Karen Anderson

I struggled with achieving the true flavours of Indian cooking until I met and took a cooking class from Noorbanu Nimji in 1996. A quiet publishing powerhouse, her three volumes in the A Spicy Touch series have sold over 260,000 copies and can be found in every corner of the globe. This book is considered "the bible" of cooking in her Ismaili culture. There is no cookbook that has affected my life more. Nimji became my mentor, and in 2006 I became her "spice apprentice", recipe tester, teaching and writing partner. It because of my work with her that I now lead annual cuisine and culture trips to India.

When I lived in Boston - for grad school - I followed Jacques Pépin's weekly PBS television series, Today's Gourmet, and delighted in his warmth and approachability. He is a natural teacher - always without pretension, kind and humble - and that comes through in the recipes he shared in this cookbook and the casual friendly air of his television series. His Butterflied Grilled Leg of Lamb recipe is still my favourite way to prepare lamb and he is the number one chef I would like to meet and spend time with.

Vij's is frequently called the number one Indian restaurant in the world. Not everyone can make it there to eat and when you do go there's no reservations - even Anthony Bourdain has to line up. That's why I love it that Vij's has shared their best recipes and each and everyone turns out to be as succulent as dining in their cozy place.

This is a tome and and ode to rice. It's encyclopedic and at the same time it's intimate and authentic. These are two of the most brilliant cookbook authors ever.

This book is exemplary in every way. I read it cover to cover and if I could only own one kitchen device it would be my carbon steel wok with its glorious patina of locked in flavour memories.

Every once in awhile the soft and gentle voice of a great teacher finds a space to be heard in the universe. Susan McKenna Grant's voice speaks fluently and authentically and this work captures Italian traditions for posterity and for practical hands-on use now.

Bonnie Stern is one of the greatest cooks and teachers in Canada and she is beloved for the ease and beauty of her recipe results. I own five of her cookbooks but this is my favourite.

Food could very well be the vehicle for world peace. It always shows us that we are more alike than different and that where there are differences; that's good too. I've stuffed myself with the ideas, stories and recipes from this book.

If Jane Austen wrote Sense and Sensibility as a cookbook this is how it would have turned out. Elizabeth David's ability to be concise and straightforward in her instruction is unparalleled.

Sumeet Nair has done something important in his work with "Mrs. Meena" to preserve the recipes of the Chettiar culture in Tamilnadu, India. The world is a better place because these recipes have been documented through this work and preserved for the cultural enrichment of generations to come.