Sadie Hirst

These little Be-Ro books have been published to promote Be-Ro Flour since the 1920's. My "go to" book for simple wholesome baking and I wouldn't be without a copy in my kitchen. When I am out and about visiting community groups with my cook book talk "Off the Beeton Track", it is these little Be-Ro books that hold the fondest memories for people of childhood treats and baking and that is why it is my number 1 choice.

The 1960's psychedelic colour pages offer recipes from this cookery legend, from making jam, pastry and our family favourite - Steak Elizabetta with mustard dumplings. This humble dish is simply stunning and we always have it for Christmas Eve. Marguerite was the steady voice during world war two, offering housewives advice through her "Kitchen Front" radio programmes on inventive ways to make the most of their rations. She died in 2015 exactly six months short of her 100th Birthday. In my mind she is one of our culinary greats and her books would be all you need to confidently guide you into becoming a good cook.

Published in the 1950's. This cookbook is split into 3 parts - basic cookery, picture cookery and cake making. Packed with wonderful vintage photography, adverts and solid reliable recipes.Highly collectable now, it was often given as a gift for newly weds, and again another firm favourite with me and many others. Bringing back memories of feeding and raising a young family, birthday parties, coffee mornings and christmas dinners and baking for friends and family. The copies I have are invariably splattered in ancient splodges and hold crumbs entombed between the pages. Tangible proof as to the success of a the book and years of turning out favourite recipes.

The Complete Farmhouse Kitchen Cookbook and series of paperbacks, that tied into the popular Yorkshire TV shows from the 1980's hosted by Grace Mulligan. Containing hundreds of recipes contributed by viewers, that are in the main quintessential English Regional dishes. These are family favourites that have stood the test of time, they are simple, but reliable and delicious.

This is a very different choice to my top four, in that it isn't a favourite in the sense that I use it to cook from, but I am very fortunate to own a fourth edition of this book. It is my number 5 choice, because of its rarity, insight into 17th century politics and sheer beauty. This book was written in 1655 by WM - believed to be Walter Montagu the personal secretary of Henrietta Maria. Henrietta Maria was the widow of Charles 1 and at the time this book was published, she was living in exile in France and England was being ruled by Cromwell under the Commonwealth. She wasn't very popular with the English public and this book was an exercise in rebranding her as a good English housewife and paving the way for her Sons Restoration to the throne. The book is divided into three sections, covering medical recipes, confectionary and general cookery. Many recipes are accredited to a glittering list of the "who's who of the time". A wonderful recipe resource, propaganda piece and book that allows a glimpse into Stuart England and that period of political and royalist turmoil during the commonwealth.

Elizabeth was born in Doncaster and was not only responsible for writing what I believe to be the best cookbook of the Georgian era, but also an amazing business woman. She was housekeeper at Arley Hall in Cheshire, to the Warburton family for a number of years and then left with her husband and moved to Manchester. She ran a number of businesses and her cookbook is the first to include a recipe for Bride Cake, that has the combination of fruit cake, marzipan and icing. I find her recipes clear and concise and she is my first choice when wanting to recreate cookery from this period.

This was the first cookbook I saved up for and bought myself from my school friend, who's Mum and Dad owned a local bookshop. There are many editions and reincarnations of this classic cookbook, with a slightly different name of The Dairy Book of Home Cookery. The early versions are written by Sonia Allinson and date back to the sixties, further editions were brought out in the 70s, 90s, 00s and a fiftieth edition last year. The 1982 book will always have a special place in my heart, it is just comforting to flick through the familiar pages and photos. I still make the chocolate biscuit cake, mainly after Easter and Christmas, to use up dried fruit, nuts, chocolate and biscuits.

Bit of a modern choice for me here, but I loved the TV series and this accompanying charming book and its sequel. They represent everything I love about recipes and cookbooks. That they are far more than just a collection of ideas and techniques on how to make food. The two books are a compilation of recipes contributed by home cooks that participated in the program and the food that brings their family and friends together. The food can be a way of honouring members of the family no longer with us, our ethnicity, our own family stories and heritage. The recipes are from the heart, many having been passed down the female line from generation to generation and that shows in how delicious the dishes are.

This book is just an absolute classic, selling millions of copies worldwide. First published in 1982, 1989 and again in 1992. It is the big 1989 hardback featuring Delia with her red jumper on, that I use. These recipes remind me of my Mum, I remember the first time she made the Beef with Pickled Walnuts and the Smoked Salmon Quiche, a special treat for a family gathering. Cooking from this book is pure nostalgia and you just know that Delia won't let you down.

This cookbook is a sentimental choice for me. Up until recently I owned a butchers shop with my husband and this cookbook features a very popular product we used to make - Lincolnshire Sausage Plait with Red Onion Marmalade. The book has a lovely piece about us and our old shop and is a nice reminder about that time in our life.