Jenny Linford

Jane Grigson's food writing - knowledgeable, characterful, eminently practical - inspired me to become a food writer. This book, with its simple and effective alphabetical classification - ie Potatoes are under P - and wide-ranging mix of history, personal reminiscences, experience-based advice, recipes - is both genuinely useful and an engaging read in which her voice speaks through loud and clear.

Lucid, elegantly authoritative, conveys the Italian sensibility when it comes to food, as well as detailed, impeccable recipes. Truly a classic.

A cookbook which always makes me hungry. Wonderful evocative writing on ingredients as diverse as pork pieces and cream, with Hopkinson's masterly recipes. A culinary masterpiece.

Encyclopedic in its range across SE Asia, this offers a detailed insight into the fascinating, rich cuisine of this part of the world, respectful and illuminating on the cultural and racial diversity which makes the food here so fascinating. A labour of love on Brissenden's part, carried out with impressive commitment to recording the authentic.

Offering a wonderful insight into the complexity and range of Chinese cooking, along with excellent and accessible recipes. Written with clarity and authority.

Combines what Nigel does best, exquisite food writing to savour with recipes you want to make. The intimate diary approach - taking you through his food year - is the perfect form, with his writing evoking vividly the textures, flavours and appearance of food in the most pleasurable way.

Cooking Madhur Jaffrey's recipes as a hungry, impoverished student learning how to fend for myself was a revelation as to what spices could do in the kitchen. This wide-ranging book offers a wonderful selection of curry recipes from around the world, written in her characteristic clear yet knowledgeable style. An authoritative work.

A book which brought vegetarian cooking - at that time often deeply dull - vividly to life. Not through colourful photos, as my Bantam paperback had none, but through the elegant writing and the recipes, with their cosmopolitan ingredients.

The discreetly elegant, understated appearance of the book - the pleasures being ones of paper quality, carefully chosen, easy to read font - is matched by the elegance of Norman's writing. Authoritative, wide-ranging, this is a book I often consult in order to see what she says on the subject in question. Her knowledge of food and cooking is huge and this book is infused with that depth of knowledge making it a wonderful work.

Brimming with personality, this is an engaging cookbook. Costa takes you through the seasons through a mix of ingredients and types of food, so sorrel and new potatoes in the spring and proper puddings in winter. The recipes, often just a few lines, work well - but it's the charming experience of meandering through Costa's food world which makes this book special.