Anyone got any good cook books they'd like to recommend?

[lucysmam]

A very kind mumsnetter has sent me an amazon.co.uk voucher & I thought I'd get a couple of cook books along with a couple of bits for the lo.

They have to be fairly simple-ish as I'm still learning but any suggestions I will make a note of & have a look at later on.

Thanks

How to Feed Your Whole Family a Healthy Balanced Diet, with Very Little Money and Hardly Any Time, Even If You Have a Tiny Kitchen, Only Three Saucepans ... - Unless You Count the Garlic Crusher... (honestly called that -www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Healthy-Balanced-Kitchen-Saucepans/dp/1905862156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books& qid=1230408102&sr=8-1) is also supposed to be excellent, although I haven't actually seen a copy. I've heard very good things about it, though.

I love 'Four Seasons cookery Book by Margareta Costa.

As a book (the re-issued copy I have anyway) it's beautifully put together.

It's just simple and easy to follow without all the pants you get in other books, like bloody Jamie Oliver who told me to put anchovies in my caulliflower cheese

I really love Delia's How to Cook books (3 of them in the series). They're great for basics and also special dishes.

My ultimate cookery books are:
Nigel Slater
Nigella - just treated myself to "Domestic Goddess" and it is everything you ever wanted in a baking book
Delia - simple, but I find her quantities never add up; saying that, her ideas are fabulous and I use her vegetarian book all the time
I'd say go have a look in the library first, before buying and then, enjoy buying.

wow, thanks for all the suggestions over night. I would take your advice, andanoterdooropens, and have a look in the library first but ours is closed for refurbishment over Xmas & New Year so I thought I would ask rather than just go and buy.

I did see one with some sweet looking kiddies birthday cakes in it yesterday for only a couple of quid that I was going to get just for the fun of trying out some of the designs

& everyone who has replied seems to rate Delia, Nigel Slater, Nigella, Mary Berry & Donna Hay so I am going to have a better look at theirs today

How about Gill Holcombe's "How to feed your whole family a healthy balanced diet with very little money and hardly any time, even if you only have a tiny kitchen, only three saucepans (one with an ill-fitting lid) and no fancy gadgets - unless you count the garlic crusher ...". Published by Spring Hill, £9.99. Excellent book.

So many suggestions I don't quite know what to get!

OOh, get Mary Berry - the one Christmas Armadillo mentioned. It's really good.

the one i always go back to , time and time again, is Nigella's 'How to eat' book. it is so splattered with food that it is a meal in itself, but it is a great one. has everything from cooking Xmas dinner, to healthy eating, baby food, baking and every other aspect of food you can think of.

My Nigella How to eat is always the book I go to first, mine us also food splattered but it did improve my cooking vastly. I do a lot of baking so also use my domestic Goddess book a lot.

Anything by Nigel Slater, I have real food and appetitie.

Someone bought me the Tana Ramsey book and U have used that a bit, dd likes the recipes.

But I agree as a basic all round cookbook How to eat is the one

I will look up that Donna Hay book though.

Donna Hay website here to give you some insight

Good Housekeeping cookbook is invaluable.

Also anything by Nigel Slater.

Also love Elizabeth David and Jane Grigson.

I'd second the Good Housekeeping - I use a 1970s one, my mum has a 1950s one, and we both refer constantly for basic recipes, roasting times, etc

Me, I loathe Nigel Slater and all his works, love the Nigella books but not the shows, but actually cook most from an old series of cookbooks that Sainsburys used to sell as for instance:
www.amazon.co.uk/Sainsbury-Cookbook-Frances-Cleary/dp/0859417654/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books &qid=1230559788&sr=1-8

Mary Berry, Rachel Allen, Nigella (Express) and the best book by far, ever, is a VERY old book of my mum's by Mrs. Beeton. It's fabulous - although you have to learn the old-fashioned measurements first :D

I like my new River Cottage Meat book. Its helping to demistify the butchers for me!

I am still stuck on what to get apart from a birthday cake book so I can get creative and try out some pretty design ideas!

Quite like the look of Rachel Allen, Bake, I think it was that I was looking at last night

Thinking about the "How to feed your family . . . 3 saucepans etc etc" one as well maybe & a Mr Tumble dvd for the lo since he fascinates her for hours

River Cottage family cockbook is great

QwertyQueen-Sounds a bit rude that one

pmsl QwertyQueen

Ooh yes, I like the sound of that one

I eventually went for . . . Gill Holcombe's "How to feed your whole family a healthy balanced diet with very little money and hardly any time, even if you only have a tiny kitchen, only three saucepans (one with an ill-fitting lid) and no fancy gadgets - unless you count the garlic crusher ...".

Along with a kids party cake book & a trashy novel for myself, a dvd for the lo and a footballer autobiography for my oh. Thank-you very much to whoever it was who sent me the gift certificate, it is much appreciated!

I'm looking forward to baking some pretty cakes & having some me time with the novel when they get here xx

Has anyone ever read "Don't Sweat the Aubergine: What works in the kitchen and why".