Kate Gibbs

This stunning, relatively recent book reminds us "it begins in the dirt". It's a beautiful book that takes us into the garden, the mill, the yard, the pasture, the sea... It's a deeply personal book and I love the manifesto that basically says to do as little as possible to a perfect ingredient. The food itself is mostly from the US's Lowcountry, but the inspirations are more far reaching. Most of the recipes are quite challenging, but it's all inspiring and an interesting read as well.

Only a small portion of this book has recipes, but it is a book that reminds us to cook, and why that is one of the most important things we can do for our health, the environment, our own spirits.

Ottolenghi reminds us how vegetables can make the meal, and reignited an interest in Middle Eastern food.

Margaret showed the vast Australian population how to cook, that there is more to life than meat and three veg.

An evocative, beautiful and detailed account of Thai food, and Thailand. It keeps me away from jars of pastes and looking for new ingredients to cook and experiment with.

From grilled radicchio to shaved artichoke and grapefruit salad, Alice Waters' recipes are creative and delicious, turning the humble vegetable into a feast.

Refreshingly unpretentious, remarkably beautiful recipes that focus on meat. It's accessible but aspirational and fun.

It's my mother's book but it remains one of my favourite cookbooks. It got me in to pressure cooking, which is the most sensible, delicious gadget I have in my kitchen. Lamb shoulder falling off the bone in 30 minutes, it's genius, and the recipes in this second pressure cooker book of Suzanne's are inspiring.

It's little known but I adore this practical book, with recipes that are both delicious and inventive. From curing to preserving and smoking, it has changed the way I cook.