I don’t kow how many recipes you make from the cookery books you buy but I gather the average is one or two. So it’s great to have the opportunity to acquire 84 recipes from some of the world’s top chefs for as little as a fiver. And even better to know that over half the proceeds - up to £3 - will go to one of Britain’s biggest charities for the homeless, Crisis.
 
The idea of The Crisis Cookbook was the brainchild of Nick Lander, restaurant critic of the Financial Times who has managed to twist the arm of 28 of the world’s best chefs to supply 3-4 of their favourite recipes. Note I say ‘best’ rather than ‘celebrity’. What I like about this book is that the recipes are supplied by chefs who are respected by their peers rather than simply included because they’re on TV. OK, there’s the world-renowned Ferran Adria (with a recipe for 21st century tortilla that requires 2 iSi 0.5 litre soda siphons charged with nitrous oxide!), Alain Ducasse and Heston Blumenthal but there are also recipes from some of the chefs I most admire including Sam and Sam Clark of Moro, Sally Clarke, Henry Harris, Shaun HIll, Mark Hix, Jeremy Lee, Rowley Leigh and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse.

I plan to work my way steadily through the book over the next few weeks starting, I think with Vineet Bhatia’s Oven Roasted Broccoli, Red Onion and Cumin Kichdi, Sam and Sam Clark’s Leek and Yoghurt Soup and Alice Waters Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Wine novices will also welcome some simple but highly practical advice and tips from Mrs Lander, aka wine writer Jancis Robinson.

You can buy The Crisis Cookbook from branches of Marks and Spencer and Amazon. Give a copy to everyone you know who loves cooking.