The Top 10 Fall 2019 Cookbooks

Fraiche Food, Full Hearts, by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer

(Penguin Random House, $40, October 1)

The Bachelorette and Love It or List It star Jillian Harris collaborated with her cousin, dietitian Tori Wesszer, for this lush coffee table-worthy cookbook. The women, who grew up together in B.C., share recipes that celebrate where they’re from—think west coast eggs Bennys and cedar plank salmon burgers—and minister to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free readers, too.

Nothing Fancy, by Alison Roman

(Penguin Random House, $43, October 22)

The new entertaining-with-a-small-“e” bible from Bon Appétit and New York Times contributor Alison Roman is full of easy veg-and-grain-heavy recipes to feed a group of two or 20. She’s brilliant at knowing exactly what we want to eat right now; social media went bonkers over her spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric, and salted butter and chocolate chunk shortbread cookies, henceforth known as #TheStew and #TheCookies—and yes, look them up, because they’re both seriously delicious. 

Burdock and Co., by Andrea Carlson

(Penguin Random House, $35, October 8)

The mega influence of chef Andrea Carlson’s east Vancouver restaurant belies its mini footprint: she served local, seasonal, organic farm-to-table food years before those words decorated menus of fast-casual chains. Her first cookbook is a love letter to the Pacific Northwest and the farmers and foragers that harvest from it; the recipes are cheffy takes on comfort-food classics, like buttermilk fried chicken and pickles, black trumpet mushroom risotto, and spicy almond dan-dan noodles.    

Ultimate Veg, by Jamie Oliver

(HarperCollins, $42, October 22)

If you’re eating more plants for the environment, your health or your wallet, Oliver’s latest tome is a smart investment. The meatless recipes—like a Bhaji burger with coriander yogurt, or veggie pad thai with crispy fried eggs—have all the same savoury, spicy crackle we expect from the shaggy-dog Brit. And they’re all quick to get on the table, which is key to warding off the Meatless Monday blahs. 

The Whole Fish Cookbook, by Josh Niland

(Hardie Grant Books, USD$40, September 17) The celebrated Aussie chef Josh Niland thinks fish should be treated with the same nose-to-tail reverence as meat. At his Sydney restaurant Saint Peter, no part of the catch goes to waste—which means scary bits like scales, sperm sacs and swim bladders end up on your plate and somehow still taste delicious. Same goes at his Fish Butchery where he makes fish charcuterie, like spearfish pastrami, wild cobia pancetta, and coral trout head terrine. His book is a call to arms to reconsider every part of the fish, but there are plenty of novice-friendly recipes too, like fish cassoulet and “perfect” fish and chips.  

South, by Sean Brock

(Workman Publishing, USD$40, October 15)

If you’ve watched any modern food-porn shows (Chef’s Table, The Mind of a Chef, Ugly Delicious), then you know the Southern food crusader Sean Brock. His new cookbook breaks down the essential elements of Southern U.S. cuisine: grits, fried chicken, collard greens, corn bread, fried green tomatoes, smoked baby back ribs, tomato okra stew, biscuits and more—plus the key regional differences between recipes. 

Kitchen Party, by Mary Berg

(Penguin Random House, $32, September 10)

The spunky Master Chef Canada winner and star of Mary’s Kitchen Crush loves good wordplay (see her recipe for Slablova—pavlova to feed a crowd) and unexpected combos (like shakshuka puttanesca, carbonara pizza and blueberry cheesecake French toast, aka grown-up stoner food). It’s all playful fuel for relaxed entertaining.  

Sous Vide, by Hugh Acheson

(Penguin Random House, $47, October 15)

Sous vide machines—where food is sealed in plastic bags or glass jars, then cooked precisely in a temperature-controlled water bath—used to strictly live in high-end restaurant kitchens. Now they’ve migrated to Amazon Prime Day and Canadian Tire’s kitchen section. The techy gadget is demystified and rendered downright essential for the home cook by chef Hugh Acheson, a Top Chef judge and restaurateur in Athens, Georgia. 

Mixtape Potluck, by Questlove

(Abrams Books, $38, October 15)

For his first cookbook, Questlove, cofounder of The Roots and bandleader for Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, picks some famous guests, and a song he feels best captures their creative energy. His guests (like chef Éric Ripert, actor Natalie Portman and rapper Q-Tip) provide their favourite recipes. The collection, with a forward by Martha Stewart, is a playbook for an excellent dinner party, and a conversation starter on how food, music and culture collide. 

Kosher Style, by Amy Rosen

(Penguin Random House, $35, September 3) Toronto-based author and Globe and Mail contributor Amy Rosen’s new cookbook is a smart response to food industry news that more than 40 percent of packaged food in the U.S. now has kosher designation. Whether people are buying it for religious reasons, perceived cleanliness, dietary restrictions, or to avoid allergens like shellfish, kosher cooking is highly crave-worthy. Her collection of nostalgic, bubbe-approved recipes includes latkes, kugel and matzah ball soup, plus her own kosher spins like quinoa-tofu bowls and honey-harissa roast veg. 

Check out three recipes from Kosher Style—including Coffee Cake Muffins—here.