Have you tried working from a recipe that’s on a Kindle? Ebooks are not ever practical when read in the kitchen, all those greasy stains that personalise a cookery book and make it your own do nothing to enhance a Kindle. I have several dog-eared books in my kitchen that automatically open at certain recipes. Kindles don’t do that, nor are they weighty tomes filled with glorious coloured photographs that are so appealing you feel compelled to begin cooking straight away.

Our love affair with cookery books, which helps them retain their popularity while other books are giving in to the Kindle, has never been better. More than £87m was spent on them last year. Five years ago this sector of the market was worth £20m.

My favourite cook book this year is The Art of Pasta (by Lucio Gaffetto & David Dale, Grub Street Press, £25), which combines the talents of an artist and a photographer, who collaborate to produce the most scrumptious pictures and restaurateur Lucio Gaffetto’s mouth-watering pasta recipes put together in a book by journalist David Dale. This is a book that cries out to be read and will make a splendid Christmas gift for the cook in your life.

The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook by Emily Ansara Baines (Adams Media, £16.99) is a delightful collection of recipes for both those who dine upstairs and those who eat downstairs. The recipes are broken down into ‘Dining with the Crowleys’ and ‘Sustenance for the staff’ and include spicy classic kedgeree which is enjoyed by both staff and family, Mrs Patmore’s downstairs pork pie and lobster with Mornay Sauce which is a rich dish served only to discerning guests. If you enjoyed the TV series, you will undoubtedly enjoy this book.

Tan Rosie’s Caribbean Supper Club by Monica Cudjoe and Lee Sylvester (Tan Rosie’s foods, £8.99) is available both as a paperback and on Kindle. This is the book you need if you fancy traditional and authentic Caribbean dishes such as curried goat, chicken roti, or bajan beef stew. This little book would make an fine stocking filler — visit www.tanrosie.com Gifts from Your Kitchen by Deborah Nicholas (Spring Hill an imprint of How to Books Ltd, £14.99) includes some recipes that will cleanse and smooth the skin, such as coconut body balm, oat body scrub, and rose hand cream. It contains lots of delicious goodies too, which when wrapped in festive paper, tissue, clear glass or food bags and decorated with coloured ribbons can make great gifts.

I realise we should not judge a book by its cover but The Turkish Cookbook – Regional Recipes and Stories by Nur Ilkin and Sheilah Kaufman (Grub Street Press, £25) really does look impressive. This collection of recipes represents the finest authentic Turkish recipes. Turkish cuisine is said to be one of the four major cuisines in the world. This book provides a superb collection of dishes that will not fail to inspire those who get as excited by the photographs as the combination of ingredients.

One of Britain’s most respected food writers, Sybil Kapoor, gives us a scrumptious book. Simply Baking (National Trust, £25) brings together an inspiring collection of simple modern baking recipes that have influenced British baking for centuries. Recipes include strawberry cream cakes, blackcurrant meringue pie and chocolate violet éclairs.

Members of the Oxford Concert Party who bring high-quality music to us all have come up with their own cookery book The Convivial Cookbook (published by Oxford Concert Party, £8.50). Over the years their work has taken them to prisons, immigration centres, hospices, day centres, schools and isolated communities. Now they have put together a charming little cookery book to celebrate their 20 years of making music.