From elegant French showstoppers to vibrant Middle Eastern delights and timeless Italian classics, these recipes – from the pages of beloved cookbooks old and new – have helped shape the way we cook at home. Some are rooted in tradition, others reinvent everyday cooking, and all stand out for their unforgettable flavours, lasting influence and enduring appeal. A few are labours of love that are worth the extra effort, while others show that simplicity can be the key to culinary brilliance.
Read on to discover which cookbooks and recipes made our list.
Each recipe in our list comes from a groundbreaking cookbook that changed the way we think about food. From Julia Child’s precise French techniques to Samin Nosrat’s elemental approach to flavour, these authors offered more than instructions – they empowered us to cook with confidence. In selecting these standout recipes, we considered culinary legacy, originality, ease of cooking and enduring popularity. Whether it’s a simple sauce or a celebratory centrepiece, each one of these dishes has earned its place in the modern kitchen canon.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover our ranking of must-try dishes from the world's greatest cookbooks, counting down to the most influential of them all.
Before Julia Child and Claudia Roden, there was Elizabeth David. When her groundbreaking book was published in 1950, it transformed cooking – in post-war Britain and beyond. With rationing still in place, David offered a delicious escape by bringing the vibrant flavours of France, Greece and Italy to home kitchens. Dishes like ratatouille, spanakopita and Toulouse-style cassoulet were unfamiliar to most home cooks at the time, but David’s clear instructions and evocative language inspired a newfound curiosity for the likes of fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic.
In her introduction to this recipe, Elizabeth David takes readers on a regional tour of Italian fish soups, comparing the Genoese burrida, the Livornese cacciucco and the Neapolitan zuppa di pesce before presenting her own take. She begins with a rich fish stock made from a whole cod’s head, white wine and – unusually – orange and lemon peel, alongside classic aromatics. For the soup, she cooks rice in the reduced, strained stock with crushed tomatoes, adding cockles or mussels, prawns and crawfish along with their cooking liquor. In a brilliant finishing touch, she stirs in lemon zest and crushed garlic just a minute before serving, elevating the flavours to something truly memorable.
This genre-defying cookbook may not be as revered as some others on this list, but would our obsession with kimchi and chilli crunch exist without it? Blending Korean American flavours with fine dining techniques, David Chang reveals his irreverent, flavour-packed approach to cooking in this part memoir, part manual. The recipes are irresistibly good – think pork belly buns, Korean fried chicken and endless noodle dishes inspired by his love of instant ramen. The book redefined modern Asian American cooking and quickly became a cult classic, encouraging chefs and home cooks alike to embrace fermentation, experimentation and unapologetic umami.
This recipe is incredibly simple but packs a huge umami punch – the kind that satisfies spicy, savoury cravings in a single bite. The key is in the dressing: a Momofuku 'mother sauce' that David Chang calls 'one of the greatest condiments ever'. Finely slice one to two large bunches of spring onions, then combine with minced ginger, light soy sauce, a neutral oil like grapeseed, kosher salt and sherry vinegar. Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavours to develop (or leave it for up to two days for a deeper intensity). Toss the sauce with steaming hot noodles and crown it with a crispy fried egg. Perfection!
Egyptian-born Claudia Roden’s first cookbook, published in 1968, captured the recipes and stories of her Middle Eastern Jewish community at a time when the region’s cuisine was still largely unfamiliar in the West. With dishes like Lebanese tabbouleh and Syrian lamb kibbe, she revolutionised home cooking and introduced a generation to ingredients such as za’atar, preserved lemons and pomegranate molasses. Precise yet deeply personal, the book became a bestseller, inspired a BBC television series and propelled Roden to international fame.
Choosing just one of the cookbook's dishes for our list was no easy task; many of Roden’s savoury recipes became instant classics (special mention to her parsley and mint tabbouleh). However, this cake stands out for its sheer originality and unbeatable flavour and texture. The secret? Two whole oranges, boiled in their skins and blitzed into a fragrant pulp – a technique later echoed by Nigella Lawson in her recipe for clementine cake. Made with ground almonds instead of flour and set with six eggs, this cake is a moist, rich dessert that perfectly balances citrussy brightness with nutty depth.
Madhur Jaffrey’s An Invitation to Indian Cooking introduced generations of Western home cooks to the depth and variety of Indian cuisine. First published in 1973, the book stood out for Jaffrey’s clear, approachable style and her focus on demystifying authentic ingredients, making complex dishes feel entirely within reach. She had no formal culinary training; Jaffrey taught herself to cook as a child by following her mother’s handwritten recipes. Through the book and her popular BBC television series, she transformed how Indian food was perceived and prepared abroad.
In her book, Jaffrey refers to this dish as 'tandoori-style chicken', noting that even the best-equipped home kitchens can’t replicate the searing heat of a traditional Indian tandoor. Her solution: cut the legs in two and the breasts into four pieces to ensure even cooking. The secret lies in a deeply flavourful marinade – a blend of yogurt, garlic, ginger, green chilli and garam masala – worked deep into slits cut into the meat and left to infuse for up to 24 hours. Turn your oven up to its highest setting, and you’ll get juicy, aromatic chicken with lightly charred edges.
