Apricot & Vanilla Jam

3-4 sterilized jars
1.5kg fresh apricots
Juice of 1 lemon
1 vanilla bean
800g sugar








Cut the fruit in half and remove the pits. Put the fruit with the sugar into a large pot (a jam making pan if you have one). Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and cut into a few segments. Combine the fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla,stir and let sit for a few hours. Cook on a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved all the way. Put the heat up to medium high and boil for 20-25 minutes. I always watch jam carefully to make sure it doesn't boil over. If it starts to look like it might, just rapidly turn down the heat and the jam level should go down. You shouldn't stir while the jam is boiling.

Let the pot sit for 20 mins. Pour into warm sterilised jars. Cover and seal while still hot. Once open, store in the fridge. With vacuum sealed jars, my mom has the tip of turning them upside down to create suction.

If I had to choose

Why, you ask? Well, starting from the top.
*The Cranks bible by Nadine Abensur is the cookbook my family used to inspire their wholefood restaurant called Acorn, in Swindon, England. I loved that restaurant and I have very fond memories of the food. I would recommend Abensur's recipe for butternut squash, green beans, goat cheese, with a maple syrup glaze. Everything in this book is fantastic, although some of the recipes are a little rich for my taste.

*The Moosewood Restaurant by the Moosewood Collective low-fat favorites is a sure bet. I usually refer to this cookbook when I have guests who are vegan, also many of the recipes can be quickly adapted to be vegan if they aren't already. I recommend the tofu vegetable dumplings. The recipe makes 48 dumplings, but trust me they get gobbled up quickly, and are a great snack any time of day. I also love the stuffed baked potato recipe. It's just a simple corn and bean stuffing or spicy broccoli filling, but I enjoy it because it is just plain good.

*If you are looking for a little spice, or a lot of spice, this is the one for you. Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. My husband and I both fell in love with her mango curry recipe. Its amazing. She even explains how to cook the perfect basmati rice every time without burning it. My husband loves to make this dish because it always tastes fantastic and never dissapoints. We have probably made this almost 20 times in the last two years. I also love her sweet potato curry recipe. Its not too spicy, which is perfect for my palate.

*Nigel Slater's Real cooking, is satisfying and simple . My husband has now started to eat meat after 4 years of being a vegetarian. Now I can indulge in some of the foods I love; like really good sausages, roast chicken, and root vegetables. This food is hearty, and straightforward. Nigel Slater has a way of describing the best part of eating-the little crispy bits left over that you just love and have to enjoy.

*The Best Italian Classics by the editors of Cook's Illustrated, helps explain what is the best kind of olive oil, what is the best parmesan, how to make the crispiest and best eggplant parmesan, and also how to make italian cooking more authentic. The authors of this cookbook really test each recipe to produce an excellent result in the kitchen, so if you are having guests over and haven't tried the recipe before, you can be sure that these recipes will deliver.

*The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen is similar to the Mooswood Restaurant cookbook because, she is in fact part of the collective. This cookbook is not low fat, so I use this one when I am making any kind of dessert. I love her recipes for blintzes, she offers quite a few versions of a similar recipe so its easy to give it your own creative spin. The entire cookbook is written out in her handwritting, with handdrawn illustrations and diagrams. I love this. I think she made a fabulous and incredibly artistic cookbook.