13 of our favourite cookbooks from 2013

Fäviken

Cozy up with chef Magnus Nilsson's newest cookbook, and dream about life at his superb 12-seat field-to-farmhouse restaurant in an agricultural hamlet north of Stockholm. Using pure ingredients and precise but doable techniques, his cooking will definitely inspire many a longing sigh. Our favourite-sounding recipes: vegetables cooked with autumn leaves and scallops cooked over burning juniper branches.

Fäviken, Magnus Nilsson, $50.

Leon, Naturally Fast Food

The popular British restaurant chain Leon was founded on the principle that meals in a hurry can taste good and do the body good. Leon: Naturally Fast Food: Book 2 is full of quick recipes that come together in 20 minutes, like yummy Italian fava beans, as well as recipes that can be made in advance to enjoy later, like chicken pot roast. And, of course, they're all delicious!

Leon: Naturally Fast Food: Book 2, Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, $33.

Nigellissima Our favourite food superstar went Italian in her latest cookbook, and we were there to get the inside scoop last spring. We got an inside peek at five fresh recipes that will warm you up on a chilly evening — from beef pizzaiola to green beans with a pistachio pesto and chocolate olive oil cake. Nigella's a welcome guest in our kitchen any time!

Nigellissima, Nigella Lawson, $45.

How to boil an egg

After years of fielding reader questions, our kitchen team has learned that the question of how to properly cook eggs is a common culinary conundrum. How To Boil An Egg, by the Anglo-French bakery and restaurant Rose Bakery, might change that. With its ultra-realistic illustrations and recipes from Scotch eggs to custard tarts, it's the perfect cookbook for novices and experienced cooks alike.

How To Boil An Egg, Rose Bakery, $35.

Click here for the best trick for peeling a soft-boiled egg.

Toqué! Creators of a New Quebec Gastronomy

Toqué! is the first cookbook by chef Normand Laprise, the godfather of modern Québécois cuisine, co-owner of Montreal's renowned Toqué! restaurant and Maclean's 2012 Chef of the Year. It takes readers on a gorgeous journey through ingredients found in the region's farms and forests (from nettles to truffles). The stunning recipes are doable but not simple. Then again, who ever said art was easy?

Toqué! Creators of a New Quebec Gastronomy, Normand Laprise, $70.

What's for Dinner?

The hunky Australian chef and cookbook author dropped by our kitchen last April and showed us how to prepare grilled chicken with arugula and zucchini salad, from his newest cookbook, What’s for Dinner?

Filled with recipes suited for simple weeknight meals and weekend entertaining, this cookbook has something for everyone.

What's For Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life, Curtis Stone, $35.

Vietnamese Street Food

From salad rolls to steaming bowls of noodle soup, Vietnamese street food is so fresh and utterly delicious it inspires foodie devotion. Now we can make our faves at home, thanks to this beautifully photographed book by an Aussie couple who runs a cooking school in Hanoi. Just reading it feels like an exotic getaway.

Vietnamese Street Food, Tracey Lister & Andreas Pohl, $30.

Mr. Wilkinson's Vegetables: A Cookbook to Celebrate the Garden

Whether or not you’ll be tending a veggie patch this summer, this is the book to celebrate all things from the garden. From pickled asparagus to lemony raw zucchini with fromage blanc, these recipes aren’t vegetarian, but they treat vegetables as the main attraction.

Mr. Wilkinson's Vegetables: A Cookbook to Celebrate the Garden, Matt Wilkinson, $33.

Smoke and Pickles

“My Korean forefathers' love of pickling is rivaled only by Southerners' love of pickling. Barbecue, with its intricate techniques of marinades and rubs, is the backbone of both cuisines.” So begins Edward Lee’s drool-worthy new cookbook. This Korean-American chef lives in Kentucky and marries the best of both cuisines, with recipes like tamarind-strawberry glazed ham, kimchi poutine and rice bowl with tuna and pork rinds.

Smoke and Pickles, Edward Lee, $35.

Ottolenghi

Already a successful London restaurateur, Yotam Ottolenghi shot to international acclaim a few years ago with his bestselling cookbook Plenty. Its gorgeous cover showed up in every bookstore window and on every food lover’s shelf. Yotam’s vegetarian recipes were hailed as novel, fresh, easy and utterly delicious! Then came Jerusalem, another bestseller and a collaboration with his culinary partner, Sami Tamimi. Their latest North American release, Ottolenghi, shares signature fare from the pair’s London restaurants.

The pair visited our kitchen this past October to give us the first taste of their new set of unforgettable dishes — so if you need a little convincing (you won't be disappointed!) try out three of their recipes here.

Ottolenghi, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, $35.

Save with Jamie

We’re in awe of Jamie Oliver and all of the good he does, whether it’s campaigning for healthier school lunches or demonstrating on one of his TV shows how easy and inexpensive it is to eat well. 

His latest cookbook proves the theory. It’s full of satisfying, money-saving multicultural dishes (from Chinese beef & tofu to fish tikka curry), and all recipes have nutritional info. Even better? Sobeys is partnering with Jamie to bring his magic to Canada. (And he came to cook with us this past October! See the behind the scenes extras.)

Save with Jamie, Jamie Oliver, $38.

Patisserie at Home

French patisserie can seem impossible to make at home, but this book's detailed how-tos eliminate the fear factor from classics like mille feuilles, eclairs and croissants. And even if you never cook a single recipe, the stunning photos are delicious enough!

Patisserie at Home, Will Torrent, $35.

Get Will's recipe for Plum Pithiviers

The French Market Cookbook

Well-loved food blogger Clotilde Dusoulier brings her inimitable French flair to vegetable-focused cooking with such mouth-watering dishes as cauliflower gratin with hazelnuts, and pear and chestnut cake.

The French Market Cookbook, Clotilde Dusoulier, $27.