One Cookery Book

[SaraJH]

Prue Leith's Cookery Bible is my go to book. No pictures just packed full of recipes.

[SaraJH]

We have loads of cookery books, coffee table ones are definitely The French Laundry and Gordon Ramsay 3 Star Chef
David Thompson's Thai Food is also a beautiful book.
I love cookery books!

[SusieG]

I've got the Delia complete - great if I suddenly forget how to make cheese sauce or how to poach an egg .....

Gary Rhodes, simple to follow, tasty recipes .... Some faddy WW books

I do like pictures so I can see how the finished dish should look, and ideas of what to serve with it .....

I keep a 'scrap-book' of clippings from magazine recipes collected over time, and ones I've printed from various websites which I use lots - and probably my most used as it has many of my tried 'n tested favourites..

Also lots of other 'must haves' (?) slow-cooker recipie books, soups, puddings(!) which very rarely get thumbed through ...... Suppose they need turfing out really ..... hmmm, this should be on the 'clutter' thread..!

[Containergardener]

I have plenty books but don't use them. For inspiration I use Internet . Print off or save. If OH wants pie il go to hairy bikers, I like HFW veg , inspires more veg based recipes .

[Hazel at the Hill]

Now this is most helpful, people, thank you!

Ah - yes, Marguerite Patten - before my time, but in the Delia/Mary B school of teaching cookery, I think. If it's good enough for Mrs BB, I must put it on a short list.

NG - I have a box file of print outs and copied out recipes too. Must sort mine out too!

Scarey - I have a 1000 classic recipes which looks like yours, but not by octopus. Good for recipes, but doesn't have anything on techniques, say, which a 'cookery course' type book would.

Deano's RD Cookery year certainly worth checking out.

I think that mum had a GH cookery book like Mrs B describes, but it might have been 'recipes to make and freeze'

I'll also check out Prue Leith's cookery bible, Ecudc, thank you. I bet it was wonderful at the cookery school!

My short list is shaping up!

[Hazel at the Hill]

I should have asked 'which one cookery book would you save from a burning kitchen?'

I was thinking about the clutter thing, SusieG - you all know what I'm like about *stuff*, so anyone with over - uh - say, a shelf full of cookery books should maybe have a think about enriching the charity shops.....!?

[Scarlet]

I like Mary B - does she do a 'complete' cookery book? or just baking?

She doesn't just do baking! Probably not what you want but the cookery book that I would never get rid of is " the aga cook book - by Mary B" I'd been using it for years before I realised she was The Baker!
That's my go to book, its often not just the recipes, but cooking times for similar foods.
Interestingly I have the delia book, the 1000 recipes and the be-ro books that I haven't opened for a long time. I use the Internet these days.

[veggiechicken]

I have a collection of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, one for every 10 years or so since the original was published in 1861. They interest me from a history angle - the early editions tell you how to run your household and deal with the Staff. A few decades later the Coachman becomes the Chauffeur and has to polish his headlamps regularly. The Maid stops carrying jugs of hot water up to the Mistress in the morning.
Kitchens and their appliances change, become electrified and labour saving and we say goodbye to the maid and hello to rationing.
The recipes are fascinating, but its the social history that intrigues me. I'd have to save these from a burning kitchen.

I have Delia, and Readers's Digest and HFW and Sophie someone with big earrings - and a cookery book from virtually every country I've visited.............and vegetarian, and vegan and preserving and, and, and.............and basically, I dislike cooking from recipes so don't look at them
I have recycled a lot but charity shops don't want books with jam on the pages, so what do you do? Put them back on the shelf

Sorry Hazel, can't help you with this one!

[SaraJH]

I should have asked 'which one cookery book would you save from a burning kitchen?'

I was thinking about the clutter thing, SusieG - you all know what I'm like about *stuff*, so anyone with over - uh - say, a shelf full of cookery books should maybe have a think about enriching the charity shops.....!?

As I said on the clutter post, I'm firmly in the anti camp, however I do have a bookcase full of cookery books, they all get read regularly, not necessarily for recipes but more for inspiration.

[scarey55]

I have a collection of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, one for every 10 years or so since the original was published in 1861...

I have a Mrs Beetons Book of household management (New edition) that is dated 1906! I kept it when I was clearing my dear departed Mum's house. It is fascinating for the reasons you have said. As I'm sure yours does VC, mine has chapters on the Mistress, the housekeeper, The cook and the kitchen where it shows the cost of equipping a kitchen which is very interesting. It also has lots of drawings on the pages from when I was a child

If we're talking about books that I would save in a fire it would have to be that one and a copy of Larousse Gastronomique that cost an absolute fortune

[Hazel at the Hill]

She doesn't just do baking! Probably not what you want but the cookery book that I would never get rid of is " the aga cook book - by Mary B" I'd been using it for years before I realised she was The Baker!
That's my go to book, its often not just the recipes, but cooking times for similar foods.
Interestingly I have the delia book, the 1000 recipes and the be-ro books that I haven't opened for a long time. I use the Internet these days.

Thank you, Scarlet. The be-ro book is part of my childhood, but that's by the by - I still find it the simplest for pastry recipes, reminders about sponges and swiss rolls etc. And also quanities for buttercream or icing.

'1000 recipes' is being looked at critically - ditto the 'WI book of recipes' (which is v similar).

.....The recipes are fascinating, but its the social history that intrigues me. I'd have to save these from a burning kitchen.

You have long arms, VC!

I have Delia, and Readers's Digest and HFW and Sophie someone with big earrings - and a cookery book from virtually every country I've visited.............and vegetarian, and vegan and preserving and, and, and.............and basically, I dislike cooking from recipes so don't look at them
I have recycled a lot but charity shops don't want books with jam on the pages, so what do you do? Put them back on the shelf

Sorry Hazel, can't help you with this one!

You only do this to get on my nerves, don't you, VC?? Having said that, mum's recipe books have 'notes' all over them, which I would find invaluable if I was to pick up the book in a charity shop. E.g. the one word 'disgusting', or 'cook 5mins less or this will burn' etc.

As I said on the clutter post, I'm firmly in the anti camp, however I do have a bookcase full of cookery books, they all get read regularly, not necessarily for recipes but more for inspiration.

That's not clutter the, Sara - that's a Useful Resource. I have no issue with that.

[ecudc]

I'd forgotten Mrs B. It's a very interesting read especially when you see how much tastes ha e changed. My mum has a 1970's version which I think was given to her when she got married and was "running a household" for the first time

David Thompspns Thai food is amazing too.

I'd save My signed Hugh f w "a cook on the wild side" from a burning kitchen as that's a bit of a rareity.

Yeah Hazel, Pru Leith was a very interesting year. Met Michael canines and lots of other chefs who came in to demonstrate, went on expeditions to smithfileds, cooked lots of weird things. Ended up cooking in the pastry section of the Woseley under Claire Clarke and for a family on a yacht. Now I count beans which is much less glam.

[SaraJH]

One fabulous wedding present we got was Mrs Beeton's Household Management, 1892 Edition. This is my save from a fire book.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I have a Mrs Beetons Book of household management (New edition) that is dated 1906! I kept it when I was clearing my dear departed Mum's house. ................. It also has lots of drawings on the pages from when I was a child

Didn't realise you were that old, Scarey!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Yeah Hazel, Pru Leith was a very interesting year. Met Michael canines and lots of other chefs who came in to demonstrate, went on expeditions to smithfileds, cooked lots of weird things. Ended up cooking in the pastry section of the Woseley under Claire Clarke and for a family on a yacht.

What an interesting life you've led! V impressed.....

Now I count beans which is much less glam.

......well, not so much.