by Jamie Oliver (Hardback)

"This book is very close to my heart. It's about no-nonsense, simple cooking with great flavours all year round. When I began writing it, I didn't really know what recipes I would come up with, but something began to inspire me very quickly...my vegetable patch! I came to realise last year that it's not always about looking out at the wider world for inspiration. Being at home, feeling relaxed and open, can also offer this. I love to spend time at home in the village where I grew up, working with the boss, Mother Nature, in my garden and seeing all my beautiful veggies coming out of the ground. Inside, you'll find over 100 new recipes, plus some basic planting information and tips if you fancy having a go at getting your hands dirty as well!"

(Recommended retail price £25 - save over 30%)

By James Martin

Woman & Home
'In his typical laid-back, no-nonsense style, James extols the virtues of cheese on toast, delicious soups, classic roasts, risotto, fish cakes and, of course, truly delectable desserts. With beautifully photographed food, and rather good shots of the boy himself, this book is a must.'

Heat
'Swoon-inducing cover aside, the contents of this book really do deliver. It's perfect for anyone who has just discovered they love to cook and wants an arsenal of classic, knock 'em dead, super-tasty dishes that don't require a science degree to make.'

By James Martin

There is nothing that James Martin doesn't know about desserts, cakes and puddings. In his new TV series, which starts on BBC2 in Spring 2007, he shares his passion with the rest of the nation. He travels the country cooking up some truly irresistible dishes and looking at all aspects of sweet tasting treats, from the best of British puddings, to chocolate heaven, and perfect melt-in-the-mouth pastries, tarts and pies. The accompanying book contains over 100 dessert recipes from classics such as Tarte Tatin, Pavlova and Chocolate Mousse; comfort food heaven - Sticky Toffee Pudding, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Apple and Toffee Muffins; old favourites including Spicy Plum Crumble, Ginger Parkin and Lemon Meringue Pie; and traditional recipes for Summer Pudding, Lardy Cake, Junket Ice Cream and Kentish Pudding Pie. He also creates a delicious selection of confections which are destined to become firm favourites including White Chocolate, Whisky and Croissant Butter Pudding, Raspberry and Vodka Terrine, Chocolate Cola Cake and Fig Fritters. James will also share his trademark secrets to making every mouthful one to savour.

By Tana Ramsay

Bestselling author, Tana Ramsay, knows the challenges of cooking for a demanding family -- as a mother of four and the wife of Gordon Ramsay, she's certainly put to the test. Now, for the first time in paperback, Tana shares the delicious recipes, kitchen secrets and shortcuts she uses to satisfy the Ramsay family. Time-pressed parents will swear by Tana's simple and delicious recipes -- although not in the traditional Gordon way. Tana has a tasty solution for every occasion, from lunch bites and tea-time treats to weekend lunches and party foods. She also offers personal tips on a wide range of issues all parents face, including how to adapt dishes to suit different ages and tastes and how to encourage children to experiment with food. Whether you only have minutes to rustle up Lime and Ginger Salmon Fillets or fancy a fun afternoon with the kids creating Gingerbread Lollies, this lavishly illustrated book is an adventure in the kitchen for adults and children alike.

By Rick Stein

A favourite pastime of the English -- whenever the sky is grey -- is to thumb lovingly through sumptuous recipe books such as Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes and be transported to sunnier climes while (simultaneously) being inspired to tackle these delicious-sounding recipes. To read this book is very much like entering the exotic world the author unfolds for us, and Stein's culinary journey takes us through all the islands and along the coast of this exquisite region. For Stein, this is as much a book about the striking personalities he met along the route as he located the region's finest cuisine. And as the people he met reminded him over and over again, culinary 'trends' are simply not considered in this region: the crucial thing is the quality of the ingredients and who are the best producers of such essential commodities as olive oil.

All of this, of course, chimes perfectly with Stein's own views on such issues, and he commendably ignores the various trends currently driving much cookery, presenting to us here a hundred recipes, including Feta and Mint Pastries, Corsican Oysters with a Pernod and tarragon dressing, along with many others that will inspire and delight. It's a battered cliché to say how essential impressive photography in a cookery book such as this is, but Earl Carter deserves particular commendation here for showcasing Stein's creations

By Ray Mears

In WILD FOODS Ray Mears and Gordon Hillman lead us into the wildest parts of Britain to demonstrate the huge variety of indigenous foods that can be found. One of the most crucial skills to surviving in any wilderness is self-reliance - now, with this book, you can equip yourself with the knowledge to find tasty and sustaining foods in your own back yard and beyond. Practical, enthralling, often surprising, packed with beautiful illustrations, WILD FOODS is an invaluable tool for any keen outdoorsman, and it is a fascinating read anyone with an interest in the little-known side of Britain's natural resources

By Nigella Lawson

Nigella and her style of cookery have earned a special place in our lives, symbolising all that is best, most pleasurable, most hands-on and least fussy about good food. But that doesn't mean she wants us to spend hours in the kitchen, slaving over a hot stove. Featuring fabulous fast foods, ingenious short cuts, terrific time-saving ideas, effortless entertaining and easy, delicious meals, "Nigella Express" is her solution to eating well when time is short. This new book is every working mother's dream and a joy for everyone who wants to cook but can't seem to find the time. Here are mouthwatering recipes, quick to prepare, easy to follow, that you can conjure up after a long day in the office or on a busy weekend, for family or unexpected guests.This is food you can make as you hit the kitchen running, with vital tips on how to keep your store cupboard stocked, freezer and fridge stacked. When time is precious, you can't spend hours shopping, so you need to make life easier by being prepared. Not that the recipes are basic - though they are always simple - but it's important to make every ingredient earn its place in a recipe. Minimise effort by maximising taste.

And here too is great food that can be prepared quickly but cooked slowly in the oven, leaving you time to have a bath, a drink, talk to friends, or do the children's homework. Minimum stress for maximum enjoyment. This is a new generation of fast food - never basic, never dull, always do-able, quick and delicious - for the busy lives we lead. The Domestic Goddess is back but this time it's instant.

But if all of the above sounds a little forbidding, it should be noted that the book here functions admirably as a guide to the best available food -- and leaving aside any philosophical underpinnings, there are over 100 delicious recipes included here, from Perfect Lamb Stew and Chicken with Lemon and Honey to Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding. The recipes are presented in as user-friendly a fashion as possible, with full-page illustrations showing us just what we can aspire to in our own kitchens. When Allen says this book is filled with foods which have special meaning for her, her family and friends, it makes clear the personal nature of the recipes on offer here. But (in the end) such things don't matter: on a strictly utilitarian level, Rachel's Food for Living really delivers the goods.