recipe book recommendations please

krispyg76

Cooking for blokes, I do hope that's not something that is simplified for us men to read lol

You will never go wrong with Delia, ever.

The best thing to do for home cooking is have a cupboard of basics and a cupboard of herbs/spices/sauces.

Once you have these most recipes are within your reach.

Dumyat

I like to pick up the freebie magazines in Asda and Somerfield. they have good, seasonal and easy recipes. Somerfield have their recipes on their website too. tend to be quick meals with minimal ingredients.

I also like Delia, her book must be the most thumbed/stained in my kitchen.

p-pincher

You cant beat Delia for basic cookery, I've never made something that has failed, Also HFW family cookbook,tana ramsay and ive got one called 'like mother used to make' which is full of stuff from your childhood.

redcherry_girl

Hi,

First off, apologies if this has been done before, I did search through the forum but I couldn't find anything. I'm hoping to get some help. I've been searching for a nice normal sensible cookbook. I seem to be stuck knee deep in cookbooks where I don't use more than a third (if that) of the recipes because they use silly ingredients which are very expensive or are overly elaborate for what you get out of it (etc). I'm looking for a cookbook with recipes which are healthy (won't end up making me put on yet more weight), filling and if at all possible freezable. I'm also not too hot on recipes which are very posh/unusual, what I refer to as "dinner party recipes".

I don't have a lot of money, I prefer eating simply and with good quality ingredients and because of this don't have money or patience left for faffing about with posh ingredients I'm not sure I'll even like. I don't know whether anyone has found a book like this, I'm at a bit of a loss to be honest. Even OH agrees that most recipe books these days are ridiculous as the recipes inside are either stupidly unhealthy, plain strange or terribly expensive. I just want some fairly basic recipes that I can cook and freeze the left overs. Any ideas anyone? Any recommendations (especially those with a brief description of whats inside the book) would be very VERY appreciated. Thanks,

redcherry_girl

Olliebeak

I don't know if anybody else on here has ideas for cook books. What I would suggest is that you have a look through the recipes posted on this site.

I've actually made a folder in 'My Documents' on my comp and copied/pasted recipes into it. They are all in sections marked Soups, Casseroles, Baking etc. Might be a good way to start and MoneySaving as well:T .

I'd love to see a book giving advice about forag(e)ing and what you can safely pick for free. (can't tell a mushroom from a toadstool!:o )

Churchmouse

I'm being cheeky here, and getting in before thriftlady:rotfl: ( thriftlady has this habit of recommending cookbooks, which I then order from Amazon, she really should be on commission:rotfl: )

One that I really like and return to time after time is " More With Less" by Doris Janzen Longacre. This is a book that you can just sit and read, for hours at a time:D It is American, but don't hold that against it:rotfl: Mennonite outlook is fairly close to the Amish outlook, a simple life with responsible use of the world's resources. The recipes are very simple, but some tend to be bulk ones. There are lots of little *notes* at the top and bottom of the pages which are guidelines rather than *exact* recipes. I love it! I may not stick absolutely to the recipe but they are a brilliant starting point:T

Pink.

Hi redcherry_girl,

Welcome to MSE :hello:

Some of the threads in The Complete Old Style Book Collection may help you to find a book that you like. Failing that, have a look in your local library before you buy so that you can get a feel for the book and whether or not it would suit you.

Pink

Ps my very favourite one that I return to time and time again is Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course, but you can find most of the recipes in it on www.deliaonline.com

Pink

Pink.

Olliebeak wrote: »

I'd love to see a book giving advice about forag(e)ing and what you can safely pick for free. (can't tell a mushroom from a toadstool!:o )

Hi Ollie,

I can't recommend a book, but there are a few threads on Old Style that may help:

Foraging - Natures Food

Free Food Challenge

Cheap food if you aren't squeamish

It's also worth checking out the Foraging forum on www.downsizer.net

Pink

millymollymandy2K7

I've got a great book called The Best Ever One Pot (isbn 1-40540-523-6) which has lots of soups, stews, curries etc and some great puds. Most are serves 4 and can be frozen -especially the soups and maincourses. I love the chilli recipe which I use all the time. I dont know how many you have to cook for but i tend to freeze everything I make in individual portions. I saw this listed on amazon from £11.92 but there is probably a paperback version around somewhere for less. I was lucky and claimed mine when someone I knew said they were going to throw it out. Like you I have many recipe books but this is the only 1 I use as it has more "normal" food.

thriftlady_2

Churchmouse you're right I should be on commission with Amazon I was going to recommend More With Less too although you might find some of the ingredients a bit unfamiliar Redcherry Girl. Don't worry about this because there are loads of recipes for everyday ingredients. I'm good at translating US terms and measurements if you need help. I'd recommend getting a set of US measuring cups though if you like this book. It is worth reading the reviews of it both on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Examples of recipes from More With Less that I like:
honey-baked chicken
honey-baked lentils
baked lentils with cheese
Pakistani kima (a simple minced beef curry)
meat, cheese and potato scallop (sliced spuds layered with leftover meat baked in a cheese sauce)
basic recipe for white sauce with various flavourings
breads
pancakes
granola
bean and veg soups

Another good book is Nigel Slater's Appetite. More expensive but a really good basic book because he takes a basic blueprint for, say, cooking chops, or baking fish, or making a fruit pie and gives variations. Lovely photos too and lots of other info about ingredients and menu ideas.