As Christmas approaches, so does my frantic search for meaningful gifts, which I usually solve by giving everyone a cookery book.

As there is now a great collection of cookery books for children, and re-prints of classic oldies such as The Constance Spry Cookery Book that will appeal to the older generation, no one on my list is disappointed.

Let’s start with the new edition of The Silver Spoon, (Phaidon Press, £29.95), a gigantic book that contains more than 2,000 traditional Italian recipes and loads of fantastic photographs. This amazing book also includes information on how to create a full Italian meal with all the trimmings, and provides details of typical regional food traditions. It is so heavy that this is not a book to be tied on the Christmas tree but placed underneath instead.

The Country Wise Country Cookbook, by Mike Robinson (Pavilion, £20) contains the best recipes of 2010 and 2011 featured on ITV’s Countrywise Kitchen. This is a lovely book, which features some sumptuous recipes calling for country ingredients. As all the recipes are simple to prepare and Mike offers advice on how to find fresh top quality ingredients, this is a real family cookbook that should keep everyone happy.

One of my favourites is Macarons, by Pierre Hermé (Grub Street Press, £25). I have bought this book for myself as I adore the photos which leap out of the page and demand attention. Pierre Hermé is universally acknowledge as the king of French pastry and has shops in Tokyo, Paris and London. As he is a man at the top of his art, his macarons are in a league of their own. Because making macarons is mostly about technique, this book begins with a 32- page step-by-step set of photo-illustrated instructions before discussing the many flavours you can create.

Cooking with Chocolate, edited by Frederic Bau (Flammarion, £29.95) also begins with basic techniques, including tempering, undercoating, moulding and simple instructions on melting chocolate. This is a simply glorious book, which will appeal to your chocoholic friends seeking inspiration when in the kitchen as it contains unforgettable classic dishes along with tempting modern creations.

Oxfordshire author Jackie Sherman, brings together her love of gardening and cooking in Making the Most of Your Glorious Glut, (Green Books, £12.95), a delightful book for any friend with an allotment or productive fruit and vegetable garden. As Jackie has answers to perennial problems of overabundance, it is the perfect book for those who are constantly faced with a glut.

Another book that will suit the gardening enthusiast in your family is The Garden to Kitchen Expert, by Judith Willis and Dr D.G. Hessayon (Expertbooks, £9.99). The authors have put together 680 recipes that celebrate seasonable fruits and vegetables. This publication also addresses the ways produce can be stored and preserved. I have found it particularly useful as it also provides hints on how to make the most of a glut.

Rick Stein’s Spain (BBC Books, £25) brings us 140 new recipes inspired by his journey off the beaten track. Rick says he had wanted to make a television series in Spain for a long time as he has been visiting this country since he was a boy. The book accompanies a new four-part BBC Two series, which takes Rick to the best tapas bars where he gets to taste authentic ingredients, strong red wine from Rioja, warm smoky pimenton, sweet red tomatoes and spicy chorizos. I love this book and the rustic photographs which bring Spanish cuisine to life.

Discerning foodies looking for a new meat manual that explains all that needs to be known about buying, cooking and preparing meat should look no further than the Ginger Pig Meat Book, (Mitchell Beazley, £25), by farmer Tim Wilson and Fran Ward, respected cook and bestselling author. You will discover Ginger Pig outlets in central London, their farms where their meat is reared are located on the finest stretch of the Yorkshire Moors. This splendid book makes a great gift for the novice cook who needs to know what joint to use and when. Its month-to-month guide through the calendar, giving details of the dates fresh game is available, is invaluable. The seasonal recipes are easy to follow and include some for the cheaper cuts. There is also a roasting table and several pages of kitchen tips, which include instructions on how to carve a bird.

The Constance Spry Cookery Book, first published in 1956 and now republished by Grub Street Press (£30), is one of the best-known cookery books of all time, used and worshipped by millions, who over the years have come to rely on its authoritative and comprehensive recipes. The book has now been brought up to date in a colourful metricated edition that should please young and old alike.