If you love to cook and have a passion for travelling, but can't travel as much as you'd like, then why not travel through your cookbooks? Whether you're looking for recipes from a certain country or region, we'll cover a few of our favourites here and you can decide where you'd like tomorrow's dinner to take you. We hope these will inspire you to sit down with your family and have a delicious, home-cooked meal amidst good conversation (which will probably revolve around where you found the great recipes!) BY ANGELA SMITH

Let's start out with Venezia: Food and Dreams by Tessa Kiros (2008). The book itself is gorgeous, loaded with photos that look like they belong in a travel brochure. The recipes are a nice blend of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes, so there is something for everyone - even the pickiest of eaters. According to Tessa, Venice in Italy is a city which captures the imagination, so when trying out her recipes, don't hold back. Go for something bold that you've never tried before such as squid or octopus. Who knows, maybe you'll find something new that you really enjoy!

Another book by Tessa Kiros is titled Food From Many Greek Kitchens (2010). It's yet another wonderfully crafted book, with an introduction to Greek words such as Delta the Goddess of food, wine and good times. While the recipes in this book are mouth-watering, it seems to have many more dishes containing meat - especially lamb - so if you aren't a fan of meats, then this book probably isn't for you. However, the recipes for traditional Greek pastries, such as Loukoumi (Rose Delight) might just make up for the lack of vegetarian recipes within the book.

Now, we'll travel to another European country with good food that is just waiting to be served up in your house. The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden (2011) is basically the only book you'll ever need in your kitchen if you want to learn about Spanish cuisine. It's the ultimate guide which shows you everything from how to make the traditional tapas to whipping up a good Spanish drink. It breaks down the foods by chapter, so if you're looking for something specific you don't have to go page by page (which is good because this book is just over 600 pages!) It also tells you about regional cooking, the Spanish aristocracy and more. Its recipes are both delightful and delicious, which makes it a great cookbook for all those who love food - whether you're a novice or an executive chef.

Next up, we'll head over to France for a stop in with Jane Webster, author of At My French Table: Food, Family, and Joie de Vivre in a Corner of Normandy (2011). This is another stunning book, but it has more of a cozy feel to it compared with the others. It chronicles Jane's move to a small village in France and tells sweet anecdotes of her daily life throughout. It captures the idyllic French life perfectly on every page with bountiful recipes, personal stories and photos. Though the recipes are lovely, the book is more of a keepsake than an actual cookbook. So, if you decide to get yourself a copy, just be aware that you may spend hours lusting after the laid-back, content life that Jane Webster leads (she runs the French Table tour company and cooking school), and not as much time actually cooking the food in the book.

If you've always wanted to go to London and are vegetarian, then this next title is just the one for you. There are 120 wonderful recipes to be found in PLENTY: Vibrant vegetable recipes from London's Ottolenghi (2011). It's the quintessential book for vegetarians with recipes that will make you want to spend the rest of your life cooking and gardening. Recipes include roasted butternut squash with sweet spices, lime and green chillis and spicy Moroccan carrot salad, just to name a few. Even for those non-vegetarians, such as the author Yotam Ottolenghi himself, this book will surely endear itself to you as the recipes are fresh, unique and unbelievably tasty and the photos are stunning.

Finally, we take a look at Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume by Silvena Rowe (2010), which focuses on the cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean. There really are not adequate words to describe the gorgeousness of this book. It's like taking a tour through the Mediterranean, and tasting all the food with just your eyes. It's amazing how some photos can capture the entire essence of a dish and make you know you'll love it before you even taste it. This book does just that. It's filled with recipes that are sure to bring a satisfied smile to everyone at your dinner table. Ingredients such as saffron and sumac make these recipes unique and tasty. It will make you feel as if you've travelled through the Mediterranean and gained a wealth of knowledge and regional recipes, yet you haven't even left your own kitchen. What could be better than that?

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