Can any suggest a great cook book for a novice?

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

I need to learn to cook. Ok, really I can cook but I need recipes - and fairly simple and quick and easy at that.

I would like something that has interesting / tasty recipes that we would look forward to .

Any ideas? I have been reading the ready meals thread and I know we rely on them too much (to be fair we are both overworked and exhausted but know we should make the effort). We have been spending far too much on the Simply Cook range at M & S - so the healthier end of your ready meals but am guessing if I bought the ingredients they used then it would be a lot cheaper.

Any suggestions for a great recipe book? In particular I really want to learn to make soup. I love soup but hate anything out of a packet or tin.

Yummy chocolate brownie recipes wouldnt go amiss either lol

Convert me!

Thank you xxx

Message withdrawn

oh fab, thank you - will have a look on amazon now. Didnt think of checking places like Waitrose.

Thanks

How about the dinner lady cookbooks? Healthy, easy to follow, cover the bases?
Soup - The Soup Kitchen is good
The small BBC cookery books are also very good and can usually be picked up cheap in Asda etc. (3.50 insteady of 4.99)

thebookpeople have a women's institue soup book for 4.99 - they are usually good cookery books..

jamies ministry of food is brill....tasty, everyday nice food. family friendly, not lists and lists of ingredients...

it is basic, but its good! (my mum has nicked mine and thinks its fab, even after cooking everyday for the last 50 odd years!!)

Thank you - I have ordered Jamie and will have a look in Tesco to see if they have any soup specific ones

I iknow she's not terribly fashionable now, but Delia is great for beginners: she's very precise, so if you lack confidence and follow the recipes, they're pretty reliable.

If you want something more inspiring, I recomend Nigel Slater. He talks so nicely about food. I'd suggest Appetite, perhaps: he gives a basic recipe and then lots of different variations so you can do different things. It builds confidence in a different way I think; makes you feel that you can veer away from recipes.

Get the Be-Ro book as well (99p from the Co-Op).

Nigel Slater - The 30 Minute Cook - is my Bible

Lovely grub and very easy (and quick, obviously)

I was going to say exactly what midnight says about Delia when I clicked on this thread, great for beginners. Also the little Good Food '101...' books have recipes that are generally easy and quick, and crucially if you need to do a speedy shop, don't have long lists of ingredients.

Also I often try the recipes that come on packets of pasta, oats, dried fruit etc.; they're usually pretty tasty and foolproof as it's in the companies' interests to keep you buying their products!

I was going to recommend Jamie Oliver MOF but I see you've just ordered it!

I think if you have a couple of soup recipes (and I recall that there are a couple in the MOF book) then you can just adapt them.

I tend to make soup from whatever veg is starting to go manky in my veg box, add stock, a pinch of spice, cook for about 1/2 hour then liquidise!

I've also picked up some good recipes on MN.

I always go back to Good Housekeeping. A bit old fashioned but a mine of information. The veggie one is good too.

Grub on a Grant is worth a mention in these cash-strapped times.

The Australian Women's Weekly books are great I find. Not the little ones with 50 recipes in under 10 minutes as they seem a bit contrived, but the "big" ones are excellent and available at every book store you come across.

I still use the AWW roast chicken recipe, 12 years after I first learnt it!

another vote 4 Good Housekeeping. My mum bought it for me as my first cookbook & its definitely my fave.