Favourite recipe books

EmmaJ_3

jordylass wrote: »

I also bought a notebook from the Monday market in Covent Garden. It is handwritten and before the days of SR flour. I think it's around 1930, I love to look back at the recipes that made it into this woman's collection.
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That sounds wonderful. I recently had dinner with my great aunt, she visited me for my graduation, and she mentioned she had an old notebook of my great grandmothers with lots of family recipes in it, hopefully I might get my mitts on it next time I see her, I can't wait to see whats in there. My mum has some copies of recipes from my great grandmother that she uses as staples.

It's really interesting reading through everyone's favourites, I've noted a few books down to look out for. Thanks all

buxtonrabbitgreen

Hapless wrote: »

I am very much a fan of Margurite Patten. I have loads of her books.

yes me too. I also like the readers digest cookery year, between that and Margurite Patten there is not much I can't find.

juno

I have 3 be-ro recipe books that my mum gave me. I think the newest is from the 70's.

HopeElizzy

The ones I find myself using most are:
The Dinner Lady Jeanette Orrey
Second Helpings Jeanette orrey
Family meal Planner Anabel Karmel(can you tell I have small children )
Good Housekeeping's New Basic Cookery (though my Nan bought me it in 1988, so not so new now)
Real Food Nigel Slater


For a little inspiration or when we have guests I use:
The French kitchen or The French Market Joanne Harris & Fran warde
Falling Cloudberries Tessa Kiros


At Christmas I use Delias Christmas book and Nigella's Feast with a little Jamie Oliver's Christmas DVD thrown in!

Like alot of you I have more cookery books than shelves to put them on and often find my bed time reading is a cookery book!

vfairbrass

A very useful website for help with making best use of the more popular cookery books is :

http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/cookbookcompanions.htm

They provide an index to each of the most popular modern cookery books - downloadable as an e-book for the cost of £1.50.

To quote from their blurb :

[SIZE=-1]"We've been through a number of top cook books and classified every recipe for seasonality based on the key ingredients and the fit between the mood of the dish and the time of year.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Cook Book Companions maximise the usefulness of your cook books. Recipes are listed month-by-month and are sorted by meal type and key ingredients enabling you to see at a glance all the book's recipes that are best for cooking this month. " [/SIZE]

I don't have any connection with the website but have been subscribing to their email service for some time - each week a reminder comes of what is in season at the time with some suggested recipes.
Valerie

Pennylane

I HAD a couple of shelves of cookery books but I guess like most people, I stuck to just a couple of old favourites! I have been de-cluttering and given loads to charity shops.

The one I use over & over again is a Reader's Digest one called The Cookery Year. Its a big fatty but full of recipes set out so you use stuff which is in season. I've always liked that idea! Anyway, it was a bit dog-eared and food-splodged so I looked on Ebay and they are fetching mega bucks!! I could not believe it, so I am now going to take MUCH more care of it.

I also have a Hamlyn vegetarian recipe book I use regularly and an ancient Marguerite Patten book (which is twice it's real size because it is bulging with pullout recipes from mags.:rotfl:) An old hardbacked note book completes my list of faves. It's almost a museum piece and contains hand-written recipes that friends have given over MANY years. And I've got a spare shelf now!!;)

competitionscafe

These are my favourites - picked up quite a few of them at the bookpeople at bargain prices over the years:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Top-15-favourite-cookbooks-how-to-cook-delicious-food/lm/R3APZD5BG7JZ9I/ref=cm_lm_pdp_title_full

sillyvixen

Pennylane wrote: »

I also have a Hamlyn vegetarian recipe book I use regularly

i also have this i have not used it in a few years, must get it out and try out things i used to make that i have not had in a while!

Stephen_Leak

For us blokes, I just have to recommend the "Cooking For Blokes" trilogy: "Cooking For Blokes", "Foreign Cooking For Blokes" and "Flash Cooking For Blokes".

It really does start at the basics (CFB has 3 recipes for cheese on toast) and tells you everything you need to know. If one recipe uses only some of a packet, tin or jar of an ingredient, there is another recipe that uses up the remainder.

It also has a sense of humour. To quote from the recipe for Garlic Sausage & Avocado Salad in CFB: "If it (the avocado) is really hard or horribly brown, throw it away and eat something else instead, like a garlic sausage sandwich".

belfastgirl23

Pennylane wrote: »

I HAD a couple of shelves of cookery books but I guess like most people, I stuck to just a couple of old favourites! I have been de-cluttering and given loads to charity shops.

The one I use over & over again is a Reader's Digest one called The Cookery Year. Its a big fatty but full of recipes set out so you use stuff which is in season. I've always liked that idea! Anyway, it was a bit dog-eared and food-splodged so I looked on Ebay and they are fetching mega bucks!! I could not believe it, so I am now going to take MUCH more care of it.

My mum has this reader's digest one, it's great....

good idea on the decluttering, I should really do this