Angela Clutton

Such a beautiful book in terms of its recipes and pictures. A wonderful insight into the food and culture of this part of the world. If you like Ottolenghi or Moro, try this.

My ‘desert island’ cookbook! Margaret’s writing style makes her a joy to read as well as to cook from. Even the most traditional dishes included here feel more interesting in Margaret’s hands. Lovely focus on seasonal produce and dishes.

The classic Italian cookbook from the writer who brought to British attention the regionality of Italian food. From the simple to the complex, the hearty to the refined. So many great things to cook and eat here.

Decades after Anna Del Conte first wrote in the UK about the regionality of Italian food, Rachel Roddy continues the theme in this wonderful book of Roman cooking. A very honest cookbook and one where you feel you really get to know Rachel as you cook alongside her.

I could really have chosen any of the Jane Grigson books but have settled on this one for its in-depth approach to the subject. She covers vegetables in alphabetical order, with history and flavour notes for those ones which readers might be unfamiliar with (or her late 1970’s readers might have been, anyway). Many recipes with an international focus give this a modern feel, too.

Keith Floyd in the form of this book has accompanied me on many holidays to Andalucia and has never let me down as an interesting, helpful, fun and tasty companion (who is always ready to suggest a glass of something delicious).

Aptly named, this. It is a book jam-packed with good things to eat. This is the homeliest of cooking - which I mean in a very good way indeed.

This book gives a wonderful insight into the history of food in England. It opens the door to understanding how families over the centuries have lived and cooked and eaten.

I am borderline obsessed by cooking with flowers and it is all down to this book of the most elegant sweet and savoury recipes. Don't think about doing a summer in the kitchen without it.

With apologies for repeating an author already on my list, but in my defence it is a very different book to ‘The Food of Morocco’ already mentioned. I first encountered this on the shelves of kitchen in - yes - south west France. It was full of just the kinds of recipes that fitted the culture, produce, and general feel of the area. A treasure.