OFM 50 best cookbooksFood This article is more than 13 years oldThe 50 best cookbooks of all time
This article is more than 13 years oldAs chosen by Observer Food Monthly's expert team. Part 1: Numbers 50-11The top 10 will be revealed in the Observer this Sunday. Tell us what you think of this selection now, on the blog
50 MOMOFUKU David Chang
(Absolute Press, 2010)
New York-based Chang's Korean-based food makes him the one of hottest chefs in the world right now. Signature dish: chicharrón (fried pork rind)
49 OPERA DELL'ARTE DEL CUCINARE Bartolomeo Scappi
(The Collected Works of Cooking Art, 1570)
"The Renaissance of Dante and Michelangelo translated into the kitchen," says Bill Buford of this 1,000-recipe collection from Pope Pius V's cook, translated in 2008.
48 THE HANDMADE LOAF Dan Lepard
(Mitchell Beazley, 2004)
An inspirational guide to bread-making using wild yeast from the fashion photographer turned master baker. Not for bread-machine owners.
47 WITH BOLD KNIFE & FORK MFK Fisher
(Perigree, 1969)
A "poet of the appetites" according to John Updike, and this is as literary a cookbook as you'll find, with the added bonus of 140 recipes.
46 CATALAN CUISINE Colman Andrews
(Headline, 1988)
The founder editor of Saveur magazine's homage to "Europe last great culinary secret" that has now become the standard reference for restaurant kitchens of the region
45 THE ART OF MEXICAN COOKING Diana Kennedy
(Bantam, 1989)
Classic reference work by Brit who has lived in Mexico since 1957. Often referred to as the Julia Child of that country's cooking, and loved by Wahaca's Thomasina Miers.
44 ACTION COOK BOOK Len Deighton
(Jonathan Cape, 1965)
Classic cookery "strips" from the Observer, Deighton is still the person Rachel Cooke turns to for sauces. If your bearnaise is separating, he's your man.
43 INDIAN VEGETARIAN COOKERY Jack Santa Maria
(Rider and Co, 1973)
Authoritative authentic recipes from the greatest vegetarian nation. A book to lovingly splatter with turmeric-died dhal. His sazi pulau is particularly good.
42 HOW TO EAT Nigella Lawson
(Chatto & Windus, 1998)
Her first book with its passionate descriptions of comfort eating was revolutionary at the time, selling 300,000. Ironically, given she became the 'queen of food porn', there are few pictures.
41 FRENCH COOKING IN 10 MINUTES Edouard de Pomiane
(Bruno Cassirer, 1948)
Raymond Blanc says Pomaine is his "hero", and it's easy to see why from this short, delightful book that's as much a work of philosophy. "For everyone who has only an hour for lunch or dinner and yet wants half an hour of peace," says the author.
40 PLENTY Yotam Ottolenghi
(Ebury, 2010)
From pear crostini to scrambled smoky duck eggs on sourdough this meat-free collection of seductive recipes brings vegetarian eating bang up to date.
39 ON FOOD AND COOKING Harold McGee
(Simon & Schuster, 1984)
An entertaining, thorough examination of the science of cooking – not surprisingly Heston Blumenthal's choice of book on Desert Island Discs.
38 THE INDEPENDENT COOK Jeremy Round
(Barrie & Jenkins, 1988)
The Independent writer who tragically died aged 32. Round wrote beautifully and passionately about British seasonal cookery and was feted by food lovers from Elizabeth David to Marco Pierre White.
37 MEDITERRANEAN SEAFOOD Alan Davidson
(Penguin, 1972)
The first book by the brilliant British diplomat and chronicler of all things food-related whose writing was discovered by Elizabeth David when he documented how to cook the fish he saw on the Tunis dockside.
36 PLATS DU JOUR Patience Gray and Primrose Boyd
(Penguin, 1957)
Published when pasta still considered outlandish, with illustrations by the great David Gentleman. One of Jane Grigson's favourites.
35 THE RIVER COTTAGE MEAT BOOK Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
(Hodder & Stoughton, 2004)
Will restart your relationship with your local butcher – everything you need and should know about the slaughter, preparation and cooking of animals.
