First out on the red carpet is Marcus Wareing who takes on meat, showing you how to do everything from boning to carving. Next in line, Charlie Trotter, who makes cooking seafood manageable with practical guides for filleting, frying, poaching and roasting. Peter Gordon tackles flavouring food while Paul Gayler introduces all the basic sauce making techniques. Shimmering along behind comes Pierre Hermé making flaky light pastries and doughs.

The Cook's Book is a detailed reference tool and a worthy addition to any kitchen bookshelf, though it'll have to be a sturdy one to take the weight of this great tome. The editor, Jill Norman, has sought to make it as comprehensive as possible to cover every aspect of cooking. Whether you are looking to section an octopus, joint a chicken or make the perfect bread, you'll find it here. Every technique is illustrated with step-by-step photographs and there are practical answers on what to do if you've gone wrong.

As well as being able to instruct, this book also has the ability to inspire. A welcome surprise is the chefs have been persuaded to share the recipes for a few of their signature dishes. There are also tempting introductions to world cuisines. Ken Hom charts Chinese cooking, Atul Kochhar introduces Indian and David Thompson takes on Thai. These are perfect tasters to all there is to discover.

For breadth and clarity of content, this book is a winner. While it may be a rather dry choice if you want culinary inspiration, if you're after the ultimate practical cookbook this would have be a serious contender.