As a self-professed cook book fanatic (one who has put herself on a temporary ban from buying any more until she has more space), I would like to think I have collated a collection of rather good ones. For me, a good cook book must:

a) Be useful – I need to be able to cook from it without too much hassle, random quantities of expensive and hard-to-find ingredients, or 22-step processes, and

b) Be beautiful – whether that's a gorgeous cover, or lovely photography, cook books are on display in my kitchen and living space.

The problem is, that with such an influx of cook books hitting shelves (and with TikTok and Instagram recipe videos to contend with) there's almost too much choice. But, whether you're in need of a jolt of inspiration or simply wish to be whisked away through food, these are the people and manuals that I personally look to for guidance (and ACTUALLY use regularly).

From rock star chefs to local foodies, here are 15 cookbooks that we consider essential reading for the home cook.

1. Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi

It's true, Ottolenghi has millennials in a chokehold but that doesn't mean his recipes don't live up to the hype. The chef brings middle eastern flavours into the mainstream, adjusting them to suit the time-poor among us. It's a great option for dinner parties and feeding vegans and vegetarian without needing to buy costly and harder-to-find dietary alternatives. This book has things separated out with vegetarian dishes and meat dishes listed separately – and each recipe is labelled with an index: S = Short on Time. I = Ingredients: 10 or fewer. M = Make ahead. P = Pantry-led. L = Lazy-day dishes. E = Easier than you think.

Recipes to try first up:

• Burrata with chargrilled grapes and basil (simple and the perfect dinner party starter)
• Yogurt Cheesecake with Thyme and Honey (the perfect dinner party closer).

2. The Shared Table by Clare Scrine

The best kind of cooking is uncomplicated and fuss-free. For all who subscribe to this belief, then your cookbook collection isn't complete without Brisbane foodie Clare Scrine's The Shared Table. A bible of sorts for Brissy sharehousers, this book is all about cooking for your home's small commune – simple, cheap, large portions and crowd-pleasing vegetarian dishes. I can honestly say I've made almost every recipe in this book at some point or another, and have never had a mishap. Scrine's instructions and ingredients lists are relatively fool-proof. She's also got a follow-up called The Shared Kitchen that's well worth checking out too.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Loaded Baked Brie (level-up your cheese board with this one)
• Haloumi And Zucchini Fritters (I make these practically every fortnight – the best for using up rogue herbs and livening up breakfasts)

3. Carter's Cookbook 2 by Carter Were

Carter Were's cooking is unpretentious and homey – heaps of veg-heavy dishes and hearty dishes that the whole family will love. From their home in Byron Bay, these indie recipe books have been flying off shelves – so we'd highly advise getting in quick when there's another drop. The recipes themselves are basic and simple – the perfect way to effortlessly start cooking some new things without the effort of a heavy grocery shop beforehand.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Blueberry muffins (simple, no-fuss and delish)
• Citrus self-saucing pudding (the ultimate winter warmer)

4. Ellie's Table by Ellie Boudhana

Another local legend, Bouhadana headed up Melbourne institution Hope Street Radio until last year, famed for her perfect, salty, soft focaccia and intuitive approach to Mediterranean cooking. I was lucky enough to be gifted this book by a friend earlier this year and have already had my first attempt at recreating her focaccia – and while I still have a ways to go before I rival Bouhadana's own, the recipe is pretty do-able with some patience and practice. Her pasta recipes and salty snacks are also A+ for a weekend dinner. Her writing on its own is beautiful enough that I read this one like a novel, cover to cover.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Focaccia (it'll take some serious patience, but you'll be loaded with bread for a week)
• Tarragon and confit garlic whipped butter (to go with the focacccia, ofc – but also just keep a block in your fridge for cooking with)

5. The River Cafe Cookbook by Ruth Rogers

No cook book collection is complete without Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers tome The River Cafe Cookbook – one that is at the very top of my to-buy list. I nearly picked up a copy in London after visiting their famed restaurant along the river Thames, but thought better when I remembered how full my suitcase was already. Titled after the iconic London institution, one must ask if there is any cuisine equally as rewarding and simple in its essence than Italian? From three-step blood orange sorbet to ricotta al forno, the only answer is no.

Recipes to try first up: 

•  Panzanella (the best use of stale bread)
• Chocolate Nemesis (an icon of the restaurant's menu)

6. Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman

Alison Roman has quickly become a household name in the culinary world, and her recipes cult-favourites among those who know a thing or two about food. Nothing Fancy is her guide to hosting without the fuss, from Caramelised Garlic on Toast with Anchovies (Nigella's fave from the book) to her viral Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Sticky Chilli Chicken with Hot and Sour Pineapple (surely that sounds enticing enough without the explainer)
• Tiny Creamy Pasta with Black Pepper and Pecorino (a fun take on cacio e pepe that's an elevated buttered noodle)

7. MEZCLA by Ixta Belfrage

It's probably not considered a classic just yet, but I now have two of Ixta's cook books in my possession and they are both resoundingly EXCELLENT. Equally as flavourful, full of hacks and originality as anything from Ottolenghi or Roman – Ixta is one of my new favourite cook book writers. This Mezcla book in particular reimagines Spanish 'fusion' cooking with some foolproof techniques and inventive ingredient combinations.\

Recipes to try first up: 

• Porcini Ragù (unbelievably flavourful and easy to make – honestly one of the best recipes to have up your sleeve)
• Gem and Herb Salad with Maple, Lime and Sesame Dressing (the perfect dinner party main accompaniment – fresh and zesty and sweet)

8. The King Cookbook by King New York

This one came out literally a week ago, but if you've followed the restaurant's Instagram for a while now, you'd know just how exciting this is. The restaurant is so inventive, seasonally led and flavourful beyond belief. They start with fizzy cocktails and nibbles, signature dishes – like their fried ribbons of chickpea batter – as well as breads, soups, salads, pastas, mains, and contorni. Of course, for dessert they also have their classic flourless chocolate cake recipe, as well as a selection of variations on their rich ice cream custards and bright sorbets.

