Books Worth Reading

The LibraryThing page features my review of this. Brilliant book, very interesting to read, and recipes are foolproof.

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Jane Grigson's daughter Sophie has produced her own books, with modern recipes. Less emphasis on French techniques and dairy, more Asian influences. Still emphasising good ingredients, grow your own where possible, a recognised supply chain.

Christmas, by Delia Smith. I'm adding this grudgingly, as the woman annoys me profoundly, but the recipes are well-researched and tested and fairly foolproof. Don't trust her on what is suitable for vegetarians, though.

Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book is a classic, bridging the gap between standard French techniques and English ingredients. It discusses a lot of vegetables which were not easily available in the 70s/80s, but encouraged people to grow them. Pioneering stuff.

Mollie Katzen's books, starting with the Moosewood Cookbook, are a journey through the alternative vegetarian West Coast American lifestyle. They chart influences, design, and availability of ingredients. The recipes are fairly simple, and the artwork is twee, but they are great basic veggie cookbooks.

Please to the Table covers a range of Russian Empire / USSR food, with modern American ingredients. We've used it regularly for our New Year zakuski blowouts. A lot of Russian ex-pat food books mourn the loss of the dear old days too much, this is upbeat and joyous.

Silver Palate has a few cookbooks out - it's a very specific genre of cookery - New York party catering from the 90s - so expect lots of raspberry vinegar and shrimp. But they are fun, and a good resource for party planning. Just scale it all back a bit.

Claudia Roden is one of the classic writers on the cookery of the Mediterranean, especially the Eastern end.

Anything by Nigel Slater. His sensual enthusiasm oozes out of his writing, and the recipes are simple and clear. Amazing photos too.

Cooking for Christmas, the first Sainsbury cookbook, in the pre-Delia days. I still use this every year. The chestnut stuffing is fab.

Indian Vegetarian Cookery - or any other Jack Santa Maria book - classic 70s hippy-style.

Joy of Cooking - the absolute standard American domestic cookbook. Clear and thorough.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking - although there are three authors, it'll go down in history as by Julia Child. The book before the blog before the book before the movie.

Larousse Gastronomique - not a reading book as such, but it's vital for correct French terminology. This sauce, that cut of meat.

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The cookbook I love most: this is really really difficult. The first Madhur Jaffrey, Nigel Slater? Ones with narrative or without? Something that introduced me to a whole new world, or is the perfect reference for the classics? Aaargh. Then there are the self-published ones from groups of friends, that include recipes I’ve eaten, and the voices that I heard describing them. The Christmas ones that have helped me form my own traditions. In the end, having dweebled all day, I have chosen The Wholefood Book by George Seddon. I was given it for a birthday present at university over 30 years ago, and have constantly been amazed at how every time I revisit it, recipes with modern twists and trends spring out at me. And the essays are full of advice on using fresh, local produce, reared organically and with respect. I’m not saying I’d trust all the recipes – it’s not a Jane Grigson or even a Delia – but most are interesting and simple. Deffo one that comes down off the shelf over and over.

My review of The Cookery of England, by Elisabeth Ayrton. My go-to book for meat.

Jams, Pickles and Chutneys by David and Rose Mabey. Solid grounding in the basics, good for allotmenteers and foragers, some more way-out-there recipes.