Sheffschefs Bookshop

The Naked Chef - Jamie Oliver

The first cook book from the then 'young new chef' Jamie Oliver, to accompany the TV series in which he slid down banisters, and hung out with a group of cool and groovy friends.

It's full of simple and easy to follow recipes, but often calls for ingredients that you may not otherwise consider, such as Pot Roast Guinea Fowl, Bacon and Pease Pudding, Skate Wings and Beetroot Tagliatelle. It's also the one that contains several of Jamie's classic risotto recipes, in particular the yummy mushroom and thyme one.

Jamie's Dinners - Jamie Oliver

This one is less about restaurant cooking and something that looks fancy on a plate and much more about creating good, nutritious family food.

There is a brilliant section called 'Five Minute Wonders' with a selection of recipes that can be cooked in around 5 minutes. OK, it may take the average home cook a little longer, but you get the gist, dishes that you can have on the table in a few minutes after a long day at work. You'll also get recipes for stews and soups, sandwiches and good old fashioned puddings like crumbles and jam roly poly.

Happy Days with the Naked Chef - Jamie Oliver

A collection of very tempting recipes, plenty of which would be great for no fuss dinner parties, such as Salmon with Horseradish and Beets and Marinated Pork Fillet Roasted on Rhubarb. This is also the one with some of Jamie's 'meal in a bag' recipes, for quick all in one nutritious suppers.

It's a great choice for anyone with children too, as it has a little section dedicated to tempting children into the world of food and cooking, with a few recipes they might enjoy trying out with Mum or Dad. There are more than 10 fantastic salad recipes, which mark the cards for limp lettuce offerings and are great for light summer meals. There's a lovely recipe for a stuffed butternut squash too, which makes a fantastic vegetarian main course.

Jamie's Kitchen - Jamie Oliver

It's a huge big cookery book with lots of visual appeal, nice to flick through for inspiration and ideas. This one will be as much at home on the coffee table as it is in the kitchen.

The Thirty Minute Cook - Nigel Slater

This one does 'exactly what it says on the tin', well, what it says on the cover anyway. It's a whole cook book dedicated to simple, easy to cook recipes that take about 30 minutes each. Nigel is a no fuss chef, so you won't be faced with fancy ingredients and lengthy shopping lists, it's all about simple but mouthwatering dishes. The collection includes store cupboard suggestions, quick curries, speedy dishes with fish and poultry and some innovative but easy pasta sauces.

There's nothing tricky about the recipes in this book and if you have a partner that 'can't cook' but is willing to have a bash, start them off gently with a recipe from this one. They'll soon be smug about their ability to cook a meal from fresh in less time than it takes to heat a ready meal!

Appetite - Nigel Slater

This is a cook book that is a positive joy to own and it's quite easy to read it from cover to cover as you would a good book. It's choc full of good recipes, but also has loads of great information on ingredients, using seasonal produce and so on. It's consequently a weighty tome, so it could also easily double up as a handy tool to clonk someone irritating if required.

The recipes in Appetite are split into sections more or less according to food type and you get a set of full recipes, plus a whole range of 'other ideas' to easily adapt a recipe to make it something else entirely. The ethos is good food, without unnecessary faff.

If you love good unpretentious cooking and recipes, you'll adore this book.

Real Good Food - Nigel Slater

It's a Nigel Slater book, so again it's food kept simple, but the recipes are a delight and will see you through many occasions, from family suppers to times when you need to impress the boss at dinner with something a that might look a bit more showy, but won't cause a nervous breakdown in the kitchen. This book is a bit less visual than others, but it has a wide range of recipes, from Winter Vegetable Stew with Cheese and Herb Dumplings to a Roast Rack of Lamb with a Mustard and Peppercorn Crust.

The River Cafe Cookbook - Rose Gray

This is a cook book to turn to when you want to impress and it's great for dinner parties as many of the recipes are geared to larger numbers, usually from 6 - 10 portions. It is based on recipes from the famous River Cafe Restaurant and there is a very Mediterranean twist to many of them.

Recipes include Roasted Marinated Sea Bass, Spiced Italian Sausages, Pan Fried Chicken with Mascarpone and their delectable Lemon Tart.

Delia - The Complete Illustrated Cookery Course - Delia Smith

This is a classic cook book, of the 'old school'. Every home should have one, because if you want to know any cookery basics, you'll find them in here, whether it's how to make custard, what you need to whip up a creme caramel or how to make a good Shepherd's Pie. There's fancy stuff in it too, but it's the good old fashioned recipes that will keep you pulling it off the shelf.