Andy’s Favourite Cookbooks

Here are my favourite cookbooks…we often get asked what are our favourite or most used cookbooks. My list rarely changes even though we buy quite a number of books every year.  4 out of 6 of my choices are from Australian chef’s which may seem bizarre but I find the Australian food scene to be one of the most dynamic, vibrant and interesting. I love the Aussie flair of the chef’s and their passion to create modern dishes with outstanding produce.

Here is my list, and you can find Lorraine’s list here

Instagrammers…all links are to the chef’s instagram page

Heston at Home by Heston Blumenthal

This cookbook by Heston Blumenthal should be read cover to cover rather than just flicked through to find a nice recipe. If you do read it you will be rewarded like me with a set of insights from arguably the greatest cook the UK has ever produced. The recipes are simple in their concept and in general very classic.  If you read and digest the information thoroughly you will soon be producing the best versions of these dishes you have ever eaten as well as taking your new found techniques on to bigger things.

Raymond’s Kitchen Secrets

Raymond Blanc is an inspirational chef for me and I remember getting his weekly recipe cards from my local Waitrose long before the Internet became the predominant recipe force that it is. Like Heston, Raymond is a very instructional writer combining scientific thinking and process with his natural artistic flair. While I have lots of his books, this for me is a great introductory read that people can pick up and learn to start cooking well.

It tastes Better by Kylie Kwong

We love Kylie Kwong and miss her restaurant and regular stall at our local farmers market in Sydney terribly. I can think of no other Chef who is quite as passionate about ensuring everything she cooks with is produced in the best, most ethical, environmentally sustainable way. This book takes us on a tour of the producers she uses in Australia with some outstandingly delicious recipes to compliment that produce. It makes me hungry just to write about it.

Mr Hong by Dan Hong

Dan Hong is a very exciting young chef in Sydney. If I had to pick someone who would cook all of my food for the next 5 years, this guy would win hands down. Vibrant, modern, punchy flavours scream out of the pages and I love his no limits style of cooking where he takes whatever he feels like making and ensures it’s the best tasting version you can find anywhere.

Longrain by Martin Boetz

If there is one book that I think has influenced my thinking on Thai food more than any other, it is this one. Longrain is a great restaurant in Sydney that used to have Martin Boetz as its head chef. The food is modern, beautiful to look at and tastes sensational. There are no shortcuts in the book, everything from the pastes to the coconut milk need to be made from scratch, but then hey, that is the way it is done properly in Thailand and why it tastes soooo good.

Quay by Peter Gilmore

Peter Gilmore is a culinary genius. I can’t think of anywhere in the world where we have eaten (and that is quite a few places) where the food is just so beautifully presented and pure flavoured. This book describes in detail many of his recipes in his flagship Sydney harbour restaurant. None of it is easy, but then it can’t be to be that good. A lovely book for the coffee table