Who’s addicted to buying books? 🫣
Sorry if you're trying to kick the habit: I’ve got more new food (& food adjacent) books you NEED, plus where to meet the author/try the food.
Hands up if you’re addicted to buying books?
Welcome to a safe place. 🤗
Quick reminder:
Next week I’m sharing a detailed list of everything I tried in Paris last month. Between us, we spent over £250 on chocolate and patisserie, plus more €€€ on meals. I have a lot to share!
Advance apologies for fueling your book-buying inclinations today, but I’m really impressed by the current round of food and travel books, and I feel like these ones are worth bringing to your attention.
I’m fairly comfortable with my book buying habit because books really are remarkably good value for the months (years) of work that goes into them.
I sometimes consider “could I write one?”, then hear author friends talk about how hard they find the process. Mind you, this is usually said as they are onto their second or third, or pitching another. 😄
I’m still thinking about it. 😅
Please excuse the name dropping, but I know most of the authors of the books below and, though I haven’t laid eyes on each of the books yet, I trust that they will be worthy of your money and space on your shelf. (Assuming the general synopsis captures your attention!)
A few of them have events connected (not just in London).
This week’s community questions (prepping you now as - surprise surprise - it’s a long email 😅):
Have you ever had a frrrozen hot chocolate? (see below!)
Which of the books I rave about have you already ordered/bought?
Which ones are you now going to buy (or want someone to buy you!)?
Have I missed any recently released books?
Will you go to any of the events?
Before I get to the books, if you’re a fan of the film Serendipity or of New York City nostalgia then you might be interested to know that the restaurant Sette in Knightsbridge has the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity3 in Manhatten on its menu from now for six weeks. I went to try it with a group of brilliant people last week, hosted by Milly Kenny-Ryder (more on Milly below!).
It’s very Americana and not particularly chocolatey (for me, anyway), but the texture and the clouds of whipped cream sent me going back for spoon after spoon.
Definitely one to share between possibly even four people. The other food at Sette is delicious and the staff are fun and welcoming, more than you might expect from its glamorous decor and Knightsbridge location.
📌 Ground Floor, 4 Knightsbridge Grn, London SW1X 7QA
🚆 Knightsbridge
I went to Petite Patisserie in Farnham as I said would, and it was wonderful. More on this in the future but I just wanted to confirm it was great, as I mentioned last week I was going! Sometimes if I say I’m going somewhere and you never hear me mention it again it’s because it wasn’t worth mentioning. 👀 😬
📌 Bush Hotel, 27 The Borough, Farnham GU9 7NF
🚆 Farnham
The Latest and Best Food/Travel Books in the UK
Here’s the overview, with more detail and pictures below:
- - 2 May 2024, Hoxton Mini Press
Slow Travel Britain - Liz Schaffer of Lodestars Anthology, Hoxton Mini Press
SIFT: The Elements of Great Baking -
, 2 May 2024, Ebury PressHappy Endings - Terri Merceica - 20 June 2024, Pavilion Books
Greekish -
- 25 April, BloomsburyI'll Bring Dessert: Simple, Sweet Recipes for Every Occasion -
- 18 April 2024, QuadrilleThe Book of Chai - Mira Manek, 18 April 2024, Headline Home
Microwave Meals: Delicious Recipes to Save Time, Effort and Energy - Tim Anderson, 25th April 2024, Hardie Grant
BBQ Days, BBQ Nights: Barbecue Recipes for Year-Round Feasting - Helen Graves - 9 May 2024, Hardie Grant
- , 28 March 2024, Quadrille
Eat and Enjoy Gluten Free: Easy Meals, Brilliant Bakes and Delicious Desserts - Laura Strange - Hardie Grant
Make More With Less - Kitty Coles - 4 April 2024, Hardie Grant
Love Vegetables: Delicious Recipes for Vibrant Meals - Anna Shepherd, 4 April 2024, White Lion Publishing
Norteña - Karla Zazueta - Northern Mexican Cooking - 25th April 2024, Pavilion
Bahari -
, 1st February 2024, DKDinner Tonight: Simple Meals, exciting flavours - Meliz Berg, 27th June 2024, Ebury Press
Doma Traditional Flavours and Modern Recipes from the Balkan Diaspora- Spasia Pandora Dinkovski, 4 April 2024, DK
Two to look forward to:
Sanjana Feasts - Sanjana Modha - 5 September 2024, Unbound
Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Cookbook - Poppy O’Toole, 12 September 2024
Accompanying events!
This Sunday 28th April - Happy Endings X Celestial Peach (Peachy Endings)
Menu reveal coming in the next few days, but expect soy sauce and chillis to feature!
