Your favourite cook ?

I do like Delia. Mary Berry recipes are good for every day as they are simple. But my go to recipes are Good Housekeeping. I’ve had the magazine since I got married and collected the recipes for years and years. They were all in folders for each month of the year, until last year when I decided I needed to start to clear the house for my demise?.

That was a bit of an error as I keep thinking of recipes that I have thrown and need!

Your recipe organisation impressed me WWMK2! Mine used to be alphabetical by main ingredient but when I got to the third full lever arch file I decided to throw them all! ?

Can’t say I’ve missed them as whenever I need something new I go online and set my tablet up in the kitchen. I do still like getting Library cook books, in normal times, and flicking through for ideas.

I am afraid I always look online for new recipes. I quite like the BBC Good Food ones as they cover a variety of chefs. I have loads of cookery books but will give them to charity after lockdown.

My favourite is Mary Berry. I have many of her cook books. Recipes for all occasions, well explained.

I’ve collected a tin of recipes over 40 years. Some are clippings from magazines, some I’ve typed. They are the things I make that we like best - there are Mary Berry’s tray bakes and strawberry bread+butter pud, Delia’s sausage rolls and creamy garlic potato gratin, James Martin’s sticky toffee pud. and Jamie Oliver’s chocolate profiteroles.

My own collection of recipes from all sources, built up over 50 plus years.

My favourite cook is me.
Though I don't write books

Mary Berry & Delia Smith are the likely front runners here. However, who could forget Fanny Craddock, ably (?) assisted by her husband Johnny who once informed the viewers that
" if you follow the instructions your doughnuts will turn out like Fanny's".

? GrannyLaine

Philippe Etchebest (France) and without doubt Nigel Slater.

mine is James Martin ,,oh he is lovely ,so cuddly and his recipes are good

I can't decide between Ainsley, Jamie, & Delia. DH had no hesitation - he immediately said "Keith Floyd".

I like most of them, started with Delia, remember early Mary Berry, she's good for cakes. Really like Nigel Slater, his voice is soothing to my ears as well as enjoying his cooking. I can enjoy also the bish, bash, bosh style of Jamie if I'm in the mood, and the barmy, seductive escapism of Nigella.

Rick Stein's travelogues are great favourites, not only does he make me want to pick up a glass of wine when he's got one in his hand, he also inspires me to want to visit many of the places he goes to, I think it's the bonhomie he exudes.

Lately I like Nadiya, I also thinks she is really striking, lovely eyes and skin, irrelevant I know!

I remember Fanny Craddock from childhood and remember thinking that's one scary woman, there was an air of the menace about her I worried for Johnny it occurred to me that she may have set about him behind the scenes wielding her rolling pin as a weapon

The only ones I really don't like are shouty Gordon and boring Heston.

I have lots, depending on the occasion.
Katie Stewart (one of my first cookery books) and Delia for reliable.
Nigella for inspiration and pushing the boat out
Caroline Conran (Poor Cook) for staples
Marcus Wareing for original
And Yotam Ottolenghi for the pictures in the book - although I have never attempted a recipe. ?‍?

I have a Margaret Patten cookery book, given as an engagement present 44 years ago. It is still going strong, although falling to bits.

I also like James Martin and the Hairy Bikers.

Sometimes, despite having a shelf full of cookery books, I search the internet for recipes and get fed up with all the flowery language and unnecessary drivel.
I was looking for one for lemon curd and could have spent all day reading about trips to Sicilian lemon groves, sunkissed lemons, golden butter from Jersey cows, pictures of happy hens etc etc.
Think Felicity Cloake type waffle.
Although I do like Rick Stein's TV programmes (but never cooked any of his recipes!).

I found the Hairy Bikers' recipe for lemon curd and it was straightforward and easy. Job done - and delicious.

Terribull we love Rick Steins travelogues too. It makes you want to visit the places, try the food and drink the wine ... what could be nicer?

About 20 years ago my partner bought me Nigel Slater’s ‘30 Minute Cook’. The book begins with the advice ‘assemble your ingredients and pour a glass of wine ... it’s only food ...’ I have used that book as my baseline, tweaking and substituting ingredients, according to our moods and preferences.

I have also recently bought the Pinch of Nom books, which give tasty everyday food, with its calorie values. So these books are an aid to healthy eating.

Definitely Delia, then Jamie. I have a lot of Merry Berry's books and use those occasionally but she rubs me up the wrong way dont know why I'm sure she is a perfectly nice lady.

Keith Floyd Anthony Worrall Thompson in their day. Jamie Oliver and Rick Stein my very favourites. All with good recipe books. Delia and Mary are good but they both remind me of home economics classes. Nadiya is an interesting cook with nice books to accompany the series. Gordon Ramsey when he does his 100 recipe series at home is really good. James Martin has dirty habit of wiping hands on his clothes not impressed.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who collects recipes! Trouble is filing them and I haven't worked out the best way to do it.

Any tips gratefully received.

I have a huge washing basket full of recipes, cut out of newspapers and magazines, pamphlets and the odd small recipe book. I intend to have a thorough sort out and scan the ones I will only ever use and catalogue them.

Thentroublenis, I enjoy reading recipes even though I know I'll never need to refer to them.

Actually, I usually use recipes on line anyway.

On the German Aldi and Lidl Websites they have great recipes. Everyday stuff I would cook anyway but often with an extra ingredient to make it more interesting or attractive, and some techniques I wasn't aware of. On the Lidl site you can make a weekly plan and it will work out your shopping list, too.

I can also however usually find what I'm looking for on BBC good food, and to answer the question in the title, Mary Berry comes up trumps every time.

Hairy Bikers forever! Their recipes give dishes that are so full of flavour. I love the Hairy Dieters books too.
To try and control my portions I bought a book called Microwave Mug Meals by Theo Michaels, who was a Masterchef semi finalist a few years ago. I love the recipes, have made several, and have enjoyed using my microwave as it should be used.
I have a Greek friend who also loves cooking and cookery books, and I bought her another Theo Michaels cook book ( he is Greek Cypriot ) called Orexi! It looked wonderful and when the Pandemic eases up and we can socialise normally again I will be round at her house or she will be round at mine and we will cook Greek food together.
I love Greek cuisine.

Not mentioned here and so I have no idea what his cooking was like but as a child I used to love watching Graham Kerr - the galloping gourmet! No idea why. I think it was just because he was always rushing about!

I’m vegetarian and have been for 36 years . I love the Rose Elliot cook books. I am just about to buy my 3rd copy of The Bean Book. When I became vegetarian, it was still considered “cranky” and Rose Elliot cook books really helped me learn what to cook to healthy and how to cook it. ?