Recipe Book Help..

mummy2jack

I have lots of cooking books, most of them have come from Charity shops or Jumble sales, so it may be worth you having a look round.


If I'm honest I prefer old books from the 40s 50s & 60s although I have got a good few up to date ones too but I seem to use the oldstyle books most often.

Her Ultimate Cakes book is one of my favourites

Must admit, I am very fond of this book too.. Whenever it comes to cake making this book is always the one I reach for.

katieowl_2

I'd agree that Jamie O and Hugh FW are well worth investing in too.
I'm not a great fan of Delia, I find she uses too many ingredients!

If you are looking for cakes or preserves/jam books find the Women's Institute books...they are the two in my cupboard I reach for first and falling to bits now!

Other classics - are the books I 'inherited' from home The Reader Digest 'cookery year' and 'Farmhouse Cookery'

This is the edition of the first I have : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cookery-Year-Readers-Digest/dp/0276000471/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1317972778&sr=8-2

I regularly see this in charity shops. There is a cheaper one on the amazon website, but it has a different cover, so I don't know if the content is the same?

Farmhouse cookery is this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Farmhouse-Cookery-Recipes-Country-Kitchen/dp/B0012F27UI/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317972900&sr=1-1

and again I've seen this in charity shops. It's got sections on lots of things including breads and preserves.


Kate

squeaky

One of the best FREE cook books I know is this one...

The Complete Cooking Collection

Especially since you can ask questions of the "author" if you have any problems

CH27

meritaten wrote: »

hun - I was lucky in that my nan was a brilliant cook and tho she wouldnt allow me to do any cooking, she let me watch! my school also had real 'cookery' lessons! i learned a lot there - despite the teacher being a crabby old beeetch!
Then I was given a 'Good Housekeeping' recipe book for a wedding present - and I still have it! 34 years on - its minus its cover and its sellotaped like an egyptian mummy...........but, its still my go-to book for basic recipes and explanations of techniques!
my daughter swears by her Nigella Express book!
my SIL loves Delia Smith - Basic Cookery
borrow some from the Library and browse them - see which recipes catch your eye and whether the book explains in ways you understand.............no ruddy point the recipe telling you to blanche something - if you dont get told what blanching is!
oh and charity shops are usually a great source of cookery books - everything from the basics to the wierd and wonderful! I found one with 50 recipes for potatoes!

Snap:D
Mine is 18 yrs old & is invaluable.

mioliere

I forgot to mention Be-Ro, really great for baking with simple, cheap, straightforward recipes. Here's a link to their online site I also echo what CH27 has just said - charity shops are definitely a place to go for cookery books. Several of mine have come to me that way!

I almost forgot Weezl's great site - here for great money-saving recipes.

[A]

Thank you for all the great tips, everyone
I'll have to wait till Monday to visit any charity shops but when I do, I'll keeping a list on me I hadn't even thought of the library, i've just been reserving a few of the books that have been mentioned above.

The links are really helpful, I've found some great threads for people just like me! (bookmarked the Mega index )

Will let you know how I get on..

mardatha

A, I know how you feel. But I'm 61 and have been married and cooking for 45 years and I STILL HATE IT! cook books bring me out in a nervous rash.
Seconded the Be Ro book for baking though, I do like baking.

becs

The new good housekeeping book is fabulous! I bought one for a friend who has just left home and can't boil an egg! The book explains all the technical terms and all the basics but it's a book that i think grows with you. I was so impressed with it i bought myself a copy. I've also just bought one as a prize for a baking competition. The lady that won it is the most incredibly talented baker but even she loved this book. It will start you off from a complete amateur but still be a well used friend in 25 years time as others have shown! If you have a "works" bookshop they are currently selling it for About £8 i think.

Butterfly_Brain

Personally I don't like Mary Berry but I find the best way to choose a cookery book is to borrow it from the library first

Some of my faves that would suit a novice cook are:

Jamie's Ministry of Food
River Cottage Everyday
Hamlyn Cookbook
The Dinner lady - Jeanette Orrey
Economy Gastronomy
The Hairy Bikers Mums know best (Book 1 is the better of the two)

HTH

becs

Definitely a good idea to borrow from a library ( or a friend). I think cookbooks are the same as anything really what suits some doesn't suit others.
Butterfly's list for instance doesn't do much for me with the exception of hairy bakers and economy gastronomy. I find nigella and jamie too poncy (there's always some random ingredient that's going to send you on a treasure hunt to find).
I have Mary Berry's baking bible but i didn't rate her cookbook, some of the recipes in the baking bible aren't great either-carrot cake that tastes of banana just isn't for me!
I love the bbc good food site as the recipes are graded easy, moderate and difficult so you can just search for the easy ones.