You’ve read our list of the ten cookbooks every foodie should have on their shelf, but what recipe books do our favourite chefs hold dear? Stylist finds out...
Hélène Darroze: La Table au pays de Brillat-Savarin
Who: Head Chef at Connaught
Why she loves it: "My favourite recipe book is La Table au pays de Brillat-Savarin by Lucien Tendret. It features wonderful recipes from Burgundy, one of my favourite regions in France. It’s very old and I bought it right at the beginning of my career. It taught me how to cook the true French classics properly."
Raymond Blanc: French Cooking in Ten Minutes
Who: Chef Patron of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons and author of Kitchen Secrets
Why he loves it: “The book that has made the greatest impact on my life is Edouard de Pomaine's - French Cooking in Ten Minutes which achieved great notoriety when it was originally published in 1930. Edouard de Pomaine is my hero. He was not a chef but a highly renowned scientist at L'Institut Pasteur in Paris, an expert in nutrition and the medical value of food. Pomaine tells, with warmth, fluency, common sense and a delightful sense of humour, how to deal with all manner of culinary questions, sometimes hilarious, always objective and to the point".
Jamie Oliver: Passione
Who: Chef, restaurateur and social campaigner; jamieoliver.com
Why he loves it: “I collect old cookbooks but most of them you’d never be able to find a picture of. One of my favourites was written by the lady of a manor house in the 18th century and it’s like a diary of food throughout the year and all the dishes she used to make. But my favourite more recent cook book is Gennaro Contaldo’s ‘Passione’. He’s my mentor and it’s such a great book, full of simple, delicious, Italian food. He’s just done another book with Antonio Carluccio so look out for that when it’s in the shops.”
Thomasina Miers: Jane Grigson's books
Who: Owner of Wahaca restaurants
Why she loves it: “I adore Jane Grigson and have ever since I competed on Masterchef in 2005. She was a wonderful discovery, writing simple, clear and quintessentially English recipes which somehow seem to be remain completely modern, even today. I have learnt so much not just about English cooking but about English ingredients through her books on Fruit and Vegetables and her book on Charcuterie is inspired. She has a lovely sense of humour too. A must for anyone who wants to rediscover some Englishness in their food.”
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