Whether it's dining out by candlelight, sitting round to Sunday lunch with the family, or scoffing fish and chips straight from the paper, the food we eat is an important part of our cultural life.

In Bradford, the variety of food on offer reflects the district's colourful multi-cultural diversity. Emma Clayton reports

From its famous curry restaurants to traditional English butchers, from French cuisine to Chinese banquets, food from across the globe can be found in Bradford.

Now Bradford folk are being asked to help cook up a successful Capital of Culture bid by contributing towards a new Bradford recipe book.

Bradford Council hopes to produce a book of local recipes to be used as part of the district's bid. Plans are also underway for a live event based on BBC TV's Ready Steady Cook, to be staged in Bradford, which will showcase some of the recipes.

"We all know Bradford is famous for curries but we want to show there's more to our food than that," said the Council's head of marketing and communications, Sonia Lewis.

"There may be recipes that have roots in Bradford. We'd like people to contribute their favourite recipes, or recipes they know to be local, for a special Capital of Culture food book.

"We're hoping to highlight this with a culinary show featuring local celebrities and people connected with eating establishments in the district.

"Whatever your favourite dish is - whether it's good old Yorkshire pud or something a bit more exotic - we want to know."

Cuisine from around the world - including Malaysian, Greek, Spanish, Thai and Caribbean - were featured in last year's Bradford Food and Drink Festival.

Organiser Simon Dunn said: "Food is a very important part of cultural life in Bradford.

"Mention Bradford and people usually think of curry - but we have a huge range of food on offer here. A recipe book is a great way of highlighting Bradford's multi-cultural diversity."

Award-winning Ilkley butcher David Lishman has contributed one of his hit sausage recipes.

His business, David Lishman's of Ilkley, was voted best Independent Butcher of the Year 2001, and David is reigning National Champion Sausage Maker - an award he has won twice in three years. He is also reigning Great Yorkshire Champion Sausage Maker.

"A Bradford recipe book would show the world what Bradford has to offer - from traditional English to international dishes," he said.

Mohammed Aslam, who runs the Aagrah in Shipley, and Javed Bashir, who runs the Balti Chef in Bradford, have added flavours from Bradford's Asian kitchens.

Last year, following the Bradford riots, the Balti Chef provided a free meal for people from different cultural communities - on condition that they discussed solutions for peace over their food.

"Restaurants are ambassadors for promoting culture, as they are the first point of contact for many people," said Javed.

"What we want is a fully integrated community where everyone appreciates each other's culture.

"Food is one of the main reasons people come into Bradford - it's the perfect way to promote Bradford as a Capital of Culture."

So what's your favourite recipe? Do you know of any dishes native to Bradford, or recipes that mean something special to you?

To contribute a recipe, send it to Capital of Culture team, Merchants House, 19 Peckover Street, Little Germany, Bradford BD1 5BD.