FOOD

Middle Eastern and Indian flavours are stirred up with the psychology of baking and helpful tips

- Bee Wilson

Lugma: Abundant Dishes & Stories from My Middle East Noor Murad

One of the greatest tests of a cookbook is not just whether the recipes appeal on first glance, but whether they have the power to weave themselves into your regular cooking life. By this measure, Lugma is my top food book this year. Noor Murad is a young Bahraini-British food writer who has previously worked with Ottolenghi. It is a delight to find her writing here in her own voice about the Middle Eastern ingredients that mean so much to her (you'll need black limes!). The recipes hit a sweet spot between ease and specialness. Alongside a pantheon of rice dishes for celebrations, there are simpler midweek hits: Noor's deeply fragrant Middle Eastern bolognese is now the recipe against which I judge all other ragus.

Indian Kitchens: Treasured Family Recipes from Across the Land Roopa