All About My Favourite Cookbooks

It's hard to track down the way of my having begun to be a reader, because there were many influences throughout my life. But I can definitely pin point the time when I became a book lover and started to appreciate the object of a book itself. As many a love interest, it all started in the kitchen. I have always loved cooking and baking, but when I turned eighteen, I became absolutely obsessed with it. There were times when I baked two cakes a day and four baking trays of cookies to top it up. I also used to fill huge boxes with many variations of my Christmas cookies and then persuade my parents to take me around and gifted our neighbours in the village we used to resident with them. Ah, those dear old times. I still remember the twitch in my hands when I was eager to go and try some new recipe. I had scarcely made any dish or baked goods twice; I loved to experiment. Whereas nowadays I just like to stick to my absolute favourites. 
To spice up my usual repertoire time to time, though, I love to look for an inspiration in my cookbooks, which I acumulated a tons of them throughout the years. I used to look up recipes on the internet too, but my expirience was that they sometimes didn't work quite right. And they never filled me with such a comforting feeling, as the mere flipping through a cookbook with colourful pictures printed on a glossy paper never ceased to do. If I am being totally honest with you, browsing through a cookbook is actually my most favourite part of the whole cooking process. This hasn't changed from my teen years. Whenever I feel stressed out, uninspired and tired from work, or suddenly find everyday life simply unbearable, I always make myself a cup of tea and sit down with one of my favourite cookbooks. Sometimes even the idea of my preparing one of the recipes is enough to make me feel much better. In this post I am going to share with you my eight favourite cookbooks with the most delicious meals and sweets, that I found myself coming back to the most...

Fast, Fresh, Simple by Donna Hay - This is one of the very first cookbooks I bought in English language. And Donna Hay not only taught me to cook fantastic meals, but also influenced me in the beginning of my learning English. I love her kitchen because her recipes are very fast and simple, just as the title of her cookbook suggests, but at the same time she manages to make them look elegant and impressive on the plate. Her dishes are perfect for the times when you want your weekday dinners look appealing, but don't have much energy or time to cook intricate meals...

Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson - I have a soft spot for Nigella. She's my favourite cook and an absolute goddess in my eyes. I adore her decadent cooking and her lovely attitude. When I was a begginer in the kitchen, some of the cooks terrified me with their cutting skills etc. Whereas Nigella always made it seem easy and effortless. She seemed to be genuinely happy behind the stove, and a bit of spilled milk never disturbed her, which I absolutely loved about her. She taught me what the home cooking should be about and how to approach it. And therefore became the most influencial cook in my life. This specific book I actually bought for my grandmother before I started to cook myself. I borrowed it from her some eight years ago and never gave it back. Because it just happened to be my all time favourite cookbook by Nigella. I am a terrible person, I know. Some of these days I will buy me a new copy and return this one to my grandmother, I promise...

Jamie's America by Jamie Oliver - My first recolection of Jamie Oliver dates back when I was ten yeras old. I watched his cooking shows every weekend with my mother, who took an exceptional liking to him. He greatly transformed her cooking philosophy back then, and some years later influenced mine too. Even though I love his cooking shows, for he talks about food in such a charming way, I love his cookbooks even more, for he writes them with such a passion, and every one of them carries a little story of his life, too. This particular one I bought on my trip to America. And it was a great buy, since it containes the very best recipe for Peach Cobbler I ever tasted...

Dinner with Mr Darcy by Pen Vogler - This is an absolute gem in my cookbook collection. As you may know, I am a huge fan of Jane Austen writings, and this cookbook allows me to taste the time, in which her novels take place. It contains a whole set of amazing recipes for every occasion, and each of them is completed with a beautiful picture. I especially fancy the recipe for Gingerbread cookies, which are perfectly delicious and sweetly old-fashioned looking. The cookbook is devided into sections that include recipes inspired by individual works of Jane Austen. From this book you can also learn something about the mealtimes or table arrangements of the Regency era...


Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson - My grandmother (the same one I stole the previously mentioned Nigella's cookbok from) had been working in Italy for many years. And since I was eight years old I had spent every summer there with her. She cooked delicious Italian meals and showed me every secret of Italian cuisine that she learned from local people. Thus it's no surprise that Italian kitchen has always been my favourite. This cookbook by Nigella is all about Italian cooking, which is why I tend to pick it up from my bookshelf so often. If you're a pasta lover, you decidedly can't miss this one...

Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook - I have a thing for Christmassy cookbooks, as you can probably tell. There's just something incredibly comforting about them, don't you think? This one came out only last year, and it sums up all of the Jamie Oliver's cooking years. I was greatly pleased to find some of my old favourites, such as Salmon En Croute, as well as a banch of brand new recipes in there. This cookbook feels very personal, for there are family pictures scattered throughout, and all of the recipes include short forewords by Jamie, which are interlaced with love. If you'd like to buy only one book by Jamie Oliver, it's got to be this one...

The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook by Kate Macdonald and L. M. Montgomery - You can't imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this book. I've always wanted to know what ingredients Anne's Liniment Cake contained or how to make the Raspberry Tarts that girls of Avonlea school used to share with each other. Consequently, this cookbook inspired by the beloved Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Mongomery was like a dream come true for me. It only came out in September, so it is the newest addition to my collection, but I love it already, and simply had to include it to this list. The recipes in this book are inspired by the books as well as the author of the series herself. I can't recommend this darling cookbook enough. It's an absolute treat...

Giada's Kitchen by Giada de Laurentiis - Giada is my latest favourite. No other cook ever came to my life after her. I discovered her shortly before my trip to America in 2012 and became completely obsessed with her. I bought three of her cookbooks when in America and almost ended up paying for the overweight of my luggage because of that. But I don't regret it at all, for Giada's charming half-Italian half-American recipes have enriched many a family reunion in our house. I especially recommend her Red Pepper Cheesecake and Pecorino Crackers...