Cook Books

[trashpony]

Delia is great for the basics - how long to cook meat for, and what the different cuts are, basic bread, cake and biscuit recipes.

And some of her recipes are really good. I never bother weighing and measuring stuff unless it's a cake or meringue or something. But pretty much every cookery writer does include measurements - part of a recipe surely? I don't see why Delia is being singled out for such attack

 

[Herbsman.]

Hmm, I don't really have the experience to come up with my own dishes yet - I like reading and following recipes

Thats why I said without books I wouldnt know any recipes. I get them out of a book / website / some other sort of page first, then once I've done it I have the knowledge of how to do it later on without having to follow teh instructions... it is then that I can do it with PASSION! INSPIRATION! WITH HEART AND SOLE!!!!!

AND SOUL!

 

[tarannau]

David Thompson's great if you like your Thai food - really inspiring and full of beans about the history and culture of the food there.

It's almost brain-achingly authentic though - it's unlikely you'll get round to making that many of the recipes as they appear, but it's a fantastic base to explore from.

I really like Slater's infectious enthusiasm for cooking, although I don't rate the Kitchen Diaries as highly as his earlier books. Nigella fucks me right off, although I'll concede her first book is pretty usable - the latter ones descend into dinner party nonsense of the crappest order, with plenty of recipes that (imo) aren't particularly well thought through.

Some of my most thumbed books are outwardly pretty unimpressive. I find Lindsey Bareham and (value cookbook specialist) Jenni Fleetwood really useful in finding simple, good recipe ideas, especially for weekday suppers. Simon Hopkinson's book with Bareham (Roast Chicken & Other Stories) is a fantastic read too.

 

[Treebeak]

Nigella's How to Eat is v good - comprehensive book but simple recipes cos she isnt a chef by trade, just likes to cook... so the same as the rest of us mere mortals

 

[Herbsman.]

this book is pretty good if you ever find yourself cooking for one of those vegetarian freaks http://www.amazon.co.uk/Truly-Itali...ef=sr_1_1/203-3616904-4598341?ie=UTF8&s=books

some really ace italian recipes in there for pizza, pasta, rizotto and i think antipasto too... cant remember if its got desserts in though

 

[lillia]

I've just realised how many cook books I have!

For Indian Cookery I love Madhur Jaffrey's books - the best one to start with is probably 'Indian Cookery' - loads of fab dishes in there - esp. the whole leg of lamb in spicy suace... my copy of that is just about holding together...

If you like making soup the Covent Garden Soup co's Soup and beyond is good - I also have a book called the Soup Bible which is good - they're best for taking basic recipes from and then doing your own thing with them.

I like jamie's kitchen - not so keen on the dinners one - and Nigella's books are good food porn

Also if you like veggie stuff or ever cook for vegetarians the 'Cranks Bible' is amazing - there are loads of Cranks books but the bible one is the best imo. They have a recipe for homity pie which is lovely.

 

[Spion]

Orang - Have you looked at Hugh Fearnly-Shittingstall's Meat? ISTR you were on here talking about a big roast lamb thing the other week so it might be right up your street

 

[Orang Utan]

This food has made think a lot about what I cook - I rarely cook Indian or any other kind of Asian food at home The odd Thai stir fry but not much else - I just don't cook stuff that I would normally eat in a restaurant or as a takeaway

 

[Orang Utan]

Orang - Have you looked at Hugh Fearnly-Shittingstall's Meat? ISTR you were on here talking about a big roast lamb thing the other week so it might be right up your street

Yes - I have that - it's very useful - not just for meat roasting times but for veg cooking too - I like his roast potato recipe

 

[Mrs Miggins]

The place is in the bin though. Does your mother enjoy cooking more now? Or has Delia continued the illusion that cooking's a joyless version of following step by step instructions.

Nah - she always hated it. She'd rather open a packet mix most of the time. She wasn't a Delia disciple - I was just making the point that she had no interest in cooking, no flair or creativity with food whatsoever, so she relied slavishly on recipes from whatever source. Loads of people are like that so for them, cookery books like Delia's are really helpful.



ETA: I don't mean cookery books are only helpful to people with no creativity!! I've got loads which I use a lot and then make up my own versions - like lots of others here have said. I wouldn't have a clue where to start with e.g. Indian food without starting with a recipe.

 

[tarannau]

This food has made think a lot about what I cook - I rarely cook Indian or any other kind of Asian food at home The odd Thai stir fry but not much else - I just don't cook stuff that I would normally eat in a restaurant or as a takeaway

TBH though, you rarely eat good oriental meals or Thai food at restaurants here, unless you're paying through the nose. Cooking the odd meal at home really be an eye opener.

 

[pinkmonkey]

TBH though, you rarely eat good oriental meals or Thai food at restaurants here, unless you're paying through the nose. Cooking the odd meal at home really be an eye opener.

