Years ago, before marriage and kids (and in the days when my weekends often passed in a blur sandwiched between epic after-work drinks on Fridays and a crippling case of Sunday night anxiety, I came across Tamasin Day-Lewis’ book “Weekend Food”. Fairly small and modest-looking compared to a lot of cookbooks, I bought it on a whim, mostly because of its comforting tagline of “Cooking to come home to”. A dish which screams indulgence, we’ve really upped the ante here with our Korean twist on the British staple: cheese on toast. Alternatively, enjoy as a hangover cure.

If you’ve less time to cook, opt for this speedy but solid classic. Get all the ingredients prepped and ready to go first, then, the rest really is a flash in the pan! That means it’s also the hub of their tight community of neighbours – Hartnett has lived here for 20 years – and the principal setting for the new book, The Weekend Cook, which tells the story of that neighbourhood through shared recipes for Burns Night bashes, easy lunches, hangover breakfasts, late-night suppers, birthdays and impromptu street parties. Generously oil the base of a large frying pan and heat over a medium-high flame. Fry the rösti in batches for five minutes a side (make sure they’re not touching), until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining rösti. Make the caramel. Tip the sugar into a clean pan and add 2 teaspoons of water. Melt the sugar over a low heat, brushing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush from time to time, until the sugar turns a dark copper colour. Do not stir! Remove the caramel immediately from the heat to stop it from burning.The latest from Hartnett has been inspired by her and her husband Neil’s famous gatherings from their home and offers a relaxed guide to hosting anything from small dinners to raucous street parties. Thomasina Miers’ Scandi-style breakfast. Photograph: Louise Hagger for the Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay Meanwhile, scatter the flaked coconut on a baking tray and toast in the same oven until pale golden. While the risotto is cooking, pound the parsley, nuts, vinegar and oil, ideally in a pestle and mortar, until you have a textured dressing, then season to taste. Many of the recipes Hartnett includes in the cookbook are decidedly British, and others are very European. Pasta lovers will enjoy the fact that there are plenty of unique and mouthwatering pasta recipes; most are quite easy to make and will be perfect to make on weekends. Hartnett has also included a few breads, cakes, and other pastries that are definitely worth making. Besides scrumptious savory pasta dishes, there are great recipes for side dishes, including risottos, quiche, and unique main dishes using beef, lamb, poultry, and seafood. There is a good variety of recipes, and the beautiful photographs are mouthwatering. The recipes are written in the traditional manner and can be easily followed by both beginning and advanced cooks. The book is well-organized and is nice enough to generate interest from cooks of all ages.

Heat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3 and lightly butter a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, almond extract, rum and melted butter in a bowl, mix until blended, then beat for a minute. Pour half the mixture into the tin and spread out evenly. Line the base of the pastry case with broccoli or asparagus, then pour in the egg and cheese mixture. Bake the quiche for 25 minutes, until the filling is set to the touch and golden brown.Take a look at this creamy gnocchi number, with bacon pieces, mushrooms and sage butter, for a speedy and simple treat-yourself dinner. Whisk the creme fraiche with the rest of the lemon juice, mustard and olive oil, season generously, and add the horseradish and dill. Make the poaching liquor. Combine the milk, sugar and 250ml of water in a wide pan that’s deep enough to accommodate 3-4 meringue quenelles at a time. Place it over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. I like to serve this almondy crumble on all kinds of peach dishes, but if you’re short on ingredients, the cake works very well without. Serves 16.

Raise your weekend cooking game with some of the best cookbooks written all about the joys of weekend food. Thomasina Miers’ lemon drizzle cake with candied citrus. Photograph: Louise Hagger for the Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay Angela hopes her new cookbook will help people fall as much in love with cooking at home as she is. Meanwhile, juice the remaining two oranges and tip this into a pan with the lemon juice and the remaining 50g caster sugar. Heat gently over a low heat, until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for three to four minutes, until nice and syrupy.To serve, peel and dice the mangoes, then toss with the rest of the lime juice. Stir the yoghurt or cream through the pudding: you want a lovely, loose consistency that drops easily from a spoon, like a runny risotto. Top with mango and coconut, and serve. Pat the pork belly dry with kitchen paper, then with a sharp knife, score across the narrow width of the belly at 2cm intervals, taking care to score through the skin and fat, but not into the meat. Rub the rosemary and lemon marinade all over the scored skin. Add the eggs and cook on a low boil for 6 minutes, until soft boiled. Drain the eggs and transfer them to a bowl of iced or very cold water to stop the cooking process. Meanwhile fill a small pan with cold water, add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, until tender, then drain and leave to steam dry in the pan. Once dry, mash and leave to cool. Tip out the dough on to a lightly floured board or work surface and knead it gently. Cover or wrap it in clingfilm and rest it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

An invitation to supper at Angela Hartnett's house is a real treat. Nestled in the heart of London's vibrant East End, you know you're going to get delicious food, great company and a relaxed atmosphere that is as far removed from the high-octane stress of a professional kitchen as it is from the awkward social anxiety that many of us face when hosting a dinner.Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Steam the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, until tender, then drain and leave uncovered to steam dry. Is a katsu curry calling your name? Resist the urge to ‘Deliveroo’ your dinner and have a go at making your own. Our version of this popular Japanese dish is crispy, crunchy and drowned in a sweet curry sauce. You can thank us later. First, make the mayonnaise. Put the egg yolk, vinegar and mustard in a food processor and blitz lightly to combine. Little by little, add the oil through the feed tube, mixing continuously as you do so, until the mixture emulsifies to form a loose mayonnaise. Full of the flavours of summer: Thomasina Miers’ peach cake with amaretti crumble. Photograph: Louise Hagger for the Guardian. Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay We made this most recently for our friend and neighbour Basil on his birthday, when we had about 14 people over to celebrate the great day. It’s full of my favourite things – capers, dijon mustard, anchovies, vinegar and herbs – and is served with perfectly blanched leeks and soft-boiled eggs. It’s wonderful.