Anna Koska

Bought in celebration of having a plot of land bigger than a postage stamp, so at last we could grow and cook our own with our expanding family.

A completely wonderful, relaxed approach to simple, satisfying un gushy food.

Although I've been illustrating for a while, this book got me into fish in a big way. I had to research all the fish, and spent hours at Billingsgate, heavily pregnant with our first child, being gently steered by the elbow by kindly fish porters to the fish on my list to illustrate. It became my go to book for fish recipes that all the family enjoy.. even the 'I'm not really into fish' ones.

Does what it says on the jacket! This has saved me from many awkward times when I've got baying family or a sudden arrival of friends to cater for.. Invariably I can gather up most of the ingredients from store cupboard and rather lacking fridge, and still whip up a thing of comfort and pleasure. Genius

EVERYTHING you ever wanted to get out of a chicken and more. Thank god for Diana! A go-to on a regular basis...

A charming, illustration packed book. We moved to our current house with a bit of field to grow veg, and only a two oven Aga on and in which to create meals with our produce. This elegant book became indispensible.

Talking Agas, my most well used book is Mary Berry's Aga Book. It was left for me as a gift by the previous owner, knowing that an Aga can be quite a daunting thing, squatting in the corner of the kitchen, with no immediate and helpful dial or guidance on how on earth to tame it, let alone work with it! Although not used quite so much, this book got me through many teething problems in the early years!

Probably my hero. Husband gave this bread bible when he realised I loved baking bread. It opened up my eyes to the vast variety of breads there are throughout different cultures. I think I've made every single loaf in there... favourite will always be French Hearth bread... that soft ladder of joy!

The back stories to each recipe,so evocative... that the cooking of the meal becomes even more of a pleasure.

Just because this was the first cookbook I was given... aged nine. Warm, sweet and happy memories of baking. Every page filled with nostalgia... if you can prize them apart!