Which Cookbook

[casawasa]

If you could only have one cookery book which one would it be?

That's easy. I've had a copy of Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course for about 25 years now. It's a bit battered and stained but, even though I have a lot of other books, it's the one I always refer to.

I have 100s - it would be difficult. However, I am really enjoying Darina Allen's Complete Cookery Book. Brilliant reference book with some great recipes.

Leiths Cookery Bible hands down. Fantastic reference book, great for dinners, lunches, casual food and high end entertaining. Lots of info on techniques and more obscure things.

I've also got their family book, the veggie one, the baking one and just bought the meat one. LOVE them.

I don't use recipes that much, only for food that I really want to taste authentic (so I love Fuschia Dunlop's chinese books and my old Madhur Jaffrey books) and all baking stuff I get off the internet.

I think the one I use most is Nigel Slater's Appetite because it has so many variations of things I cook anyway.

I'll second the Leith's techniques bible. Not seen the family one, so I'll have to look out for it. I've got the others and they are fantastic.

I must use at least one of them most weeks. I love the way that you get the "what's gone wrong if" sections for each type of dish. It means you can try to avoid the problem in the first place.

I need 3:

Sarah Raven's Garden cookbook for Spring and Summer
Leith's Baking Bible for baking
Appetite or Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater for Autumn/Winter

Has to be the cookery book that gives the best results with out much washing up ! new out last week Prepped.

ooh I am sorry ! I am learning the ropes on here but I think you can add links ? here goes - this is the website mentioned above www.prepped.co.uk

Sorry barbeasty I mean the Leiths Simple Bible

I always think of it as the family book as it's much more casual than the normal one.

Madhur J's World Vegetarian.

Rose Elliot The Complete Vegetarian. Recently been revised and reissued just in time as my original (1980's) copy was falling to bits.

The Joy of Cooking or Laurel's Kitchen.

Sarah raven's family and friends cookbook.

Viva - I like that one, too. I esp like the Chicken souvlaki, the Toffee Apple Pie and am making the Chicken Tagine for some friends in a few weeks. Any recipes you'd recommend?

Sorry to hijack, op.

I like the chicken souvlaki as well. Also like the chiil con carne, cheese and fennel scones, apple and butternut squash soup. I'm making pork rogan josh tomorrow from the book and that's nice as well. And if you haven't made the chocolate lime cake do it!

I'm eyeing up the raspberry cupcakes as well. There's lots of other good recipes that I want to try in there but its no wonder I'm failing at Slimming World. I fancy making the rabbit pie.

An old Good Housekeeping bible - all the basics are there.

But I love James Martin, Nigella and Jamie Oliver the best

Rose Elliot's 'The supreme vegetarian cookbook'. Mine is in tatters.

Good Housekeeping Cookery Book - bought from a second hand shop for £2 - all basics and some really good recipes - just adapt and add extras to recipes to bring it up to the 21st century

A few months ago I would have said Rachel's Family Food, but while I still use it a lot, I've now found I'm using my Good Food Magazine recipes most - they're more seasonal and you get so many each month (fancy dinner party to family favourites) I reckon it probably works out fairly economically!

Deila's complete cookery course -my copy is well thumbed and if held loosely falls open at all the good recipes