The best cookbooks for chefs in 2025

A pinch of this, a dash of that, and a dollop of inspiration is all a chef needs to revitalise their cooking – and cookbooks can be a great way to get this. Learn about different cuisines and cooking styles through our round-up of the best cookbooks for chefs that were published in 2025.

Kapusta by Alissa Timoshkina

Kapsuta is a collection of Eastern European recipes that celebrates the versatility of root vegetables and preserved foods. Cook and historian Alissia Timoshkina shares dishes featuring cabbage, beetroot, potatoes, carrot, and mushroom, alongside dumplings and ferments, with many vegetarian and vegan options throughout. With staple everyday ingredients, she offers a thoughtful approach to comforting and seasonal cooking.  

Quadrille, £28  

3 Doughs 60 Recipes by Lacy Ostermann

3 Doughs 60 Recipes is an inviting introduction to breadmaking from baker and online creator Lacey Ostermann. Known for her viral videos, Ostermann focuses on three foundational doughs: focaccia, sandwich bread and pizza, transforming them into 60 creative recipes, both savoury and sweet. With clear guidance on baking basics, this book empowers beginners to master homemade bread with confidence and joy. 

Quadrille, £24 

The Frozen Peas Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith  

Across 100 inventive recipes, Samuel Goldsmith proves that peas are far more versatile than their humble reputation suggests. From savoury favourites like tomato and pea galette to a surprising pea, pistachio and matcha cake, Goldsmith’s creativity and practical approach make this a clever, accessible addition to any home cook’s collection – but also a way for top chefs to get back to basics with a low-cost ingredient.

Murdoch Books, £18.99  

Stay for Supper by Xanthe Ross

Stay for Supper by Xanthe Ross celebrates vegetarian cooking rooted in connection and community. Drawing on her experiences at Crocadon Farm and Ballymaloe Cookery School, Ross presents approachable dishes designed for sharing, from soups and stews to salads, sides and puddings. With thoughtful hosting advice and an emphasis on slowing down and cooking with care, this is a book that captures the joy of gathering around good food.  

Quadrille, £25 

Kitchen Table: Simple Things Made Well by Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan  

Kitchen Table by Emily Cuddeford and Rachel Morgan captures the spirit of their Edinburgh bakery, Twelve Triangles, where good ingredients and honest cooking take centre stage. Moving beyond their renowned sourdough and pastries, the book explores jams, spreads and complete meals that share the same rustic simplicity. Organised by ingredient rather than course, it reflects the authors’ belief in thoughtful, unhurried food and celebrates the beauty of making simple things well. 

HarperNonFIction, £25 

Roti King by Sugen Gopal

This is a book for cooks ready to bring the buzz of Malaysia’s street food into their own kitchens. Drawing on family recipes and the secrets behind his cult London restaurant, Roti King, Sugen Gopal dishes up a sensory feast, from flaky roti canai to coconut-rich nasi lemak and fiery sambal sauces. With stories from his Ipoh childhood, Gopal invites readers to master spice, texture and comfort. This is Malaysian soul food at its finest.

Quadrille, £18.99  

Food You Want To Eat by Thomas Straker

Thomas Straker’s debut cookbook, Food You Want To Eat, captures the essence of his bold, buttery cooking style. Rising to fame through his viral butter videos before opening his Notting Hill restaurant, Straker’s dishes celebrate rich, full of flavour food. Recipes span from burnt chili butter lobster to indulgent chocolate mousse. Stylish photography and unfussy guidance make this a staple for anyone who believes, as Straker does, that ‘sometimes the simplest way is also the best way.’  

Bloomsbury Publishing, £25  

Caribe by Keshia Sakarah

Keshia Sakarah’s Caribe is a vibrant exploration of Caribbean cuisine and culture, spanning 23 islands and centuries of history. Sakarah traces how colonialism, migration and tradition shaped the region’s food. From Jamaica’s pimento-smoked jerk and St Vincents curry goat to Cuba’s ropa vieja and spiced black cake, each chapter blends recipes with stories of heritage and resilience. Richly detailed and deeply personal, Caribe is as much a cultural history as a cookbook.  

Quadrille, £30  

Modern Indian: Small Plates, Big Flavours, Fabulous Feasts by Cyrus Todiwala

Cyrus Todiwala’s Modern Indian expands the world of contemporary Indian cooking, offering chefs and home cooks alike an invitation to adapt, scale and reinterpret Indian dishes. Bold dishes such as tandoori wood pigeon and apple crumble samosas sit alongside refined vegetarian plates and vibrant grains. With accessible methods, clever menu-building guidance and the confidence of a chef who knows his kitchen, Modern Indian is full of ideas to refresh any table or restaurant menu.  

White Lion Publishing, £22 

Barbecue: Smoked & Grilled Recipes from Across the Globe by Hugh Mangum with Shana Liebman

Hugh Magnum’s Barbecue is a masterclass in live-fire cooking, spanning everything from Mexican pit pork and Argentinian chorizo to vegetarian barbecue and smoked desserts. The founder of New York’s acclaimed Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, Magnum brings years of experience to an encyclopaedic collection of global recipes. With advice on mastering smoke, choosing the right wood, and building the perfect fire, this is a book that celebrates barbecue as both craft and culture.

Phaidon, £34.95 

Padella: Iconic Pasta at Home by Tim Siadatan

Neatly a decade of after opening, Padella remains one of London’s most beloved restaurants, famed for its bowls or pasta. In this extensive 350-page cookbook, co-founder Tim Siadatan shares the recipes and techniques behind its enduring favourites like cacio e pepe and tagliarini with crab and chilli. Detailed guidance on doughs, shapes and sauces sits alongside stories from Padella’s evolution, capturing the spirit of a restaurant that helped define London’s pasta scene. Padella showcases the kind of cooking that will never go out of style.  

Bloomsbury Publishing, £25