The Most Useful Cookery Books Ever?

Curry_Queen

Ok, I'll try again as my last reply disappeared into the ether when I hit an "invalid thread" message!

I'd say one of Hugh F-W's books would be my top pick - The Meat Book or Family Cookbook - for good simple home cooking. His books are far more than just a collection of recipes too and he's a pleasure to read.

heroicnich

My vote would be for 'How to Cook' by Nigella. I find the writing style inspirational - there's a mixture of ideals and reality, a focus on getting fewer things but better quality, and lots of great recipes! I'm into my baking too, so I'd also take 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' to a desert island... but if you're feeling disenchanted with cooking, How to Cook brings ideas and inspiration (even if it is for spaghetti with garlic infused olive oil and chilis!).

serena

My best cookery book is an exercise book which cost 35p (years ago) in which I have over the years written in all the recipes that I use, starting with my mum' pastry/crumble/shepherd's pie etc. I have added the odd recipe from papers or magazines, and whenever I have eaten something really good, I have asked for the recipe (from friends, never asked in a restaurant!), including the flapjack recipe from a school I taught at, which was such huge quantities I had to divide it by 20 to use it

When my sister moved into her first flat I started one for her, and I noticed a couple of weeks ago that she still uses it!

I shall have to start one for DS1.

If it is a published book, then my choice would be The Good Housekeeping Cook Book.

Downsizing__for_sanity

I have to say that a "survey of restaurant owners, chefs and writers" isn't exactly the "focus group" I would consult if I wanted an all-purpose cookbook.

When we bought our first home two years ago, my mother bought me Delia's Complete Cookery Course and I have to say that it's the best, all round REFERENCE cookery book I've used. I really enjoy cooking and am no novice, and althoughI have lots of other ones that I love (currently working through Jamie's Italy), Delia's Complete is the only one that I know will always give me things like roasting times & temps for meats and how to time a Christmas dinner to perfection.

It's the one that my friends borrow most often from me, and people then seem to end up buying it themselves! Food fashions come and go, and Delia's Complete can sometimes seem a little outdated, but on balance it's the best long-term, health and wealth-conscious, all-rounder. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is moving out of home for the first time, or to parents whose children are going away to college/university.

DFS

HopeElizzy

bektoria wrote:

Hi,

My kitchen shelf is groaning with all the cook books on it !! We have Jamie, Nigella, Delia, River Cottage etc however the one we use most frequent is The Dinner Lady by Jeanette Orrey. This book is fantastic as it contains great recipes that the whole family enjoys such as Chicken Nuggets, Sausage Casserole. I like is because she uses cupboard ingredients to make the casseroles etc which saves me a fortune from buying packet mixes !

Bek

:T This has been our family favourite for the last year. I've 2 little ones (3.5yo & 1.5yo) and they'll eat anything cooked from the recipes in Jeanette's book. She's the person that inspired jamie Oliver's school dinners campaign but I find her book alot easier to use than Jamies Dinners.

Lyndsay_21

i have the janet orrey(sp) one and it is fab it has pretty much 'normal' ingrediants that most people would have in their cupboards plus i've just bought one by tamasin day-lewis called tamasins kitchen bible which is really good has a mix of everyday food and posh food as well as traditional cakes and how to prepeare for xmas....

moggins

I did have the Dinner Lady sat on my shelf but got put off reading it because of the all stuff at the front. however I read it in bed last night and was quite impressed, DD is an incredibly fussy eater but I think there are a few things in there she might try.

thriftlady_2

There's a new book out by Jeanette Orrey,called Second Helpings.My copy is on its way from Amazon (I've got a bad Amazon habit )

Jay-Jay_4

The book that turned me from being unable to boil an egg to being able to confidently cook practically anything is 'Cooking Techniques' by Norma Macmillan.



This is so much more than a recipe book. It's a guide book on how to prepare individual ingredients and how to use them. Say, for instance, you bought a cabbage but didn't know what to do with it..... in this book there is a description of different types of cabbage, notes and pictures on how to prepare it, how to cook it and serving ideas.

There's also really clear, easy instructions on basics like white sauce, omelettes, crumbles, cakes, pies...... along with fresh pasta, casseroles, proper gravy....all simple to do but proper, tasty food with having to faff around with all the exotic ingredients contained in most modern cookery books.

If anyone has a son or daughter who is setting up home for the first time then this book is great. It's still the book that I reach for first when I'm unsure about something really basic.

competitionscafe

Last Christmas I got 'Don't Sweat the Aubergine: What works in the kitchen and why' which is fantastic - it is not a recipe book, but rather lots of cooking tips and techniques for just about everything you can think of, the only recipes in it are a few pudding recipes in the last chapter. It really explains why you do things a certain way, is fascinating reading and very useful:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1904977278/

As for general cookbooks I would recommend Nigel Slater's 'Appetite', his Real Cooking is good too, and Tamasin's Kitchen Bible is an excellent all purpose book with some great recipes.

For beautiful books full of the type of food I love to eat, I am currently salivating over 'Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons: Enchanting Dishes from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa by Diana Henry: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840005017/ and
Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1740453646/