How many cookery books do you own? And do you use them............?

[MakemineaGandT]

I am a real cookbook addict and have over 40. I really shouldn't need any more but I still like to get new ones (though I didn't bother with "Cook with Jamie" as it seemed too basic as does "Nigella Express".....so I guess I am getting a bit choosier...)

In my defence I do use my books - a lot - I like to try out new recipes all the time

So, fess up - how many do you have and which ones do you turn to regularly?

Lots and lots, and I do try to use them. My favourite is Madhur Jaffery's curry bible. I have cooked out of most of them. I also have a binder of photocopied, cuttings and scribbled down recipes which I really would be lost without.

I also have lever arch files with recipes i've collected over the years in binders.

I use them all, but not really one more than another.

Pumpkin seeds? That is different. Apparently the recipe calls for unsalted ones and i have seen those in Assda so no problem getting them. Thank you.

Glad I am not the only one who has loads of cookbooks! Around 40 books and still needing (must have!!) more.

Also have a big folder of favorites. If I cook a new receipe I usually ask Dh&DC if it needs to go in the favorites folder...

Probably about 40 or so. I go through phases I think. I tend to rediscover one and use it like mad. My favourites to read are Claudia Roden's The Book of Jewish Food, and Memorable Feasts by someone I can't remember , but which has a marvellous recipe for jumbalaya.

I just counted and there are 57 books , plus lots of magazines (I used to subscribe to a vegetarian cookery magazine) and 2 ringbinders full of recipes from newspapers/magazines/internet.

The books that I use most are:

200+ Vegetarian Pasta Recipes by Marlena Spieler (great book)
The New Vegetarian Cookbook
Edmonds Cookery Book (from New Zealand) - for cakes and biscuits
Nigella Express (dh bought it at Christmas and we have used it a lot since then)

There are lots of Indian recipe books that we used to use a lot before having the dds, but hardly ever use now due to lack of time and the dds preferring blander food.

So does anybody have any "Must cook" recipes from their vast repetoire of cookery books?

I'll start shall I?! In "How To Eat" the baked plums with Barboados cream are FAB.

And in "Feast" the chocolate Guinness cake is utterly wonderful (sorry to anybody who's heard me say this before!).

In "World Vegetarian" the sweet Muslim rice is really nice but I have it on its own rather than following her suggestion to have it to go with curry.

Janeite, I agree that the Baked plums with barbados cream are fab.

Any more recs?

Madhur Jaffrey's cabbage with peas and black-eyed beans with mushrooms are both firm favourites in our house.

I have recently bought Sophie Grigson's Eat Your Greens to get her recipe for root vegetable korma, which I copied from the tv years ago and used to make a lot before I lost the recipe.

I love, love, love the yoghurt and oats muffin from Susan Reimer's Muffins: Fast and Fabulous.

I have loads and loads! And yes I do use them. I also just enjoy reading some of them too, Sometimes I like the simpler ones - haev Nigella Express and the How to delia ones. They give me a bit of inspiration for every day meas.

About 30, and I've officially been banned from getting any more because I don't actually do much cooking. DP does most of it, and he doesn't like using recipes. So they're just there for me to lust over, really.

About 45 books - I also read/use Claudia Roden's The Book of Jewish Food regularly, and Julia Child et al Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Less frequently Faye Levy International Jewish Cookbook, and a modern Mrs Beeton. All very useful.

Not that many. About 10-15? I love getting given new ones though, it's my best present. I rarely buy them for myself as it's seems a bit extravagent to buy new but I am funny about the idea of a second hand recipe book (what if someone had read it on the loo [shock??)

The ones I use ALL the time are
Domestic Goddess
Good Housekeeping
Delia's Vegetarian
Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Bible

And was recently given MJ's veggie curry bible which I suspect will get a lot of use.

I occasionally buy foodie magazines and use their recipes.

Um, a definitely more than a hundred...and then probably another 60+ about food. There are probably about 40 in the kitchen in use.

Although a good batch of those are old ones that I bought for a laugh/interest (I can particularly recommend Elizabeth Craig's Economical cookery, with the recipes for Stuffed Cod's Head, and ten different ways with meat you've already made stock from).

But ones I cook from all the time are:
two Bill Sewell vegetarian cookbooks
Hugh FW Meat book (recently returned from being veggie and so need help)
The Eagle Cookbook (the best ever)
An old Good Housekeeping one from the 50s for cakes and biscuits
Jane Grigson's Vegetable and Fruit books.

Wow - so glad I'm not alone and there are loads of other recipe book saddos out there

I am sad enough to keep a "cooking diary" where I make notes on all the new recipes I try out - I try new ones all the time and so I keep a record of what I would do differently next time etc. I also love to compare different writers' recipes for the same thing - it's amazing how recipes for the same thing can vary wildly.

My current favourite books are Tamasin Day-Lewis' Kitchen Bible, and Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook

Going away now to ponder my "must cook" recommendations....

Just want to draw your attention to our fab comp which closes on Tuesday. You could win an awesome 3 day break in Cornwall at Bosinver Cottages by adding a review to one of our newest categories (of which cookery books is one so not really a hijack)
Thanks and good luck
MN Towers

OH yes and I agree with Soupy's post of Sun 17-Feb-08 16:47:27

Just counted up out of curiosity. I have 53 books, plus some magazines, plus a box of recipe cards which I pick up from Waitrose whenever I go.

About 20. But I have chucked a fair few out over the years - all mine are fairly recent, except for Marcella Hazan and Constance Spry.

Use Marcella Hazan, River Café a lot, Nigella Lawson sometimes. Also Simon Hopkinson.

I have a couple of hundred. I do use them, obviously some more than others. I'd say there is a core group of about 30 that I use loads and loads, the rest I dip into for specific things or just for a change. I also have some files with recipes cut from various sources.

Some of mine are very old and as much historical/social books as food books. I love reading cookbooks too, I often take one to bed!

Funnily enough, the ones I use most tend to be the older/'plainer' books.