Best cookbook...

VikkiiKawaii

Best bet is probably getting friends and family to give you all their most used recipes - saying that a cheap simple recipe book would be great for me too, as I'm about to move away from home. I can make some meals (I'm not totally useless!) but it would be nice to have more things to try.

cleggie

Another vote for Jamie Olivers Ministry of Food book here.
Its the only cookbook that i have found that gives recipes that we will all eat, kids included!

jjblondie

Go to http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/recipes-all.html and print off any recipes you like the look of, put them in a folder, and -voila!- a cookbook. The veggie burgers haven't failed to win over anyone I've given them to, including 8 usually carnivorous young men who usually run away from vegetables.

WhiteHorse

The Marguerite Patten softback books were great. Are these still to be had?

hubbabubba2

Marguerite Patten's 1,000 Favourite Recipes

i've had this book 30 years and not stopped using it - can still be bought online for £5.

anguk

The Hairy Bikers books are good especially the "Mum Knows Best" ones, proper home cooked food without being too fancy and "chefy".

RHYSDAD

Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall's 'River Cottage Every Day' is a book I lean toward. The meals are fairly straightforward whilst looking gastro. Hugh also encourages tweaking of his recipes should you fall short on some ingredients whilst having abundance of others. That and Delia's complete cookery course book.

Lunar_Eclipse

As a single cook book, I'd choose BBC's Good Food The Collection. (You might also like Delia's Complete Cookery Course.)

I also regularly use recipes from Real Food For Families by Fran Warde and like Delia's Cheat and Jamie's 30 minute meals. A few years ago I used Jamie's Ministry of Food & Jamie's Dinners, but haven't looked inside those for quite a while.

skipkoo

I love the Delia Smith Complete Cookery Course, but also use Mary Berry's Complete Cook book. A great all rounder!

CAE

Another vote for Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food.

Also his 30 Minute Meals.

I also have a Hamlyn Family Recipe Book which I have had since I got married, and that has been well used and referred to over the years.