From Tokyo to Greece: the best new cookbooks

Tokyo stories, global bakes, and Greek inspirations — these are the new cookbooks we’re reading this month

By Heather Taylor
Published 9 Apr 2019, 00:23 BST, Updated 19 Jul 2021, 15:11 BST

Our pick: Tokyo Stories by Tim Anderson
The second book from MasterChef winner turned ramen bar restaurateur Tim Anderson is a love letter to the Japanese capital. It’s a place, as he describes, where the standard of food is so high that even the vending machines sell green tea, crisp-skinned fried chicken and fresh dashi. Where, whether you’re ducking into a smoky yakitori bar for charred bite-size skewers, inhaling deeply flavoured tonkotsu ramen or enjoying Michelin-starred fine dining, the food is unwaveringly magnificent. Tokyo Stories is part city guide, part recipe book, meaning you can either plan your own food pilgrimage or have a go at cooking at home. It’s a comprehensive, ambitious collection of recipes and restaurant recommendations, encompassing everything from steamed pork gyoza to regional delights such as goya spring rolls, made with a bitter gourd from Okinawa. There are some surprising additions, too, including choux pastries found in Tokyo’s Parisian-style patisseries and top-notch Neapolitan pizza. Colourful illustrations and evocative photography, meanwhile, bring the recipes to life. It’s a testament to the variety and deliciousness peppered throughout this bewitching city. £26, Hardie Grant

Global bakes: Crumb by Richard Bertinet
The title of this volume refers to the all-important crumb structure that distinguishes sourdough from soda bread and brioche from baguettes. Written by the founder of Bath’s Bertinet Bakery, it features step-by-step photographs and recipes with an international twist, such as manchego and chorizo cornbread, chickpea flatbreads and cinnamon buns. £25, Kyle Books

The good life: The Farm Community by Emma and Tom Lane
The Farm is a self-sustaining community of organic growers, producers and restaurants based in Australia’s Byron Bay. This book invites readers to discover the story behind it and to recreate the simple, ingredient-led dishes that define its philosophy. Expect recipes such as fish cured with Japanese seaweed, and charred aubergine and macadamia salad. £20, Hardie Grant

Thai time: Baan by Kay Plunkett-Hogge
She’s previously covered everything from mixing a mean martini to mastering Spanish tapas, but Kay Plunkett-Hogge’s childhood home of Bangkok has a special place in her culinary heart. Baan is a collection of Thai recipes gathered from street stalls and family homes, and features handy shortcut ingredients and tips such as how to cook rice perfectly. Out 4 April. £20, Pavilion

Going greek: Orexi! by Theo A Michaels
Another MasterChef alumnus, Theo A Michaels has moved away from the quick meals of his previous books for this third outing, a collection of 80 Greek- and Cypriot-inspired dishes. Recipes are split into chapters entitled Meze, Sea, Land, Sun and Fire, and include everything from vine leaf-wrapped sea bass to leg of lamb with tzatziki. Out 9 April. £16.99, Ryland Peters & Small

Published in the March 2019 issue of National Geographic Traveller Food (UK)

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