Lockdown Cookbook Recommendations...
… from some of my favourite interiors accounts!
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Let’s face it, most of us have been, and will continue to be eating more meals (and cakes, and snacks) at home than ever before, so why not broaden our cooking horizons, and make it more interesting, right?
I had planned to put together a list of my favourite cookbooks for this post, but then I started wondering what cookbooks some of my favourite interiors people love. So I asked them! And I figure that if I like what these people do with interiors, there’s a good chance I will like what they do with food too. Okay, I have no idea why that would be the case, but it was a great excuse to be super nosey with a legitimate reason.
So here’s what they said. I had to stop at eleven, but believe me I could have gone on - there are loads more people I’d have loved to ask to contribute, so maybe I’ll do a part two!
Andrew Griffiths, Andrew Jonathan Design / Instagram: @andrewjonathandesign
‘River Cafe 30, a book I was given by a dear friend of mine. It’s a lovely mix of very achievable but delish Italian dishes, and things you can salivate over but will probably never make. It’s beautifully designed too, with heaps of colour mixed with lovely old black and white shots from the River Cafe kitchen’.
Ms Pink, Quirk & Rescue / Instagram: @quirkandrescue
‘I absolutely LOVE Mary Berry because a lot of her cake recipes are so easy. Everything is in one bowl and mix, no faffing about with separating this and beating this and that!’
Lisa Dawson / Instagram: @_lisa_dawson_
‘Part journal, part cookbook. I love Nigel. I would marry Nigel if he wasn’t gay. And also his meals are all really tasty with fresh simple ingredients. He’s also got a really gorgeous kitchen with Crittall windows.’
Emilie Fournet, Emilie Fournet Interiors / Instagram: @emiliefournetinteriors
‘It’s a vegan recipe book - and has helped me make the transition away from meat - really easy for us a a family and basically it has helped keep cooking interesting. Also, I trust all the recipes completely and they are easy but delicious.’
Kerry Lockwood, Kerry Lockwood In Detail / Instagram: @kerrylockwood
‘So many inspiring dishes which are all delicious. I love that style of eating where you serve lots of smaller side dishes, different salads and veg etc - each bursting with so much flavour.’
Kate Watson Smyth, Mad About The House / Instagram @mad_about_the_house
‘She’s brilliant with vegetables and makes them all more interesting. I have both her books and cook from them all the time. Her recipes literally go viral. Check out #thestew.’
(FYI I did. She’s right, and now I want to make it too!)
Emma Jane Palin / Instagram: @emmajanepalin
‘As someone who is fairly lazy when it comes to cooking, this cookbook makes dinner easy. Not only are the recipes delicious, they also encourage you to get friendly with different kids of ingredients (but nothing too fancy). The roasted tomato and bay orzo is hands down my go-to recipe!’
Poonam Sharma, Modern Luxe / Instagram: @modernluxeblog
‘I love this book as Felicity does all the hard work for you. She tries and tests recipes from some of the worlds best cooks, to create the perfect version. And finally and more importantly she makes the mistake so I don’t have too!’
Athina Bluff - one half of Topology Interiors / Instagram: @topologyinteriors
‘Hands down the best cookbook for peopole who enjoy cooking and want to show off to their mates using simple ingredients that go a long way. The Marbella Chicken is a win.’
Russell Whitehead and Jordan Cluroe - 2LG Studio / Instagram: @2LGstudio
‘Our two favourite food writers are School Night Vegan - the recipes are in depth and incredibly delicious, all vegan of course, but the kind of vegan food that makes you drool. So good!
And we love The Happy Pear. They are healthy vegan cooks with really quick easy recipes that are packed with all the nutrients you need. They have a series of quick recipes that make it so easy to stay on track and keep healthy. They are also very lovely.’
Ruthie Matthews - Design Soda / Instagram: @design_soda_ruthie
‘I could choose any cookbook by Middle Eastern chef Sabrina Ghaynour because she has an insanely good sense of flavour combinations. Thanks in part to Ottolenghi paving the way, there is a brilliant variety of Middle Eastern recipe books on the market, but Sirocco is one of my favourites. Fresh and flavoursome, the dishes are perfect for feasts with a smorgasbord of dishes, or simple lunches alike. There are so many favourites in here, but stand-outs include cumin roasted aubergines with seeds, pomegranate and yoghurt, fried feta bites with preserved lemon jam, the freekeh salad, and the very decadent cardamom doughnut brioche french toast! I now only cook the vegetarian dishes but can also vouch for Sabrina’s chicken and lamb dishes!’
Phew. That’s a LOT of cooking inspiration. And eleven cookbooks that are now on my wish-list too, as I don’t own any of them. Thanks so much to all the lovely people above that took the time to contribute and to let me be nosey!
Oh, you want to know mine? Well currently, I’m still obsessing over this, and I’m so excited for some warmer weather so I can get stuck into some of the incredible salad flavour combinations…
