Nico Landenis, The most arrogant chef in London but such beautiful food. This book will help you produce food that will blow your friends away

Everything you will ever need to know about sauce making, from roux to alioli

Rick Stein has such a passion for food and fish in particular. I found this one the best of the three although they are all good

A beautifully illustrated food about Spainish food by region, on a dull winters day, this will really brighten you up and inspire you to cook

Preserving, always useful for when you have a glut of fruit or vegetables or someone chucks you half a pig and the freezers full I've tried smoking my own chicken - delicious

Cooking should be fun, not a chore. The trouble with Nigella is that you eat more when you're cooking than when you reach the table

The art of the tart - beautiful baking - I recommend the Scandinavian sponge and almond tart

Nigel Slater again, really rouses your appetite. I have arranged my whole weekend around cooking food from this book

The best curry book around. Pat Chapman has written dozens but this is the ultimate reference - even my Asian friends use it

Mister Over- Enthusiastic Cooks Barbie Great Ideas and everyone asks for the recipes

French Patisserie - Let them eat cake, Marie Antionette probably though that she was doing them a favour

No one makes a pudding like the British !!!