceived, and consumed today.
This exquisite volume is:
- The perfect companion for both connoisseurs and novices alike
- Features stunning photography and an elegant design
- Makes a great gift for holidays such as Father’s Day, Birthdays or Christmas
- Showcases cocktail recipes with an emphasis on the highlighted distillery
Discover why this iconic spirit has become a multi-billion global market, loved by drinkers all over the world, and the exciting changes that are shaping the industry today with The World of Whisky.