34 LA CUISINE GOURMANDE Michel Guérard
(Macmillan, 1978)
A favourite of Simon Hopkinson – who raves about Guérard's beef stew flavoured with orange peel. Out of print, but you'll find secondhand copies online.
33 JAPANESE COOKING Shizuo Tsuji
(Kodansha International, 1980)
The fundamentals of Japanese food – including 16 pages on preparing sashimi - from a man who ran the country's largest cookery school and owned one of the world's largest private collections of Bach recordings.
32 THE GREENS COOKBOOK Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown
(Broadway, 1987)
Revolutionised vegetarian cooking. Madison is a Californian graduate of Alice Waters's Chez Panisse, a champion of local food and student of Zen Buddhism. Key dish: black bean chili.
31 THE COOK'S COMPANION Stephanie Alexander
(Viking, 1996)
Passionate, meticulous 1,000-page encyclopaedia from Australia's one-woman answer to Delia, Jamie and Hugh. Includes her famous take on Queen of Puddings.
30 PORK AND SONS Stéphane Reynaud
(Phaidon, 2007)
A celebration of all things pig, rooted in Reynaud's upbringing in the Ardeche. Starts with a slaughter – the author attended his first at the age of seven – which puts the cute illustrations in their proper context.
29 KEEP IT SIMPLE Alastair Little
(Conran Octopus, 1993)
Accurately subtitled "a fresh look at classic cooking" the clear, concise recipes show why Little is still lovingly referenced as the godfather of modern British cooking.
28 MORO: THE COOKBOOK Sam and Sam Clark
(Ebury 2001)
Classic Mediterranean cooking from husband and wife team behind award-winning east London restaurant. Full of useful touches, such as an index of suppliers.
27 LES SECRETS DE LA MèRE BRAZIER Roger Moreau, Roger Garnier, Jacott Brazier, Paul Bocuse
(Solar, 1977)
Revered by Bill Buford, Eugenie Brazier was the first woman chef to win three Michelin stars and the first to win two sets of three. The most significant "mères" of French cooking." Signature dish: gratinée Lyonnaise. Bill Buford
26 CLASSIC CHINESE COOKBOOK Yan-kit So
(Dorling Kindersley, 1984)
Born in Guangdong province but raised in Hong Kong, before living in India and then London, the late Yan Kit-So was as much cultural historian as cook - she was involved in the oriental antiquities department of the British Museum. This was her first book, an award-winning run through the essentials of authentic Chinese cookery that still stands today.
25 TRADITIONAL SPANISH COOKING Janet Mendel
(Garnet Publishing, 1996)
Journalist Mendel is an American who has lived in southern Spain for more than 30 years, immersing herself in the country's culture and cooking. This is an authoritative blend of both, with little asides – crema catalana is the Father's Day dessert of choice, apparently – making it more than just a thorough compendium of recipes.
24 THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE ART OF MODERN COOKERY Auguste Escoffier
(John Wiley & Sons, 1983)
Exhaustive, 5,000-recipe guide from the father of French food, whose translators, suitably enough, met while working at the Savoy itself, where Escoffier, head of restaurant services, invented the peach melba. Everything is here, from sauces to game, salads to jam, but it's not for novices, and is as much reference book as cookbook.
23 NOSE TO TAIL EATING: A KIND OF BRITISH COOKING Fergus Henderson
(Bloomsbury, 1999)
The book that took Henderson's waste-nothing take on meat-eating worldwide. The philosophy is simple – "If you're going to kill the animal it seems only polite to use the whole thing" – but has proved revolutionary, introducing a generation to rough but beautiful cuts they'd never previously considered, or might even have been a little scared of. Start with the roast bone marrow and parsley salad.
22 THE FOUR SEASONS COOKERY BOOK Margaret Costa
(Thomas Nelson, 1970)
"A guiding light," was how Nigel Slater described Costa in her obituary for the Guardian in 1999. She'd come to prominence by replacing Robert Carrier as the Sunday Times cookery writer, and although this was her only significant book, it's hugely influential. Divided by ingredients – unusual back in 1970 – it proved a key introduction to the now commonplace notion of the absolute importance of sourcing.