📌 Arch 437 Burdett Rd, London E3 4JS
🚆 Mile End
Nicola Lamb and SIFT at Toklas on Wednesday 1st May
From 5-8pm for Aperitivo
📌 9 Surrey St, Temple, London WC2R 2ND
🚆 Temple
Here are her dates for the rest of the country:
Saturday 4th May - Charity Bake Sale to launch Britain’s Best Bakeries
From 9am at Bourne & Hollingsworth Studio in Farringdon.
Until 12 midday or sold out.
Incredible bakers will be bringing some of their baked goods and all of the proceeds will be split between Breaducating Britain and Magic Brekky.
📌 42 Northampton Rd, London EC1R 0HU
🚆 Farringdon
Why you want these new books:
of Weekend Journals - 2 May 2024, Hoxton Mini Press
My friend Milly Kenny-Ryder has written the book I’m most envious that I haven’t authored. She also took (almost) all the beautiful photographs, too. I feel like this book will be a must for anyone reading this Substack!
62 of Britain’s best bakeries. I’m thrilled to see it and can’t wait to get my copy.
Slow Travel Britain - Liz Schaffer of Lodestars Anthology, Hoxton Mini Press
Also published by Hoxton Mini Press, another friend, Liz Schaffer, poured her heart and soul into Slow Travel Britain and told me how she fell in love again with her adopted country that, until this book, she was thinking about leaving.
Liz is the editor of the beautiful Lodestars Anthology magazine. Each magazine is a tribute and homage to one country and I highly recommend buying any that cover countries you’d like to visit or buy bundles of random ones and watch yourself be persuaded to visit.
I love the UK and feel like places beyond London are so undersold so I cannot wait to use this book to guide future adventures in my home country.
SIFT: The Elements of Great Baking - 2nd May, Ebury Press
Available here on Bookshop.org.
I’ve written about this one before so I won’t go on, but I am sure this is the baking bible you’ll need. I love the details behind why things work and Nicola is the master of experimenting and explaining to help us all understand.
Happy Endings - Terri Merceica - 20 June 2024, Pavilion Books
Preorder it here on Bookshop.org
Terri is an absolute genius. I’ve been waiting for her book since I first met her about a decade ago. She has an incredible palate and I’m confident these recipes will all be winners.
Fun fact: I first met Nicola when she was in the kitchen making ice cream sandwiches with Terri in 2018!
Greekish - - 25 April, Bloomsbury
Available here on Bookshop.org.
The reason Georgie’s books sell so well and she keeps getting the opportunity to write more (this is her fourth) is not just because she’s gorgeous to be around or a Jamie Oliver alum, but because her recipes work. They are exciting and unique and delicious. She’s a superstar.
I'll Bring Dessert: Simple, Sweet Recipes for Every Occasion -
- 18 April 2024, QuadrilleAvailable here on Bookshop.org.
Another brilliant recipe writer with sure fire and interesting recipes. This feels perfect for the sweet toothed amongst us (here, that’s got to be all of us, right? 😁).
“70 sweet recipes to cater for any occasion. Chapters cover Something Fruity, Something Chocolatey, Something Creamy, Something Nuttyand Something on the Side and each includes a mix of hot and cold desserts, vegan and gluten free recipes (or simple swaps), and recipes that can be made in advance or on the day with tips on how to transport or finish assembling later.”
The Book of Chai - Mira Manek, 18 April 2024, Headline Home
I have both of my friend Mira Manek’s first two books and have actually used them to cook from (sadly this feels rare for me lately!): Saffron Soul is a gorgeous and inspiring vegetarian Gujarati cook book and Prajna is a guide book for self care using Ayervedic principles. Her latest book, The Book of Chai, is in the style of Prajna, stories interspersed with simple text recipes. Chai to wake you up, chai to help you sleep, recipes for food to eat with chai. Based on what I tasted at her book launch last week, I will absolutely be making from this book again, too.
Microwave Meals: Delicious Recipes to Save Time, Effort and Energy - Tim Anderson, 25th April 2024, Hardie Grant
Available here on Bookshop.org.
I think it was Tim who won the last series of Masterchef I watched, over a decade ago.
I’m a big fan of his restaurant, Nanban, and just so intrigued by how many different things the blurb to this book claims can be made in a microwave. I’m shook. And excited.
BBQ Days, BBQ Nights: Barbecue Recipes for Year-Round Feasting - Helen Graves - 9 May 2024, Hardie Grant
Available here on Bookshop.org.
“the ultimate go-to guide for entertaining – you'll find 20 menus, each featuring a drink, nibbles, a dip, the platter, a side, some extra carbs and a dessert. All customisable, all incredibly delicious.”
Chapters divided by season for year-round outdoor cooking!
Helen is a bbq (and sandwich) genius and an excellent writer. If you own a bbq or big green egg or just want a reason to buy one and spend more time outdoors then you should get this.
