World Book Day: a selection of our favourite cook books
The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.
We encourage our team here at Blue Strawberry and Table Talk to cook and learn about food. So we asked some of those who do cook and of course our professionals in the kitchen what their favourite cook book is and why.
Georgie – Senior event manager and wedding specialist
Delia Smith – Complete Cookery Course
Having been given this as my very first cook book by my Grandmother, this book is my ‘go-to’ guide to all the fundamental cookery staples. How to make the best pastry, crumble toppings, béchamel sauces etc! A great classic basis for all budding cooks for you then to put your own twist on.
Molly – Owner and founder
Rachel Allen – Bake
I have over 100 cookery books at home – old and new – and they have all been used at some stage. It’s a hard choice between Mary Berry and Rachel Allen. But the most used is this book as I am not a natural baker and Rachel’s recipes are easy and delicious – and they really work! Of course she is Irish and she has exceptional Irish soda bread recipes. But my most used recipes are her banana bread and carrot cake.
Anna – Event Manager
Yotam Ottolengi – Jerusalem
Fave recipes: Basic hummus because it’s super rich and creamy, just how I like it!
Roasted sweet potatoes and figs because the smell of figs remind me of summer and this unusual combination of fruit and roasted veg makes for a heavenly and easy to make dish.
Beth – Events Coordinator
Jamie Oliver – Jamie at Home
My favourite cookbook book is ‘Jamie at Home’. Every recipe is perfectly achievable (and is never too stressful!). The dish I cook the most is probably Jamie’s proper chicken Caesar salad. This is my ‘go to’ salad for every summer BBQ. With home-made ciabatta croutons, crispy pancetta and skin on chicken legs it’s a real treat.
Mel – Events Coordinator
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall – River Cottage Veg Every Day
This book uses ‘easy to buy’ ingredients and there is so much variety from soups, sides, summer salads to big comfort dishes. My favourite recipes are the roasted vegetable ratatouille with homemade tomato sauce and the aubergine and green bean curry is delicious too!
Francesca – Head of Events
Sabrina Ghayour – Persiana
I love sweet spiced food but not hot spicy food. Sabrina’s Persian spice-perfumed shoulder of lamb (I use a leg)is one of my favourites or the rose spiced salmon. I cook both on the BBQ.
Simon – Operations Director
Ginger Pig – Meat Book.
It follows the course of the farm throughout the year so the menus are all seasonal – and meaty!! My favourite dish which I only cooked again last week is the slow cooked shoulder of lamb.
Stuart – MD
The Ethicurean Cookbook – Jack Adair-Bevan, Paûla Zarate, Matthew and Iain Pennington
These four friends have a walled garden in Somerset (‘an absolute paradise’) with a restaurant that uses their own and local produce. I use their recipe for salt-marsh lamb with tidal greens and put my own spin on the recipe and serve it with leeks Welsh laver bread which my mother taught me to make years ago!!
Jojo – Owner and founder
Jamie Oliver – Super Food Family Classics
My most favourite and delicious simple supper that I cook is Asian Seared Tuna. It has all my favourite flavours from, chilli, ginger lime and coriander…. Yumm …. Sometimes I roll the tuna in poppy seeds rather than sesame seeds.
Euan – Menu development
Michel Bras – Essential Cuisine
Speaking as a professional chef, this is one of the best books ever written, especially as a reference book. One of my favourite dishes is pears poached in beurre noisette with a beurre noisette ice cream.
Adrian – Sous Chef
Under Pressure – Thomas Keller
Will – Junior sous chef
Eleven Madisson Park – Daniel Humm and Will Guidara
Jacek – Assistant pastry chef
The Square – Philip Howard
Ebbi – Executive head chef
Kulinarische Kontraste – Hans Horberth
Ebbi is also waiting to see a new book from a friend of his: Japanese Patisserie: Exploring the beautiful and delicious fusion of East meets West – James Campbell
Mario – Head pastry chef
Larousse de la Patisserie – Pierre Herme
To add a bit of fun to the day – as children would dress up as their favourite character going to school -we all have to wear something that depicts our favourite ingredient! Here we have…
Chris: Blueberry
Mel: Tomato
Beth: Garlic
Miranda: Cinnamon
Buddy: Rosemary
Molly: Cherry tomato
Rob: Spaghetti
Anna: Raspberry
Georgie: Blue Strawberry!
