Once I managed to squash the urge to tear out the endpapers and use the colourful, stamp-laden pages as wrapping paper, I got – ahem –’stuck’ right in to’Sun Bread and Sticky Toffee’. Then promptly got waylaid once again, contemplating the evocative location photography by the author and food shots from the ever-stellar Kate Whitaker.

The book’s republishing now in paperback, after some years out of print, is hopefully not an act of doomed bravery by Grubstreet but a timely push back against the tide of food writing rubbish that threatens to engulf us all, even in our Sunday papers. If you don’t already own a copy, now’s your chance to rectify that omission.

Pesto is 150 years old and that jar you have in the fridge is no spring chicken either. Jonny reads the recipe book 

AKA the book I wish I’d penned. And, were I a British-born son of the Subcontinent with a way with a word, a dashing, dandy-ish dress sense, and a slim pencil moustache, I may well have pipped him to the post.

You can keep your Kindle – I love the smell of a book in the morning. I also love the jolt of a spiced Mysore coffee; the divine Parsi scrambled eggs known as akuri; and the crisp-spongy bite of a dosa dipped into creamy coconut chutney.

Making ice cream at home needn’t get you hot and bothered. With a copy of Melt at your side, you can be the coolest cook in the street

In the wake of’Horsegate’ it’s inevitable many people will have a dalliance with vegetarianism, however short-lived. But, as the authors prove, it’s really just more about mindful eating than mealy-mouthed moralising. This pair have got it licked. 

Chic and sun-kissed, Italy’s Amalfi coast nestles between sea and mountain and is home to some seriously delicious food. Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi have created a book that brings a bit of that dolce vita back to the UK and Nick Harman meets Giancarlo to discover more.

Ultimate compliments to the authors in filling a very vacant niche with this enlightening, accessible little number. It’s not aiming to set the world alight – rather, it ignites a slow-burning fondness for this esoteric, undercelebrated cuisine, showcasing a collection of dishes to really put fire in your belly.

The first few times I tried cooking without my Mum holding my hand, culinary disaster ensued. Utensils were flung across the kitchen in fury, and, eventually, takeaways were ordered. If I’d had a book like’MasterChef Cookery Course’ as my guide, I might have been keener to persevere.