Cooking something special for a romantic partner is a time-honored way to make a good impression. But which dishes are most effective? With Valentine’s day just around the corner, we searched ckbk’s collection for tips, and have brought together these recommendations from food writers and chefs for desire-inducing dishes.

Whether or not the myth is true – that the Earl of Sandwich called for meat between two slices of bread in order not to disrupt his card game – the sandwich is a worldwide favorite. Given how easy they are to make, and the endless variety of breads and combinations of fillings, the challenge of a sandwich is in the choosing. We have two new books dedicated to the subject. Consider your sandwich game upped!

Taste of Morocco is the third title by the late Robert Carrier to be added to ckbk. Carrier played a pioneering role in enthusiastically advocating good food to audiences in Britain and America in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and his books sold in their millions. He spent several months each year in Marrakesh, and Morocco held a special place in his heart. To mark the appearance of Taste of Morocco on ckbk, Luke Honey remembers the chef and his influence in this author profile.

Max Halley created a storm in London’s food world with his radical rethinking of the sandwich. Trained as some of London’s best restaurants, he ditched his formal chef’s whites to open Max’s Sandwich Shop in 2014. The book which captured this entirely new take on the sandwich, written with chef pal Ben Benton, became a Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller. As Max’s Sandwich Book comes to ckbk, we caught up with its outspoken author for his take on sandwiches and much more…

Shikha Kaiwar is a pastry chef and writer of the Shikha la Mode newsletter. She’s been baking with spelt since the beginning of her career and her desserts often feature this ancient grain. Her piece helps demystify spelt so that other cooks can confidently use it to create more complex, flavourful baked goods.