Felicity O’Driscoll of Cook the Books with her pick of new cookbook releases. Find out more at cookthebooks.co.nz or visit her at 19 Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn, Auckland

THAT NOODLE LIFE

MIKE LE & STEPHANIE LE, WORKMAN, $74.99

Noodles mean different things to different people. For some they’re a bowl of comfort, for others a spice bomb. They can be short, long, fat or thin and come from countries far and wide. They come in many forms, from laksa to pho, bucatini to ramen. Whatever and wherever, the consensus is that slurping noodles just makes people happy. And if every recipe is as good as the umami bomb that is Dan Dan Mian, then this is happiness in a bowl.

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A HOUSE PARTY IN TUSCANY

AMBER GUINNESS, THAMES & HUDSON, $74.99

Arniano is the Tuscan farmhouse where Amber Guinness established a residential painting course. With seasonal recipes from the daily Arniano menus, interspersed with vignettes about the house and the region, this is an absolute feast for the senses. It is food to serve with friends gathered around the table and, whatever you do, finish at least one gathering with Maria’s Marmalade, Mascarpone & Almond Tart.

MEAT-FREE MEXICAN

THOMASINA MIERS, HODDER & STOUGHTON, $65

That it has taken until 2022 to have such a superb meat- free Mexican book on the shelves is a little surprising. We tend to see Mexican recipes that are piled with meat or fish, and vegetables used as an accompaniment. Well, not anymore. Here you’ll find plant-based versions of Mexican classics, such as beetroot ceviche, celeriac and chard enchiladas, chickpea rancheros and cauliflower tacos. My favourite so far is the chipotle-tamarind baked sweet potato gratin – done with kūmara of course.

THE SPANISH HOME KITCHEN

JOSÉ PIZARRO, HARDIE GRANT, $60

I’ve always loved José’s cookbooks, but unlike his earlier books this is not his restaurant food. It is instead the food he grew up with. In this book he travels to his mother’s kitchen in Talaván, a tiny farming village in central-western Spain, to rediscover recipes that have been passed down in his family. Although I didn’t have Iberico pork, the shoulder slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce with zesty couscous was almost enough to transport me to a rural family home in Extremadura.