A recipe for rivalry: how to select the perfect cookbook

Ottolenghi: The Cookbook (Ebury, £25)
When it hit the shelves in 2008, this book fast became a must-have, providing smug conversation points at dinner parties. ‘Oh, have you tried such-and-such by Ottolenghi? It’s diviiiiine.’ Back then, the exotic ingredients, from camargue rice to labneh, were hard to source. Nowadays, it’s just a case of nipping to the local Waitrose. But showing-off aside, you can’t fault the gorgeous, gutsy and still trendy dishes.

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Pitt Cue Co: The Cookbook (Mitchell Beazley, £20)
The trend for ‘dude food’ shows no sign of abating, with Deep South dishes (and Pitt Cue Co) right at its heart. The Soho diner is tiny and a bit of a pain to get into. Much better instead to treat your mates at home with some of the best barbecue cooking this side of Mississippi. This new book teaches you how to turn the right cut of meat into a sticky, calorific heap of joy. There are kick-ass cocktails too – because if you’re going to slow-marinade something, you’re going to need a drink to keep you busy.

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Short & Sweet by Dan Lepard (Fourth Estate, £25)
Okay, we’re cheating a little here, because this isn’t really ‘from the archives’ – it came out in 2011. But it’s such a timeless instructional that it ought to be in the reference section of every cake-maker’s kitchen library. The work of Aussie food writer Dan Lepard, it covers a wide range of sweet things (plus a few savouries), building on basic recipes to help guide newbies as well as challenge proficent bakers. 

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Great British Bakeoff: Everyday (BBC Books, £20)
The hit ‘reality baking’ series GBB has spawned a number of cookbooks, featuring Mary Berry’s oven prowess and Paul Hollywood’s way with bread, but sadly without the droll asides from co-presenters Mel and Sue. This latest book, (which includes contributions from contestants), focuses on everyday recipes with 100 easy-to-make bakes from lemon shortbread to peach tiramisu.

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Moro: The Cookbook (Ebury, £20)
Acclaimed Exmouth Market restaurant, Moro, takes its inspiration from Spain and the Muslim Mediterranean – it’s what owners Sam and Sam Clark (yes, his-and-hers Sams) describe as the saffron-cinnamon route. This book, which sparked a new trend for restaurant cookbooks when it was published in 2003, offers simple recipes (Lebanese spring veg soup, for example) as well as more technical ideas such as shaping a cylindrical kebab. 

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Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £25)
Ceviche, the citrus-cured fish dish, takes centre stage at the brilliant London restaurant of the same name. This off-shoot book is more genuinely instructive than your typical ‘restaurant cookbook’, and will have you rustling up the signature ceviches and anticuchos (marinaded meat or fish skewers) before you know it. Owner Martin Morales’ passion for his country’s cuisine practically leaps off the page – as does the incredible food photography. 

Click here to buy 'Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen'