9 best store cupboard cookbooks: Get creative in the kitchen during self-isolation

Although not the latest release from food writer Claire Thomson, we feel it’s particularly useful currently. A book of two halves, she argues that with just a few fresh ingredients, if you have a well-stocked cupboard you’ll always be capable of making “something from anything”. Dishes such as the Greek roasted tomato and oregano timbale with yoghurt topping were completely new to us, however we could see how simple they’d be to make with very obtainable ingredients. Most of the recipes are designed to serve four people.

The premise behind this book is to take your hero tin (ideally the one that’s been languishing at the back of the cupboard the longest), add two or three fresh ingredients, a contrast (perhaps a lemon or fresh herbs) and finally some texture, such as toasted nuts. Each recipe comes with a wealth of ingredient substitutions, so they should be something for everyone to rustle up, no matter what you’ve got to hand. Dishes such as the three way lentil dahl or the chilled chilli tomato noodles show just how versatile and interesting store cupboard staples such as beans and lentils can be.

It might be tempting to rely solely on ready meals and frozen pizzas when trying to keep costs down, but rustling up a home cooked meal is the more nutritious option. With a strong reliance on the freezer to make things last longer, this book starts with a shopping list that promises to feed a family for a whopping eight weeks, which sounds particularly appealing to us all right now. Even the fussiest of eaters will enjoy starting the day with banana breakfast cookies, with simple pastas, pies, tray bakes and one pot meals making up the rest.