A Cook's Library

I first named this blog ‘A Cook’s Library’ because I find so much pleasure and inspiration losing myself in a book about food, be it a cookbook that inspires new ways of using old ingredients, an essay on food politics that invokes a passionate determination to eat better, eat cleaner and think more before I put something in my mouth, or a simple collection of beautiful photographs of food that remind me what a delight good food can be. Cooking, eating and respecting good food can give a tremendous amount of pleasure both to the cook, to the grower and to those who sit down at the table to enjoy it. The books here speak this same message so delve in and soak up the atmosphere of good food, then bring a new determination to your farmers market, your kitchen and your table.

I am embarrassed to admit how bad my addiction to cook books is: this is but a small snapshot of my collection – I have BOXES waiting to be rediscovered in storage, but it is a capsule collection, clearly biased towards my favourite cooks and writers and one that has become threadbare, used and re-used as they have defined how I cook and how I eat.

Oh, should you want to buy any of these (or the others in the Amazon box at the bottom) I get a very small, but useful, commission if you order through this site – as I do this blog for love not money! Look for the book you want in the box at the bottom then click and cook!

Chez Panisse Cooking: Paul Bertolli with Alice Waters

The Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook: Alice Waters

The Art of Simple Food: Alice Waters

Fanny at Chez Panisse: Alice Waters

Maggie’s Harvest: Maggie Beer

A Year in My Kitchen: Skye Gyngell

My Favourite Ingredients: Skye Gyngell

Sally Clarke’s Book: Sally Clarke

Tender: Nigel Slater

Nose to Tail Eating: Fergus Henderson

Beyond Nose to Tail Eating: Fergus Henderson and Justin Piers Gellatley

Roast Chicken and Other Stories: Simon Hopkinson

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine: Elizabeth David

Fat, An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient: Jennifer McLagan

Cheese: Patricia Michelson

The New English Table: Rose Prince

The Clatter of Forks and Spoons: Richard Corrigan

The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook: Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

The Zuni Café Cookbook: Judy Rodgers

French Country Cooking: Richard Olney

Lulu’s Provencal Table: Richard Olney

In Defence of Food: Michael Pollan

Slow Food Nation: Carlo Petrini

Real Food and Real Food for Mother and Baby: Nina Planck