Josceline Dimbleby

Josceline Dimbleby

Food writer
https://www.joscelinedimbleby.com
Biography

Josceline Dimbleby was brought up both abroad and in England. She trained as a singer at the Guildhall School of Music but then became one of Britain’s most popular food writers for over forty years. Her cookery books have sold well over 2 million copies in the UK alone, and been translated into many languages. Her first book A Taste of Dreams, published in 1976, won the Andre Simon Award for the best cookery book of the year. Since then she has published seventeen cookery books and was cookery correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper for 15 years, winning a Glenfiddich Award for her pieces on India and the Far East. A complete change from anything she had done before was A Profound Secret — a biographical family mystery spanning 100 years, which included her great grandmother’s secret relationship with the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. It was published in hardback in March 2004 to great critical acclaim, and a year later in the US, together with a UK and US paperback. Josceline continues to travel widely, writes occasionally on travel and food for various publications, gives live talks and contributes to television and radio programmes. Her book Orchards in the Oasis:Recipes, Travels and Memories was published in October 2010 and won the Kate Whiteman Award for Work on Food and Travel at the Guild of Food Writers Awards in June 2011. Her revised 1980’s bestseller Marvellous Meals with Mince was published by Quadrille in September 2012.

Read More
Josceline's recommendations
A Book of Middle Eastern Food

A Book of Middle Eastern Food

Claudia Roden

I had this book early on, when my childhood in Syria and the tastes I loved there was still vivid. Claudia is not only a brilliant and inspiring writer; her recipes are also completely reliable as she tests them out herself in her own kitchen which should be a must for guiding the home cook and is by no means usual now in today’s chef and TV cook’s world. This like all Claudia’s books is for reading as well as cooking.

First Slice Your Cookbook

First Slice Your Cookbook

Arabella Boxer

The first cookery book I had when I first started cooking. Although I already wanted to try out ideas of my own these simply explained, dependable and always good tasting recipes was a valuable guide.

Turkish Cooking

Turkish Cooking

Irfan Orga

I first went to Turkey in the early 1960’s and was entranced and moved by Irfan Orga’s Portrait of a Turkish Family so Turkish Cooking by Irfan Orga has remained a book which reminds me of his sad story in which food still played such a part.

Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book

Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book

Jane Grigson

This and her Fruit Book are wonderful reference books to give ideas for cooking any vegetables and fruit you may have, with excellent recipes.

Jane Grigson's Fruit Book

Jane Grigson's Fruit Book

Jane Grigson

I met Jane in 1976 when I’d just brought out my first cookery book A Taste of Dreams and we remained close friends until her death. She was wonderfully encouraging to me in the early days and sometimes used my recipes, with acknowledgement of course, in books of hers so that they reached a wider public.

Jams, Chutneys, Preserves, Vinegars and Oils: Golden Rules and Over 250 Gorgeous Recipes for Successful Preserving

Jams, Chutneys, Preserves, Vinegars and Oils: Golden Rules and Over 250 Gorgeous Recipes for Successful Preserving

Marguerite Patten

A book I still turn to whenever I make jams and fruit jellies. Totally dependable she was also a remarkable and charming woman.

An Invitation to Indian Cooking

An Invitation to Indian Cooking

Madhur Jaffrey

Such a good book. Madhur is another home cook who writes evocatively and tests out her excellent recipes herself, which always work. I used to check this book when I began going to India decades ago, and experienced home cooking there.

French Country Cooking

French Country Cooking

Elizabeth David

I can’t leave out Elizabeth David of course and as soon as I was a more confident cook I discovered her French Country Cooking. It makes you feel you really are in France.

The Good Housekeeping Cookery Book

The Good Housekeeping Cookery Book

Good Housekeeping Institute

For an un-trained cook a thorough and dependable manual is a must for checking exact methods and I think the Good Housekeeping Cookery Book is hard to beat.

Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco

Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco

Paula Wolfert

I’ve had good eating experiences on Morocco over many years and found Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert thorough, informative as well as inspiring.

What's playing in Josceline's kitchen?

I almost always listen to music as I cook. Having trained as a singer, I often listen to arias or songs I used to sing by Mozart, Bellini, Scarlatti, Pergolesi, Shubert, Faure, Duparc and several others including jazz so I can be taken back to those days and sing along too!