Who's your favourite chef (thinking not tv, more book based)?

[PennySillin]

Not the usual suspects - Jamie, Gordon, Delia, Nigella etc but the lesser known, but equally if not better chefs. Looking for inspiration away from the obvious.

Sat Bains.

Tom Kerridge cooks the best food I've ever tasted and has just released a book!

Nigel Howarth's books are great.

Other great books on my shelf:
Yotam Ottolenghi: Jerusalem
Claudia Roden: The Food of Spain
Both Simon Hopkinson books
Michel Roux Jr: Cooking with the Master Chef Raymond Blanc: Kitchen Secrets
Russell Norman: Polpo

Nigel Slater - love his 30 minute meals.

Nigel Slater.
I cannot read his books without having to go into the kitchen and cook something.

ruth watson - she did the hotel inspector so is a bit TV but not as a chef - she has written the book I use most - eight around a table - which is great even for less people.. she also wrote the only diet book that had lovely food in it .. really rate her - great recipes and a good writing style

Denis Cotter for veggie food.

I love Ottolenghi and Rick Stein but at the moment I'm loving the Smitten Kitchen book, great every day recipes.

I also subscribe to Delicious and get loads of inspiration from that.

Nigel Slater is my absolute go-to person. For everything.
Rick Stein recipes are totally reliable (I assume he tests them properly) and delicious.
The Riverford Cookbook is excellent for vegetables and fruit.

Ooh just found the Smitten Kitchen blog - looks amazing! Thanks for all the other suggestions, will enjoy looking them up.

Post Punk Kitchen (blog and various recipe books)

My current favourites are three I found in charity shops - all hardbacks and less than a fiver

Mitch Tonks - fresh - am using it to cook fish once a week to teach myself how to do it. Mostly successful so far

Sybil Kapoor - Citrus and Spice - gorgeous, delicate recipes broken down into months of the year

Kimiko Barber - Japanese pure and simple - what it says really, great meals that don't rely on complex techniques for really good, interesting Japanese food