Delia's Complete Cookery Course - Classic Edition: Vol 1-3 in 1v, by Delia Smith

An absolute necessity, always useful for checking roasting times and how to make basic sauces etc.. I wouldn't use it for pasta recipes but it's great for more old fashioned fare like cakes, roasts, casseroles etc... Delias boeuf bourguignon is amazing! And parsley sauce...and all-in-one sponge and banana loaf...

Great book bit out of date but this is the on i have used most in my kitchen

Yes, good cookery book for the basics. A bit old fashioned, but a great general reference book.

I have tons of cookery books, covering all kinds of cuisines and techniques, but this is the one that I always turn to for basic, sound advice.

The recipes aren't the most exciting, but it's a great reference book.

Mine is falling apart now, and I will definitely be replacing it as it is so valuable in my culinary armoury!

The gospel according to Delia. All the classics of British cooking are in here and if you don't mind following instructions that border on the schoolmarmish (I find it embarrassingly reassuring..) this book will not fail you.

Really good value for money as it has lots of excellent recipes both for beginners and experienced cooks.

very useful book for many aspects of cooking - from how to boil an egg to making a cake. don't use the recipes very much but do for basic things - like yorkshires. made cakes using the 'all in one sponge' with v. good comments from tasters!

Great for when you want to know the basics - ie, how to make pancakes, stuff a chicken or make a stew.

Less good at answering the perennial question of "what shall we have for dinner" - the recipes often seem old fashioned and not really very appetising..

although written years ago and not as snazzy looking as the jamie/nigella books...a classic book which will always have the answer to basic cookery queries... her steamed syrup pud is lovely ... and yorkshire puds are absolutely perfect... a must for any kitchen!...

It feels a bit old-fashioned now but this was a fantastic introduction to cooking for a complete novice when I bought it 14 years ago. She is prescriptive, descriptive and reassuring in her level of detail, and she covers the basics and much more so you can usually find something on whatever you are looking for. Ingredients and equipment have changed a bit since this was written, and I supplement this with Nigella's 'How to Eat' when I'm checking how to make the basics but I still think that you won't go far wrong if you let Delia show you the way round your kitchen to cook some standard recipes.

The recipes are basic but dependable. They are, though, too prescriptive and Delia's instructions are too detailed for someone like me, who likes to experiment with recipes.

Her steps are long-winded, and go into such painstaking detail that you could almost believe she thinks you are too stupid to differentiate between an egg and a carrot. It's hard to keep your place in the recipe because each step is so long and detailed that it takes ten minutes to find your place again every time you take your eye off the book. This can become annoying unless you are the sort of cook who likes to have her/his hand held through every step and who has a panic attack at the thought of changing anything about the recipe.

I am trying to give this book 3/10 but Tech has obviously been meddling again and the bit for adding marks out of ten doesn't work.

This is a really good, basic cookery book to have. It is suitable for many levels of experience but I mainly use it for basics such as yorkshire puddings, and for helping me to work out the time for cooking various joints of meat. It's a book all cooks should have.