Favourite Cook Book/Recipe/Food-related Site?

the beer revolu · 01-07-2009 4:13pm

hotshots85 wrote: »

Hey ,

Wondering if anyone can help, I am looking for a cook book but not for the recipes (if that's possible?) A good book that focuses on techniques , ingredients and understanding the mechanics of cooking as opposed to another book with tonnes of recipes

Any suggestions or experience out there?

River Cottage Meat Book

(if it's meat youre into!)

Minder · 01-07-2009 5:29pm

Advanced Practical Cookery: A Textbook for Education and Industry by John Campbell. I must say I don't own a copy but have just ordered it. Apparently it's a bible textbook for the industry and Campbell has a couple of michelin stars to his name.

I'll post a brief review once it arrives.

mossy2 · 02-08-2009 8:31pm

hotshots85 wrote: »

Hey ,

Wondering if anyone can help, I am looking for a cook book but not for the recipes (if that's possible?) A good book that focuses on techniques , ingredients and understanding the mechanics of cooking as opposed to another book with tonnes of recipes

Any suggestions or experience out there?

Hello There

For techniques, background info on ingredients, basic sauces etc. I recommend the Readers Digest "New Cookery Year". It has some recipes as well but don't let that put you off.

On the main topic of the thread - favourite cook book- I would have to go with Nigel Slater.

Cleansheets · 21-08-2009 10:31am

The recipes include a variety of each baking staple: cakes, buns, crumbles, biscuits and breads and to my surprise and delight some baked meals too. I am not a prolific baker, but there is plenty of realistic inspiration and practical instruction in this book. There is plenty of choice for birthday parties, desserts for entertaining, picnic and lunch box treats, and even a wedding cake suggestion, in fact a familys' baking recipe needs are comprehensively provided for in this book.
Everything I have tried has worked, even the Vanilla Butter cream Icing which has challenged some I believe. Following the instructions to the letter, I have managed it twice, (it is delicious and worth the effort by the way.)
While I love kitchen shops my cupboard space is not limitless so I particularly like that owning 20cm tins (either sandwich or spring-form), and a loaf tin will enable you to cook all but 4 of the cake recipes. As you may never need to buy another book for cake recipes, it's even better not to have to buy another tin either!
Here are the recipes I have tried, I will be happy to use all again, for the ones I am looking forward to trying, see the index in its entirety! This brings me to my only criticism of the book the contents page lists only the "chapters" and not the recipes but the index is comprehensive but a little slower to search than a more complete contents page would have been.
Basic Cookie Recipe (and some of the variations)
Oat and Vanilla Shortbread Cookies (quick and really quite special little biscuits despite plain ingredients)
Lemon Cupcakes
Fairy Cakes
Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake
Lentil Dhal (a favourite for our weekly vegetarian night)
Baked Chicken with Lemon and Garlic ( a comforting dish with tasty brothy juices- in my oven the cooking time was a bit short so I have written in a note to leave it a liitle longer.)
Oh, and my mum tried the poppy seed cake - thankfully, while I was visiting (for the benefit of this review, I mean ;-)) it was yum too.
A definite thumbs up for this book which does exactly what it say on the cover simply, tastily and practically.

Sparks · 21-08-2009 2:49pm

I'm Just Here for the Food v2.0

This is the second edition of I'm Just Here for the Food by Alton Brown. The first edition won the James Beard award in the US for best reference book. I'm somewhat at a loss to describe how good this is without hyperbole, but put it this way - if you wanted to get someone a book that would teach them how to cook, this is the book you'd get. Regardless of whether they're a college student about to move out of home without enough culinary skills to boil water, or whether they're a mom who's been cooking awful food for thirty years. It isn't just a collection of recipes - it's a book about the how and the why of cooking. Why do you beat egg yolks until they lighten in colour before using them for custards, and how does the colour change? How does food roast? Why do we sear meat instead of just boiling or roasting or stewing it?

I don't know if it's the one book I'd keep if I had to lose all the others (in fact, I'd probably go with my notebook if that was the criteria); but if I had to give someone just the one book on how to cook, this would be it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 23-08-2009 7:55pm

I've got a ton of cookery books and I have to say Bill Granger's are far and away the best, in my opinion. He's an Australian chef, who is completely self taught. He just travelled around the world learning about food and then opened his own restaurant. So there's nothing over complicated in any of his recipies and there's some really tasty stuff in there. The book Every Day is my favourite one, it's great for family cooking as it's all stuff that he cooks at home for his wife and 3 little kids.

Also someone mentioned the Australians Womans Weekly series. I have to agree they're great. They've got loads of different ones for practically every type of cooking you could ever want.

Flamed Diving · 24-08-2009 12:28pm

'Jamie at Home' by Jamie Oliver

The recipes are delicious and there is tonnes of info on the ingredients, such as how to grow your own, etc.

chillyvanilly · 24-08-2009 2:09pm

I have a lot of cookbooks, and I like them all because they are giving me a lot of ideas. But my favourite recipes, are the recipes I received from my grand mother.

duploelabs · 25-08-2009 11:10am

hotshots85 wrote: »

Hey ,

Wondering if anyone can help, I am looking for a cook book but not for the recipes (if that's possible?) A good book that focuses on techniques , ingredients and understanding the mechanics of cooking as opposed to another book with tonnes of recipes

Any suggestions or experience out there?

For techniques for fish Rick Stein's seafood is unsurpassed. Also I find Darina Allen's techniques in the Ballymaloe cookery school book pretty good too although as a poster mentioned earlier she goes a bit nuts on the ingredients

run_Forrest_run · 26-08-2009 9:13pm

I've never been one to use cook books and I was pretty unimaginative in terms of cooking I guess.
I bought Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food and I must admit I love it. The dishes are so accessible and easy to cook. The range of dishes are excellent, from nice soups to easy desserts.

epicurist · 05-11-2009 10:46am

Alinea- grant achatz
The Cliff House Hotel The Cookbook
Essence - Le Champignon Sauvage
Clatter of forks and Spoons
River Cafe Green

nice1franko · 09-11-2009 10:55am

Nigel Slaters Appetite is great.

One I don't like is Rachel's Favourite Food at Home ... half the recipes are accompanied by pics of her and her family. wtf? It's a cookbook - I don't want to look at her family photo album.

Sigma Force · 10-11-2009 12:39am

Old school secondary home economics book, very handy for basic recipes.

I find Jaimes book (can't think of the name of it) very handy for recipes with some more flavour and spice.

Nigella Express, great book easy to follow good photos of dishes (have to tear hubby away to her photos lol).

Avoca 1 is brill. very tasty recipes love the banana bread one and the mustard pork is delicious.

Georgina Campells Meals for all Seasons a must have but that's coz my da has a recipe in it lol. Waiting for him to retire he will take the time to write one of his own.

Have a really nice Chocolate book, can't remember the proper name but the recipes are so yum and easy to follow.

niall_belfast · 13-11-2009 3:41pm

I really love Keith Floyd's stuff.. but my favourite would have to be "Made in Italy" by Giorgio Locatelli - great, authentic, traditional Italian recipes, and stories of his childhood and reasons for loving food interspersed..

mrsberries · 19-03-2010 11:34pm

thought id add my tuppence worth to this! Recently purchased the Sophie Dahl cookbook and absolutely love it! Was very sceptical when I first heard about it, but when I spotted a couple of her recipes in a sunday paper I decided to go ahead and get it. I have it just 3 weeks and made lots of yum stuff from it including banana bread, ginger and pear muffins and fish pie. Looking forward to her tv programme next week

Kimia · 20-03-2010 11:57am

I am a huge fan of Gordan Ramsey's books - my favourite (so far) being the world kitchen F word book. What I also love is the fact that every recipe has a picture. I hate when cookbooks have pictures of a herb or their family (like Rachel Allen above) - Kevin Dundon is the same - loads of pictures of his kids. WTF! I want pictures of the FOOD!!!!

