recipe book recommendations please

MrsE_2

thriftlady wrote: »

I'm so glad you like it:T Have you seen The Pioneer Woman site? It has some great chicken and steak recipes that might be up your alley although a lot of the recipes are [STRIKE]fairly[/STRIKE] very calorific. I'm hoping to get her book for my birthday which is also in four weeks -exactly -Dec 1st. Do we share a birthday Mrs E?

BTW I'd agree with your assessment of River Cafe books -too restauranty.

Indeed we do:beer:

I shall wish you Happy Birthday, I can't forget:D

Kiwisaver_2

thriftlady wrote: »

Yes, lots of main meals but also breakfasts, lunch boxes and desserts.

To give you an idea these are the things I've made;

Scotch pancakes for breakfast
chipolata, potato and tomato salad with mustard dressing for lunchboxes
parsley and pumpkin seed pesto which we had with pasta
sticky glazed ribs
tupperware mexican chorizo -made into meatballs to go in a chickpea stew and also fried up with potatoes for a hash
pizza
baked white fish with roast potatoes and pea puree
flatbreads which we ate with curry
prune, fig and apricot cake
gingercake
quince and apple sorbet
lemon steamed sponge

The meat dishes are mainly for cheap cuts like brisket, oxtail, liver, there's a recipe for lamb's hearts and a recipe for curing your own pork chops to make bacon chops, but there are chicken recipes and burgers too.

I agree it is a lovely book and lots of things in there I am looking forward to trying, however I've only had my book a few days and made so far the Sticky Ribs and Gingercake and have spent more time scrubbing burnt tins and very nearly ruined a favourite baking dish in the process.

Being new recipes I always set the timer 5 or more minutes less than the stated cooking time to be on the safe side. Sticky ribs were well overdone with a good 15 minutes less than stated and the charred remains around the dish I had to soak for two days, scrubbed with a scourer plus some Cif and then resorted to taking a sharp knife to scrape away the blackened remains. I'll not be doing that again in a hurry.

The Gingercake was a good ten to fifteen minutes minutes away from going 'ding' when my OH says what's in the oven with that lovely fruity smell? Which drew my attention to a faint whiff of burning cake, a dash to open the oven door I noted it was indeed a 'little' charred around the edges and removed it immediately. I wasn't unduly concerned if the edges were slightly overdone, however I couldn't get the thing out of the tin, it was total charcoal on the bottom. So another burnt tin sat in the sink for two days and my good loaf tin will never be quite the same again. :eek:

I'll be keeping a very watchful eye on anything else I make.

Not that I needed or used the recipe, but I was inspired to make Eggy Bread (French Toast) for breakfast on Sunday after seeing it in the book. Totally yum!

thriftlady_2

Kiwisaver I made both the sticky ribs and the gingercake and didn't have any problems with them. Ovens do vary of course. Maybe yours is running a bit hotter than it should?

jackie_w

Hello everyone,

My friend has said she wants to buy me a good cookbook for Christmas and has asked me what one I would like.

I love cookbooks, so this is a fabulous present for me. However im not sure what one I should ask her for Im obviously wanting one thats cheap for her to buy, and I would like one thats into old style (and cheap of course) food.

last year my mum got me the Jamie oliver book, (cant remember which one sorry, but I think it was his most recent, ive given it to my other friend to borrow for now, so cant check the name of it). ive got the 2 dinner lady cook books, but im really stuck for which new one I should get.

Can anyone give me any ideas? it doesn have to be a book that has come out recently, it can be an older book. She is going into town tomorrow, and I think she is going to check out the large bookstore that is closing down.

Jackie xx

Norman_Bean

It might be a bit basic for you but I have just bought 'How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet with very little money ... and hardly any time, even if you have a tiny kitchen....' by Gill Holcombe I liked the title http://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Healthy-Balanced-Little-Kitchen/dp/1905862156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260218007&sr=1-1

I bought a book from a charity shop by Margureitte (sp) Patten and Jamie Oliver about war time recipes which is excellent and very interesting - I've lent it my mum so not got details in front of me .... I'll do a quick search

Norman x

Norman_Bean

Here it is - Feeding The Nation
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Feeding-Nation-Nostalgic-Recipes-1940-1954/dp/0600614727/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260218140&sr=1-1

Norman x

berna123

The Pauper's Cookbook. I was given this by Aunt when i started out on my own in 1971. It is the best cookbook i have.

wogglemaker

Thanks for the link Norman, I've added them to my wish list for OH and kids to choose from.

jackie_w

Oh those books look great. I will give my friend the name of those books and she can choose one. Then once Christmas has been and gone, I think I will treat myself to the other ones.

Thanks again


Jackie xx

MrsMoo2U

When I first started out I was given Marguerite Pattens favourite 1000 recipes. I didnt have much money but worked my way through the book. I am vegitarian now and been given Delia Smith Vegetarian cookbook. Last year I made the Parsnip Roulade for Christmas dinner and it went down a treat. Even the non veggies loved it more than the turkey.
Would definitely recommend the Marguerite Patten as it is old style.