I need to buy a recipe book, but need help.

[UnitedRoad]

My daughters asked for a recipe book for Christmas. I know you can probably get everything online, but this is what she wants.

But it gets harder.

She’s recently left home, and lives in a shared house with four other girls and one kitchen. She has limited cupboard space, and also fairly limited pots, pans and utensils etc, although she has all the basics.

She’s not mad on meat although likes things like sausages and meatballs. Also doesn’t really eat fish. She likes cooking.

The most important thing she wants in a recipe book is one where there aren’t huge lists of ingredients, as she just doesn’t have anywhere to keep them. She’s not a student but doesn’t have that much money so I was thinking a student cookbook could be perfect, but I’ve been reading reviews on amazon, and haven’t found anything quite right.

I hope someone here will know exactly what I need!

Based on your brief, the book that springs to mind is Cook Simple by Diana Henry.

Usborne beginners cook book

Lots of recipes including a veggie section (1/4 of the book) and a baking section (1/4 of the book)

The Roasting Tin series of books? Simple, healthy...

Jack Monroe's A girl called Jack is light on the meat, very budget conscious and works from a limited range of ingredients .

Or Delia's One is Fun?

Jamie's five ingredient meals are nice. I've tried a few off the programme, but a friend of mine was instagramming recipes out of the book that looks delicious.

Can't stand Jamie Oliver but his food is yummy

Jack Monroe is a good call, thumbs up VSA.

I would say Delia's How to Cook. It is really good for explaining the basics like making a white sauce and then adapting it, cooking eggs, etc, so it is about the mechanics and chemistry of cooking which is a good grounding. I've always loved cooking from being a young girl and the Delia series were really useful reference points.

It's very old but 'Cooking in a Bedsitter' by Katherine Whitehorn sounds as if it might fit the bill.
It's of its time (60s but reprinted in the 80s) but the recipes are simple and it sounds as if your DD will have more than the basics in terms of kitchen equipment. It was aimed at people who had little more than a gas ring to cook on and next to no storage space so ingredient lists are short, but there are lots of handy tips.

Seconding the Roasting Tin series. The Green Roasting Tin has vegetarian and vegan recipes.

Nigel slaters cook is excellent for simple meals

Another vote for Jamie Oliver's 5 ingredients cook book.

Jack Monroe's books are excellent. Budget friendly and she makes use of everyday ingredients.

Pinch of Nom is my fave

There are a few cookbooks by a teen/young chef called Sam Stern that are specifically aimed at young cooks.

I lover a good cooking book me.. I actually read them for fun.

I recommend Jack Monroe as well.

Uses everyday items you can buy in normal supermarkets that aren't going to break the bank and she uses dried/ tinned foods and lots of cheap veggies (including the wilty ones) and cheap cuts of meat.

other cooking books tend to use pricey "never go to use THAT again" ingredients which will rot in the back of the fridge or require you to have a "larder" full of pricey spices.

Thank you all so much for your recommendations. I’m going to buy a couple. It sounds like Jack Monroe is right up her street. My daughters very very careful with money (because she’d rather spend it on trainers than food), and she gets completely put off by long lists of ingredients. I hadn’t heard of Jack Monroe before, but she sounds awesome.

Thank you!

Yy to the roasting tin books.

I second the Sam Stern cookbook - i have Eat Vegetarian & it's really good

Jamie's 5 ingredients or Pinch of Nom

Or keeping it simple, Gary Rhodes

Student cookbooks are shit. Agree with the Diana Henry recommendation or Simple by Ottolenghi

Don't get her Sam Stern she's not a 15 year old

Real Fast Food by Nigel Slater is a bit old now but it’s full of easy classics which are simple to do and don’t use a lot of ingredients. I used it a lot when I was at university and in my mid-20s.

Jamie Oliver's ministry of food is good. It has lots of basic recipes.