What cookery books do you recommend?

Nigel is definitely the most used in my kitchen, also agree about Elizabeth David.

If you want books to read as well as to cook with, Jane Grigsons books are brilliant. I like The Vegetable Book, because it contains everything you're ever likely to come across, but the Fruit Book, (and Meat and Fish) are all great. I love the way she writes, very simple. I like Nigella and Jamie food, but they're prose irritates the pants off me........

Claudia Roden had a Mediterranean Cookery book which wsa a fantastic mixture from all the relevant countries, but I think it's OP now, but you can get it on ebay sometimes. All her books are very evocative.

Anything by Katie Stewart - books are mainly 1970s and 1980s and out of print but the recipes work. Great for basic stuff.

I love Nigel & Nigella. Great food but not too poncy. Relaxed blurb & tempting photos. The Book People is always good for top names at bargain prices. Fab to treat yourself or for presents. Unfortunately had sold out of the Real Fast.. set as was going to introduce someone to the joys of Nigel for their birthday as they wanted basic everyday help & inspiration. I got Home Cook by Alastair Hendy instead. She loved it & I ended up getting myself a copy too.

The River Cottage family cookbook is great but a little daunting at first as it is so big. I love looking through Rick Stein's books as the photography and local info is fab.
I have my granny's Dairy Cookbook from the 50's and in the back is a etiquette section which ponders, "should i offer my 13 year old and his friends a cigarette at his birthday party? would it be rude not to"?

Mrs Badger, we love Claudia Roden too. And Valentina Harris
We have a lot of cookery books!

I have a 1978 edition of the Dairy Cookbook - which we still use regularly for the basics.

Also have several Delias, 2 fat ladies, Jamie Oliver, a set of M&S books and loads of other modern stuff.

Fio, there were two of those and I quite agree, they are fantastic . We use them all the time.
Also we love Elizabeth David, Nigel Slater and Katie Stewart for fool-proof basics like sauces and batters.
We are also rediscovering lovely, sensible Simon Hopkinson with the reissue of Roast Chicken and Other Stories.
But the book we use most of all is Josceline Dimbleby's Cook's Companion. Whatever repulsive knobbly thing turns up in our organic veg box, she will be able to tell you what it is and something nice you can do with it. She is an unsung hero of British cookery - too shy to do TV properly but what a genius she is.

Califrau, what's that about Sunchowder's Emporia with MN recipes? Is it a book?

Try Julian Barnes' "The Pedant in the Kitchen" and anything by Edouard de Pomiane ("Cooking in Ten Minutes" or "Cooking with Pomiane") - superb reads

Anthony Bourdain - Kitchen Confidential and The Nasty Bits and Les Halles, only the last one is a cook book in terms of giving recipes but the others are fabulous

Hana - I think the Tara Ramsey book would be good if you don't have any other cook books or you are a beginner in the kiychen. I dont think i've done even one recipe from it and it just sits on my shelf.
In fact, would anyone like to buy it?????

Batoutofhell - The River Cottage family cookbook makes a good read I think and is quite inspirational.

FioFio - I have a copy of the Dairy Book too! I was given my first one for my 18th birthday but the one I use now is a tad more up to date.

Leiths Baking Bible is fab.
Also Leiths Vegetarian Bible.
I also like the River Cafe books.

Agree with paula about the Good Housekeeping books. They're for plain and simple stuff. Mine is my mum's from the 70s and it has a recipe for biscuits called nignogs.

I have donna hay too, they are beautifully illustrated.
I also use cranks books for cakes or biscuits
jamie oliver - excellent - I find him irritating though. There is an excellent party cake recipe in the return if the naked chef. it is a v rich chocolate cake recipe which i have made on several occasions. would love some more recommendations.
marguerete patten is also very good
I also use some of the recipe cards from waitrose which I often modify quite alot - I miss out or substitute any ingredient I don't like the sound of
Delia - use some of her meat and casserole recipes

Bill Granger and Donna Hay as well as jamie, nigela

Abel and cole Cooking outside the box

\link{http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productSearch_10001_10051_50088_100___10_SimpleSearch_2_1_2__basicSearch_\Abel and Cole Cooking outside the Box]

We have too many (unused) cookery books. I have just bought another from The Book People - it's th Abel and Cole one about seasonal eating. Will try to find link - something like "out of the box" - looks like a good read as well as recipes.

The actual recipes I like usually come from a Sainsbury's book they did a couple of years back calle "Family" or else "The Dinner Lady" by Jeanette Orrey is good but her portions are HUGE (even if you only do the 4 person not the 96 person portions!!)

I have a 1950's copy of the Good Housekeeping book - it's great, particularly when it tells you that good servants are hard to find, and you could manage nowadays with just hiring one girl for dinner parties but you had to keep the menu simple! Saying that, it has the best recipes I have found for my cookie press and waffle machine.

I second the River Cottage Meat book. Not only does it have great recipes but great advice on where meat comes from and the best ways to buy it.

I have just done a quick count of cookery books and we have 39.

River Cottage Meat Book is fab.

Leith's Vegetarian Bible is always open in my kitchen. There is a non vego one.

I love delia for her christmas one.

TBH I use the bbc website more than anything!

A rubbish one is that river cottage cafe one. Utter garbage.