Agreed, learn to cook takeaway meals - they're so much better than a lukewarm, overcooked underspiced grease that you often get. You can use better ingredients and it'll be a fraction of the cost.
Really easy too.

Edited to add - I've cooked a few curries out of this book http://tinyurl.com/ykfqyl - haven't got the book, but some of the recipes were featured in Observer Food Monthly.

 

[Orang Utan]

I rarely eat takeaways actually but I do go out for curries quite often but only really cos it's the best thing to do when's there's both vs and non vs. I'm more interested in casseroles, soups, risottos and that sort of thing. Will definitely get that Claudia Roden book cos my mum practically brought me up on dishes from it

 

[sojourner]

Another one sticking up for Delia here .She is a bit prissy, but her recipes work, and are simple to follow. I bloody hate chefs throwing in technical terms in the middle of recipes, especially when I was new to cooking - Delia never does that.

Yep, nother vote for Delia here too. You don't have to slavishly follow her recipes, but she's very good at demystifying a lot of simple stuff that other chefs make way too much of a big deal. Delia taught me how to do the easiest cheese sauce ever, and it turns out brilliantly, every single time.

I also quite fancied her at one point. Might possibly be the only person on here that would say that

 

[sojourner]

once I've done it I have the knowledge of how to do it later on without having to follow teh instructions... it is then that I can do it with PASSION! INSPIRATION! WITH HEART AND SOLE!!!!!

Yep - pretty much how I approach new recipes

I also do that thing someone else mentioned, about googling for recipes for one particular ingredient

 

[Ms T]

Does this have pictures in? I've got 'A New Book of Middle Eastern Food' - which does have loads of great traditional recipes in, but no pictures... I like pictures

It does - have a look at Craft Club, if you like.

 

[Biddlybee]

It does - have a look at Craft Club, if you like.

If I remember then I will do... is it at yours then? I would've gone to gaijingirl's house

 

[Orang Utan]

I want to join craft club just to look at cook books

 

[Ms T]

I want to join craft club just to look at cook books

I've already said you can come and have a browse....

 

[Ms T]

If I remember then I will do... is it at yours then? I would've gone to gaijingirl's house

Read the bloody thread, woman.

 

[gaijingirl]

Read the bloody thread, woman.

Hang on a minute pot/kettle lady... an hour ago you asked me when the next craft club was - and you're hosting it..




erm... thanks again for the lift!!

 

[Biddlybee]

Hang on a minute pot/kettle lady... an hour ago you asked me when the next craft club was - and you're hosting it..

hahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Ms T]

Hang on a minute pot/kettle lady... an hour ago you asked me when the next craft club was - and you're hosting it..




erm... thanks again for the lift!!

Only because everyone kept saying "see you at the weekend", which made me paranoid that it was THIS weekend, not next. So to you too.

 

[Orang Utan]

I've already said you can come and have a browse....

I shall do then!

 

[Ms T]

I shall do then!

You can borrow The Wire as well if you like. (Since you ignored my offer on the other thread, like,)

 

[Orang Utan]

You can borrow The Wire as well if you like. (Since you ignored my offer on the other thread, like,)

Ooh I didn't see that! ta!

 

[jontibs]

The Silver Spoon is amazing. My mum and dad have it, and it's like having an Italian on hand to tell you how to do things.

 

[Pie 1]

I'm more interested in casseroles, soups, risottos and that sort of thing.

May I suggest Just One Pot
(hand up to vested interest - but it's a genuinely good book)

Jamie Olivers 2nd book - Return of the naked chef - is very good for the risotto side of things too.

As others have said, get Slaters Kitchen Diaries - the whimsical writing can begin to get on your tits a bit, but the recipies are wonderful.

 

[Ms T]

Ooh I didn't see that! ta!

We have Season 1 and Season 3 (borrowed Season 2 off someone at work).

Come to Craft Club next Sunday, or PM me when you want to pop round.

 

[May Kasahara]

I might be more pro-interweb recipes if I had a PC at home, but I don't

I've discovered that you have to be a bit careful with loserweb recipes though; any old fuckwit can post up their recipe without it necessarily working or being any good. Most of the recipes I've had off the web have turned out good to great, but I downloaded one for lemon biscuits just before Christmas that was utterly nonsensical and didn't work. Which really pissed me off as the lemon biccies were supposed to be part of the homemade biscuits packages I was making for everyone as a cheap gift.

Re. cooking Indian food at home - do it! I LOVE making Indian food, it's so tasty and often very cheap as well. Madhur Jaffrey is great for this - I'm a big fan of her book 'Eastern Vegetarian Cooking'. If you ever come up to visit me I promise I will supply you with a feast of delicious home made Indian food

I need to broaden my repertoire as well, TBH - accidentally acquired a Thai cookbook the other week, so that is my next thing I reckon.