It's is a new addition to my collection this week, but trust me, there are plenty of books to go. Cooking by Jeremy Lee is a great book with wonderful recipes. There are no pretentious, silly little things that take weeks to prepare here; it is just proper food, well-sourced and simply served. From his chicken, leek and tarragon pie, sardines on toast with a fried egg, to some very good baking and delicious-sounding biscuits plus instructions on how to create a steam pudding. 

Jeremy is a fellow Scot. He hails from Dundee and is an absolute hoot: larger-than-life, full of energy and very loud. He has a great personality. He’s chef/proprietor at Quo Vadis in Soho, London and dusts a sprinkle of Scottishness on his menus. I went to Terra Madre with Slow Food in 2006 and he was part of our group, and we shared many happy times and meals. An ex-chef of mine, Calum, who comes from Clachtoll up the west coast, is now cooking with him at Quo Vadis.

I am new to the book so haven’t tried any of the recipes yet, but the classics are there. This book covers a lot, and it is a book you will use, with beautiful photography and illustrations.