Cookbooks hold a truly special place in my life. Today, my collection numbers in the hundreds, and one of my favourite rituals is reading them in bed at night. Sometimes, they inspire me to create something delicious. Other times, simply linger over the pages, allowing myself to be swept away. In seconds, I am transported to a bustling market or a quiet kitchen halfway across the world, enveloped in the aroma of distant spices. Reading them feels like taking a grand, global road trip. I get to wonder through regional specialities, uncover a nation’s beloved comfort food, and trace the beautiful ways of different cultures influence one another. It is a joy to see how a fresh generation of cooks and authors continue to reinvent this timeless art.
Growing up, the heartbeat of our kitchen lived in handwritten note books and loose, weathered scraps of paper. These were recipes whispered down from great-grandmother to my grandmother, and finally to my mother. Today, this fragile collection of handwritten love letters and faded clippings rest safely in my hands. They are my most sentimental treasures – tender, tangible echoes of a bygone era.
We may live in a relentless digital age, but physical cookbooks possess an enduring magic that a screen can never replicate. We proudly display in our homes and keep them close, stained and loved, on our kitchens counters. Ironically, the digital world has actually inspired more people to cook, filling our screens with food bloggers, home cooks and professional chefs. Yet the physical book remains the king.
Among my published treasures sit my beautiful blue folders, thick with notes on la “Cuisine Francaise” and the essential technique that form a chef’s true foundation. These books were handed to me on the first day of every semester at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok. I cherish them as deeply as I cherish that brave, daunting chapter of my life. I remember stepping into that classroom in my forties, my stomach knotted with anxiety, realising I was the only foreign student in the room. It was terrifying, but just like the finest recipes, it took time, patience and a little courage to create something truly unforgettable.
Perth to Paris Recipes 