The most inspiring cookbooks of the year.

Forget the gift-wrapped clichés this Christmas and instead treat a loved one to one of the year’s most inspiring cookbooks. A gift that’s sure to keep on giving – hopefully in the form of dinner invites – this year’s selection spans global and local food and dishes up kitchen inspiration in the form of innovative dishes and achievable recipes, served alongside rich photography that’s as appetising as each book’s table of contents.

Simple by Mr Yotam Ottolenghi

His name is shorthand for modern Mediterranean-meets-Middle Eastern cooking and British-Israeli chef Mr Yotam Ottolenghi has already authored several brilliant cookbooks. Simple, as the name suggests, is his most accessible yet. It features 130 dishes with either fewer than 10 ingredients or a cooking time of unless than 30 minutes. You might need to hunt for some of the more unusual ingredients, but his recipes – including braised eggs, baked mint rice or lamb with almonds and orange blossom – are entirely worth it.

Carbs by Ms Laura Goodman

Often derided as the bad guy in our daily diets, carbohydrates are the eponymous hero of Ms Laura Goodman’s cookbook, which celebrates the starchy structures in all their forms. Written in an enjoyably conversational style that matches the laidback nature of its recipes – whether easily achievable breads from challah to chapati, pizzas, pastas, loaded potato skins or “superlative” crisps – this book urges readers to get stuck back into carbs in all their glory.

Ibiza, Land And Sea: 100 Sun-Drenched Recipes by Ms Françoise Pialoux

Imagine yourself in sunnier climes with this culinary homage to the White Isle. Head chef at the Les Terrasses hotel, Ms Françoise Pialoux paints a vivid picture of Ibiza through more than 100 dishes based on the bounty provided from Ibiza’s sun-kissed slopes and the Med. Besides fresh ways to serve up seafood and show-stopping salads, the photography and storytelling will all but confirm your next summer holiday.

Rogan: The Cookbook by Mr Simon Rogan

Cumbrian chef and founder of the Lake District’s L’Enclume Mr Simon Rogan is on a roll, picking up two Michelin stars across his five UK restaurants this autumn. Flying the flag for farmed and foraged seasonal ingredients, Mr Rogan’s handsome new cookbook features chapters on herbs, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy and fruit recipes. Add a new hero dish to your next dinner party, with slow-cooked beef brisket, salt cod mousse and black radish with green garlic sauce among the standouts from a British chef at the top of his game.

The Indian Vegetarian Cookbook by Mr Pushpesh Pant

If your New Year’s resolution is to ditch meat for leaner, greener, plant-based food then Mr Pushpesh Pant’s book is worth a look. Taking inspiration from across India’s vastly diverse regions and culinary traditions, Mr Pant’s 130 recipes put root vegetables, brassicas, pods and pulses front and centre. Expect to find curries, koftas, patties and dhals alongside tips on spice blending, meal planning and all the sundries – from samosas to raitas and chutneys.