Does such a recipe book exist?

[PinkPonyClubb]

We’ve been ordering gusto boxes for the past year. Now we’re more confident with ingredients we want to buy a good recipe book or two.

Can anyone recommend a recipe book that includes rice dishes, pasta dishes, potato dishes and stir fries? Does such a book exist?

I’m sure loads do but I tend to use the bbc good food website for nearly everything and we have a blank recipe book we put the regular recipes we use in.

Have a browse in your local charity shops - they always have loads of recipe books for no more than a £1 or so. It sounds like you need an Italian and a Chinese or Thai recipe book of which there are hundreds. Delia Smith is my go-to for British dishes.

Same as pp we used to have loads of recipe books but we rarely used them. If you have an iPad or similar, it's easier to follow a recipe online that trying to keep a book open on your work space.

thanks for the tips. Call me old fashioned but I love a book over a screen.

Charity shops are your friend here. They are snowed under with cookery books of every description.

Also have a nosey in your local library. Look amongst the cookbooks. Any you fancy you can make a note of.

Nigel slater 30 minute recipes and others by him are good for simple evening meals that don’t need lots of complicated ingredients.

It's very unlikely that one book will meet all your needs.

Having said that.... Good Housekeeping and Australian Women's Weekly both do compilation books that are quite varied and good. I've got The Good Housekeeping Ultimate Essential Companion and while none of the recipes are "set the world alight" recipes, I find it quite useful. In fact, this is a useful reminder as I haven't whipped it out recently.

I follow the author of this one on Instagram and I really like her meals. I'm planning to buy this book (it's her second I think) when it comes out although I might need to get it on Kindle in the first instance which isn't my preference.

Actually, sticking with the Australian theme, another one I follow on instagram and who I've enjoyed browsing at the library is RecipeTin Eats. Her recipes are really varied as well and I've saved a few for doing at a later stage.

Me too. I have all the old Nigella cookbooks and I love the run up to Xmas where I sit with a coffee and pore over the recipes and pics.

I'd second the Nigel Slater 30 minutes book, it was the first book I actually cooked from.

Same here, in the absence of one though I screenshot the recipes I need.

I love a proper cookbook too but find myself using them less and online more these days.

Still, I recommend Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook, Nigella Express and Leon: Naturally Fast Food which have been my staples over the years.

Whats for Dinner by Sarah Rossi is my most used book at the moment and I always recommend it. Easy, tasty and quick. Good variety of recipes that even some fussy kids will eat.

Jamie Oliver's books, especially Ministry of Food and the 15-minute and 5 ingredients books. Probably can be found at your library

Another hote for mary berry's do cookbook. It has everything!

Meera Sodha East
Gary Rhodes
River Cottage books

I find a lot of the basics/learning to cook type books will have a mixture of dishes as you say.

For example I like Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food.

Student cook books also tend to be good because they are written for beginner cooks without a lot of money or equipment, although they tend to have fewer pictures.

Any of those traditional ones so agree Delia, How to Boil an Egg, the Good Housekeeping or BBC Food type books etc.

Library is a great idea! Check some books out, whichever recipes you like, buy your own copy of the book.

I think Hello Fresh/Gousto even sell their own books too with selections of their recipes from their boxes if you like that kind of thing.

I love her stuff

I swear by the hairy bikers. Their diet books are great too. Lots of recipes from those cuisines you mention.