I love a good cookbook.
And while there are plenty of beautiful cookbooks out there that I’d happily buy just because they’re pretty, these are the ones that actually earn their spot in my kitchen.
As a stay-at-home mum and a tradie wife, I’m not usually cooking for one. I’m cooking for a family, often with hungry kids under my feet, a husband who has spent the day working hard, and sometimes a fridge full of homegrown meat and veg that needs turning into dinner.
We live on a lifestyle block too, so I’m naturally drawn to cookbooks that have that same sort of practical, country-life feel — hearty food, baking, seasonal ingredients and recipes that you actually want to cook and eat.
And these aren’t just dinner cookbooks either!
One of the things I love about these books is that I can flick through them looking for ideas for lunches, lunchbox fillers, baking and hearty lunches just as easily as I can for dinner.
When you’ve got kids to feed all day, plus a husband who often needs something substantial to eat after a day on the tools, I’m always looking for recipes that are filling, practical and actually enjoyed by the whole family.
A good savoury slice, homemade sausage rolls, muffins, scones, hearty soup or something that can be made ahead and popped into lunchboxes can be just as useful to me as a dinner recipe.
So while I’ve got these cookbooks on my shelf for those “what are we having for dinner?” moments, I also find myself reaching for them when I’m trying to fill the lunchboxes, make something for a weekend lunch or use up ingredients we already have at home.
Basically, I’m looking for cookbooks that help me feed my family — not just cook dinner. 😂
These are the cookbooks I keep coming back to, and the ones I’d happily recommend to another mum who just wants to put good food on the table without making it more complicated than it needs to be.
A High Country Life by Philippa Cameron
If you like country life, farming stories, beautiful food and a good dose of New Zealand-ness, I think you’ll love A High Country Life.
Written by Philippa Cameron of What’s For Smoko, the book combines stories and recipes from life on a New Zealand sheep station.
There are plenty of ideas that can inspire baking, lunches and things to make when you need something hearty and homemade.
Why I love it: The combination of country life, family, farming and proper home cooking.
Best for: Country mums, farm families, lovers of New Zealand food and anyone who enjoys a cookbook that is also a good read.
Winter Warmers by Philippa Cameron
And because one Philippa Cameron cookbook obviously wasn’t enough… Winter Warmers is another one that is very well used at home in my kitchen.
I love the winter theme to this book – cold evenings, everyone coming inside hungry, something hearty bubbling away and the oven doing a bit of the work for you. This is the sort of cooking I naturally gravitate towards during the colder months.
Hearty lunches and dinners are a big thing in our house, especially during winter. Something warm and filling in the middle or at the end of the day can be exactly what you need when you’ve been outside, working or running around after kids.
And then there are leftovers — which, let’s be honest, can be absolute gold when you’ve got lunchboxes to think about too.
Why I love it: Comfort food, hearty meals and the sort of recipes that suit a busy family.
Best for: Cold nights, hearty lunches, family dinners and anyone who wants a bit more inspiration than the usual “what can I make with mince?” rotation.
A Year at Awakino Station by Jaz Mathisen
This one is a newer addition to my cookbook collection, and I absolutely love the whole idea behind it.
Jaz Mathisen is a farmer, mother and station cook at Awakino Station in the Waitaki Valley. Her cookbook follows the seasons and the food she cooks for her family and farm staff, using ingredients including lamb, beef, pork and venison.
It’s about food, but it’s also about the life around the food — growing it, cooking it, feeding people and sitting down together at the end of the day.
There are recipes in here that are perfect for those big family meals, but again, I think these sorts of recipes are just as useful when you’re thinking about lunches, leftovers and filling hungry people during the day.
It’s especially appealing to me because so much of our own food comes from the lifestyle-block side of life. We have homegrown meat in the freezer, so I’m always interested in recipes that give me another way to use it.
Why I love it: It feels incredibly relatable to the way I like to cook — seasonal, practical and centred around feeding a family.
Best for: Farm and lifestyle-block families, meat lovers, home cooks and anyone who loves the idea of cooking with the seasons.
Summer Favourites by V.J Cooks
This is a go-to in my kitchen, especially when the weather turns warm and life gets a bit busier outdoors.
Vanya Insull (VJ Cooks) is a Kiwi home cook known for her crowd-pleasing, no-fuss approach to everyday meals. Her Summer Favourites cookbook is all about fresh, stress-free cooking designed to make the most of the sunnier months—from quick weeknight dinners and easy BBQs to sharing platters and sweet summer treats.
It’s about simple, vibrant food that doesn’t keep you stuck in the kitchen when you’d rather be outside. The recipes rely on accessible ingredients and focus on big flavor with minimal effort.
There are so many recipes in here that work brilliantly for relaxed entertaining or quick family dinners after a long day, and like any good Kiwi cookbook, it gives you plenty of ideas for feeding a group without making a huge mess.
It’s especially appealing to me because summer on the block means fresh produce, outdoor meals, and needing food that comes together easily when we’re spending extra time outside. Having straightforward recipes that everyone enjoys makes meal planning during the busy summer months so much simpler.
Why I love it: It takes the stress out of summer cooking with reliable, delicious recipes that feel modern, fresh, and totally achievable.
Best for: Busy families, outdoor entertainers, home cooks looking for quick summer inspiration, and anyone who loves classic, delicious Kiwi food.
The Edmonds Cookery Book — Obviously!
Come on. You can’t write a list of fave cookbooks and leave out Edmonds. 😂
The Edmonds Cookery Book has been a staple in New Zealand kitchens for more than 100 years, with the first edition appearing in 1908.
I feel like most Kiwi families probably have some sort of history with Edmonds… Maybe your mum had one. Maybe your nana did. Maybe you have an old battered copy somewhere with flour fingerprints, random notes and pages that have seen better days.
It’s the cookbook I reach for when I want a classic.
Afghans. Scones. Cakes. Slices. Baking. Family favourites.
And this is probably the cookbook on my list that I think of most when it comes to lunchboxes. Because when you’re trying to come up with something homemade for the kids’ lunchboxes week after week, having a reliable collection of classic baking recipes is incredibly handy.
Muffins, biscuits, slices and other simple baking can go a long way towards filling those lunchboxes without having to reinvent the wheel every Sunday night!!
Why I love it: It’s reliable, familiar and full of the recipes we’ve grown up eating.
Best for: Pretty much everyone. 😂 Especially anyone who wants classic Kiwi baking and everyday recipes without faffing around.
My Must-Have Cookbooks for Family Life
So, if you’re a fellow stay-at-home mum, tradie wife, farm mum, lifestyle-block family or just someone who loves good old-fashioned home cooking, these are the four I’d recommend starting with:
For country life: A High Country Life by Philippa Cameron
For cosy winter cooking: Winter Warmers by Philippa Cameron
For farm-to-table, seasonal cooking: A Year at Awakino Station by Jaz Mathisen
For Summer BBQs and Easy Dinners: Summer Favourites by VJ Cooks
For classic Kiwi baking and lunchboxes: The Edmonds Cookery Book
And I’m sure this list will grow!
Because apparently you can never have too many cookbooks… right? 😉
What are your must-have cookbooks?
I’d love to know what cookbooks other mums actually use.
The ones you reach for when you’ve got hungry kids, a hungry husband and absolutely no idea what you’re making for dinner. 😂
Tell me your must-have cookbook in the comments — I’m always looking for another one to add to the shelf!