It feels more poignant than ever that one of the world’s most influential cookbooks was written by an Israeli and a Palestinian chef. Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi is a vibrant, deeply personal celebration of the diverse culinary heritage of their shared hometown. Blending Jewish, Arab and Mediterranean influences, it offers more than 100 evocative recipes rooted in tradition. A New York Times bestseller, the book helped to ignite a global passion for Middle Eastern flavours.
Yotam Ottolenghi's books have sold more than five million copies, so when he wrote about a popular North African breakfast dish made with eggs and tomatoes, the world took notice. Shakshuka has since become a brunch staple everywhere – but it's remarkably simple to make at home, and endlessly adaptable depending on what you have to hand. As Ottolenghi puts it: “Eggs are a must, everything else changes with the seasons.” The base starts with olive oil, red bell peppers, garlic, warm spices and a spoonful of harissa. Tomatoes are stewed down until rich and saucy, then soft hollows are made to gently nestle the eggs. Cook until the whites are just set and the yolks remain gloriously runny.
When Dishoom opened in London’s Covent Garden in 2010, it set out to recreate the spirit of old Bombay’s Irani cafés – welcoming, bustling and open all day. Its legions of fans rejoiced when, in 2019, the restaurant's long-awaited cookbook was released, brimming with much-loved recipes from the menu. From the legendary Bacon Naan Roll to Chicken Ruby and Lamb Raan, 'almost everything' was included. More than just a cookbook, it’s a visual feast rich with evocative photography and illustrations, taking readers on a tour of the streets of Mumbai. As chef and food writer Nigel Slater put it: “I've never read a book that has made me look so longingly at my suitcase.”
Dishoom’s house black daal is an indulgent take on the classic Indian dish daal makhani. It’s the first thing Dishoom's executive chef, Naved Nasir, checks when visiting any of the chain's kitchens, where pots of it simmer gently for 24 hours. Thankfully, recreating the recipe at home is far less time-consuming – though it still requires at least four hours to prepare. Start by washing the urad dal (black lentils), then boil them in cold water for two to three hours, until the skins loosen and the interiors soften. After draining, the lentils are simmered again with fresh water and a fragrant spice blend (ginger, garlic, tomato paste, chilli powder and garam masala) until they break down into a creamy consistency. The final flourish? A generous swirl of butter and double cream.
American chef Samin Nosrat’s 2017 book breaks down the art of great cooking into four essential elements: “Salt, which enhances flavour; fat, which amplifies flavour and makes appealing textures possible; acid, which brightens and balances; and heat, which determines the texture of the food.” Once you grasp these principles, Nosrat says, you can cook instinctively – without following a recipe – guided by what’s fresh and in season, a philosophy she honed working at legendary California restaurant Chez Panisse. The book is brought to life by charming illustrations that demystify everything from salt crystals to pastry structure, alongside practical tips and inspired flavour pairings.
One of the book’s most illuminating chapters explores just how much salt is needed to properly season food (spoiler: it’s much more than you think) and the importance of layering salt throughout the cooking process. That concept comes to life in this recipe, featured in Nosrat’s Netflix series, where just buttermilk and salt form a simple yet flavourful brine. She starts by salting the chicken generously and letting it rest for 30 minutes, allowing the seasoning to penetrate. The bird is then submerged in buttermilk mixed with two tablespoons of kosher salt (or four tablespoons of fine sea salt) and left to marinate for 24 hours. Before roasting, most of the buttermilk is removed, resulting in chicken that’s incredibly moist, tender and deeply seasoned.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest cookbooks of all time, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I brought classic French cuisine within the reach of the average American home cook. Published in 1961, it was the result of a collaborative effort between the inimitable Julia Child and her fellow Cordon Bleu alumni, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. The trio broke down intricate techniques into clear, manageable steps, adapting traditional French recipes for the everyday kitchen – and appealing to a growing audience of serious middle-class food enthusiasts.
In the film Julie and Julia, this is the recipe that nearly breaks Amy Adams’ character, but it’s not that hard to master; it just needs time. In Julia Child’s iconic version of boeuf bourguignon, cubes of beef are slowly braised in red wine with bacon, creating a rich, comforting casserole. The slow cooking time should leave the chunks of meat so tender, they can be cut with a spoon – and the bacon fat gives the sauce a deep umami flavour and a silky finish. In classic French fashion, the mushrooms and pearl onions are sautéed separately in butter, then stirred into the strained, reduced sauce.
British culinary queen Nigella Lawson once paid this 1982 classic the ultimate compliment: “If this were the only cookbook you owned, neither you nor those you cooked for would ever get bored.” Marcella Hazan is considered one of the world's foremost experts on Italian cuisine, and she combines technical precision with a refreshing simplicity that makes her recipes accessible. Her region-specific dishes – like slow-simmered Bolognese ragù and roast chicken with lemon – celebrate pure, bold flavours. The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking remains a timeless masterpiece and one of the most influential cookbooks ever written.
Marcella Hazan’s most iconic recipe is also her simplest: a tomato sauce made with ripe or tinned tomatoes, butter, salt, a touch of sugar and a halved onion (never chopped). There’s no olive oil, garlic or herbs; just pure tomato flavour, slowly simmered to silky perfection. Originally created for gnocchi, it's equally perfect with spaghetti or penne. This minimalist sauce may not be incredibly photogenic, but it embodies Hazan’s genius for transforming humble ingredients into gastronomic delights – and once mastered, it might just change the way you eat pasta forever.