Cookbooks on your wishlist and desert island?

[whereismywine]

im a cookbookaholic and a little not ashamed. But at Christmas after 6 news ones came my way, I swore I'd not buy another in 2012. Today I have failed and bought the new Lisa Faulkner, even though I said I wouldn't, because it was £9 and pink and pretty and had an Easter cake on it so I HAD to. I've got about 70 cookbooks so really don't need anymore but I love them. Dh has laughed at my inability to stay on the wagon. But now I've succumbed the floodgates are open and the amazon wishlist is growing! It's been four months! But I've drawn up a new rule. I will find ten recipes in new books make sure I do them all in order to feel the book has earned it's keep. I think it's hard to find recipes that become favourites and part of the weekly cook?

Soo...whats on your wishlist? I am currently eyeing up the big sur bakery book, La tartine gourmand and the flavour thesaurus. I'd also like Jamie's Italian.

And if you could only keep one? Mine would probably be Appetite by Nigel Slater. But subject to change.

My current favourite is the baking cookbook Short and Sweet by Dan Lepard. His recipes are reliable, adaptable and he explains all sorts of the "why" bits of baking : why does my cake sink, how can I make light pastry? Also the recipes are tasty! [busmile]

Jamie's Italian is lovely to read, nice photos. Good basic risotto recipe, but I haven't used as many recipes out of it as I thought I might.

Not that you need to add more to your list, whereismywine! But I love getting old cookbooks from charity shops. I love the old pictures, which are generally not to modern taste at all. DH recently got me Elizabeth David's Cookery Illustrated from a charity shop. It has the look and feel of an old bible and a woman has written her name and address in it and the date - 3.9.38 - that makes me very happy.

I quite fancy Veggiestan. And I think Simon Rimmer might have a new veggie one out too.

My absolute favourite is World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey.

Jamies Italian is my favourite of his books.

Desert Island is Nigella How to Eat, for sheer reading pleasure and usefulness.

My wishlist cookbook is the Claudia Roden book of Jewish cookery.

I fancy that Dan Lepard book too.

My desert island books are Delia Complete Cookery for the basics and anything by Jamie because for me his stuff always works (whereas I always have a disaster with either Nigel or Nigella).

I have the Dan Lepard and it is fab. Remus, I think I remember reading that the Simon Rimmer is a rehash of his previous books, so if you have them, beware.

My desert island one? Possibly Ottolenghi? It is both a fab cookbook and has the prettiest pics. I do like nice pics in my cookbooks!

Ah - thanks for the warning.

Oo thank you Dan Lepard added to the list! I've just added Tartine bread too for mr wine who made the new years resolution to make bread that tasted like proper bread. One hot stone, a proving basket and sourdough starter later (and a few flat loaves) he's cracked it. I don't have such perseverance. Heidi Swanson was my best 2011 find for vegetarian healthy feeling days. Macarons by Pierre Hermes was my 'most challenging'

At the moment I'm cooking mostly from Nigella's Kitchen (a return to the form of Domestic Goddess and How to Eat as far as I'm concerned after a few disappointing books from her) and Thomasina Miers Mexican cookbook. I'm trying not to buy Dan Lepard, Lorraine Pascal or Mary Berry, so please don't tell me that any of them are amazing!

My desert island book? I really like Jamie
Oliver but tend to only do a handful of recipes from each of his books. I really like the Gordon Ramsay books that have been written by Mark Sargeant, particularly the pub food one. But for pure reading joy, it would have to be Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries.

Glad I'm not alone in my recipe book obsession. In my defence, I look at them and cook from them all the time, and my family and friends eat extraordinarily well as a result

On my wishlist atm (and I buy Food books all the time).
One of Madhur Jaffrey's, because I don't own any and feel I should since we have curry at least once a week, and usually more than one dish.
A fish book, again don't own one and should. Maybe HFW's because I love his meat and veg one or something by Rick Stein.
I've just bought the great British bake off book, my baking needs to be improved, and it was only £6 on Amazon!
I also bought a Lonely Planet Street Food book this week, I love food and travel so it combines the two.
I've bookmarked arrancini and takoyaki to try soon.
For usefulness, I'd keep Delia's complete cookery course and Jamie's Ministry, perhaps with Nigella's Kitchen for the sheer variety of recipes.

For reading pleasure, Simon Hopkinson. I have The Good Cook and Week in, Week out. I adore his writing, and he convinced me to cook tripe, which isn't easy!

I'd take Nige's Kitchen Diaries to the desert island, his evocative writing of the changes in seasons would be a great memory....

I am seriously tempted by that Dan Lepard one. The latest book I bought was Hairy Bikers Perfect Pies, which I've made a few of and are very good.

My most used books, however, are the Sarah Raven ones: Garden Cookbook and Cooking for Friends and Family.

Anyone mentioned River Cottage everyday cookbook? I love it, have used most the recipes in it.
Jamie's ministry of food I have used nearly all of them, ditto, Jamie at home and the naked chef books.
I live reading the Nigella books but I have never made anything ditto Gordon Ramsey.

I also have 100+ cookbooks they are my novels! :)

I have an original Marguerite Pattern (sp?) cookbook from my great, great grandma and it is signed and worth a fortune but I'd never part with it, my sisters and I grew up looking at it on rainy days, it's my pride an joy!

I have hundreds of cookery books and am always lusting after a new one or two.
I currently have in my amazon basket Nigella's Kitchen and HFW's River Cottage Everyday.
My desert island book would have to be either Kitchen Diaries or How to Eat, both of which are an enjoyable read as well as being practical.

Oooh, I'm loving this thread as it is giving me ideas of some new books to add to my collection :o

I'm waiting for a delivery from The Book People for my latest additions - River Cottage Veg Everyday, Tea with Bea, Love Bakery and Making Cupcakes with Lola. I'm a little obsessed!

My favourite book varies with my mood but I do really like Jamie's Ministry of Food and Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess. Also love a Sue Lawrence baking book I have.

I've never tried Nigel Slater's books so might give his a try next when I get some more money and find some space to store the books

I love 'Feast' for party food, for all sorts of parties. I also love The Hairy Bikers' first 'Mums Know Best' and want the second one and all their others. I am not an uber cook - more wholesome family grub - but almost always cook from scratch. Most recent cook book is the 'I Can Cook ' tv tie in. DS loves cooking.

This thread is making me happy! It's good to know I'm not alone with my bulging collection. I love mooching through them and like it when I rediscover one I've forgotten about. I have just refound Bill Grangers Sydney Food yum yum. Agree that River Cottage Everyday has loads of things that have become established. I've now earmarked 10 from the Lisa Faulkner book. It's actually a very lovely read. It's probably touched me as im having probs conceiving and she writes about that very openly.

Patch Which recipes do you most rate from Domestic Goddess? I love looking at it but have had several disasters cooking from it, so have been reluctant to try anything else.

I bought Mary Berry's cookbook. It is very traditional but there is some lovely stuff in it.

Remus my absolute fave recipe has to be her chocolate brownie recipe. It is fab, just don't look too hard at the quantities of the ingredients as you will probably have heart failure if you do!

I used to make it and my DH used to take it into work with him. However, I've now discovered that it freezes really well so that doesn't happen any longer :o

I also like her chocolate mousse cake and the molten chocolate babycakes.

I made her Xmas cake recipe and that was fine too, but didn't like her mince pie recipe. I also like just looking through it too!

remus the dense chocolate loaf cake is lovely and always works.

Thank you. Two of my disasters were with brownies - the chocolate and cream cheese ones and the white chocolate ones: both turned out to be v expensive failures.

Have heard good things about the babycakes before but can't be doing with poncing around with ramekins - I like big fat greedy people puddings!

Might try the dense chocolate cake.

The Victoria sponge and all the variations are good in domestic goddess. So are the pavlovas, the gooey chocolate stack, the autumnal birthday cake, the rasp and white choc muffins and the cut out biscuits. The only disaster I've had is the banana muffins

desert island

prue leith's cookery bible (it is BRILLIANT I have never had anything fail from there, but is a traditional one with few pictures so not v food -porny)

Hugh FS meat book - I love his attitude to meat - appreciating where it has come from, cooking carefully, appreciating, not wasting. His recipes are lush as well but mainly I use it for his roasting times

I have a seafood and fish book from ages ago that is super

Wish list... everything I see I do savoury and DH does sweet and so between us there is no corner of the culinary world that doesn't appeal!

Roast chicken and other stories is good - simon hopkinson

My current favourite is Tom Kime's Exploring Taste and Flavour. I want to work my way through every recipe.