Find here the ingredients, cooks, techniques and tools that have shaped our love of food in this lavishly illustrated book. The history of food and cooking is the history of civilisation. In today’s world we can get food from just about anywhere, at any time of day, but how many of us know exactly where our much-loved recipes come from, who invented them, and how they were originally prepared? In this richly entertaining book, food writer William Sitwell explores the fascinating history of cuisine from the first cookbook to the first cupcake, from the invention of the sandwich to the rise of food television. His engaging and witty narrative uncovers the earliest recipes tucked within Egyptian tomb walls and medieval manuscripts and shines a light on the many trends and technological innovations that have shaped the way we eat over hundreds of years.

Sustainability is so often made super complex to the extent that it becomes almost unintelligible and can seem completely unachievable. Ollie Hunter’s new book 30 Easy Ways to Join the Food Revolution makes it fun, easy to understand and most importantly achievable. To read my full review, click here.

A highly personal story of a young chef who became a champion of preventing food waste after volunteering at Food Cycle. Shane Jordan writes compassionately and offers lots of practical tips for non-professionals. To read my post that incorporates tips from Shane as well as other chefs on how to reduce your food waste, click here.

To read why glass is the best material for a quiche dish, see our quiche dish review here.

Not a taste we are typically familiar with, Sarsaparilla has notes of vanilla and liquorice. It's sweet, but not too sweet and quite fruity in this liqueur. It's an essential ingredient for my Black Dragon on Fire cocktail. For the recipe click here. 50cl 21% ABV