The most indispensable cook book?

[PoppadumPreach]

you can only own one cook book. which one and why?

me: Hugh F-W's "Everyday" as it is diverse but does the basics well.

caveat: just got my first nigel slater books this christmas and if i had had more time to get into them i suspect they would have been contenders....

would love to know anyone else's choice....

I agree with kahlua4me and others that the Dairy Book of Home Cookery is such a good all round recipe book. It covers all the basics, teaches you to cook really, gives the foundation for more exotic recipes. Over the years I have collected many recipe books, which I do use, and increasingly I find recipes on the web, but the DB is the one I reach for the most. Both our children left home with one My original copy was bought by my husband when he was a batchelor, from the milkman as it was produced by the Milk Marketing Board of England and Wales. First edition published 1968 and revised a few times.

I love my Dairy book too. My spine is broken (but is still somewhere in the cupboard) and my mum had a right go at me for the state of it (she bought me it) a while ago.

I pointed out it's like that cuz I use it so much - at least once a week to check cooking times for meat etc wheras dsis' copy is still pristine so I just think she ain't using it as much as me!!!

It even tells you how to boil an egg!! (I think.... damn now will have to go check that)

Also love the Beero book. I have others but never use them

Another recipe book fanatic here, my most used has to be Cranks Fast Food - vegetarian meals in less than 30 mins. In reality they take an hour (as I am not starting out with chopped nuts, grated cheese and sliced onions for example) but that's perfect for me and almost every recipe in it is fabulous. I have cooked the Aubergine and halloumi bake for many a guest and have yet to have one leave without requesting the recipe (including lots of meat eaters) would recommend for those wanting 1 or 2 meat free meals as well as for vegetarians.

My basic, held together with gaffer tape, is the Good Housekeeping cookbook. A bit dated now, but full of basic stuff like sauces and pancake batter and classic French dishes.

The only modern "name" cookbooks that come close are How To Eat and Nigel Slater's 30 minute cook.

I recently had to make this decision while we moved house. I was "allowed" two cookbooks. Given that I'd still have access to the internet for all the classic recipes there was really no point in taking an everyday basic
cookbook - I can easily live without those, I can google my fair share of Indian recipes too. What I needed was something special, something inspiringly good. These are books that get me excited about food.

My first choice was Cranks Fast Food - interesting meals done quickly and I have cooked so much form this book - I haven't made the Aubergine & Halloumi yet but soon I will - it's a bit hidden on the back page.

Second choice was Paradiso Seasons by Dennis Cotter....I think I may have taken this book for comfort as I temporarily did not have time to cook from it! Dennis Cotter knows vegetables like no one else, his food makes my heart sing - he is never everyday...his food always tastes fresh and interesting, some day I will make my pilgramage to Cork and dine at his restaurant but in the meantime my heart belongs to this book and we could not be parted!

I'm mortified to say that the recipe book that I cook the most from (after Delia of course) is an old Ainsley Harriot book.
Leaves thread!

how to feed your family...

Good Food 101 low fat feasts. Lots of recipes that you actually cook!! It's the most dog-eared book jn our collection.

Another Delia's complete cookery course fan here

I love the River Cottage baby and toddler cookbook (I'm a pretty inexperienced cook and it has given me confidence). I recently bought 'Cooking with Coco' by Anna Del Conte. It has some lovely recipes in it.

Canella
which Ainsley one - some of the stuff he did when presenting RSC was really good
my Mum has Larousse Gastronomie and a Graham Kerr book

ooohh and I forgot Floyd on Fish - his first and his best

Could I please ask a question to those of you who like Pomiane...... what kind of cooking does he do? I love to read cookbooks, as much as cook from them, which is why I love Nigel Slater so much, for his ramblings and descriptions.... but I am veggie, and in my experience French + Veggie doesn't always turn out so good....

Thanks :)

Edouard de Pomaine is not veggie.
It was a book written in the 1930's for Parisian office workers who went home for lunch and had to cook a three course lunch in ten minutes

Thank you :)
Another poster pointed me in the direction of Dennis Cotter, who is veggie, I may try him first!
But I may also try Pomiane later, just as food porn....even if I don't eat meat, the descriptions can still be wonderful.

One of my fave's (and first cookery book of my own, I think) is Anna del Conte's "Secrets of an Italian Kitchen".... hardly cooked anything from it, just love reading it [so sad]

for food porn and fab descriptions, Claudia Roden's Middle Eastern Cookery take some beating - and has LOADS of veggie stuff in it

Haven't read whole thread so don't know if it's been mentioned but Mary Berry's 'Cook now eat later' is BRILLIANT for pre preparing stuff or freezing etc.

The book held together with gaffer tape in my kitchen is Delia! I also use Mary Berry a lot for baking. I own just about every cookery book going and love to read them in bed! I love to read Elizabeth David books and have picked up loads of tips from them and they give you a good feel for ingredients.

talkinpeace2 - i've got 2 of his books . One is "meals in minutes" & the other is "low fat meals in minutes".
They are not books for making culinary masterpieces but for simple family food (risotto, paella, mexican) they are great books.

Oh yes betty, am with you on Dennis Cotter's Paradiso Seasons too, it's wonderful! I didn't make the Aubergine and halloumi bake from cranks for a long time as it is really hidden there with no photo, now it is a staple, I make and use the whole quantity of coriander pesto as love garlic/strong flavours and use 2 aubergines and 2 blocks of halloumi for 4 people, I do find Nadine is often tight with the portion sizes and garlic content but a genius in every other way!

loubielou31 that Stork Book is going fr £30 upwards on eBay, I've been trying to get my hands on a copy for years. Treasure it, there are apparently only very few copies left and they're like gold dust!

The Leiths Simple Cookery book is great - lots of everyday stuff, but also has special occasion recipes. Their Baking Bible is also fantastic.