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Your favourite cook-book

46 replies

Edel2019 · 28/12/2020 17:48

As in the one that's just a classic for you, that you've gotten a good few classics out of.....

.....mine is Jamie's 30 Minute Meals.....

....love the Chicken Curry, mackerel pâté, pea and ham pasta (LOVE this), brownies, chicken stroganoff, pea soup, sweet potato and chorizo soup, tomato sauce for pasta (I add chorizo to it).

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toastytea · 28/12/2020 18:07

I'm also looking for a good one!! I haven't really got any to recommend but anyone got an opinion on "Nigella Express"?

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 28/12/2020 18:24

Diana Henry's From Oven to Table and also her Bird in the Hand. Both brilliant, easy books that I cook from loads.

For family meals, the first two Fay Ripley books are pretty solid too.

Pomegranatemolasses · 28/12/2020 18:54

@toastytea, I haven't thought about Nigella Express in years, but do have it and remember loving quite a few recipes from it. Must dig it out now!

I've hundreds of cookery books, and this is after a huge cull last year. I think my classics would be the two Silver Palate books, very '80s but groundbreaking at the time.

BettyCrockaShit · 28/12/2020 19:00

Any and all of the Roasting Tin serirs. Gizzi Erskine's 'Slow' is also fab, but takes a fair amount of effort (that I just don't have at the moment...)

partyatthepalace · 28/12/2020 19:01

Nigella’s How To Eat

Lookingforwardto2021 · 28/12/2020 19:02

Dennis Cotter and . I love what they do with veg!

Lookingforwardto2021 · 28/12/2020 19:02

Oops I meant to say Ottolenghi

TaleOfTheContinents · 28/12/2020 19:33

I do love a cookbook!

Stirring Slowly by Georgina Hayden and A Love of Eating: Recipes from Tart London! Both of them are beautifully written and the recipes are original but not intimidating.

Pomegranatemolasses · 28/12/2020 19:36

@Lookingforwardto2021, love those also. Dennis Cotter was a trailblazer for vegetarian food in Ireland.

Ragwort · 28/12/2020 19:45

I ate at Dennis Cotter's restaurant a few times years ago .... wonderful food.

BeeyatchPlease · 28/12/2020 19:47

Cookery books are my weakness, I must have amassed hundreds over the years.
Nigel Slater's Eat is brilliant and I use it most weeks.
I also love all Sabrina Ghayour's and Rick Stein's books, never had a bad meal yet.
When I really want to push the boat out, you can't go wrong with Larousse Gastronomique, the things I've also learned from that book (more of an encyclopaedia really) is incredible.

Sadik · 28/12/2020 19:51

Modern - The Green Roasting Tin (don't find the other ones as good even though we're not veggie)

Proper classics that I turn to time & again (eg when I foolishly suggest goose for Christmas!) - Katie Stewart's Sunday Times Cookbook & The Constance Spry cookbook.

Moreginneeded · 28/12/2020 20:02

I have Nigella Express and I use it all the time...The chocolate belle Helene pudding, crepe suzette, coq au Riesling, brunch bread pudding and toad in the hole are all regular makes for me. Rick Stein is another whose recipes always seem to work, and Sabrina Ghayour’s Persiana is great. For curries, my go to book is the Hairy Bikers Curry bible.... I love cookery books!

Haywire · 28/12/2020 20:10

I am a total cookbook addict my favourites right now, from the oven to the Table by Diana Henry (or any of her wonderful books, Strudel, noodle and dumplings by Anja Dunk, East by Meera Sodha (or fresh India), Honey and Co books, Anna Jones (I like her first book best A modern way to Eat), Moorish by Ben Tish, One tin bakes by Ed Kimber, Nothin Fancy by Alison Roman errrr better stop there!

IJumpedAboardAPirateShip · 28/12/2020 20:13

I loved and used Nigella Express all the time Pre-veggie. In fact still have it even though I wouldn’t eat most of the recipes now!

I love HFW two veg books and cook a lot from them both. Love a cookbook

Wellysock · 28/12/2020 20:19

My old faithful good housekeeping book. It's not fancy but it never fails me, and it has the most delicious mince pie recipe

Tangledtresses · 28/12/2020 20:33

I have 3 shelves of favourites 😃 all for different occasions

ShrimpSymphonyofSeasonalSongs · 28/12/2020 20:36

JO Ministry of Food taught me the basics

EnglishGirlApproximately · 28/12/2020 20:37

Nigella express is fab, I use the pancake recipe most weekends! Long running favourites for me are Jamie at home and Ottolenghis Jerusalem. Recent hits have been Sabrina Gayhours Simply and John Waite's Flash in the Pan. I love cookbooks so much I have far too many.

Edel2019 · 28/12/2020 21:43

Oh wow wow wow....what wonderful responses.....

I have to say, cook books are my absolute weakness too. I just love sitting through a new cook book, what a treat.....

.....I do love Darina Allen. I'm from Ireland and she's held in high regard. I have Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat to delve into this week.....

I've probably cooked one Nigella recipe in my lifetime. Isn't that desperate? So I think I might treat myself to her Express book that so many of you have recommended.

I love the posts with mentions of books with absolute classics.....I am intrigued by new modern books but find a book with classics somewhat harder to find these days....not every recipe needs to be "modernised"

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Edel2019 · 29/12/2020 12:32

Just ordered Nigella Express....so excited!

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MyNameForToday1980 · 29/12/2020 12:35

The ones we cook most from are:

Bowls of Goodness (I forget who by) and Diana Henry - Simple.

Also love Sabrina Ghayour and just received her book Simply for Christmas.

Georgyporky · 29/12/2020 12:56

I've got nearly 100 books, plus 2 lever arch files full of recipes from the net.
I usually borrow books from the library before deciding to buy them.
I've got too many books that I've only ever cooked one thing from - including Nigella Express !

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FloodedRoad · 29/12/2020 13:03

Jamie Oliver's 60 minute meals for me, I can to highlight the method so I can read just the bit I need as it's formatted in an irritating way

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 29/12/2020 13:18

Can anybody recommend lovely veggie books, with simple, everyday recipes? NOT HFW!

My favourites (although I rarely cook from recipe books tbh):
Madhur J World Vegetarian
Rose Elliot - forget what it's called but it's a big, fat, old fashioned one
The World Food Cafe books

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