[shaun]

I have just got THE RIVER COTTAGE FAMILY COOK BOOK of ebay for £12
its got loads of realy simple and proper recipes in it (highly recomended).
also got FOOD LOVERS GUIDE TO VEGETARIAN COOKING for £5 this one is a bit more detailed or complicated but a realy good book for veg lovers.
just wondering what other books you guys would recomend ?

[John]

The 1955 edition of Parkinson Cowan Perfect Cooking - our most used cookbook!!
Then we have a great big Madhur Jaffrey book on Indian cooking (fantastic and we've hardly scraped the top)

[wellingtons]

... it depends what you're looking for really.

If you're not the best cook in the world you cannot beat Delia Smith ... whatever you cook from her books will turn out right.

If you want something quick and easy for an after work meal, Nigel Slater does some brilliantly simple recipes.  His most recent food diary is a really good one, because he grows his own veggies and buys in season.  Ainsley Harriott's books are fun and my teenage son loves his recipes.

I love recipes rather than one specific book though ... so I have a folder with handwritten, typed and ripped out recipes.

[Annie]

Where to start?
     I agree with Wellington,Delia is the best 1st book to have.I also like Jane Grigsons Vegetable Book,and then the most thumbed book in our kitchen  is the Moro cook book..really good this time of year,Aubergine with garlic ,mint and chilli,courgettes with pinenuts and raisins,sweet tomato sauce...see what I mean.I have a shelf of "look at cook books",which when single meant looking ,choosing what to cook then finding it was too late and eating a sandwich!
    I nearly forgot the internet,especially when dealing with courgettes!

[supersprout]

Preserving and Canning for Dummies - honest guv, it's brilliant :oops:  :shock:  

[puravida]

My current fave is "The Silver Spoon" - essentially the bible of Italian cooking traditionally given to just married couples in Italy and recently translated.

Fabulous book if you like Italian cuisine, and the way it is laid out makes it very easy to cook with what you have available rather than having to search high and low for silly ingerdients.

Not tried any of the brains dishes yet though  :shock:

[Flower]

The Silver Spoon sounded just great, till you mentioned....brains. Yuk.
I love Delia TOO. I think I I've done everything in her old book. However ,  I've gone veggie these days since my old butcher died, so I shall definitly give the Food Lovers guide a go.
( John , its  definitely time to chuck the Parkinson out ) Treat yourself to Jamie Oliver, or Sarah Raven's, Great vegetable plot.

[muntjac]

thewellywackitinandwait folder, a work in progress

[silver8]

Dont like to say shaun but Smiths are selling the River Cottage Family cookbook for half price at the moment £10. I agree good straight forward book full of ideas. I also like his meat book and like some of the other old fashioned cooks - like Delia and Margaret Pattern.

[shaun]

ive had the meat book out of the library for a month now it realy is good,
went to borders this afternoon theres loads of cooking books for £4 but my son came 1st with kevin pietersens book 18 blooming english pounds i could have bought the meat book for another £2  :shock:

[Bigbadfrankie]

the book will have to have pictures as i dont think the wife  can read.

[muntjac]

cor theres  a brave man,,,mind my ex had small feet and loved white utility tools

[tetley]

the weightwatchers pure points cookbook,  really simple and varied.  Bought it a few years ago, but use it alot generally now.  Very simple to use, not too many ingredients and classic recipes  

[mum of 3]

although Jamie Oliver grates on me a bit i love his style of cooking.keeping things simple so you can taste the flavours is the key

[John]

Although we're not veggies - Rose Elliots books are good - esp The Bean Book - that's one of my stalwarts esp when I do the boxing day family get together for veggies.