What's your favourite COOKBOOK?

[Popbiscuit]

The one that you reach for over-and-over again? Either for everyday things or special occasion (or one that covers both) or for baking / desserts.

Always looking to add to my collection .

The Hairy Bikers' Mums Know Best (I only have the first one, want the second one too)

DS (3) and I are have been having a lot of fun with the "I Can Cook" book too.

My old faithfull is the Cranks original cook book (am veggie) but I tend to use less wholemeal flour than they do.

I'm not sure I can choose just one. I love my Australian Women's weekly ones, their recipes never fail. I surprised myself by using Tana Ramsey's books quite a lot.

What's yours OP?

Most of Nigel Slater's

Diana Henry's "Cook Simple"

Tamasin Day Lewis' "Kitchen"

Jamie Oliver "Ministry of Food" for real basic stuff

I've got Tana Ramsay's too, but too much meat to be very useful to me. My DB has the Aussie WOmen's Weekly Cake Book which is fab!

Nigella "How to Eat" is my go-to book.

I'm also a big fan of the "Canteen" cookbook from the restaurant chain of the same name.

Delia's Complete Cookery Course for methods.

Jamie's MOF for everyday dishes that don't cost the earth, and have easily available ingredients.

At the moment my other favourite is Angela Nillsen's The Ultimate Recipe book, but this changes, depending on what I've just bought and what I feel like cooking/eating.

I could talk all day about recipe books though, and love loads of them.

The first two stand, as favourites, but the third can differ week to week.

My current faves are the Ottelenghi books, purple citrus and sweet perfume by Silvena Rowe. Also use the Moro books regularly and Domestic Godess for baking. The Leiths bible is also a comprehensive and useful book.

Nigel Slater's 'Appetite' for the kind of comfort food I crave this time of year. I generally just rip recipes out of magazines and file them ina binder though- that's the 'cookbook' I usually use!

I think, if I HAD to choose one it would be Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone". We're not vegetarian but I use this book almost every day. It's like an encyclopedia and great for the variety of appetites in my house.

I love Nigel Slater's "Kitchen Diaries" even though it's not strictly a cookbook and Kellamity, I have to say my kids really enjoy most of the things that I've made from Tana's books (I have the first two).

I'm getting some great ideas!

Ooh let me join in, I have hundreds. I love all of nigella's. I really liked Simon Hodgkin's latest as well, have made some lovely stuff from there. HFW's veg book is good too.

For baking, have recently discovered this.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0091940966

It's amazing, full of glorious, fattening Yankee treats. I would definitely recommend it to fellow fatties!

YY to Ottolenghi. I'm making the "Sweet Winter Slaw" and "Chickpea Saute" from Plenty for dinner tonight, actually. The recipes are delicious but I did have to a bit of trawling to find some of the ingredients.

I have a messy binder too...lots of things from BBC Good Food in there.

I love Mary Berry for baking. I've pretty much all of Jamie's and love his for rustic full of flavour food.

Oh and I've just bought The Silver Spoon but I haven't made anything yet. It looks like a bible!!!

I love reading the" essays" in Nigella's books, Feast is my favorite.

I have the Silver Spoon and find it a bit daunting. Can anyone recommend any of the recipes?

Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food is really good.

Linda McCartney's World Vegetarian (old, might still be in print) is excellent.

Mr Rosie likes Nigela (snurk).

The Prawn Cocktail years by Simon Hopkinson Amazon linky

yum yum yum

Rick Stein's Spain for the best fish free paella for a very fussy Dh. The pork with almonds is divine.

Rick Stein's Far Eastern Oddesy , you have to make the tomato curry it is just like the one in 'chilli Pickle' in Brighton.
Also just because it is the wierdest combination that works the beef with grapefruit.

Not the biggest fan of the man, he always looks world weary, but his recipes work everytime

Silver Spoon is a beautiful cookbook - but I'm a bit scared of it.

TheSecondComing - I usually try a new recipe a couple of times a month. Love cooking, but get into a rut of cooking the same things over and over ... Is everyone like that?

I've just got Lorraine Pasquales book and have made 5 things already - all really good.
I try 2 new recipes per week, sometimes more.
I have too many recipe books, need to do a declutter and make room for some new ones!

Oooh yes I have Lorraine's books too, haven't cooked loads but what I have done has been scrummy!

The Second Coming- That's a good question. Was just talking about this to DH. I have my repertoire of things that I make over and over again but I also love trying new recipes and have over a hundred cookbooks so I do, quite often, try new things. It's a hobby and pleasure as well as a chore. Unfortunately it often means that my grocery bill DOUBLES when I'm trying a whole host of new things (different spices, oils, vinegars and what have you) so I try to do only one or two "new" things a week and/or make substitutions using things I all ready have in the pantry. The internet is great for looking up substitutions, though.

That baking book looks really interesting, Queen Kong . My favourite for cakes, brownies etc. is the "Magnolia Bakery" cookbook.