Michael Booth

The most beautiful cook book of all time by the chef who has done more than any other to introduce the refined art of Japanese multi-course dining to the world. I don’t believe I have made a single recipe from this book but it is such a wonderful object.

I refer most often to the pages on dipping sauces. They make pretty much anything taste good.

My copy is in Danish, but this has been translated now (Meyer’s Bakery). Meyer is the doyen of Scandinavian baking. A paradigm-shifter in the kitchen.

Another paradigm-shifter of a book. Chang doesn’t give a fig for ‘authenticity’, whatever that means. The result: easy-to-recreate deliciousness.

Not cool, not trendy, not a book many would admit even to using, but I love it. Crucially, it’s utterly dependable. A gift from my late mother before I left for university; she also gifted me a love of food.

I bought this when living in Paris so it has sentimental as well as practical value. I almost never make a whole piece from this, but often take components and adapt them or find inspiration in Hermé's brilliant flavour pairings.

For a long time this was the only window into the amazing world of traditional Japanese cuisine, and it inspired my first visit to Japan to research ‘Sushi and Beyond’.

The best celebrity cook book ever. I was lucky enough to interview the great actor and bon vivant at his home in Paris when this came out,and so mine’s signed! Still pinch myself at the memory.

Who would have thought that the guru of molecular gastronomy would make the most practical and brilliant home cooking book? But this one is genuinely fool-proof, thanks to its revolutionary, step-by-step photos. Practical, inventive, wide-ranging, and scaleable recipes.