3 hidden gem cookbooks from 2024 you might have missed: From Irish heart to solo feasts and slow cooker magic
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Whether you’re seeking Anna Haugh’s modern Irish flavours, Eleanor Wilkinson’s one-pot wonders for one or Nathan Anthony’s six-ingredient slow cooker hacks, this year’s standout cookbooks have something for every appetite and lifestyle. It’s been a great year for cookbooks, but in case you missed them, here are some 2024 highlights.
![[Anna Haugh’s debut cookbook blends Irish tradition with modern flair]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/24/07/18115524-66f2bdd5-f296-4a65-ad0b-339f2943ccbe.jpg)
Born and bred Dubliner Anna Haugh has risen to culinary fame in recent years with appearances on the BBC revival of Ready Steady Cook, as a guest judge on MasterChef, Sunday Brunch, Saturday Kitchenand as resident chef on Morning Live. This year saw the publication of her debut cookbook and it’s a banger. She shares her journey through food growing up, her professional kitchen career (at one time working for Gordon Ramsay) and how far Irish food has come from the “meat and two veg” of a few decades ago.
![[Anna Haugh in her element, blending Irish heritage with modern techniques]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/24/07/18115313-2e1cd6db-47a6-444e-ab52-33720a7eab26.jpg)
“Irish food has everything to offer: wonderful ingredients with impeccable provenance and rich traditions, as well as a dynamic approach to modernity,” the 44-year-old writes. “Irish food is just as worthy of praise, and of study, as that of our more renowned neighbours” – like Spain and Italy.
![[Eleanor Wilkinson’s cookbook isn’t just for cooking solo – it’s a love letter to simplicity and self-care]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/24/07/18134157-79b384b3-9f24-4690-af88-1b42028e976c.jpg)
Haugh’s collection of recipes aims to demystify the secrets of great cooking, with many ‘tricks of the trade’ scattered across the recipes – this chef is all about practical, usable advice. Long gone are the days of cookbooks only being divided into sections of starters, mains and pudding – and Haugh has tapped into the need for time-saving and convenience too. Her 20-minute dinners chapter includes coconut cod curry, while her lunch and brunch section has an ultimate cheese and ham double decker toastie. There’s plenty of vegetable-centric dishes, like pea and cheddar burgers and Jerusalem artichoke vegan risotto, along with heavyweight fish and meat recipes designed for dinner.
![[Nathan Anthony proves less is more with his latest slow cooker sensation]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/24/07/18142638-2db71782-6f88-4832-bc6a-f71de4e830e5.jpg)
