Aussie Chefs' Cookbooks

[Shinboners]

For Bill Granger cookbooks, I'd go for either Bill's Food or Sydney Food. Both are excellent. Bill's Open Kitchen is good, but by that stage, it starts to get a bit too familiar.

If you live in Australia, head over to one of the larger Post Offices. They sometimes have these cookbook packages where you get two cookbooks for the price of one (or near enough to one). They have a Bill Granger set and a Jamie Oliver set.

[Shinboners]

The new Kylie Kwong cookbook is out. I had a flick through it at the Hill of Content bookshop today. IT's aimed at those who love the Bill Granger/Marie Claire/Donna Hay "keep it simple" style of cooking. The key difference is that it's in a large format, hardcover, and priced at $60. It will be interesting to see how well it does as I reckon the format is wrong for the recipes that are provided. However, the photography is very good and the recipes appear to be very do-able. The purists won't like it, but for those who want a bit of Asian flavour in their food without the hassle of looking for ingredients in an Asian grocery shop (she says that all the ingredients should be available in the local supermarket) will love it.

There was one thing I found amusing. She separates the book into different sections like meat, seafood, etc. There was one section devoted to duck. The only problem was that it ony had 4 duck recipes. She might have been better off just having a poultry section.

I'm a fan of Kwong's previous two books, but I'll be giving this one a miss. However, others will love it and they should get plenty of use out of it.

[Shinboners]

For those who liked Tessa Kiros's first two cookbooks, Twelve and Falling Cloudberries, she's got a new cookbook out called "Apples For Jam". It's got the same layout and feel of her first two cookbooks, but the recipes fall into the style of family cooking - comfort food, things the kids can cook etc.

[Shinboners]

I had a wander into the Hill of Content bookshop today and they've got Teague Ezard's new cookbook in stock. It's called "Lotus" and sells for $49.95. I spent a good ten minutes browsing through it and I'd say that it's everything that Kylie Kwong's cookbook should have been, but wasn't.

[Shinboners]

Karen Martini's cookbook, "Where The Heart Is" is now out. It's $59.95 and it has all the recipes from her column in the Sunday Age in it. With the same publisher as Kylie Kwong, it looks like it's a companion piece to "Simple Chinese Cooking".

[PCL]

so if you were diligent with collecting recipes from the sunday age, you wouldn't need to buy the book then huh?

i mean, would be easy just to add a foreword/intro/conclusion and then design a cover and reprint all the recipes and then sell it huh?

[Shinboners]

so if you were diligent with collecting recipes from the sunday age, you wouldn't need to buy the book then huh?

i mean, would be easy just to add a foreword/intro/conclusion and then design a cover and reprint all the recipes and then sell it huh?

←

The Age has released a cookbook called "Winter" which is a collection of the recipies that Brigitte Hafner, Stephanie Alexander, and Jill Dupleix have had published in Epicure. There's going to be another devoted to chocolate, and I assume they'll do one for summer (and probably autumn and spring).

When Luke Mangan had his recipe column with the Age, they did put them together in a magazine and gave it away as an insert with the Sunday Age.

And I think the recipe writer for the Hun (or the Herald Sun for those who don't live in Melbourne) has a book with her newspaper recipes in it.

[of_corset]

I love Guy Grossi's first book, Grossi Florentino: Secrets & Recipes (with Jan McGuinness). I really only wanted it so I could learn how to make the lobster pasta with vermouth but there's a lot of basics (bread stuffed with cheese, grissini) as well as the fancy food you expect at Florentinos (like the lasagna that calls for chicken, pork and beef).

The desserts are surprisingly easy to make...just get hold of lots of valrhona chocolate *drool*

[Pat Churchill]

so if you were diligent with collecting recipes from the sunday age, you wouldn't need to buy the book then huh?

i mean, would be easy just to add a foreword/intro/conclusion and then design a cover and reprint all the recipes and then sell it huh?

←

The Age has released a cookbook called "Winter" which is a collection of the recipies that Brigitte Hafner, Stephanie Alexander, and Jill Dupleix have had published in Epicure. There's going to be another devoted to chocolate, and I assume they'll do one for summer (and probably autumn and spring).

←

The Spring book is being released tomorrow, September 1. It's along the style of the Winter one and has a good collection of recipes. I've posted a review on my site : http://www.cookingdownunder.com/books/bookintro.htm

And yes, there'll be a Summer one round November.

[updated to include review url]

Cheers

Edited August 31, 2006 by Pat Churchill (log)

[Shinboners]

A few new books that have appeared over the past couple of months:

"Let It Simmer" by Sean Moran

"Wild Weed Pie" by Janni Kyritsis

"Every Day Cooking" by Allan Campion and Michelle Curtis

"Foodies Guide To Melbourne" by Allan Campion and Michelle Curtis

[Shinboners]

Two more that came to mind:

"Takeaway" by Les Huynh. Asian takeaway food that you can do at home.

"Classic E'cco" by Phillip Johnson. His favourite recipes from his restaurant.

[Pat Churchill]

"Foodies Guide To Melbourne" by Allan Campion and Michelle Curtis

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Just received that one - and the Sydney one as well. Plus "Sydney Eats" and Grower’s Market - cooking with seasonal produce", by Leanne Kitchen. They're featuring on my website currently - http://www.cookingdownunder.com/books/bookintro.htm

Walked into The Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park this morning (wonderful shop) and came out with Bourdain's "The Nasty Bits" and Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking". I have the earlier edition of the latter, plus McGhee's "The Curious Cook" and they've both been great reference books - as well as a good read.