In that vein then, what books are best for recipes and accompanying pictures?

Mr.David · 20-03-2010 8:31pm

The book I've cooked most recipies from would be Jamie's Dinners, and Jamie's Italy. Also ministry of food.

But my favourite book is without doubt Giorgio Locatelli's Made in Italy book - its beautiful and has a lovely philosophy on food and passionate descriptions of ingredients along with great photography. The type of cook book you read as opposed to use simply as a cooking reference.:)

Faith · 08-04-2010 12:09am

I didn't really want to start a new thread, so I'm bumping this one for the moment. Having just watched "Julie & Julia", I've been inspired to undertake a similar project. I don't want to do one as challenging as Julia Child, so I'm looking for a recommendation of a fairly straight-forward cookbook that I can attempt to make every recipe out of. I'm thinking Jamie Oliver maybe? All suggestions appreciated!

Malari · 08-04-2010 12:37pm

Faith wrote: »

I didn't really want to start a new thread, so I'm bumping this one for the moment. Having just watched "Julie & Julia", I've been inspired to undertake a similar project. I don't want to do one as challenging as Julia Child, so I'm looking for a recommendation of a fairly straight-forward cookbook that I can attempt to make every recipe out of. I'm thinking Jamie Oliver maybe? All suggestions appreciated!

Had to look up a plot summary of that movie to see what it was about

The cookbook I've made most recipes out of would be Rachel Allan's Favourite Food at Home. There are some crackers of recipes in there that I go back to a lot (Thai Pork!). But I've found one or two that seem to be lacking in herb/spices a bit (Macaroni cheese).

She has a lot of quick biscuits, salads and pasta recipes that you could easily get through. And also I've made a couple of the "edible gifts" at xmas, which have gone down very well with the folks.

washiskin · 08-04-2010 12:49pm

All time favourite:

"Full & Plenty" by Maura Laverty.Irish through and through and covers a multitude - lovely stories at the start of each chapter -originally published in the 1950s.

Any Delia. Very reassuring when attempting something new.

Rhodes Around Britain. Some great basic sauces & recipies and GREAT Mac & Cheese.

Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book - a bible for cakefiends!

Food Wine & Friends - Robert Carrier 1970/80s kitch but great. Lots of Aspic though :rolleyes:

I get Good Food every month but it's getting a bit thin on good recipes and a bit full of ads.

I also follow "Jewels from The Roving Stove" blog by Julie Anne Rhodes.

krieture · 08-04-2010 12:58pm

fourmations wrote: »

my faves

gordon ramsay - makes it easy
camellia punjabi - 50 great curries of india

rgds

four

I got the camellia punjabi book aswell and have to say it is excellent. Great mix of curries with simple instructions

flywheel · 08-04-2010 1:10pm

http://www.gourmetnutrition.com/

a great cookbook for anyone who is into health/nutrition... pity about the crazy international shipping costs though

Minder · 08-04-2010 4:56pm

Faith wrote: »

I didn't really want to start a new thread, so I'm bumping this one for the moment. Having just watched "Julie & Julia", I've been inspired to undertake a similar project. I don't want to do one as challenging as Julia Child, so I'm looking for a recommendation of a fairly straight-forward cookbook that I can attempt to make every recipe out of. I'm thinking Jamie Oliver maybe? All suggestions appreciated!

Supper for a Song, Tamasin Day-Lewis, ISBN-10: 184400743X

Cook: Seasonal Recipes for Hungry People, Thomasina Miers, ISBN-10: 0007229372

A Return to Real Cooking, Galton Blackiston, ISBN-10: 1903872197

Both Supper for a Song and Cook are crammed full of great recipes, with a good mix of main courses and desserts. Galton Blackiston's book is a little more complicated with some hard to find ingredients. Also some of the recipes are for single dishes, but he does give suggestions for side dishes.

