Our pick of the best books for aspiring chefs

It's November, which means it's a time for enjoying the coziness of the indoors. If you're looking to make the move from home cook to aspiring professional chef, we've got you covered. Here's our collection of good reads, from cookbooks to food memoirs that you can enjoy wrapped up on the sofa. We'll start off with the fundamentals of cooking and end with culinary inspiration.

1. "The Science of Spice: Understand Flavour Connections and Revolutionize your Cooking" by Dr. Stuart Farrimond

If you're looking to spice up your cooking this is the book for you. Taking the periodic table of spices as a starting point, this adventurous recipe book explores the science behind the art of making spice blends. Understand the history behind why countries use some spices over others and learn new spice blends and how to use them in recipes. It also covers some of the more science-y stuff with a reference guide for looking up each spice, color-coded charts to help you learn the chemical compound that make up the flavors and instructions for how to design your own spice blends.

2. "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking" by Samin Nosrat

There's a reason why chef Samin Nosrat's Netflix food series was so popular and her cookbook equally doesn't disappoint. Samin goes beyond the recipe and deep into the art of cooking. Rather than blindly following a set of instructions, you're learning the hows and the why's of cooking - by learning the four key elements. This book is ideal if you want to take that first step away from the recipe.

3. "Why We Cook: Women on Food, Identity, and Connection" by Lindsay Gardner

This book is a conversation with more than one hundred women restaurateurs, activists, food writers, home cooks, and professional chefs. It's packed with cooking advice, essays, recipes, and a guide for how food can is used to fight for justice. Not only that, but you'll probably find yourself getting lost in the beautiful illustrations.