Now Is The Season by Laura Faire, softback published by New Holland. ISBN 978-1-86966-316-2, price 16.99 available from www.newhollandpublishers.com

Common sense gardening and cooking combined. Grow, cook in season and eat simple and honest fayre for the table. Each season presents a gardening calendar and a menu. The simple gardening calendar gives what to plant, when to harvest and how to care for your crops. The recipes sound delicious and are easy to cook. I like the sausage and fennel pie for winter and would cook this with my home-made vegetarian sausages. Grapefruit marmalade creme brulee also looks too good to be true. I’m also dying to try Vanilla and Blueberry Tennis Cake. Whilst I like the ‘garden’ angle of this book, many recipes include meat and fish and I thought it had not gone far enough to using what you grow in the garden as a basis for the recipes. However, I did love the concept and many of the recipes I would try. Photography and layout are great.

The Golden Book of Chocolate, hardback published by Apple Press. ISBN 978-1-978-1845432676, price 19.99 available in the UK from www.apple-press.com

If you love chocolate like I love chocolate, you are in for a BIG treat. This book is delicious from cover to cover and a must for all chocaholics. I love this ‘golden’ series with its sumptuous golden slip cover and page ends – it makes you feel like a millionaire. The chocolate millefeuille are scrumptious, choc nut cupcakes to die for, my next make might be Irish cream cake. Whether you like your chocolate to drink, indulge or wallow in, there is enough here to keep you going forever and a day. I like choc marquise, Italian ricotta cake and so much more. Over 300 recipes, that’s almost one for every day of the year. Get your chocolate fix now.

The 150 Healthiest Comfort Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden, softback published by Fair Winds. ISBN 978-1-59233-482-7, price 16.99 available from www.fairwindspress.com

Satisfy your cravings in a healthy way. Includes mains, side dishes, desserts, snacks and breakfasts to indulge without affecting your health adversely. Sound common sense from the man who wants to keep us all healthy. The recipes will help you cut back on sugar, increase fibre in the diet, boost nutrient intake, help with choosing the right fats and generally reduce calorie intake. We all know we need to do it, but often it looks so unappetising. Jonny has worked with nutritionist jeanette Bessinger to produce delicious meals. One downside – recipes with photos please, there are too few photos here.

Food of The Grand Trunk Road by Anirudh Arora & Singh Koli, hardback published by New Holland. ISBN 978-1-84773-968-1, price 19.99 available from www.newhollandpublishers.com

The Grand Trunk Road conjures up bazaars, heat, spices, silks along India’s oldest and longest, much travelled road. This is the taste of India, the real India, with long forgotten recipes from this vibrant route. If you are thinking curry from the local, think again. This book is full of surprises and not what you imagine Indian food to be if you only partake after you have imbibed too much alcohol on a Friday or Saturday night. This is a celebration of Indian food, the people and places along this ancient route. Foods by the road side, egg curry with potatoes, prawn and crab cakes, mustard fish and mango curry, morels in yoghurt sauce, stir fired lotus puffs and peas are just some of the recipes you’ll find. You’ll visit some of the most interesting areas in India with a brief guide to each region telling us how the cuisine of each region has developed or altered. The photography creates the right atmosphere. This is a delightful book for anyone interested in learning about or cooking Indian food.

The Cookiepedia by Stacy Adimando, hardback, spiral bound published by Quirk. ISBN 978-1-59474-535-5, price 11.99 available in the UK from www.newhollandpublishers.com

No more cookies said Andy Williams to the Cookie bear – that dates me I guess. However Andy obviously had not met Stacy, who I am sure would have shared her cookies with the Cookie bear. You might have to share your cookies too – there’ll be plenty around with this fabulous book. This book is full of cookie recipes – buttery, choclatey, fancy, fruity, spicy, nutty and seedy. Can you think of any more? Get the basics and get cookie making. Super easy to understand, clean and easy to use layout, good photos and great instructions. It is American and Stacy does use cups – I can hear all British cooks screaming uncontrollably. However, there is a conversion chart at the back. I fancy some lemon chewies, fig bars, alfajores -oh well, I’ll probably make them all. You can have your cookie and eat it.

The Golden Book of Desserts, hardback published by Apple Press. ISBN 978-1-84543-428-1, price 20.00 available from www.apple-press.com

A heavyweight in book terms, this is a thick yet small format book. Owing to its 250 fabulous recipes, it is difficult to hold open and juggle ingredients and keep your place at the same time. Yet I know, like me, you will want to struggle. Not only does this book have just about every recipe you will ever need, the recipes are illustrated and include many step by step sequences explaining basic techniques. How about raspberry meringue roulade, raspberry and ricotta crepe parcels or two-toned zuccotto to name a few recipes. I love the touch of gold wrap around the cover – it’s luxurious. Other good points are preparation times and skill levels. The golden book of baking has been on my shelf a while – I love it and this is going to be its companion. I’m just off to make Berry Tiramisu for tea.

Essential Desserts, softback published by Murdoch Books. ISBN 978-1-7426-6092-9, price 14.99 available from www.murdochbooks.com.au

This book is so scrumptious I want to eat it. It shows you the skills you need like making perfect shortcrust pastry. Each recipe is beautifully photographed. The recipes themselves are great, I don’t know what to make first – I could be making desserts every day for over half a year. The recipes include step by step and clear instructions. There aren’t many I don’t want to try  from pies to pastries, cheesecakes to trifles and incredible chocolate creations – this book sings desserts. This book should be on the shelf in every home.

Easy Eats Vegetarian, softback published by Murdoch Books. ISBN 978-1-7426-6510-8, price 7.99 available from www.murdochbooks.com.au

Like a notebook of your favourite vegetarian recipes, this book contains over 100 everyday ideas. It includes snacks, salads and soups and mains. Concentrating on fresh produce, the idea is to produce recipes full of flavour. Influences come from the Middle East and Asia. There are lots of good recipes here, I just wish there were photos of the finished meals instead it is nicely illustrated with drawings.

Cake Style by Annie Dam, softback published by Search Press. ISBN 978-1-84448-780-6, price 12.99 available from www.searchpress.com

This book is simply delicious from cover to cover. From Violet Scrolls to the Wedding Cake, Annie brings us a selection of fantastic cakes to make at home for any special occasion. The book explains the skills and techniques necessary for cake decorating. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Instructions are easy to follow and you’ll soon be making and even designing your own cakes. Complete instructions are included for a variety of cakes that are all exquisitely photographed. If you are thinking of taking up cake decorating as a career or simply enjoy making and baking for friends and family, you should buy this book. Eat your heart out.

Cook School by Amanda Grant, hardback published by Ryland Peters. ISBN 978-1-84975-135-3, price 14.99 available from www.rylandpeters.com

Help your child to learn how to cook. More than 50 recipes are included and you can get your child involved from the age of three. This book fills a much needed gap between play and learning to cook for real. Recipes have been graded for three age groups. Make a positive contribution to your child’s life skills. The book covers essential cooking skills and your child will benefit from the fun of taking part. The recipes are suitable for children to make and are scrumptious and wholesome. Red dip, stuffed peppers, pizza, berry crunch, herby scrambled eggs, minty lamb couscous, soup and much more. Children will be delighted with their new found skills and you’ll be proud of their achievements. This book is filled with beautiful photography and appropriate recipes. I only wish I had had a copy when my son was growing up. It’s great.