As with any suggestion, have a flick through the books in a bookshop before buying. You might get a list of the recipes from www.eatyourbooks.com - they are an american site that has a indexing service for cookbooks. A subscription site, but there is a free 30 day trail available without creditcard details needed. Unfortunately my suggestions aren't listed there yet.

Minder · 08-04-2010 5:22pm

Anyone out there own any of the El Bulli books? I've never seen any of them in the bookshops and the prices are ridiculously expensive from the online sellers - making them way beyond an impulse purchase. I'd like to know if they are useable in any way or are they just a coffee table decoration?

duploelabs · 08-04-2010 7:47pm

Minder wrote: »

Anyone out there own any of the El Bulli books? I've never seen any of them in the bookshops and the prices are ridiculously expensive from the online sellers - making them way beyond an impulse purchase. I'd like to know if they are useable in any way or are they just a coffee table decoration?

They are actually both. I borrow a day in El Builli from the library and it's amazing. Yes it is a coffee table book and the recipes in it are ridiculously complex (Monkfish liver fondue with ponzu and white seasame-flavoured kumquat anyone??), but like the Heston books, if you take elements from the dishes and incorporate them into your own it can really help.

crazy.daisy · 10-04-2010 10:44pm

Faith wrote: »

I didn't really want to start a new thread, so I'm bumping this one for the moment. Having just watched "Julie & Julia", I've been inspired to undertake a similar project. I don't want to do one as challenging as Julia Child, so I'm looking for a recommendation of a fairly straight-forward cookbook that I can attempt to make every recipe out of. I'm thinking Jamie Oliver maybe? All suggestions appreciated!

The Ballymaloe cookbooks are great, maybe the one that covers a whole year? Jamie Oliver's 'Cook Your Way to the Good Life' is also broken down seasonally. I had the same idea (Great Minds...) but I wanted something that would make me cook a bit outside my comfort zone. I chose Gordon Ramsay's World Kitchen, I'm blogging on blogger, Id recommend it for novices like me:)

http://worldkitchenchallenge.blogspot.com/

danois · 24-11-2010 12:34pm

hi hope it is ok to drag up an old thread didnt think this needed one of its own..

Has anyone bought julie goodwins book "our family table" i love the idea of it thinking of gettin it for mum for xmas just not sure if the recipes are any good in it?? any reviews thanks

jendafer1 · 19-04-2011 5:10pm

When I moved out of home a few years ago I went looking for a good cooking book that had all the basics in it - as I found many of the "modern" cooking books were a little over-complicated.
I ended up buying "The Cooking Book" by Victoria Blashford Snell and I cannot recommend it enough to people who are new to cooking!

Its layout is brilliant - and even has pages dedicated to making suggestions for "a light lunch" "dinner to impress" etc etc. It also includes a handy small shopping list book to take grocery shopping with you which lists all the ingredients for each recipe in the book. It also came with a technique DVD but I've never looked at it so cant comment!

It has pretty much everything I've ever wanted to look up in it - from salads, sandwiches, making your own bread, meats, vegetarians, sides, fish, cakes, biscuits, pastries, desserts. And also has a good section on culinary techniques such as knife skills, making your own stock etc

Honestly - it was a brilliant buy! Two of my friends borrowed it and ended up buying their own copy

SuiteCheex · 19-04-2011 5:35pm

Hope nobody minds me keeping this thread alive.:D

I seem to be at that age where I've developed a cookery book fetish. Damn those book people flogging their wares in our office every month! Recent purchases include:

Recipes That Work - Kevin Dundon
I actually bought this so I could make his port & red wine jus.....goes great with his pork/beef wellingtion recipe. My fav book of the moment.

