Coronavirus books: Some cookbooks for adventurous self-isolators

One of the upsides of the current stay-at-home policy is the re-emergence of the kitchen as the hub of the house.

No longer a pitstop for UberEats or the place where the coffee machine is stored, kitchens are once again places where families gather, bake, stir, cook and eat together.

Although cookbook sales are steady, we have noticed a big increase in the number of customers who tell us they want to “try something new’’.

Some meat eaters say they want to expand their vegetarian repertoire, while others have bought a pasta machine and want an appliance-appropriate recipe collection.

And as we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, baking books have taken off; everyone, it seems, wants to try banana bread/shortbread/sourdough bread/any bread.

Here are three of the current batch we know will bring joy to home isolationists:

Falastin

Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley

Over many years, Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi have shared a friendship and a food philosophy.

Sami, from Palestine, and Yotam, from Israel, met as young chefs and travelled together from the Middle East to London where, over time, they became global food sensations.

Australians might be more familiar with Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, but we urge his fans to embark on the Tamimi’s Falastin journey.

Our bookshop staff have already tried many recipes from this outstanding book – from the magnificent prawn and tomato stew, to the cheeky and wonderful cauliflower fritters.

The Vegetarian Silver Spoon

The Silver Spoon Kitchen

For years the Silver Spoon gang has guided us through the joys and peculiarities of Italian cooking. Last week its vegetarian-focused recipe collection arrived on our shelves.

“No one does a family gathering quite like the Italians, so take inspiration from their seasonal, veg-packed cuisine to create your own savoury showstopper – perfect for Easter or a Sunday lunch,” writes Vegetarian Living.

This book is a must for all cooks who love working with fresh garden produce.

Nothing Fancy

Alison Roman

New York Times food writer and social media celebrity Alison Roman has put together a fabulous collection of 150-plus recipes that will cover you for four seasons, through all moods, and for all meal times.

From cocktails and snacks to family dinners for four, salads, vegetables and puddings, Roman has nailed the brief to produce an accessible, fresh and inspiring recipe collection which will appeal to home cooks from 21 to 81.

Corrie Perkin is a Melbourne journalist and bookseller whose Hawksburn shop is still open via mybookshop.com.au. My Bookshop is also taking book orders on 03 9824 2990

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