Cook books · Little-known, much-loved
Niche gems
Food writing and specialist books with a loyal following: the ones cooks press on their friends.
- 11 books
- 3 award-winners
- UK & US Amazon links
Each book has a short review in our own words and a link to Amazon; award notes appear only where a winners' list confirms them.
- Last Dinner on the Titanic
- A Dictionary of Japanese Food
- Nose to Tail Eating
- Honey from a Weed
- An Omelette and a Glass of Wine
- The Gastronomical Me
- The River Cafe Cook Book
- Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book
- English Food
- The Art of the Tart
- Edible Flowers
Book links go to Amazon (affiliate links). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Last Dinner on the Titanic
Rick Archbold & Dana McCauley · 1997
From our old book list
The menus served on the liner's last night, adapted for home cooks, with the history of each class of passenger. As our reader said years ago, it is a history book and a recipe book in one.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Last Dinner on the TitanicIn the US? amazon.com
A Dictionary of Japanese Food
Richard Hosking · 1996
Recognised at the André Simon Awards, 1997
From our old book list
A Japanese–English dictionary of ingredients and dishes, with notes on how each is prepared and eaten. There are no recipes, but it is a treasure-chest of detail for anyone serious about Japanese food.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : A Dictionary of Japanese FoodIn the US? amazon.com
Nose to Tail Eating
Fergus Henderson · 1999
André Simon Food Book Award, 1999
The St John restaurant book that brought offal and frugal British cooking back into fashion, with roast bone marrow and parsley salad. Short, funny recipes with a cult following among chefs.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Nose to Tail EatingIn the US? amazon.com
Honey from a Weed
Patience Gray · 1986
Recipes and essays from years living in remote parts of Tuscany, Catalonia, Naxos and Apulia. A cult classic of food writing about simple, seasonal, foraged food.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Honey from a WeedIn the US? amazon.com
An Omelette and a Glass of Wine
Elizabeth David · 1984
Elizabeth David's collected journalism: essays, reviews and recipes from four decades. The perfect bedside book for any cook.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : An Omelette and a Glass of WineIn the US? amazon.com
The Gastronomical Me
M. F. K. Fisher · 1943
Fisher's memoir of hunger, love and meals in America and France in the 1920s and 30s. Some of the finest food writing in English.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : The Gastronomical MeIn the US? amazon.com
The River Cafe Cook Book
Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers · 1995
From our old book list
The first book from the Hammersmith restaurant that changed how Britain thinks about Italian food: simple recipes, great ingredients. Kept from our old list.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : The River Cafe Cook BookIn the US? amazon.com
Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book
Jane Grigson · 1978
André Simon Award, 1978; Jane Grigson: James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, 2009
An A–Z of vegetables, from artichokes to yams, with history, folklore and recipes for each. Still one of the most useful and readable vegetable books.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Jane Grigson's Vegetable BookIn the US? amazon.com
English Food
Jane Grigson · 1974
Grigson's collection of English recipes, from potted shrimps to syllabub, with the history behind them. A gentle corrective to the idea that English food is dull.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : English FoodIn the US? amazon.com
The Art of the Tart
Tamasin Day-Lewis · 2000 · 2003 edition
From our old book list
Sweet and savoury tarts, from smoked haddock to treacle, plus favourite tarts from other cooks. Kept from our old list; the smoked haddock tart is as good as we said.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : The Art of the TartIn the US? amazon.com
Edible Flowers
Kitty Morse · 1995 · 2015 edition
From our old book list
A small, pretty guide to growing and cooking with edible flowers, from nasturtiums to lavender, with safety notes and recipes. Kept from our old list.
View on Amazon UKView on Amazon US : Edible FlowersIn the US? amazon.com
New guide 1 November 2026. Awards checked against published winners' lists; Amazon listings checked on 1 November 2026.