The Billingsgate Market Cookbook
For fish of all shapes and sizes. I might be blaspheming but I reckon it's even better than Rick's books.:eek:

Forgotten Skills of Cooking - Darina Allen
It's the New Testament to Delia's Old Testament.

Jamie's 30-Minute Meals - Jamie Oliver
Hungover Sunday marathon TV sessions inspired me to buy this. I must admit it's a complete pain in the @rse to read. Not as clear and concise as his other books.

Bon Ap!

SBWife · 19-04-2011 5:41pm

I've a pretty large collection of cook books and always have one or two in the house on extended loan from the lovely library but here are some favorites:

Cook in Boots - a solid 10 or 12 of these recipes have made it into my dinner rotation.

Nigella's Kitchen - I'm working through this right now have made about 20 dishes and most will be repeated. Up there with her How to Eat.

Silver Spoon - Italian classic fab for anyone with a vegetable garden or if you're into game.

The first two Jamie Oliver Naked Chef books still get pulled out on a regular basis.

lovelymama · 19-04-2011 9:59pm

hotshots85 wrote: »

Hey ,

Wondering if anyone can help, I am looking for a cook book but not for the recipes (if that's possible?) A good book that focuses on techniques , ingredients and understanding the mechanics of cooking as opposed to another book with tonnes of recipes

Any suggestions or experience out there?

I'd suggested the Larousse "Gastronomique Recipe Collection":it's in four volumes in a box set made up of: 'Meat, Poultry & Game', 'Fish & Seafood', 'Vegetables & Salads' & 'Desserts, Cakes and Pastries'

It's fantastic and will give you no nonsense techniques - this isn't a pretty book (i.e. no photos or very styled images) but it is great if you really want to learn.

lovelymama · 19-04-2011 10:03pm

My favourite books are:

Nigella - How to be a domestic goddess - all of the recipes work
Lorraine Pascal - her new (first) book - recipes are simple and they work
Rachel Allen - Bake

Mary Berry Fool Proof Cakes - none of the recipes in this book work. Really bad - I've had to adjust any I made.

angeldelight · 19-04-2011 11:00pm

I shouldn't have clicked into this thread! I've now ordered the Silver Spoon (for £19, seemed like a bargain!) and a Nigel Slater book on amazon! Had no intentions of buying any cookery books before half an hour ago... oops. Could be worse though, got the two for £27 and free delivery!

looperman1000 · 20-04-2011 9:23am

that blog is not found Daisy :-(

crazy.daisy wrote: »

The Ballymaloe cookbooks are great, maybe the one that covers a whole year? Jamie Oliver's 'Cook Your Way to the Good Life' is also broken down seasonally. I had the same idea (Great Minds...) but I wanted something that would make me cook a bit outside my comfort zone. I chose Gordon Ramsay's World Kitchen, I'm blogging on blogger, Id recommend it for novices like me:)

http://worldkitchenchallenge.blogspot.com/

annascott · 20-04-2011 7:30pm

Has anyone tried 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' by Julia Childs? It is about 50 years old. I saw the film Julie & Julia recently and was facinated. I want to buy the book but as it will cost about €65 and is in two volumes obviously don't want to risk it if it isn't practical. I know it is definitely not low fat and everything is laced with butter, but for a special occasion, or just when you want to show off, who doesn't like rich food?

I know it was written for an American audience but I'm sure we can get the 'cup' measurement somewhere.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has actually cooked from this book (apart from Julie Powell..)

youcancallmeal · 17-05-2011 2:13pm

lovelymama wrote: »

I'd suggested the Larousse "Gastronomique Recipe Collection":it's in four volumes in a box set made up of: 'Meat, Poultry & Game', 'Fish & Seafood', 'Vegetables & Salads' & 'Desserts, Cakes and Pastries'

It's fantastic and will give you no nonsense techniques - this isn't a pretty book (i.e. no photos or very styled images) but it is great if you really want to learn.

I'm confused, is this the same book?? Seems a bit too cheap to be true after everyone saying it would cost 40/50euro?

