inexperienced cook seeks help

[Inky]

I'm trying to improve the muck I serve to my long-suffering family. I live in an area where "exotic" ingredients are difficult/impossible to come by - no giant superstore or conventient deli for me. So all those cook books calling for chillis, lemon grass or even anything more glam than a frozen cod fillet are out!

Can anyone, with this info in mind, recommend a cook book with easy, healthy, (low fat perhaps?) recipes, ideally with idiot-level instructions (prep time perhaps) suitable for freezing or not? I realise I'm asking the earth. It would really help me if I could make double & freeze half, but I'm never sure what I can & can't freeze - I need telling.

I don't have a book shop near me either, so I can't really browse, so would appreciate specific recommendations I could order perhaps via amazon. Many thanks.

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For general family food I would also recommend you look at Delia's wide range of books particularly her earlier ones which cover the basics. Another series worth considering are the "Australian Womens Weekly" books. They cost around a fiver each, have photographs of every single dish and contain detailed instructions on freezability and so on. You can certainly get them in most bookshops so I imagine Amazon also stocks them.

Inky, Id recommend one of the many Good Housekeeping titles. They tell you whether you can freeze it, best way to reheat it etc.

Simple, tried and tested.

Look at GH Cooking on Amazon and choose the title that sounds appropriate to you, there are loads.

I like Delias Winter Collection book, lovely casseroles etc.

And Annabel's Family Planner is nice and straightforward too.

Good luck. I love this time of year for cooking, all in one-pot type of cooking! Soups and casseroles and puddings - yum.

Inky,
Try Australian Womans Weekly:-Freezer Cooking & Healthy Family Food. Again I am an advocate of Annabel Karmel, very easy also mostly quite healthy. Also pasta dishes with veggie sauce and with out cheese sauce is healthy and normally quick as you can cook your veggy whizz with a blender to your own liking chunky or smooth and it is easy to freeze and defrost. Soups are easily made the same way.

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Inky, I'd agree with Ems too. GH cookery books are always reliable and clear and make no assumptions about what the reader already knows. Delia's recipes are also clear and easy to follow. We have the Winter and Summer collections and use them a lot. Some of the ingredients are a little exotic but there are plenty of recipes which are "good, plain cooking". She's not so good on low fat stuff though!
No-one else has recommended Nigel Slater or Josceline Dimbleby. Her "Cook's Companion", published a few years ago by Sainsbury's, tells you how to do all sorts of types of cookery and then has examples of the technique. Another big favourite in our house. And Nigel Slater's "Marie Claire Cookbook" (possibly not still in print, but try his "Real Fast Food" instead) has a different approach. While he does not give lots of detailed, prescriptive recipes, he is fab at telling you what goes with what in your store cupboard to rustle up a quick, tasty, easy supper.
Are you nearer a library than a bookshop? Even a rural branch library ought to be able to obtain some titles on interlibrary loan for you, so you can try before you buy.

I'd recommend the Four Seasons Cookbook by Margeret Costa, its a lovely book, divided into seasons and has lots of simple, plainish recipes as well as slightly more adventurous ones. Also Claire Macdonalds books are great, there's a really nice one called 'suppers', you can buy them all separately in paperback or I think you can get them all together in a hardback version.

thanks for your recommendations. I've ordered the AK one - had no idea she did 'grown up' books too, plus GH one so fingers crossed my life will be made just that little bit easier.

BTW any ideas what to do with mountains of grapes? Other than make wine - a bit too advanced for me.