A new cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi unites their culinary memories from their shared historic home city of Jerusalem.

Ruth Pretty's five cookbooks, weekly columns and cooking classes are loved well beyond her Wellington home.

After the Christmas feast comes Boxing Day, so what's the best way to use up leftovers in a tasty way, and try to return to a healthy diet?

Bill Granger should be a busy boy - he has 3 restaurants in Sydney, 4 in Japan and the hottest new breakfast spot in London to run, has chalked up 10 cookbooks and the TV series to go with them, and started a weekly column with the Independent on Sunday.

Serves 8. 300g (2 cups) plain flour. 30g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes. 1 Tbs brown sugar. 2 tsp baking powder. 125g unsalted butter, softened.

Serves 4. 3 garlic cloves, peeled. 1 tsp cumin seeds. 1 Tbs roughly chopped oregano leaves. ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes. finely grated zest and juice of ½ orange.

Let's face it - it really isn't summer unless the air is thick with the heady aroma of charcoal-infused food and the sweet sound of a sizzling grill-plate, jam-packed with a raft of delicious treats.

Serves 4. 1 cup steamed edamame beans - peeled. 3 radishes, finely sliced. ¼ watermelon, peeled, deseeded and diced. 100g feta, crumbled. 2 Tbs olive oil, plus 1 Tbs extra for grilling the salmon. Juice and finely grated zest of one lime.

Serves 4. Garlic oil: 2 cloves garlic, 2 tsp fresh thyme, 200ml extra virgin olive oil. Salad: 200g broad or green beans, 1 eggplant, 1 red capsicum, 1 yellow capsicum, 3 courgettes, 100g buffalo mozzarella.

Toast slices of day old bread, one side only. The bread needs to be reasonably rustic, eg, a country style loaf. Slice strawberries and pile these on to the untoasted side of the bread. Sift a good amount of icing sugar over the fruit.

I’m a big fan of Christmas pudding with custard and cream followed by a dish of trifle after Christmas dinner. However, the stomach has its limits! I can almost feel mine groaning at the thought of it.

Softened butter to grease an oven tray, ¼ cup water, 1 cup white sugar, ½ cup light corn syrup, 1½ cups raw peanuts, ½ cup pecan nuts, ½ tsp salt, 2 Tbs butter, 1 tsp baking soda

Makes approximately 20. 20 fresh cherries, 50ml brandy, 100g butter, ½ tin condensed milk, ½ cup white chocolate, chopped, 375g crushed wine biscuits

This recipe needs to be made a day ahead. 400g dark chocolate - at least 60 per cent cocoa solids, 200ml cream, Zest of one orange, plus a little extra to garnish, 2½ Tbs crystallised ginger, finely chopped

Serves 6: 35g (cup) rice flour, 750ml (3 cups) milk, Pinch of salt, 55g (cup) sugar, 80g (cup) round almonds, 1 Tbsp rosewater, Pistachios or almonds, to serve, Pomegranate seeds

Serves 8-10: 125g (cup) butter, preferably unsalted, 170g (cup) caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 2 eggs, 250g (2 cups) fine semolina (farina), 1 tsp baking powder, tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 185g (cup) plain yoghurt

The divine Ruth Pretty is a force to reckoned with, and I mean that in the most complimentary way.

When making small sandwiches, be generous with the filling and seasoning as the sandwich only has one or two bites to make a lasting impression.