Bakers, ready? Let's bake! With flour, sugar, butter... and an oven, you'll have something delicious on the table in no time (well, as soon as it's cooked). In this baking bible, Nicola Lamb explains everything you need to know about the basics of baking. She teaches you all about structure, texture, colour and flavours, and what to do if your batter starts to curdle. From sweet to savoury, you'll find it all in this baking bible: lemon cheesecake, tiramisu, meringue tarts and even spiced pumpkin buns!

Flour, Sugar, Butter

There's something about those uber-handsome (and slim, but that's besides the point) young self-taught chefs from our country (there's another one below) who not only have taste that hits the taste buds, but are also stunning with their own formal and casual looks. And to top it all off: the subject's chef, Pien Wekking, has also translated this into not one but two beautiful cookbooks with – duh – delicious recipes (just a 'how to make it about me in between: both books are works designed by 'our' Tara van Munster, or the best art director of the country, which is also responsible for the majority of our books – sorry, we couldn't resist). The most important part of the story of course: the recipes. What do we think about that? A lot, but we especially think it is very clever and nice that Pien shows her food and serves many different home chefs: from a easy pie overflowing salad to complicated meat dishes that can take a day to prepare. And then steal the show during your home dinner. Or for yourself with a plate on the couch because that is also Pien. Pien shows her food

The Silver Spoon, one of the most influential and successful Italian cookbooks of the past 50 years, was originally published in 1950. Since its release, the book has become an instant classic and has become a permanent fixture in many household kitchens.

The book contains a good dose of nostalgia. All those years ago, a select group of cooking experts were tasked with collecting hundreds of traditional Italian recipes and making them available for the first time to a wider, modern audience. In the process, they adapted ingredients, quantities and methods to contemporary tastes and customs, while at the same time preserving the memory of ancient recipes for future generations. They even include modern recipes from some of Italy's most famous chefs. The book teaches you how to put together a traditional Italian meal, typical food traditions of the different regions and how to set the table.

fun fact: this book is also seen as the culinary Italian Bible and the book has been used since the fifties traditionally newlyweds given as a wedding gift.

Man, this is such a great book. So many fun and tasty dishes, from Thailand to India to Vietnam and more. Meera Sodha's East has recipes for the novice cook, but there is certainly enough for chefs who spend more time in the kitchen. Some recipes only have three ingredients (udon noodles with egg yolk and soy sauce), others have an intimidating list of herbs and spices (but not as crazy and intimidating as Ottolenghi's). An absolute favorite is the vegan white miso ramen with edamame and tofu. Vega(n) broths are often, to be honest, less tasty than the meat variant (because how tasty is beef broth). That gets short shrift in East in this ramen recipe. There's umami, sweet, sour, garlic, heat from the ginger, depth – best vegan broth ever. It seems like a long shopping list, but you throw most of it straight into the blender and that does most of the work.