I need a simple cookbook

[Yosh]

Been looking around for a cookbook, but all the ones i have seen have required so many ingredients to make fancy 5 star restaurant grade meals.

I need something simple to start, i am new to cooking, trying to watch what i eat, and processed foods do not cut it, full of fat, sugar and salt. I am looking for basic entry level main courses, i never eat starters or deserts, but would consider a book with healthy deserts.

Any recommendations.

[Funkstar]

How about some of the Delia "How to Cook" books?

I know the first one teaches you how to boil and egg, or something like that. But I have one of the others and there are some great, but simple recipes in it.

[Rebel]

Believe it or not one of the really old fashioned books would probably suit you better than an "Up to date" cookbook.

Its strange when you think about it but today's chefs learned from people who learned from Mrs Beeton type books, so old fashioned yes but the basics are there.

Personally I have a large collection of cookbooks including Mrs Beeton, Margeurite Patton and the like, I guess you could do worst than look at one of Delia smiths books.

I also have books from Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and so on just in case anyone thinks I am completely stuck in the past.

[Stringent]

Yeah not the Jamie Oliver ones where you have to have your own herb garden growing on your window sill!

Delia is good, and I have The Crisis Cookbook!

[Whiternoise]

Jamie Oliver's aren't actually that bad, i've used some of his online ones and they've all been pretty good. Delia is a great old standard to go by, there are sets which cover lots of basic recipes (and of course the cake cookbook).

Otherwise, Ramsey isn't too bad.

Failing that, the internet is one of the best resources you can get. Sites like Foodgawker, 101 Cookbooks,TasteSpotting and AllRecipes etc are a good place to start. The advantage you have there is that its' very easy to contact the person who wrote/designed the recipe and get feedback as to quantities. Plus, you have the option of user feedback.

The critical point about buying recipes is that you need to be sure that they're basically failsafe. I've tried lots of recipes in search of the best chewy cookie (the amazing american style ones) and there are lots that either don't seem to work when i try them, or need longer in the oven, some just failed miserably, and so on. With recipe books it's even worse - and the benefit of doing things online is that you can a) see feedback and tweaks to recipes and b) often get a visual aid as to what your dish should look like.

I've got a few books here, but the trouble is that i tend to have to buy things specially for one meal - which isn't great. There are sites (allrecipes does this) which can generate recipes based on what you've got in your cupboard

[Zak33]

Recipe books are great, and are worthy of owning.

More over, they're in every second hand bookshop and charity shop, and if you dont like them, give em back to a charity shop.

I'd suggest:

Good Housekeeping Quick Cooking
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/good-housekeep...524139003r1175
that's sell for 99p plus postage.. so under £3 done and dusted. Grab it

Two Fat Ladies Ride Again
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Two-Fat-Ladies...3%3A1|294%3A50

that'll be under £2 plus postage
grab it

WH Smith Quick and Easy is a great one too.. but none on Ebay at the mo.

and just for the record... Delia is not the Goddess

Prue Leith is the Goddess
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEITHS-STEP-BY...3%3A1|294%3A50
If you can get that for under a fiver, you've had a result

[0iD]

Check out your local charity shops for some real gems. I've gotten some classic 70's & 80's cookbooks for next to nothing & they're stacked with simple home cooking.

[Mithrandir]

Delia Online

[Seraphina]

Good Housekeeping Cookery Book. I have had a copy since the 1970s and have given copies to younger friends and relatives over the years. It covers everything and the recipes work. Streets ahead of Delia, Oliver, and the others for pure usefulness.

At the other end of the spectrum, Larousse Gastronomique is Escoffier - Association Culinaire Francais grub. Handy to have on the shelf when you need to decode some of those less obvious dish names (though the Internet probably suffices, today). Definitely a nice gift for keen cooks.

[Zak33]

Originally Posted by Seraphina

Good Housekeeping Cookery Book. I have had a copy since the 1970s and have given copies to younger friends and relatives over the years. It covers everything and the recipes work. Streets ahead of Delia, Oliver, and the others for pure usefulness.

I had that once.. dunno where it is.. awesome book

[Funkstar]

I think my mum has the Good Housekeeping Cookery book. It's really good.

I think I was looking through it recently when she was making something, there are some fantastic examples of 1970s cooking

Another that is good, though perhaps impossible to find now is the Winnie The Pooh Cook Book. Has some great basic recipes and some Pooh poetry and drawings throughout it too.

Cottleston, cottleston, cottleston pie
A fly can't bird but a bird can fly

[Splash]

As a cheap starter have a look in your local cheap book store (The Works, or whatever you have locally) for one of the student cookbooks - they're geneally full of simple to make food that is also cheap.

[kushtibari]

Originally Posted by Seraphina

Good Housekeeping Cookery Book. I have had a copy since the 1970s and have given copies to younger friends and relatives over the years. It covers everything and the recipes work. Streets ahead of Delia, Oliver, and the others for pure usefulness.

I have about two huge shelves of cookery books and the best all round book is this one. Got one thats about 40 years old (cheers mum) and a newer edition from a couple of years ago.

Nigel Slater is a great cookery writer imo. Real Food is one of my favourites. He tends to keep it simple most of the time.

[Naith]

Go onto Amazon and type "easy cookery" or "basic cooking" or anything similar...

[steve threlfall]

May be worth a gander?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/4-Ingredient.../dp/0646470809

[starbuck]

Grub on a grant is a great cookbook. Originally aimed at students but has loads of basic and not as basic recipes(for when you get more confident).

Another one is called Dude Food, old school type book. funny as anything and great recipes. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dude-Food-Gi...8729504&sr=8-3

Check out the ziggy zen books which are straightforward and have some great recipes. Have various ones for chinese, fish, italian etc:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_...gy+zen&x=0&y=0

Alternatively, if you have a Nintendo DS, then get the cooking guide. Goes through techniques(written and video) as well as a load of recipes.