SuiteCheex · 17-05-2011 3:00pm

youcancallme>al wrote: »

I'm confused, is this the same book?? Seems a bit too cheap to be true after everyone saying it would cost 40/50euro?

I think it might be this...http://www.thebookpeople.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=35535&searchTerm=larousse

Bit of a coincidence that youu ask as I came to this thread to find out about this book. It's among the collection of books dropped into our office by The Book People this month.

It's a hardback and an absolute tome to boot! But they're only looking for €25 for it, and it comes in a fancy presentation sleeve. Seems like a bargain, so I think I'll be investing in it!

Slogger Jogger · 17-05-2011 8:12pm

I've dozens of cookery books but the one getting most airplay at the moment is Nigella's kitchen. We had our 2nd son's communion recently and I served up a couple of different dishes from this book. Its a winner. The likes of the mexican lasagne and chicken & chorizo roast dishes. Yum.

Twee. · 17-05-2011 8:41pm

Here's an excellent cookbook, with some nice drawings! Winnie the Pooh's Tea Time Cookbook! Lovely bread and biscuit recipes.

arknine · 18-05-2011 6:41am

Ottolenghis cook books are AMAZING... there are 2, first one is just called Ottolenghi, 2nd is called Plenty (veggie cookbook)

Recipes are simple by ingredients can be a bit obscure but well worth tracking down

Susie_Q · 24-05-2011 2:46pm

I have this Good Housekeeping book and I swear by it.

good-housekeeping-step-by-cookbook-various-hardcover-cover-art.jpg

mollybird · 27-05-2011 9:02pm

well when i was with my partner a year i got him the silver spoon. it's pet name in his family would be "the bible" since his fathers family are italian. my OH can cook really well as can i and i thought it would be a great first cookbook to get him. we use it quite a bit. i got him also for christmas was maudder jaffery's simple indian cookbook. he had never cooked an indian dish from scratch really and it had all the best ingredients that you should have in your pantry to make the dishes.

kylith · 28-05-2011 1:18pm

I just use the internet (www.allrecipes.com and www.whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com are great for ideas).

For physical books though I use Jamie's 30 Minute Meals, and The Ultimate Potato Cook Book.

greenet · 28-05-2011 1:41pm

Jamies 30 minute meals! take a bit of practice to get it in the 30 mins but good food!

Zuiderzee · 31-05-2011 11:05am

Catalan Cuisine by Colman Andrews

sponge_bob · 31-05-2011 12:59pm

anyone able to recomend me a good book on deserts and baking?

Gloomtastic! · 11-07-2011 5:27pm

Another vote for Jamies 30 minute dinners. Really tasty food.

However, a couple of things bother me. You can tell Jamie doesn't have to do the washing up. The state of the kitchen after using every pot/pan/bowl in the kitchen!

Also they're not cheap. I'm going to have to start growing serious amounts of herbs to keep the bills down. He does like his herbs!

duploelabs · 11-07-2011 6:18pm

sponge_bob wrote: »

anyone able to recomend me a good book on deserts and baking?

Lorraine Pascale has style and substance, her book Baking Made Easy is very very good

Honey-ec · 11-07-2011 8:22pm

Flicked through Jamie's 30 Minute Meals in Easons and loathed it. Far too dictatorial for my liking, I tend to use recipes as guidelines and adapt them freely. I even hated the layout & typesetting of that book. Which is a shame, cause I'm generally a big fan of Jamie's food. I just much prefer him in his "a lug of this, a splash of that" incarnation.

Spongebob, I have a book called simply "Baking" by Martha Day and have found it excellent.

miriamc · 17-08-2011 10:22am

love vegetarian cooking and am looking for a really easy one to use day to day with no unusual ingredients
Any suggestions ? also love jamie oliver cookbooks - want to buy them all but sadly recession on so which is the most practical one to get

Favourite Cook Book/Recipe/Food-related Site?

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