Books for Cooks

For cooks seeking inspiration when all around them are suffering turkey overload, follow our ideas for some inspirational reading and cooking.

Bill Granger Holiday is just what you need to refresh body, mind and palate when the last crumbs of Christmas cake have been dusted off the plate for another year. What better book to fill some downtime than this. Bill has long been known for his stylish and contemporary recipes that are easy to make and taste delicious. Holiday is a cookbook about building memories through memorable meals with ideas for outdoor summer eating to cosying up by the fire over a romantic supper for two. He's always good value, his recipes are failsafe and not surprisingly, Bill Granger is one of our favourite writers, with some fabulous photographs by Petrina Tinslay bringing it all to life. Published by Murdoch Books. amazon: £9.99 (rrp: £19.99)

Cook Simple by Diana Henry shows you how to turn everyday ingredients into something special. Fill your store cupboard with some good core ingredients that can be transformed into memorable meals. There are 150 recipes and ideas that reflect Henry's travels around the world. A new cookbook might leave you with between three and five signature dishes that you add to your repertoire. The list could be a little longer with Cook Simple. Some fabulous photographs make this a cookbook to keep you going well into 2008. Published by Mitchell Beazley. amazon: £12 (rrp: £20)


Few could resist Nigel Slater at Christmas and for those of you have resisted thus far, Eating England is a joy. This candy covered book is a personal portrait of the British and their food, all in bite size chunks so you can feast between meals or stirring the pot. Slater asks if we are actually developing a food culture here in the UK or just going through the motions. It's probably the latter but we have all learnt something along the way. Published by Fourth Estate. amazon: £8.49 (rrp: £16.99)


Where Shall We Go For Dinner? is a recollection of Tamasin Day-Lewis' memories through meals shared with family to cooking for friends, her search for the best food in the world and the perfect dinner in wonderful restaurants. A guide for the gourmand and holiday-maker, there are useful contact details for restaurants and shops featured and recipes too. It's a pleasure to read - not too big nor heavy so that the weary cook can finish off her day tucked up in bed ... dreaming of food, glorious food. Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. amazon: £10.19 (rrp: £16.99)

For frantic Christmas cooks, Dinner in a Dash might just be the answer. Lindsey Bareham has had lots of experience cooking up a storm and in her latest book, the reader is rewarded with a very workable collection of dinners for six that can be cooked in under one hour. The days have long gone spent preparing little morsels. Choosing the right menu and ingredients are the keys to entertaining success. There are fifty different menus giving you three delicious courses, using ingredients that won't break the bank. Shopping lists and work plans make sure you're up to speed on the prep and cooking, with the recipes at the back of the book so the reader can mix and match at will. Published by Quadrille Publishing. amazon: £9.74 (rrp: £14.99)


Lighten Up is Jill Dupleix's tribute to healthy eating. Doing away with cream, pastry and unnecessary animal fats, we can all eat our way to a healthy lifestyle without even noticing it. Dupleix's recipes tingle with taste and will energize and revitalise. Jill's restaurant critic husband, Terry Durack has lost a staggering 35 kilograms by lightening up. This is an essential guide to good eating for pleasure and for health. Published by Quadrille Publishing. amazon: £11.04 (rrp: £16.99)