Our baking specialist appreciates the scientific side to cooking championed by J Kenji López-Alt

Laurie Colwin liberated home cooks with stories and recipes full of wit, warmth, humour and a love of good food

Clare Smyth – named the best female chef in the world – explains why she loves his super-simple soup

Madhur Jaffrey’s books taught me not only to cook, but to write. A tip for beginners - try her simply spiced potatoes recipe

The Great British Bake Off judge explains how the Cordon Bleu school founder inspired her

The pastry chef reckons only one thing tops the crepe recipe by the king of classic French cuisine

A chance cookbook purchase turned Jack Monroe on to a cheeky, chatty, more confident way with food

The cook explains how French chefs inspired her early experiments

The Cook’s Cook For Tom Kerridge, and many chefs like him, Marco Pierre White and his book White Heat were the reason they are in the business

Why the great food writer’s books must be in the kitchen of anyone hoping to create one of the country’s classics

The cook’s cook The pioneering author blazed a trail with a style that transported readers to Persian bazaars and Moroccan souks

Why Julia Child’s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking is still the go-to cookbook of the celebrated River Cafe chef

The Essential Cuisines of Mexico remains an important repository not just of cookery, but of Mexican folklore

Chef Peter Gordon explains why the restaurateur’s The Cook’s Companion is an invaluable guide to Australian food

The cook’s cook Chef Mark Hix turns to the pages of the legendary Anna Del Conte’s Gastronomy of Italy

Shopsin’s eccentric attitude to food had Norman lining up for his recipe book. Simple dishes, colourful stories... but leave your attitude at the door

The sparse elegance of Elizabeth David’s cookery writing was the cornerstone of many a kitchen: it inspired and sustained Jeremy Lee’s family and was one of the first to celebrate seasonal, local produce

The chef arrived in Britain 45 years ago with no English and no idea how to cook. But he quickly learned both – thanks to these greats ...