At Elizabeth David's Table: Her Very Best Everyday Recipes (2010)

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It might not be appropriate to buy this book for anyone very young ... who's been brought up on Delia, Nigella and Jamie ... they won't have a clue who Elizabeth David is. Although the modern celebrity chefs will, themselves, probably know very well ... and will most probably have adapted recipes from her books. It's very appropriate to list this book here, anyway, since the books of Elizabeth David's nephew, Johnny Grey, feature in the kitchen design section of the book reviews.

Curry Easy by Madhur Jaffrey (2010)

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Don't buy this book if you want to re-create the sort of recipes you get in an Indian restaurant ... hot, spicy and complicated ... the recipes are, by all accounts, lighter, fresher and perhaps more fragrant. More importantly, perhaps, they're easy and quick to make - without the huge list of spices and ingredients that curry recipes often seem to involve. The recipes aren't taken from Madhur Jaffrey's previous, very popular books either ... so the book would be good for fans of Madhur's. When an old favourite does appear, it's given a new twist of some sort.

Indian Food Made Easy by Anjum Anand

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This book is based on the recipes used in Anjum Anand's first tv series in 2007 ... and I'd say it was very much aimed at UK citizens who haven't tried Indian cooking before. If you're used to cooking Indian food ... or have an Indian heritage yourself, then this book might not suit you.

Anjum adapts the recipes for modern Western appetites, using some lower fat ingredients and keeping the recipe constituents to those that are relatively easy to find in this country. Even so, you may need to visit an Asian supermarket to find what you need.

Jamie's 30 Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver (2010)

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If you watched the programmes, then it will probably be easier to use this book. It's not divided into starters, main courses and sweets - like many cookbooks are - it gives a step-by-step guide to a complete meal.

You may also have seen the book featured on BBC's Watchdog programme. Don't expect to be able to make the meals within 30 minutes first time! It takes a bit of practice and you need to have good quality equipment ... like a food processor.

Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home by Nigella Lawson (2010)

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I'm not a huge fan of Nigella on the telly, as I've said before, but I do think her writing style is great ... very friendly and chatty ... and best of all; her recipes always seem to work. What I really want to know, though ... is why isn't she of similar proportions to me (think side of a house) ... given how much snacking she does?

Love Bakery - Cupcakes from the Heart by Samantha Blears (2010)

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I've looked at a few cupcake books. You probably either hate cupcakes or love them ... but it's difficult to ignore them. A lot of the recipes (and the books) seem to have been put together quite quickly and the quantities don't work too well for small scale baking in the home. The Love Bakery book was the one where the recipes didn't seem to suffer from these problems.

Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

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I've never been that keen on watching Nigella on the telly. I find all those coquettish glances and the glossy lipstick a bit off-putting. There's nothing wrong with her cooking skills, though ... and her very personal touch works much better (in my opinion) in a book.

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi (2010)

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This is a book of recipes for vegetarians - and non-vegetarians - alike. The recipes aren't designed for meat and then adapted ... they're original and tasty ways to cook food ... that just happen to be based on vegetables - and pasta and pulses (and the author himself, is not a vegetarian).

Many of you will have come across Yotam Ottolenghi before, he writes a weekly column called "The New Vegetarian" in the Guardian ... and he has four deli shops in London. Some of the recipes in the book are from his column but there are new ones too. The food has a strong Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influence; which is not surprising, since Yotam originally hails from Israel. It means that some of the ingredients may be a bit difficult to find but - by all accounts - it will be well worth the effort.

River Cottage Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (2010)

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This sounds like a really great cookbook which does exactly what the title suggests: provides good everyday recipes from easy to source (although mainly fresh) ingredients, which won't cost the earth. Where it falls down for some purchasers, is that it doesn't include all of the recipes from the tv show of the same name ... and for dedicated fans of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the recipes are a bit simple (you don't first have to grow your veg, fatten your pig and wander the hedgerows gathering provisions). Hmm ... I like the sound of this book.

Riverford Farm Cookbook by Guy Watson and Jane Baxter

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This is a book about local fruit and particularly veg, cooked when it's in season. Riverford Farm is one of the largest veggie box providers in the country and Guy Watson tells you why he grows certain vegetables and how to store them. He's quite passionate about growing food organically and reducing food miles.

Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

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This one is for those of you who both garden and cook. Although those who search out fresh fruit and veg at the market ... or who have a veggie box ... might also be interested.

It's another book all about cooking locally grown fruit and veg ... when it's in season. It's not entirely vegetarion ... you'll find the odd bit of sliced ham included, for instance ... what it is about, though, is making very tasty recipes.  

Tender: Volume 1, A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater (2010)

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This book was published last year, but I've added it as one of 2010's must buys, because I also wanted to include Volume 2 (about fruit). I already have a really great vegetable cookbook on my list - for fresh veg enthusiasts and growers (Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook) - but I'm now thinking that such people (me included) would really love this book too.