Mimi’s cookbooks are without a doubt some of the most beautiful cookbooks I’ve ever seen. Photographed by her husband and collaborator Oddur, this one captures their impossibly perfect life in the abandoned château they restored in the Médoc. While it is the photography and style I was initially drawn to, the recipes are superb, too. Writing this reminds me that I must make her roast chicken with crème fraîche and herbs again – served with salad and crusty bread it is utterly delicious.

With the pick of French cookbooks at her fingertips, Felicity O’Driscoll of Cook the Books chooses her favourites.
Visit the shop at 78 Kelmarna Ave, Ponsonby, Auckland or go to cookthebooks.co.nz