SURPRISE! I wrote another cookbook: TONIGHT

For the past year, I’ve been secretly beavering away on my second cookbook: TONIGHT. And I’m so excited to announce it is now available for pre-order in Australia, US, UK, New Zealand and Canada here!

Introducing my new cookbook: TONIGHT

150+ brand new recipes | 800 variations | 3,000+ combinations

GOTCHA! Are you surprised? I hope so!! I’ve been working so hard to keep this second cookbook a secret – because I wanted to make this a big surprise. And that’s been a challenge because it is not in my nature to keep things like this from you!

In fact, I was not even supposed to make this announcement until next week. But I thought I better tell you today as it got leaked and there’s been speculation that it’s fake news. Because how could I possibly have been secretly working on such a big project and not accidentally let slip??

Or perhaps, I DID let slip and you missed the clues!!! Did you notice that I’ve been publishing far fewer recipes than my standard 3-new-recipes-a-week for the better part of the last 10 months?

I’ve accidentally shown peeks of my Wall of Photos. my can’t-live-without visual cookbook tool. You’ve seen me at professional photoshoots involving hair and make up. You should know that I don’t bother with such things unless it’s important! 😂 It takes a special occasion for me to quickly rip a brush through my hair before I leave the house!!

And ironically, Dozer’s recent health issues had one silver lining: that my social life ground to a halt as I stayed home to nurse him which cleared my calendar to give me months of uninterrupted time to focus on TONIGHT.

I’ve been secretly stashing away recipes for 2 years

The truth is, the moment I finished my first cookbook, Dinner, there was never any doubt in my mind that I would make another one. I didn’t know when, but from the moment Dinner hit stores almost 2 years ago, I’ve been secretly stashing away recipes for my next cookbook.

That great Ginger Sesame Noodle Soup I threw together on a rushed Tuesday night that was so good! A double-crunch Hot Honey Salmon that took less than 20 minutes to make that I couldn’t stop eating. A creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup and the Korean BBQ Chicken marinade that had my friends swooning and the Thai Wings my friend was so obsessed with, he hid leftovers under a pile of lettuce in the fridge so his kids wouldn’t find them!

I fought my instinct to publish these recipes on my website and instead, saved them for my second cookbook, TONIGHT. And I’m so excited to tell you about it!!

About TONIGHT – and why it’s different

It’s quite different to Dinner which has lengthier and more involved classic foods. TONIGHT is more focussed on dinners you can make tonight when you’ve got no time (but of course, we still want something delicious to eat!), to suit every budget, and every level of cooking, catering to big families as well as one-person households.

There’s 150 brand new recipes you won’t find on my website and there’s 800 variations on those recipes (including my beloved Stir Fry Sauce “Charlie”!), plus 3,000 possible combinations that mix and match ingredients.

There’s a whole chapter of recipes that can be made in 20 minutes, and another filled with recipes you can make with whatever you’ve got on hand. Of course there’s a one-pot chapter (some of my greatest hits are in there), a sweets chapter and my favourite chapter called My Favourites Made Easier where I’ve come up with a faster ways to make comfort food favourites. Such as – Hainanese Chicken in 20 minutes. Monday Night Aussie Meat Pies. And burritos filled with eight different stuffings made using just one pot. Aren’t you just dying to know how???!

And YES – in addition to a photo for every recipe, like DINNER, every recipe has a QR code that will take you straight to a handy how-to video!

More about TONIGHT here.

Featuring – Dozer!

And of course, what cookbook written by me would be complete without excessively featuring Australia’s favourite taste-tester, Dozer!!

He has been with me every step of the way as I’ve created, tested, photographed and written the recipes, cheering me on as I’ve groaned at the thought of yet another entire weekend spent proof reading and re-testing recipes. (I can’t lie – I hate proof reading, but it takes the longest!).

Though he is now in negative sick leave because of all the time he took off for his surgery, I am very pleased to say that he is back full time in his position as Chief Taste Tester of RecipeTin with the dedication and enthusiasm he has always shown.

He has been awarded Employee of the Month 10 months in a row (ie since the cookbook commenced) and he was so thrilled when I informed him today that he would be given a pay rise effective immediately: an increase from 2 to 3 peanut butter balls each day!

Because of you!

This second cookbook is here because of you! I am so grateful for all your feedback on my first cookbook, Dinner. I listened, absorbed, thought, went into the kitchen and cooked.

Then I wrote TONIGHT. A book filled with recipes that aims to be truly useful, truly useable and most importantly, truly delicious. The sort of food you crave – like Slow Baked Italian Meatballs, the softest, most succulent meatballs I’ve ever had in my life. Roast pumpkin with a maple pecan bacon crumble. Creamy mushroom wild rice soup! My Asian Quinoa Kale-Fluff Salad (I am OBSESSED with this.)

AGGGHHHH! I love them all! I want to eat them all right now!

Pre-order and release date

TONIGHT is now available for pre-order in Australia, US, UK, Canada and New Zealand here. When you pre-order, it means you have secured a copy and it will be delivered to your door on 15 October 2024 in Australia, 17 October 2024 in the UK and 29 October 2024 in the US (we are working on closing the gaps!).

Why pre-order? Well, it means you have secured a copy and you get it on release date so you can start celebrating and cooking with me, immediately! 🙂 Also, it did become a bit difficult to find copies of my first cookbook leading up to Christmas due to low stock levels. Even I struggled!

TONIGHT will then be available in stores on the release dates listed above, and in local libraries shortly thereafter. There will be a book tour later on in the year as well as some special surprise events.

I hope we get a chance to meet, and that the book is already splattered with food stains and cluttered with tags. They are the best kind! – Nagi x

PS Don’t feel bad if you missed the clues. 😜 Not even my own team knew about it until 6 months ago!!