My Favourite Recipe Books For Wintry Cosiness | What Olivia Did (2024)

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I’ll be honest and say that when it comes to this time of year, typically if it’s covered in gravy, paired with mash potatoes or ordered fresh from… Deliveroo then normally I’m pretty set.

However, when Joe and I are having a good, adult and organised week (which are fewer and further between of late), we’ll take to the sofa- armed with some trust-worthy recipe books and actually plan meals- which is a sure fire way of feeling both a) accomplished and b) like you’re being ‘healthy’ even if you’re home cooking mac ‘n’ cheese (anything home cooked is healthy, FYI- that’s the rule).

Getting an Oddbox massively helped with this (being governed by a rescued vegetable’s life span is enough to encourage anyone to squish in their five a day)- so today I thought I’d share a few of our favourite cookbooks, a couple on my wish list (which I know will be incredible festive cooking inspiration) and a couple of ideas- in case like us, you’ve been a little more prone to the ol’ ‘Did somebody say Just Eat?’ theme tune than normal…

For failsafe seasonal books…

• It’s everyone’s favourite for a reason, but there is rarely a week that goes by that we don’t pull out Rukmini Iyer’s The Roasting Tin (OG style). Although now there’s a quick, green and around the world version, we always love coming back to the original. Packed with amazing dishes that a) not only gave us confidence to cook things we weren’t particularly well versed in (which was fish for a loooong time), but b) allowed us to create hugely flavourful meals that are affordable, and help to use up anything we have lurking in our fridge drawer.
• Another favourite Joe and I dig into every single week is Eat Happy: 30-Minute Feelgood Food, by Melissa Hemsley. I don’t think there’s a season this book isn’t good for, and whether you’re after delicious broths, hearty daal’s or beautiful ways to add flavour to simple ingredients, Melissa is a total diamond with getting things just right. It’s arguably our most used cookbook and always, always delivers inspiration.
• One of the more recent additions to our pantry shelf (listen to me) is the beautiful A Table for Friends: The Art of Cooking for Two Or Twenty by Skye McAlpine. I know I’m fickle for a beautiful cover, and although a good handful of the recipes are geared to warmer months, there are some beautiful wintry recipes to create if you’re hosting or just dining for two. I also love this book because the side dish inspiration is amazing, and has so many brilliant ideas for spicing up your side carrots or side plates too.

Our go-to recipe guru’s…

• When it comes to seasonal fodder, there are few people that make my mouth water like Anna Jones and her delicious, hearty seasonal recipes. As well as her beautiful books- she has a brilliant website (and endless column inches) dedicated to beautiful timely ideas- so that whether you’re looking to use up some potato’s or softening onions, she’ll be the one to inspire.
• Could I talk about recipe inspiration without including Nigella? After falling in love with Cook, Eat, Repeat– I’m so excited to get my mitts on the book- but in the interim have been eyeing up her deliciously cosy pasta recipes (we’ve already tried the bhorta) and the chocolate peanut butter cake too…
• Finally, another queen of complete seasonal goodness has to be Gem- the brains behind The Mother Cooker. Having released her first seasonal cookbook in October centered around autumn fare, seasonal ingredients and achievable and delicious recipes- I can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking to try something new without the stress of not knowing where to start.
• When it comes to sweet bakes and cake ideas- Benjamina Ebuehi comes up trumps for us. Whether that’s her Christmas cinnamon buns or cinnamon and cranberry donuts- I know I’ll find something original and completely delicious in her gorgeous index.