As we become increasingly conscious of where our food comes from and its nutritional value, there is a noticeable swing to the way things were.  This is evidenced in the resurgence of appliances like slow cookers and pressure cookers as well as a new slew  of cookbooks with a decidedly retro approach to cooking.
The Retro Cookbook has only just been published and is a beautiful 320 page hard covered book.  It is full of classic recipes of yesterday sourced from the Australian Womens Weekly's extensive archive.  The book is decorated with gorgeous colour illustrations of old advertisements as well as wonderful modern photography of the recipes.  A delightful almost coffee-table quality book.
A Good Harvest is a huge 264 page book packed with 300 tried & true recipes compiled by Rural Women New Zealand Members".  The recipes include a lot of chutneys, pickles and ideas for seasonal produce as well as baking and more.
Jamie's Comfort Food takes us to nostalgic recipes that remind us of our childhood and times when we felt safe and secure with a hearty meal in front of us.
Mama's in the Kitchen includes both stories and recipes from 1900 - 1950.  It takes both a serious view of the challenges of the times (depression & war) as well as a humourous look at a "Mad Men" world.

Master Chef is back on our screens and dominating the viewing for Tuesday and Saturday nights.  It appears that Master Chef brings out the ingenuity of home chefs around the world and, whether it's from the local show or overseas franchises, you can be sure that Master Chef cookbooks bring together an ecclectic mix of inspired cookery.
If you just can't get enough of Master Chef or you want to get your hands on some Master Chef tips and recipes then check out the great selection of the best Master Chef cookbooks below.  My favouite is the one I can't get my hands on yet - Nadia's Kitchen.
Pre-order "Nadia's Kitchen" Now Nadia Lim was the winner of Master Chef New Zealand in 2011. Her relative youth, she's 25, combined with her Kiwi/Malaysian heritage means her cooking style is deliciously modern.  Some of the recipes inher new book include: Mint & Caper Lamb, Lime Coconut Bombes with Raspberry Sauce (yum!), Chocolate  Panna Cotta with Plum Sorbet, Cranberry Coconut Cake and so much more for you to enjoy.
Jax Cooks:  She's fronting some Countdown TV ads at the moment but her cookbook gives you 90 of her favourite recipes that represent her story told in food.  Sub-titled "Great Food for Family & Friends", the recipes have Jax's simplicity and great flavours.
Master Chef New Zealand Vol 2 This is the book of the 2011 series and includes extra information from the Master Classes.  The best recipes from the Top 12 contestants and the three judges Simon Gault, Ray McVinnie and Josh Emmett are included with spectacular colour photography to whet your appetitie.
The MasterChef Kitchen Bible from the UK is as focused on kitchen skills as it is on classic recipes that should be in any Master Chef's repertoir.
The Junior Master Chef Cookbook from the Australian series is perfect for budding Master Chefs who want to extend their skills or even for adults who were embarasses at how great the kid-chefs were on that show.

Jamie Oliver has published an enormous number of books.  Many of the early ones were establishing his chef-credentials, but many subsequent books are accessible to every-day home cooks.  Here are some of my favourites.