Recipes to try first up: 

•  King's Flourless Chocolate Cake (a New York icon for a reason)
• Train to Bayonne (a tarragon gin cocktail they invented during lockdown – a must).

9. More Is More by Molly Baz

Few of us are immune to the charms of what was once the Bon Appetit test kitchen crew, and one of those gems was the inimitable Molly Baz. She's since gone on to spawn not one, but two best-selling cook books – of which, I have this one. 'More is more' is basically the Baz cooking motto – that and having to give everything a shortened nickname just because (you won't stop calling mortadella 'Morty-D' after you've read this one). But while these recipes are for the most part, a little more involved, they are worth it for the full force of FLAVOUR that ensues.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Mollz Ballz (the BEST meatballs ever – make a big batch and freeze them for easy dinners)
• One-Pot Chicken Mujadara (the most perfect roast chicken to impress your date or your Mum).

10. Salad for Days by Alice Zaslavsky

Salads are still severely underrated as a dish in a home chef's repertoire (in my humble opinion). It's a dish often overlooked and under-dressed. But Alice Zaslavsky has created what I would deem the 'salad bible'. It's veg-forward and somehow works across seasons (salads can still be comfort foods as it turns out). These are great to make in bulk and use alongside your weekly proteins of choice.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Sauteed Squash and Zuchinni with Panagratto (such a fun way to spice up your usual vegetable mix on a week night)
• Potato Crack Salad with Feta Crumble (potatoes are easy, but better with feta)

11. The Farm Table by Julius Roberts

Mark my words, this one's set to become a modern classic. If you haven't already fallen for First-generation farmer and chef Julius Roberts' cooking videos online (his TikTok recipes are incredible), then you may have spotted his debut cookbook in this vibrant golden hue. In it are plenty of hearty, veg-heavy recipe for soups and pastas broken up by seasonality (spring, summer, winter, autumn), which is a great lesson on making the most of produce when its in season.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Beetroot soup (this one was recently served by some friends at a dinner party, alongside fresh cheese toasties – YUM)
• Asparagus and Ricotta Tart (an easy picnic or pot-luck dish – perfect for your next work morning tea).

12. Coming Together by Clementine Day

Clementine Day was my cooking north star during COVID lockdowns, when she began to post her daily culinary adventures to her now-booming Instagram @somethingsiliketocook. If you're unfamiliar, Day is an intuitive cook who spends her days baking incredible cakes, churning homemade ice cream (in a variety of fun flavours like Sumac Stewed Plums and Bread and Burnt Butter), or making delicious veg-forward meals and fruit-forward granola bowls. Copies of this book were pretty limited – but if you're lucky you can chase down one of the remaining copies at a stockist.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Braised Leek Galette (the viral fave from this book – not to be missed)
• Peaches and Cream Tart (I've made this countless times to many a gasp of 'ooh' and 'aah').

13. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

A woman that needs no introduction. Julia Child is famed for having introduced the Americans to authentic French cooking but this book is not for the faint of heart. She'll make you work for it. So if you're not prepared to follow the three pages worth of instructions to conjure up her boeuf bourguignon, then this cookbook will be more aspirational than practical. That being said, it is a classic and your kitchen will be all the better for it. Just leave yourself enough time and a glass of wine to get started.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Coq A Vin (a French classic with plenty of use cases)
• Crêpes Suzette (the best way to start a day, IMHO).

14. Yiayia by Anastasia Miari

As a Greek girl, this one feels like the most authentic thing after my own hand-me-down recipes from my Greek grandmother. The Yiayia's of Greece have offered up recipes from their personal rolodex – an offering not to be overlooked. Whether making Yiayia Sofia's Milppitakia or Yiayia Evangelia's beef Pastitsada from Corfu. Some recipes are more involved than others, but all are a mainline to the homeland.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Yiayia Vali's Smoky Aubergine-Stuffed Tomatoes from Athens (delicious and one of the few vegetarian dishes)
• Yiayia Katin's Prassopita (Leek Pie) from Florina (who doesn't love a classic leek pie?).

15. The Noma Guide to Fermentation by David Zilber and René Redzepi

So you've graduated from the school of gentle cooking and want to sink your teeth into something with funk? Look no further than The Noma Guide to Fermentation. Highly technical, this manual will take you far beyond the realm of kimchi and sauerkraut and into the territory of lacto-fermentation and koji. Although it shouldn't be intimidating — everything you need to know is clearly explained in the cookbook and reflects the techniques and knowledge employed at the three Michelin-starred restaurant.

Recipes to try first up: 

• Chocolate-Covered Maple-Infused Lacto-Fermented Mushrooms (they're as impressive to eat as they are to say)
• Lacto Fermented Pickles (simpler, but no less delicious).

Trade in your apron for a napkin and settle in at our favourite fine-dining restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne.

Feature image via Pinterest.