Which recipe books do you use over and over again?

[MissTFied]

I have loads of celebrity recipe books, and have just picked up Nigella's 'Feast' again. I'm surprised I didn't cook more from it when I first got it.

I like practical books rather than fussy (never cooked from my Gordon Ramsey book).

What are your essential books?

Floyd's India....its soooooo yummy!

I don't often use cookery books, just make things up as I go along.

I like Jamie Oliver books but often deviate from the recipes.

The most used cookbook is actually my M&S "St Michael All Colour Cookery Book" that my Mum bought me when I got my first flat.

And I LOVE the Giorgio Locatelli Made in Italy book, I have used it quite a bit.

My Good Housekeeping from 1960 (my grandmother's). Incredibly helpful.

Mary Berry Complete Cookery Book. A bit retro (it's a heavily updated version of an old cookery book and it does show at times). Damn good though.

Used to use Delia Complete Cookery Course and Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food a lot but feel as though I have moved into different times. Ditto Rose Elliot's Bean Book - ds just hates pulses, there's not much i can do about it. Shame as I love them.

I use recipes off packets a lot. And our new loves are the River Cottage bread and preserves books. DH makes bagels now!

My Grannie's Be-Ro baking pamphlet. Published by Be-Ro just after the second world war, it's much loved and v.tatty but perfect for tea times treat like scones, drop scones etc....

My fave at the moment is Nigel Slater, quite fussy but usually with simple ingredients, I love it!! Just eaten one of his tonight hactualy

Other than that one, I've got a weight watchers hardback set which I was bought one Christmas () which has loads of great stuff in.

Mary Berry's Complete Cookery book. Everyone who has seen it has gone on and bought one!

If has pretty much everything - old-fashioned meals, Indian / Chinese/ Thai etc and then bread, cakes, puddings, biscuits....yum!

I find that I use this at least once a week....!

I have loads of other books, but this is the one I couldn't live without.

Ooh MissTFied - I have had Feast for ages, however only recebtly started cooking from it. I recently made the Tunisian Harissa Stew with lamb meatballs, it was absolutely delicious, one of the nicest things I have made for ages.

In-laws are coming round for dinner Wednesday, I am going to make that for dinner, however with the Georgian Hachapuri to start with.

Love Nigella cookbooks, they read so well.

Also, Nigel Slater Appetite is also a great book.

However, I mainly cook Indian food so the cookbook which is most used is Camellia Panjabi's Curries of India.

I think I will buy Nigel Slater's 'Real Fast Food', it has been recommended before.

I would love to be able to make recipes up though.

I have never used Jamie Oilver cookbooks, I don't even read them for pleasure, actually. God knows why I have got them.

I have heston Blumenthal In Pursuit of Perfection, or whatever it's called. Would not attempt to cook from that, though.

Oh and Biglips - Keith Floyd is on tonight at 10pm in 'Keith Meets Keith' - should be good.

Mary Berry complete cookery book,a be-ro book and for dinner parties a jamie oliver dish-I have all his books prob takes longer to decide what to cook than the recipe actually takes lol!

Rachel Allen's books are great.
The recipes always turn out right.

Lemon stuffing with roast chicken is kids' favourite.We like the leek and potato soup with blue cheese mmm.

Nigella and Jamie here again and again.

Also, Madhur Jaffrey for favourite curries.

I looovee Sarah Raven's Garden cookery book - but it helps I have a veg patch as it is all seasonal and lots of recipes for courgette / plum / tomato gluts.
Everything I have cooked was yummy - some simple, some more complicated.

One for the gardeners - or those who like nice grub even....

GetOffMoiLand - just checked - we also have Curries of India. I leave the curries to DH though who is a real perfectionist with them, even has a spice grinder.

I have used Jamie Oliver and River Cafe books.

I also love the way Nigella writes. She has such an obvious love of food.

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian;
Lesley Waters' Broader Than Beans (she is irritating but the recipes are easy and tasty).

Nigella for reading, rather than cooking from really. Nigel Slater - I have a couple but don't like them much: it all seems to be based on tomatoes and spring greens and never seems enough to actually make a meal.

river cottage cookbook - best pastry recipe for quiche ever. sophie grigson for trad english food, netmums cookbook is great for everyday food

MissTFied - those curries are brilliant. Esp vindaloo, lamb shank korma, veeraswami plum curry. I am also very anal about my curry cooking.

Nigella writes so beautifully. Her Christmas book is very good as well. Can't beat How to Eat, though.

Arabesque by Claudia Roden - everything from there has worked well.Michel Roux's 'Sauces'.
Nothing from Nigella has ever worked out for me.

I cooked Rachel Allen's fairy cakes a few days ago, and whilst the icing was delicious, the cakes (with 1oz butter) were quite stodgy and really heavy. All of her other recipes I've tried have been good though. I do like her as a chef/presenter though - quite a crumpet!!

Claudia Roden's books much referenced by Nigella, must look them out, especially Jewish Cooking. Believe they are mostly out of print, though.