The Best Australian Cookbooks to Help You Achieve Dinner Party Greatness
Whether you're a novice in the kitchen or Masterchef guru, our pick of the best Australian cookbooks will guarantee your next dinner party is a complete success
From the beginner baker to the cook who’s comfortable in the kitchen, whatever your skill level, there's no denying just how special the act of making meals for yourself and your loved ones is. Watching your nearest and dearest eat something you made with love and care just for them is truly a cup-filling quest.
And if you want to up your culinary game, who better to turn to than some of Australia's most respected chefs and cooks? Keep reading as we round up the best Australian cookbooks to satisfy anyone's appetite…
Home by Stephanie Alexander
Legendary Australian cook Stephanie Alexander's offering, Home, is a collection of more than 200 original recipes that have been finely crafted in tribute to her passions and preferences for produce and flavour. There are detailed recipes for the more ambitious home cook and simple ways to combine beautiful ingredients to make meals for everyday eating.
First Nations Food Companion: How to Buy, Cook, Eat and Grow Indigenous Australian Ingredients by Damien Coulthard & Rebecca Sullivan
This groundbreaking cookbook celebrates the most accessible and popular Indigenous Australian ingredients and their uses in the everyday home kitchen. With more than 60 of the most accessible Indigenous ingredients, including their flavour profiles and tips for buying, growing and storing them.
It also features 100 delicious recipes with the best native ingredients, from Bush-Tomato Cheese on Toast, Anise Myrtle and Macadamia Poached Chicken, Myrtle Tea Cake, Quandong and Davidson's Plum Iced Vovos and more.
The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think by Josh Niland
Love fish, but not sure how to prep and cook it at home? Look to Sydney chef and seafood savant Josh Niland's new cookbook, The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think. With more than 60 recipes showing readers how to make the most of the humble fish, you will soon discover there is so much more to seafood than the fillet.
Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong
In the kitchen, there is only one Kylie, and the beloved chef's offering, Simple Chinese Cooking, is a master class in how to cook and use the freshest produce - and all you need is a wok and a trip to the supermarket. From soy sauce chicken and sung choi bau to fresh-tasting button mushroom salad and prawn wonton soup, the book uses step-by-step pictures to guide you through bringing these classics to life.
The New Classics by Donna Hay
No round-up of the best Australian cookbooks is complete without a mention of cooking queen Donna Hay. For decades, the foodie has been a mainstay in our homes and this book is a celebration of Donna's all-time favourite classic recipes.
The New Classics is a definitive collection of classic recipes featuring everything from beef and ale pies to dulce de leche, from mac n' cheese to macarons; it's exactly the food that we want to cook and all written in Donna's trademark simple, clear and easy way.
What I Cook When Nobody's Watching Recipes & Musings for a Simple Life by Poh Ling Yeow
Poh Ling Yeow's believes that the simpler we eat, the happier we are, and in this book, she shares all the things she cooks when nobody's watching. Fall in love with the joy of cooking again with Poh's wholesome, no-fuss recipes covering everything from nourishing bowl food to comfort combos and crowd-pleasing feasts that take everyday ingredients to new and delicious places. Poh also shares hard-won wisdom, musings on the garden, and a few household tips and tricks along the way.
The Australian Women's Weekly Italian
Italian is always a crowd-pleaser and who better to help guide you through nailing the cuisine than one of our nation's most trusted sources – The Australian Women's Weekly. From pasta dishes, mains, salads, sides and desserts, this cookbook will break it all down for you.
Australian Food by Bill Granger
Bill Granger is the godfather of Australian cuisine and in his cookbook, he explores fresh flavours, lively ingredients and the Aussie lifestyle that's shaped how he cooks and entertains and, of course, the joyfully casual Australian way of eating the world has fallen in love with.
The Food I Love by Neil Perry
One of the most timeless Australian cookbooks that was first published 18 years ago and is still as relevant as ever. Part cookbook, part bible, this will be something you'll refer to time and time again. Perry shares methods, skills and wisdom that draw from the food of the Mediterranean and have stood the test of time, now revised and refreshed for a new generation of readers.
Including straightforward advice on everything from holding a cook's knife to trussing chicken and filleting fish, along with 200 delicious recipes for every occasion and skill level - from light breakfasts and sandwiches to an array of seafood, meat and vegetable recipes, and a bounty of timeless desserts.
Bake Australia Great by Katherine Sabbath
Sydney's Queen of Cakes, Katherine Sabbath looks to Bake Australia Great with her cool cookbook of decadent desserts. Don't let the extravagance scare you.
Her tomme has a range of recipes to suit all kinds of bakers, from her simple fairy bread cake and warming Anzac slice to the sparkly Millionaire's cake (pictured above) and iconic Tim Tam triple, sweet tooths will be well satisfied by Kat's cool cakes.
Enjoyed our edit of the best Australian cookbooks and after some more entertaining inspo? Check out our chat with Lia from Stories to Gather on how to make the ultimate grazing table. Then, read our wrap of the best pre-made cocktails to sip on at your next soiree.
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