MARIE-CLAIRE DIGBYselects the food books of the year that got us talking, and cooking in 2012

Grande Table, Petite Cuisine by Trish Deseine, photographs by Deirdre Rooney (Marabout, €39)

You’ll probably have to order this from Amazon, as it’s in French, but the design and imagery are captivating enough to justify the purchase. Even if you have only rusty, school French, you’ll be able to read it and work from it. Entertaining at home, in a modern way, is the theme. As well as recipes, there are glimpses of the home kitchens and the entertaining styles of a variety of trendsetters, such as writer Tom Williams and his fiancée, Norwegian food writer Signe Johansen (pictured above).

Signature dish: Lemon Cognac cake, apple butter

Salt Sugar Smoke by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley, £20) Northern Ireland-born Henry is one of the most admired food writers around, with good reason as her books are always incredibly well researched, often over a period of years and many miles travelled. “For three years, I preserved food every day, often all day long and well into the evening,” she says. That’s why we believe her and are inspired by her. Don’t be put off by the title, it’s not just jams, jellies and gravlax you’ll find in these pages, it’s much more far-reaching . Signature dish: Smoked maple and bourbon chicken

Gok Cooks Chinese by Gok Wan (Penguin Michael Joseph, £20)

If you’re wondering what a fashion stylist is doing writing a cookbook (and tie-in tv show), it’s all down to Poppa Wan, Gok’s father, a chef and takeaway proprietor. Showing just how easy it is to make home-style Chinese food can’t have been good for the family business; you can throw away those takeaway menus now. These are recipes that really work and most take only minutes to prepare. Signature dish: Beef in fragrant black bean sauce

Ard Bia Cook Book by Aoibheann Mac Namara and Aoife Carrigy (Atrium, €39)

You have to search quite hard to find the authors’ names in this big, bold book, and the people photographed within it all have their face obscured in some way. This all points to the fact that this is a collaborative effort, celebrating 10 years of one of Galway’s best-loved restaurants. The recipes are vibrant and cosmopolitan, while being respectful of good ingredients. The extensive pantry section is full of building blocks of flavour that you’ll return to again and again.

Signature dish: Harissa-spiced lamb rump with bean tabouleh

Annie Bell’s Baking Bible by Annie Bell (Kyle Books, £25)

The words “triple-tested” are just what you want to read on the front of a baking book, to give you the confidence to tackle the temptations within. There are cakes and sweet treats for every occasion here, 200 of them in total, with the emphasis on classics, rather than novelties.

Signature dish: Original Victoria sponge cake

The Food of Spain: A Celebration by Claudia Roden (Penguin Michael Joseph, £25)

Five years in the making, this encyclopaedic doorstopper retains a lightness of touch that prevents it becoming too worthy. Historical, cultural and regional contexts are explored in detail before you ever get to a recipe, which makes for a more informed cook. But if you do skip straight to the cooking, you’ll still get enough background to keep you on the right track. Fabulous photographs and gorgeous illustrations will make you imagine the heat of the sun on your back.

Signature dish: Hake in green sauce

Polpo. A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts) by Russell Norman (Bloomsbury, £25) Definitely the design classic of 2012, with its concertina spine that allows it to lie completely flat when open. The author’s London restaurant empire may be expanding, and broadening its scope, but there’s a feeling, in these pages, that the Venetian small-plates style of eating that is at the heart of Polpo is his favourite. His devotion is such that he had an octopus tattooed onto his back.

Signature dish: Spicy pork and fennel polpette

Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Ebury, £27)

Exotic, exciting, engrossing . . . there are lots of reasons to buy this beautiful collection of recipes that reflects the rich tapestry of Jerusalem’s culinary heritage. With Ottolenghi’s German/Italian Jewish roots and Tamimi’s Palestinian Muslim origins, this was always going to be a diverse exploration of the city’s cuisine. Half-remembered flavours of childhood, family favourites, and new ideas from the talented duo sit happily together on these pages. Signature dish: Chermoula aubergine with bulgar and yoghurt

The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater (Fourth Estate, £30)

A great big read to be dipped into repeatedly, or devoured in one long, greedy session. Slater polarises opinion on TV, but in print, he’s peerless. There’s an undertone of austerity in this volume that suits the times we’re in. Cheaper cuts of meat, pulses, grains and beans are treated in ways that make them things of beauty; leftovers outperform their origins and there’s a recurring homage to the not so simple sandwich.

Signature dish: Nigel's chocolate muscovado banana cake