recipe book recommendations please

parsonswife8

I was given the Marquerite Patten cookbook when I first got married in 1971.
I also have a set of her cookery cards.
That book becamse my bible. I was able to manage most of the recipes, having done cookery for 5 years at school.
There was advice and tips on all the basics you would need know and recipes from soups, to casseroles, to preserving and puddings.
I still have it today, 39 years later.:D

pink_numbers

The complete farmhouse kitchen cook book - Bible of cheap cooking.
Be-Ro home recipes - of course I have the 40th edition and MIL's much older edition complete with scribbles drawn by my OH when he was a wee lad
The preserving book (Mackinlay & Ricketts) - clearest, most detailed book on preserving food, explains all the steps in many preserving methods.

Pink.

Hi toddles,

My old faithful that I still use regularly is Delia's complete cookery course though I do enjoy Jamie Oliver's books too.

There are lots of cookery book recommendations on this thread that may help:

recipe book recommendations please

Once you've had some more replies I'll add your thread to it to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

jcr16

that's a tough question. i think prob my mary berry cook book's. i got two when hubby and i first set up home together 9 years ago.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Cook-Mary-Berry/dp/0789419963/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283595378&sr=8-6

this one is realy basic, tells you all equipement. how to make merigues, pancakes, pastry simple stuff. up to a basic roast joint, spag bol, apple pies etc. it is great for reference. it is stil used all the time. i love the cake recipe and spag bol sauce.

and this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mary-Berrys-Ultimate-Cake-Second/dp/0563487518/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283595354&sr=8-4

none of the recipes ever fail. unfortunatly when one of my cats was ill through stress and went a bit crazy she had an accident and the book got ruined. i managed to salavge as many pages as i could. and i laminted them and put them in a folder. but most were un saveable. so i need to buy another. but it was wonderful.

other to that another of my fave book's. is my home made one. of all the cuttings of recipes i've made over the years. recipes from here which i've tried and been sucessful. most pages are laminated or put in clear sleeves.

i have just started to get additcted to the favourite cook book range. i bought favourtie isle of wight recipes last night . all the books are very simple, easy to follow recipes but produce wonderful meals.

MrsRogers

I have a stupid amount of cookery books... I just love collecting them old and new.. very rarely follow them word perfect however like to gain inspiration out of them..

Delia Complete Guide - I have turned to time and time again

Delia Christmas - Comes out every year

Good house Keepings Meals for under a Fiver - is a brilliant book especially for everyday evening meal ideas (Not full of fancy meals you dont have half the ingredients for!!)

I have just counted and I have 34 books which isnt bad considering I am only 29!!!

barneydee_2

at the last count i have over three hundred cook books i just love cook books to read, but i still seam to use the old faithfull's over and over again i.e. if i'm doing chinness it Ken Homs very first book, Christmas cooking is always Delia and for cakes it always Mary Berry. I also buy all the food mags and if there are receipes i like i to have built up a folder of ones i have cut out and if i've add or taken away something there are notes to say how i have adapted them.
At the moment i am itching to get Nigellas new Kitchen i have flicked through it and it looks very good, but have to wait until payday and then sneek it in past the oh as he moans at me buying them.

Barneydee

jc2703

I have lots of cook books and in particular I have all of the Nigella books but my favourite is 'How to Eat'. I love that I can read it - even if i'm not intending on cooking anything! It also has basics in how to roast a chicken, make soup, custard, sponge cakes etc and I have never cooked anything from her books that hasn't been delicious.

I also like the small 'good food' books - the one-pot and budget recipes in particular.

I'm itching to get the new one too

angeltreats

I have far, far too many cookbooks, most of which I never use. But my favourite (which gets used regularly) is Mary Berry's Ultimate Cakes. A close joint second is River Cottage Bread Handbook and Be-Ro.

My college textbook from years ago was called Practical Cookery, that was fantastic, it had everything. I lost my copy in one of my many house moves but one day I'll pick up another one.

MrsE_2

Ministry of Food Jamie Oliver is my fav, because it got me cooking from scratch all sorts of things, not that I ever used ready meals, but not REALLY cooking IYKWIM.

I've got all Jamie's books.

Jamie at home is fantastic too.
As is Cook with Jamie
& Jamie's Italy
Jamie's Dinners is good too.

I really like the Hairy Bikers too, but I like them more than their books:p:p:p:p

The 2 first books of their are round the world foods & not the sort of foreign food I like but odd stuff from Transylvania & wherever:eek::eek::eek:

The food tour of Britain is nice & Mums know best is really good too.

Loved Economy Gastronomy & use that book too.

River Cottage family cookbook is good, I must put Rover Cottage Everyday on my list.

Like Nigella, but only got her Xmas book, going to put Nigella Bites on my Xmas list.

ETA Got the Rachael allen Home Cooking too, thats nice.

Just bought the new baking one, The Great Brisish Book Of Baking, lovely book.

I buy the Good to Know mag every month too, can't recommend that enough, the sort of stuff you can cook after a hard day at work.

Shysarah

The Dairy Book of Home Cookery is great for basics, I picked it up from the book club at work a while back.

Although my favourite is my ebay find;

Cookery Illustrated and Household Management Edited by Elizabeth Craig in 1936 - its a wonderful insight into social history and has fantastic tips and even tells me how to cope throwing a dinner party when cook/maid is on her jollies... (hmmm ..i don't think so.)

I love old cookery books and have even begun recording (penciled) in notes in mine as I see in so many of my mums.