Available here on Bookshop.org.
This is Ed’s fourth cookbook. His recipes are brilliant. One if you’re into eggs:
“Over 100 recipes and ideas that make eggs the star of the show.”
Do also follow Ed on Instagram if you like well made recipe videos, or on Substack
, for more brilliant recipes and summaries of what the major newspapers are reporting on, food-wise.Eat and Enjoy Gluten Free: Easy Meals, Brilliant Bakes and Delicious Desserts -
- Hardie Grant“Featuring 100 gluten-free recipes, and split into two sections – Meals for Everyone and Baking Up a Storm – the book will take you from speedy midweek meals to easy feasts and perfect pasta, as well as dishing up delicious desserts and giving you advice on how to master baking basics and build your kitchen confidence until you're turning out gluten-free showstoppers!”
Laura is a celiac I was introduced to about eight years ago. I’ve watched her put everything into developing recipes and building fans and community over that time. A must for anyone going without gluten.
Make More With Less - Kitty Coles - 4 April 2024, Hardie Grant
Available here on Bookshop.org.
Kitty has ghostwritten many other cookbooks but this is her first under her own name. I love the idea of this book.
“Make your weekly shop go further – take core ingredients and transform them into flavour-packed, simple dishes. Make More With Less shares ways to eke your food out, with adaptable dishes that make your kitchen work for you.
Each chapter features a core recipe, with clever ways to level-up any leftovers, alongside a handful of other exciting recipes to try...”
Love Vegetables: Delicious Recipes for Vibrant Meals - Anna Shepherd, 4 April 2024, White Lion Publishing
Available here on Bookshop.org.
You all (probably) know I’m mostly vegetarian, so this is a book I can really see myself cooking from. Chapters are divided by groups of vegetables to make it easy to deal with veg boxes or fridge raids, or just to experiment with a new way to cook your favourite veg.
Norteña - Karla Zazueta - Northern Mexican Cooking - 25th April 2024, Pavilion
Available here on Bookshop.org.
I hear that Karla’s cooking is unrivalled, so I’m really excited about seeing her debut book with her family recipes.
“The Mexican cuisine that most people are familiar with is from the centre or the south of the country, but in Norteña, Karla Zazueta shares the dishes and ways of cooking that she grew up with.”
Bahari - Dina Macki, 1st February 2024, DK
Available here on Bookshop.org.
I’ve already written about this beautiful book with stunning photography from Patricia Niven (who has a special on her newest print) and gorgeous stories giving a view into a world I don’t know at all. I wanted to remind you about it!
Doma Traditional Flavours and Modern Recipes from the Balkan Diaspora- Spasia Pandora Dinkovski
Available here on Bookshop.org.
Spasia is the talented founder of the sell-out delivery service, Mystic Burek, which now has a shop where you’ll need to queue. The recipes centre around food from her native Northern Macedonia. Doma means “home” in Macedonian.
📌 227 Dartmouth Rd, London SE26 4QY
🚆 Forest Hill / Sydenham
Two to look forward to:
Dinner Tonight: Simple Meals, exciting flavours - Meliz Berg, 27th June 2024
Available here on Bookshop.org.
“Turkish-Cypriot Deliciousness Every Day…recipes ready in 30-minutes or less, food that’s quick to prepare and effortless to cook, and Meliz’s favourite ‘cheat’ versions of traditional recipes such as börek, dolma and manti.”
Another one that’s brilliant to watch on Instagram! Meliz is joyful, as well as being an excellent cook.
Sanjana Feasts - Sanjana Modha - 5 September 2024, Unbound
Available here on Bookshop.org.
If you’re not one of the 377,000+ people already following Sanjana on Instagram, you should be.
“Sanjana Modha’s flavourful and vibrant recipes are rooted in her Indian heritage, East African family background, and Yorkshire childhood.“
A reminder of the questions for you:
Have you ever had a frozen hot chocolate?
Which of these books have you already ordered/got?
Which ones are you adding?
Have I missed any?
Will you go to any of the events?
Next week: everything I ate in Paris (it was a lot).
lots of love and dreams of patisserie,
Jen xx
P.S. Please excuse any typos/poor grammar. Last night was the first night I wasn’t woken in the middle of the night at least once in the last ten days, but instead at 5.15am and neither of us went back to sleep. I hate that all the images of the books are different sizes. But not enough to fix it. 😂 My eyes are closing as I type. Good night! 💋 😴
Britain's best bakeries is currently sat on my doorstep I can see from the royal mail delivery email!! So very excited to crack that open adding to that Nicola is on Cooking the Books podcast talking about sift and hearing about it has made me want it! so roll on payday!
Thanks so much Jen! What an honour to be on this list with so many faves! Hxxx