Got Damien Pignolet's "French" for my birthday so I have a lot of reading to do.

[Sentiamo]

OK Ockers.......take note!!! This is the Australia AND New Zealand forum and I am dismayed to see hardly any mention of great Kiwi chefs/books.

Oh..except for Peter Gordon who I see seems to be claimed as yours! Just like Russell Crowe, Keith Urban, Crowded House etc have been ' borrowed' by you lot. ( Oh, and we are forgetting the Pav debate but so as not to bore everyone, lets not get too far into that ! )

Geez.

So, Im away to create a thread for Kiwi chefs/foodies/blogs/books/restaurants etc.

First tho', thank you Ludja for mentioning that a link you supplied included NZ cookbooks. I realise you posted ages ago!

And Dim Sim...you are/were worried about including Kiwi cookbooks in the thread?? Sacre bleu!

NZ Cuisine magazine has been voted BEST food magazine in the world on many occasions. And with very good reason. I realise you too posted this ages ago.

To anyone wondering just what kind of mad woman has been let loose, please relax. The Aussies and Kiwis are always knocking each other and that damned ditch seems to close in by the year!

You can blame a long ago cricket match for this.

And let we Antipodeans get this NZ/Aus part of eGullet happening! There are some people needing enlightenment as to food trends WE set. And what everyone else is missing out on...

I dont like emoticons much, but on this occasion...

[PCL]

See if you can get more Kiwis to sign up!

[Pat Churchill]

OK Ockers.......take note!!! This is the Australia AND New Zealand forum and I am dismayed to see hardly any mention of great Kiwi chefs/books.

....

And let we Antipodeans get this NZ/Aus part of eGullet happening!  There are some people needing enlightenment as to food trends WE set. And what everyone else is missing out on...

←

Yes, I agree. Some great Kiwi cookbooks out there. Being a Kiwi, I have many in my library. Even worked as publishing manager on a couple of Alison Holst's books about 10 years back.

Am off to the ex-pat Kiwis' Kea Melbourne launch on Tuesday where I see Annabel Langbein's latest book is being featured and Annabel is doing the nibbles.

[Shinboners]

Three new cookbooks spotting in Readings today:

"Every Day" by Bill Granger

"Tolarno Bistro" by Ian Hewitson and Bob Hart

"Matt Moran" by Matt Moran

[Shinboners]

The Spring book is being released tomorrow, September 1.  It's along the style of the Winter one and has a good collection of recipes. I've posted a review on my site : http://www.cookingdownunder.com/books/bookintro.htm

And yes, there'll be a Summer one round November.

[updated to include review url]

Cheers

←

It might be one day short of November, but the Summer edition of the Epicure cookbook has now been released.

[Shinboners]

"Lake House" by Alla Wolf-Tasker has just hit the shelves. It's $75, but it looks stunning. It's very much along the lines of cookbooks like Saha (Malouf/Malouf), the Alford/Duguid, Thomas Keller cookbooks - great recipes, beautiful photography, and plenty of stories and observations.

And Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has released his second cookbook too.

There have been a couple of re-issues, both in hardback. "Spice Notes" by Ian Hemphill and "Arabesque" by Malouf/Malouf.

[Shinboners]

Well, it looks like I'm getting the Lake House cookbook for Christmas.

Anyway, Serge Dansereau has his new book out for Christmas, "Bathers Pavilion Recipes and Menus". $65 IIRC.

[PCL]

Just checked in here after a long absence...

... tolarno's??...

i thought that's now defunct??

[Shinboners]

... tolarno's??...

i thought that's now defunct??

←

Yes and no.

The owners of the property where Tolarno's is located put up the rent, and Hewitson was not prepared to pay it. However, Guy Grossi took up the lease under the new terms and he will re-open under the name "Mirka Tolarno". Grossi was an apprentice under Hewitson, and it's said that the friendship is very strained.

I remember reading somewhere that Hewitson will be opening a new restaurant with the Tolarno name.

[PCL]

The Expansion of the Grossi Empire... could be the subject of a new documentary/video podcast...

And is the friendship straining through a fine sieve? I'm sure Hewy taught Grossi well but has either one of them turned to the dark side?...

...stay tuned...

...Man, what kind of drugs am I on?... had a cold... getting over it, am I?... need to eat...

[Shinboners]

Jared Ingersoll has released his second cookbook, "Sharing Plates". It's $35, and I had a flick through it. It's got a similar feel to his "Danks Street Depot" cookbook. I was a big fan of his first cookbook, but I'll probably give this one a miss.

[Shinboners]

Neil Perry's new cookbook, "Good Food" is out. On my first flick through it at a bookshop, it looks like it's a series of quick and easy recipes. The prices do vary depending on where you buy it. The RRP is $55, but I've seen it at Readings ($45), Borders ($40), and K-Mart ($35).

[Shinboners]

For those who like to have a few quirky cookbooks in their collection, there's a self-published cookbook called "Hungry Girls Cookbook" by Leah Holscher, Rachel Pitts, and Katherine Bird. It's a collection of favourite recipes with some stories and lovely photography. You can get it at Readings for $35.