Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

What cookery books do you recommend?

105 replies

batoutofhell · 04/03/2007 20:25

Love to snuggle up in bed with a mug of hot chocolate and a good cookery book to read.

I know quite sad.

What cookery books can anyone recommend as a good and informative read?

OP posts:
Sunyshineymummy · 05/03/2007 11:22

Love Bill Granger's stuff and also the Moro cookbook is great.

prufrock · 04/03/2007 21:51

Do you know that libraries stock lots of cookery books? I have started getting hem for me when I take the kids, and then typing up the recipes I want to try out

fruittea · 04/03/2007 21:51

Echo all of these recommendations. I also love Diner Desserts by Tish Boyle, it's the one Nigella refers to in her choc fudge cake recipe in "Bites" and it's fabulous, lots of cream and butter-laden extravaganzas - the Devil's Food Cake was amazing! It's a good read, there are anecdotes with every recipe, not many photos of food but lots of b&w diner pics.

Skyler · 04/03/2007 21:46

Oh you will enjoy Feast I think if you like How to Eat. I don't have that one but do have Nigella Bites which I have used a lot too.
My classic 'Anything you could possibly need is in here' recipe book is my Good Housekeeping step by step Cookbook, but Nigella is a far superior read!

MrsSpoon · 04/03/2007 21:29

hana, I quite like Tana Ramsay's book. Her recipe for Morocan Chicken and Prunes is a favourite in our house.

Original poster
batoutofhell · 04/03/2007 21:03

Wow,thanks for all the replys.

Some great ideas will search on Amazon and e bay.

Trying to update my cookery book collection.

Skyler-someone bought me Feast by Nigella and have yet to read it.
I also have How to eat which I love reading.Nigella makes it all sound so appertising.

I have some of the old paperbacks the Times did which are interesting reading.
LOve looking round the secondhand bookshops for old cookery books.
The national trust properties near me both have good secondhand bookshops where you can get some great cookery books .

OP posts:
prufrock · 04/03/2007 21:01

Another vote for Nigella. Cookery Year is a wonderful cookbook, but not that great for reading in bed IMHO. Dear Francesca is great for that - cookbook come memories of Italian family recipes.

TheBlonde · 04/03/2007 20:56

Any Good Housekeeping ones
The Cookery Year - it's seasonal

ipanemagirl · 04/03/2007 20:55

confession:
I wrote to him and he wrote me a LOVELY postcard back sigh.... Italic, tasteful, lovely. I love Nigel. In a platonic way.

hana · 04/03/2007 20:55

does anybody rate Tana Ramsey's new cookbook? am tempted but ahve so many other cookbooks just gathering dust.

Troutpout · 04/03/2007 20:53

Another vote for the Dairy book of home cookery
Used it loads
Also any Nigel Slater.....mmmmmmmmm yum

ipanemagirl · 04/03/2007 20:52

nigel slater - all excellent
good house keeping book is great for basics
jamie's Italy v good

JackieNo · 04/03/2007 20:52

Agree - Elizabeth David is great - not so much cookery books, but books about cookery, and eating.

FioFio · 04/03/2007 20:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MrsBadger · 04/03/2007 20:51

to read I love Nigella and Elizabeth David, also Claudia Roden's(?) one about Jewish cookery

LittleSarah · 04/03/2007 20:51

Anything by Nigel Slater, I love him.

serenity · 04/03/2007 20:50

The Dairy Book of Home Cookery - I learnt to cook using my Mum's copy, and she got me my copy when I got a place pf my own. Absolute classic, and should be on everyone's bookshelf.

Skyler · 04/03/2007 20:49

Feast by Nigella. I love reading that.

jennifersofia · 04/03/2007 20:45

Well, I think Elizabeth David is interesting reading, but I also loved the cookbook by Felicity and Roald Dahl. Nigel is interesting and I get some good use out of him. I have a real liking also for The Joy of Cooking, an American classic with proper recipes for american pancakes, cookies, hoppin john and the like.

WideWebWitch · 04/03/2007 20:40

I like How To Eat by Nigella it's a good read, not just full of recipes
Agree, Real Fast Food is good by Nigel as is The Kitchen Diaries.

MrsSpoon · 04/03/2007 20:32

Agree with anything Nigella or Jamie, also Moro, especially if it is reading you are after.

FioFio · 04/03/2007 20:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Bucketsofdynomite · 04/03/2007 20:32

Real Fast Food by Nigel Slater - essential reading for anyone who's not confident about cooking / too busy.

janeite · 04/03/2007 20:31

Nigella - all of them - great to read but I've not had much luck with many of her recipes.

Madhur Jaffery's "World Vegetarian" - lovely - a huge block of a book, with lots of anecdotes about herself and her family; truly lovely.

The 2 "World Food cafe" books - veggie, loads of gorgeous photographs and info about the places they've travelled to in order to get recipes.

InTheHouse · 04/03/2007 20:30

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns