Help me build a basic cookbook 'library' for my sister please

[Earlybird]

My sister is not much of a cook (neither am I, for that matter). She has recently expressed an interest in learning to cook more/better.

I've had the idea to give her a basic 'cookbook library' for her birthday/Christmas, and thought it might be a good start to get her one book from each of the following:

Nigel Slater
Delia Smith
Jamie Oliver
Nigella
Others?

If you were going to choose one from each as an introduction/overview for a novice cook, which would it be?

Any different/better ideas? Thanks for suggestions.

Good Housekeeping ones are fab - have all the basics. Real staple cookbooks, imo.

you need a really basic one
delia is good
but the Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook is better - plenty of simple and easy recipes

Delia Smith is a good bet. I have her basic book and it's really good.

Avoid Jamie/Nigella etc. if she's not into fussy food, they all are too complicated.

Mary Berry is really good for basic recipes and easy to follow.

Good Housekeeping - like this one.

You don't want to know this but DD (age 9) is writing her own.........she has 7 recipes in and a list af about 15 she wants to add

I'm reallt proud of her

Delia's How to Cook series! Gave them to a novice and she loves them and is now really adventurous!

Katymac - no need for the - that's fab. Definitely something to be proud of.

Thanks for suggestions of Good Housekeeping and Delia basic one (not the 'How To Cook' series?). Don't know Hamlyn, so will look into that too.

Interesting that Nigella and Jamie are too fussy/complicated. Guess I assumed with him throwing ingredients all over the kitchen on telly that it was a basic/simple/casual way of cooking with yummy results.

My Goodhousekeeping book is my bible, it has all the basics in and more.

I think inspiration is important in cookery.

What sort of person is she?

What kind of food does she enjoy eating?

this is the Hamlyn one

The Dinner Lady Cookbook is good

The Hamlyn All colour cookbook is very dated but has some good basics

this is good too

Katymac - that]'s really great. Who knows, maybe your dd can give her recipes to me/dd!

Mars - crossed with 'How to Cook' - thanks for advice.

I did this for my mum who was a hopeless Irish cook. Everything, and i mean everything came as mash or mush. I bought one of those clear sleeve plastic leaf books, in fact i bought one for myself as well. Then drooled over recipe after recipe on the BBC and weight watcher site. I also added any from mags that i spotted. Mine is now my bible, I flick through once a week, choose 7 meals with the DC and DP, then shop accordingly. I'm always adding and taking away. I really wouldn't bother with complete books they can be so expensive, especially if there are only a few definite family recipes you want. I also found trawling through MN recipes and printing off was a good way of adding. Personal touch as well. Good luck.

Delia Smith- Complete cookery course. We have used ours so much it's falling to pieces.

Nigella Lawson- How to Eat This gives recipes for all kinds of things. Her other books are IMO excellent but focus on particular areas suchas baking( Domestic Goddess) and celebrations(Feast)

Jamie Oliver- they are all pretty similar and have good,simple recipes

Don't know much about Nigel Slater. Like his recipes in the Observer but they always look quite fancy.

Hugh Fernealy-Whittingstall's Family Cookbook looks like a very good basic cook book for the novice

sorry - my link was Nigel Slater's meals in 30 mins

DD's next "big" recipe is Quiche - I'm a bit scared of teaching her pastry - but I guess I must be brave

Mary Berry has some great step-by-step fully illustrated books. I can highly recommend them.

Thumbs up for Good Housekeeping if you just want to feed yer family without ponce. (LOL)

Go for it, katymac - she can do the catering at the nursery once it's built.

Some great suggestions here. Maybe I was seduced by the 'cooking personalities' on telly rather than a good, basic cookbook.

It can be so discouraging to scour cookbooks for a recipe, shop for the ingredients, prepare nervously/hopefully and then end up with something not very good. My last attempt got a 'yuck mummy, this is disgusting' from dd - and she was right!

I think the best thing would be to get her a book that would help a hesitant, unconfident cook to succeed and even enjoy herself in the kitchen. So, nothing to fussy or difficult that would give delicious results that would encourage her to keep trying. And if it wasn't already obvious.....I'm hoping to have some of this sort of experience myself.

I nwould say Delia for confidence.

Delia recipes are usually pretty failsafe.

Delia Smith's Complete Cookery.
There's a lovely book by Marcella Hazan called (I think) Classic Italian Cookery. Most of the recipes have no more than five ingredients and they never go wrong and always taste delicious.

god the good hoisekeeping one is my absolute bible for everything.
I would also recommend Delia's summer and winter collection
and Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food.
actually I would stop there

Delia Smith 'Complete Cookery Course'
Nigella 'Domestic Goddess' - not tricky at all and all the cake recipes you'll ever need
Nigel Slater 'Real Fast Food' or 'Appetite' - again, not at all complicated
Jamie Oliver 'Jamie's Dinners'

Fab present idea!