Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

A deeply touching food memoir of a Jewish child’s childhood in Cairo. It is also an invaluable record of Jews in Egypt, most now gone.

This is the food of my community, Shia Ismaili Muslims from East Africa. It is delicate and fragrant and alas passing away as younger generations are too busy to spend that much time and love making dishes that connect us to our past.

My old one from 1976 fell part. It’s a bible. The recent one contains calories. Very important as you get older.

Modern, simple and ( almost) healthy Indian food with great shortcuts. It looks beautiful too.

She writes so evocatively about food rituals and their importance in the lives of all humans. And most recipes are demystified.

Leila was the mother of my dearest friends Nzeera and Muneera. She was a force of nature. She moved from South Africa to East Africa then to Canada, carrying her recipes with her.

A beautiful, sometimes sad, often happy tales of food and family, by the American foodie and restaurant critic

In fact, all Jane Asher’s many books on creative cakes — she was there long before the Great British Bakeoff. I used to make amazing cakes for my kids inspired by her ideas.

I make my own bread every week. This is the book that got me into one of life’s deepest pleasures. Pity those no carb fanatics. They know not what they miss.