What are your top 3 recipe books?

[Aspiringcook]

Those you genuinely use often and don’t just sit on the shelves looking pretty.
At home with high temp, want to treat myself to a nice new recipe book (well, not new, likely from Vinted!).

Is Simple by Ottolenghi actually simple? I have heard that his recipes (whilst fab) require many many ingredients and are a bit of a faff

Wondering the same thing

I have a good selection of recipe books, and add to them, but I always find myself scrolling my phone of if I need a recipe.

Just remembered HFW Love Your Leftovers. I find myself looking through this quite regularly for ideas.

I have just bought her cookbook and wow! For a start it's HUGE, a real coffee table book, but lots of fabulous pictures and full of her tips eg freezing, what to with left overs and what goes with each dish.
Recipes are great and I have already done several.

I think the best description is that they are simple for Y.O. !

I've made several recipes, all were relatively easy, & all delicious.
BUT, they do take more time, & sometimes use ingredients that not everyone already has.

I usually borrow from a library, or browse in a bookshop, before I decide what books to buy.

I don't find them particularly difficult and I'm happy to potter about in the kitchen making them at the weekend. I wouldn't make them for a quick dinner on Weds night.

I find that once you've invested in Ottolenghi then lots of the ingredients are used for many recipes. I always have tahini, lemon and spices like zaatar and cumin seeds that go in lots of recipes. That way, it's not too expensive and they're always to hand.

Nigel Slater Real Food
Delia's Cookery Course
Elizabeth David

Also, an M&S late 70s Cook Book, Readers' Digest Cookery Year, various other Nigel.Slaters and Rose Elliott Vegetarian Cookery.

I think all those show my age.

Meera Sodha's Made In India
Angela Hartnett Angela's Kitchen
Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall Three Good Things

I'm an apparently rare person who didn't rate Persiana. Found the recipes a bit flat.

Only 1 is actually in use regularly and has been for years:
Jamie Oliver’s ministry of food

Kitty Coles Make More With Less.
Greekish.
Melissa Helmsley cook books.
Nisha katona's cook books.

Only got one but that’s ‘3 Doughs, 60 recipes’ by Lacey Ostermann - a must if you like focaccia!

I could recommend lots of cookery books, but depends on whether you want one based on the ‘new and exciting’ range or the ‘tried and tested’ range!

New and Exciting one would be Recipe Tin Eats. I like her style! Also Ottolenghi Test Kitchen where you’ll find the recipe for the epic Confit of Chickpeas.

Tried and Tested would be Delias Complete Cookery Course, Delias Christmas (in heavy use for one month of the year!) and several by Mary Berry inc one called Cook Now Eat Later.