5 of the best new cookbooks

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

1. Cocina Mexicana, by Adriana Cavita

Ryland Peters & Small, £22

London-based Mexican chef Adriana Cavita’s debut cookbook is both a heartfelt ode and an informative guide to the diverse cuisines of her homeland. Walking the reader through the staples of Mexican cooking, she starts with basic building blocks such as moles (sauces), salsas and tortillas before moving on to the dishes with which to enjoy them. Expect an array of tamales, tacos, soups, stews and desserts, all interspersed with fascinating tales and photography from across the country.There’s a section dedicated to breakfasts and another focusing on festive feasts, which tend towards flavoursome meat- and fish-heavy recipes. Cavita’s Mexican-style turkey, for example, served as part of a Christmas meal, comes stuffed with an exuberance of beef, pork, olives and nuts. You’ll find plenty of everyday inspiration in this book, too, including a selection of beautiful salads and street foods, along with drinks for all occasions, whether it’s punchy, agave-based cocktails or agua frescas (flavoured waters) made with nuts, fruits, spices and flowers. 

2. East Winds, by Riaz Phillips

DK, £22

The third cookbook from award-winning food writer Riaz Phillips is an extraordinary exploration of what unites and differentiates the cuisines of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. Phillips details the culinary vernacular of the Caribbean through the lens of geography, history and culture to bring accessible recipes to the home cook. 

3. Korean Home Cooking, by Jina Jung

Murdoch Books, £22

Big flavours and simple techniques were the central ingredients of Jina Jung’s upbringing. Featuring classic Korean recipes such as barbecue sauce and bibimbap, the book is dotted with personal stories, too. For hot days, the chilled seaweed soup is a must-try, while the braised Korean chicken is the perfect winter warmer. 

4. Peináo, by Helena Moursellas & Vikki Moursellas

Smith Street Books, £26

Born into a boisterous Greek family, the Moursellas twins grew up in Australia eating the food cooked by their mother and grandmother. Greek for ‘I’m hungry’, Peináo is all about communal eating, with recipes including fennel and roasted garlic tzatziki and ouzo-cured kingfish with lemon oil.

5. Frontières, by Alex Jackson

Pavilion Books, £30

Noble Rot’s head chef takes readers on a journey defined by the various culinary influences found in France’s borderlands. From the hearty cooking of the Alsace-Lorraine region to the Spanish-inflected cuisine of French Catalonia, the recipes in Frontières aren’t just varied, but moreish, too.