Delia Smith's Evening Standard Cook Book. Printed around 1975.
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Cook book addicts !!
(89 Posts)I'm a bit of one. Love new cook books and can't wait till certain ones come out. I used to pre- order from Amazon but I wait till tesco has them so I can look through first, also they can be cheaper than Amazon. Stein, berry, delia ( even though she doesn't bring out new books ) , Oliver, Lawson, slater and the hairy bikers are my main staples. Looking forward to Nigel slaters 'Christmas chronicles' which is due out in October.
Who are your preferred cookery writers ?
I also have a couple of farmhouse kitchen recipe books that were my mums. She used to love the TV programme that was on around lunchtime I think in the 70s. I remember buying her the books when I was a teenager. Now they are mine. I think the only thing I have made from them though is a yoghurt cake that is lovely but very easy to make because it uses the yoghurt pot as a measure.
I love cookery books and have so many I don't really have anywhere to keep them. I have Delia's cookery course , her xmas and summer specials. Jamie Oliver, Nigella, Mary Berry etc. I also have some that were my mums. I don't actually use them very often these days though as I tend to google recipes online as it's easier. But I can't bring myself to get rid of the books. they bring back so many happy memories as some were presents and I do like to look through them.
Even though I have loads of cookery books I always like looking at more - charity shops are marvellous, a couple of years ago I was in one of my local ones where ordinary books are 10p each - saw this pile of cookery books in a different place so asked how much expecting 50p/£1 etc nope - 10p . 19 cookery books £1.90 that's what I call a bargain (smile). Had to wait for the friend I was with to come back to help me carry them to the car! When I got home found I already had one of them so gave the extra copy to another friend who is also a book addict like me. I hasten to add it is not only cookery books I love, my house is like a library with all of the ones I have.
I bought a Margerite Patten book when I was first married in 1973. I used it a lot. Now my daughter has it and she tries various recipes from it. I love watching cookery programmes but my husband laughs as he does all the cooking now. I buy some cookery books at car boot sales if they're modern and interesting to me.
Lol purple daffodil....I have Larousse too and rarely look at it now.
I used to have bill granger books but got bored with him so he went out with the culls I do every so often ?....
Love looking at cookery books, I have loads....but I hate cooking so never actually use the recipes!!
I remember Katie Stewart Maggieanne! Haven't got the book anymore - I wonder where it went? I've still got the Glasgow Cookery Book we used in school and I still refer to it. I like Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall's Vegetables and am looking forward to Nigel Slater's new Christmas one. Usually go online for Mary Berry's recipes.
So many of my favourites listed here. I had forgotten Cooking in a Bedsitter with its Toucan Mush (cannot remember what the two cans were supposed to contain though. )
I love cookery books for reading, but like others, I tend to Google for recipes now and then print them out if I like the result. Have a wonderful boiled fruitcake I got that way.
A book I never used was the Larousse Gastronomique. I wasn't at all sad when it went missing in a house move. But the very next Christmas, I opened my parcel to find....another copy of the blasted book. I should have got an Oscar for my performance showing gratitude and excitement.
I was, but now I have the Internet and this has replaced all magazines, books etc for all my hobbies. I'm now addicted to Pinterest
Oh, disappointed that no-one has mentioned Katie Stewart, I bought her "Cooking For Two" when I got married, the easiest recipes ever. I also bought many of The Cordon Bleu weekly magazines,but never used them much, only for reference and, like most of you, The Good Housekeeping Book. Such a long time ago, waste of time really, my husband would only eat a few things, preferably burnt, he's not much better now!
My Mum also bought me a Marguerite Patten cookery book the Christmas I got engaged 55 years ago. Before moving abroad 9 years ago I gave away about 50 cook books but kept about a dozen special ones including MP, the Good Housekeeping cooking encyclopedia, Mums old Cannon cookery book she got in the 1950s when she bought a new gas cooker to mention a few. We have added to them since with my husband buying all the Hairy Bikers books nit that he cooks. I still use some if the recipes from Family Circle as they have become family favourites but I do wish I still had their recipe for lardy cake because none of the ones I have found online have been as good as the Family Circle one in the 1970s.
Nowadays I like that you can save the recipes shared on FB without having to print them out as soon as you see them. I used to love cooking when we had a large family but not so much fun now when there are only two of us and most of the time watching our weight.
Doh! Still new here. Thought I was replying to Marydoll's comment of 18th Sept re Marguerite Patten.
Was it her Everyday Cookbook? I still have and regularly use mine also from the 70s! My only regret is that I saw a copy in much better condition than mine in a CS a few years ago and I didn't buy it.
My absolute favourite cookery book is Delia Smith
One is Fun.
I bought it when I was on my own and discovered the joy of cooking real meals for myself. The best thing about it is that there are no silly ingredient measures i.e: half an egg. All the recipes can be doubled, trebled, etc easily to enable you to cook for more people. Although no longer on my own, I still use it. In fact I saw a copy in a Charity shop not long ago and bought it as a back up as my original copy is starting to look the worse for wear.
Oh, I love my cookery books! I tend to look at them for inspiration, cooking times, etc, but then tweak them to my own thing.
My very first book was a Marguerite Patten book my brother bought me for Christmas about 40 years ago, which has 'blue print' recipes and also some menus to follow for e.g., dinner with friends. I still look at it occasionally. I've so many, but particular favourites are by Delia, Mary Berry and Nigel Slater. I like my be-ro book, too. I remember both my Grandma and Mum having very battered copies of those, that got lost in the mists of time, but I saw an advert on a be-ro flour pack a few years ago so got one for me. It brought back fond memories of Grandma and Mums homebaking!
I tried culling my collection, but couldn't! They're not doing any harm so they can stay where they are. Now that new Nigel Slater Christmas book sounds interesting....
No longer own a single one.
sarahellenwhitney Yes! My mother too used the New World cookery book that came with the oven. I don't know if she learned from that but nobody could beat her roast potatoes or her chips! (made with lard, of course!)
Ruby 41. Yes, I do remember Cooking in a Bedsitter and still have it. It was a good start.
Did you know, most women here in Italy laugh at the idea of cooking from a book (at least those of my generation).. They just stick to what they learnt from their mothers - and do excellently - but do not try to experiment, and would be offended if you "experimented" something new on them. I was put off
learning how to make pasta when I overheard one Italian woman say to another "never used shop-bought eggs in my life to make pasta!" I do live in a fairly rural area.
Yes! I too still use the old Marguerite Patten Step by Step Cookery book I acquired maybe 50 ears ago??!! There was a period when Homes & Gardens cookery section was by Katie Stewart. I cut out a lot of these recipes and still use them but I can't seem to find any books by her. I guess she retired and/or went out of fashion. Katie! Are you there?
I love cookery books. And I love just reading the recipes. I normally buy mine on charity shops. I have a whole bookcase of them!
Yes ,I remember cooking in a bed-sitter. I have loads of cookery books but try not to 'do' food now . But you people have inspired me. Off to pick blackberries tomorrow to make jam. I have cleaned the oven so will bake a cake this pm.
What recent books can you recommend?
PS how could I forget Cooking for Paupers by Jocasta Innes
Passed on to my son for uni.
Left out the fact that it was a Margerite Patton cook book !
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