Chef’s Favourites

Books, films, restaurants and recipes

Guide

No. 40 • January 2026

If they’re not in their own kitchens, where — and what — do chefs most like to eat? What do they read, watch and listen to? For our ‘Cooking is Caring’ issue, we asked chefs and other familiar names from the culinary world to share a personal favourite – a book, film, track, artwork, restaurant or recipe. Something that inspires them in the kitchen, or has become a cherished ritual beyond it.

Fig 1. Couscous fritters

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Anna Jones

Cookbook: Home Cooking, Laurie Colwin

Cookbook: Home Cooking, Laurie Colwin

Anna Jones, Chef and cookbook author: ‘I came to this book quite late on. Colwin wrote it in 1987 but I only heard about her as recently as ten years ago. Laurie Colwin has such a friendly way of writing – I feel like I know her. In the preface, she talks about the delight of eating with friends, and second to that is the delight of talking about eating. The unsurpassed double whammy, she then says, is talking about eating while you’re eating with friends. Which basically sums up what I like to do most in the world.’

Tip: discover Anna Jones’ latest book Easy Wins, or subscribe to her substack for more recipes.

DOMINIQUE ANSEL

DOMINIQUE ANSEL

Restaurant: Main Street Imperial Taiwanese, New York City

Dominique Ansel, Pastry chef and owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery and creator of the Cronut: ‘This is a wonderful Taiwanese restaurant in Flushing, Queens. It’s my go-to for the most authentic Taiwanese dishes in the city. My wife is Taiwanese, so our kids are Taiwanese and French, and we love to head there on the weekends. As the kids (now 2 and 5) are growing up, it’s been fun watching them learn about their roots and trying all the traditional foods. We always make sure to order the flies’ head (a traditional stir-fry dish with tiny fermented black beans, which resemble flies’ heads), clams & loofah, sesame oil pork kidneys, three cup tofu and Hakka stir-fry, with Chinese celery, pork, and dried squid.’

Tip: follow Dominique Ansel on Instagram and discover his new sweet inventions.

Discover more stories on food and art in our latest issue, See All This #40: Cooking is Caring.