21 MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING Julia Child, Simone Beck & Louise Bertholle
(Knopf, 1961)
Two volumes that revolutionised cooking in America, its influence extending into the digital age by inspiring the popular food blog that ultimately led to Oscar-nominated Meryl Streep vehicle Julie and Julia. Perhaps a bit dated – no one would recommend using tinned salmon these days – and not as straightforward as Child's profile as the American Delia might suggest.
20 GOOD THINGS IN ENGLAND Florence White
(Jonathan Cape, 1932)
Founder of the English Folk Cookery Association, White was one of the earliest British journalists to write about food. This pioneering collection of more than 800 recipes, some dating as far back as the 14th century, is the finest expression of White's passion for the nation's cookery, which she believed was "the finest in the world". A lost classic, it was finally republished by Persephone in 1999.
19 THE RICE BOOK Sri Owen
(Doubleday, 1993)
A labour of love and extensive research. Sumatran-born Owen, an authority on Indonesian food, visited a dozen rice growing countries while preparing the definitive volume on the versatile grain. Lovingly packaged, it's a mix of history – rice is part of the creation myth in Java, apparently – and 200 recipes drawn from Afghanistan to Korea.
18 AN INVITATION TO INDIAN COOKING Madhur Jaffrey
(HarperCollins, 1973)
Jaffrey remains synonymous with Indian food for anyone who grew up in the 70s and 80s, her first book curing a nation of ignoramuses of the notion that what they washed down with lager on a Friday night was the same as authentic cooking from the subcontinent.
17 A PLATTER OF FIGS AND OTHER RECIPES David Tanis
(Artisan, 2008)
A favourite of Bill Buford and Thomasina Miers. When he's not head chef at Chez Panisse, Tanis lives in Paris, where he continues to cook, but the same way many of us do, for small groups of friends. These evenings provided the inspiration for the 24 menus here, but reveal something about the author too, taking in his travels to north Africa and the Pacific north-west of the United States.
16 ENGLISH SEAFOOD COOKERY Rick Stein
(Penguin, 1988)
A short, rather slight-looking book that is a real boon when you find yourself unsure of what to do with fish or shellfish. The fish stew with saffron and cream, is recommended. Stein is also good on sauces and other accompaniments: hollandaise, buerre blanc, rouille, and flavoured butters. Rachel Cooke
15 JAMIE'S ITALY Jamie Oliver
(Michael Joseph, 2005)
He may have expanded the nations palates, killed off the turkey twizzler and cried on TV a lot, yet Jamie Oliver's first love was Italian food, and with this book it shows. Assembled from his time haring round the Italian regions it is packed with hearty, flavoursome dishes which are hard to mess up.
14 THE CONSTANCE SPRY COOKERY BOOK Rosemary Hume and Constance Spry
(Dent, 1956)
Includes the original recipe for coronation chicken, invented for Elizabeth's ascent to the throne in 1953 (original domestic goddess Spry also did the flowers in Westminster Abbey). Hume and Spry opened the Domestic Science School in Cranbourne in 1946: the former had more expertise in the kitchen, the latter more celebrity cachet and their book will still help you handle everything from breakfast to cocktail parties.
13 THE COMPLETE ROBUCHON Joel Robuchon
(Grub St, 2008)
It's all here, every quirky piece of orthodox French methodology, mixed in with preparations that are distinctly Robuchon: those buttery mashed potatoes, madeleines that are the best in France ; and a boeuf à la Provencal that, made with cheeks poked with lardons and cooked atop a half-pound of pork rind, may be the only the meaty stew that never dries out. Bill Buford
12 DELIA'S COMPLETE HOW TO COOK Delia Smith
(BBC, 2009)
Such is the power of Delia that her How to Cook TV show is credited with raising sales of cranberries by 200% after they were featured in one recipe on the programme. That common touch is carried over into her books and few do the basics better than this supremely useful 350-recipe, step-by-step guide. If you need something to hold you by the hand, this is it.
11 CHEZ PANISSE MENU COOKBOOK Alice Waters
(Random House, 1982)
Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California was where Alice Waters, champion of all things local and organic, put her vision of seasonal, sustainable cooking into practice when it opened in 1971. The first of many books, this balances her ethos with 120 menus from the restaurant. An influential campaigner, Waters had long been pushing for an organic vegetable garden in the White House and got one in 2008, after writing to Michelle Obama.
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