Cookery Books S/D

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As a result of the "sauce in a jar" thread I think it's time to lay down the law on books that show us how we can make food. Cook Books. Books of cookery. Cooking Tomes. (sorry - I'm seeing how many times I can write cookery without accidentally typing cockery).

So what's the score? Is fat-tounged Oliver the man? Wozza? A bit of Pru Leith? 1000 Vegeterian Recipies for flailing students? The Be-Ro cookbook? The floor is open.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Monday, 20 January 2003 15:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Cookbooks are great as long as they are not slavishly followed. They are but mere chord charts: read them and improvise!

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Monday, 20 January 2003 15:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I keep getting likely looking books for friends as gifts when I stumble across them. One was this wonderful book on Ligurian cuisine I should have picked up another copy of for myself! And then there's the Iron Chef cookbook...

They are but mere chord charts: read them and improvise!

Yes, but what if you're not so much jazz as punk rock?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 January 2003 15:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't cook. never.

― erik, Monday, 20 January 2003 16:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned: Then throw all your favorite shit together and burn it like you mean it, man!!

Here is my favorite cookbook:

http://www.celebratemaryland.com/ImgUpload/P_246193_260637.jpg

Fantastic because it contains recipes from 250-year-old notebooks -- and the recipes are still great!

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:02 (twenty-three years ago)

S - Nigel Slater's Real Food (good attitude), Rick Stein's Taste of the Sea and Seafood Odyssey (food porn), the Be-Ro (the Bible on cakes and biscuits) and anything published pre 1900 for the wow factor

D - Delia's "Collection" series (insulting and strangely surgical), any Marks and Spencers book (over simple methods, vague descriptions, unattainable ingredients), any 1000-recipies-of-anything style books (no one has ever cooked a single dish from these things ever)

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Also search:

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/3932023943.03.LZZZZZZZ

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:08 (twenty-three years ago)

(Is "cookery" actually a word?)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:10 (twenty-three years ago)

("kookery" isn't)

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:16 (twenty-three years ago)

cookbooks are great even just for the photography. come on, as if glossy photos of perfectly prepared food don't get you off.

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:19 (twenty-three years ago)

my culi friends always ramble on abt her:

http://www.galleyslaves.com/New%20Italy%20images/david-if.gif
http://www.foodiesite.com/images/books/0140299742Large.jpg

they cook lovely dinners from her books too, also search M.K. Fischer

― erik, Monday, 20 January 2003 16:19 (twenty-three years ago)

My new housemates have the new Jamie Oliver on display in the kitchen. I really like the colour of the cover but haven't looked inside.

― Graham (graham), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't cook. never.

gah! you mean "ever".

I like Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" as an introduction/basic text - recipes are largely concerned with making the inelaborate delicious, it's good at helping you understand how cooking works, and it's vast in content.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Yamuna Devi's Lord Krishna's Cuisine is my favoritest cookbook ever, although the recipes are generally very complex. But if you learn her techniques the general benefit to your cooking is tremendous

also, any cookbook by Kurma Das (esp. Great Vegetarian Dishes) is great for the photography alone, even better once you start cooking

I am a fan of vegan cookzines like Please Don't Feed the Bears and Soy Not OI! -- some of their recipes are ace, the overall mood is one of let's-have-fun and their stance is actually comparable to some feelings expressed on this thread & the one that spawned it i.e. "recipes are for ideas, do what you feel"

also Bernard Clayton's "New Complete Book of Breads" is utterly indispensable

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I swear by Lyndsey Bareham's "In Praise Of The Potato" and look forward to getting her tomato book.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:33 (twenty-three years ago)

"In Praise Of The Potato"

Now I envision Pete as Sam in that one Two Towers scene.

"Po-TA-TOES!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:35 (twenty-three years ago)

I never cook. ever.

― erik, Monday, 20 January 2003 16:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Douglas to thread!

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 20 January 2003 16:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I only use/buy Japanese cook books. Hence the only thing I prepare is Japanese food. I do love the odd *regular dish* now and again but fuckit I am obsessed with Japanese food.

― nathalie (nathalie), Monday, 20 January 2003 18:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually there's some terrrrific Japanese cooking websites!

― nathalie (nathalie), Monday, 20 January 2003 18:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Do the English say "cookery books" really? Cookery?

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 20 January 2003 19:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Cookery bookery!

― Mango (amateurist), Monday, 20 January 2003 19:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd like to second the recommendation of the Nigel Slater 'Real Food' book, it's what I always reach for if I'm stuck for an idea and introduced me to 'Tabbouleh' for which I'll always be grateful, yum. The World Food Cafe book is very good for different veggie food. Rick Steins cookery books are also worth a look as are the River Cafe books. But I'm not really much of an expert, more of a '10 books a year' guy.

I used to be spoilt for choice when I lived with my parents for cookery books, my dad must buy about 3 or 4 at least a week, and has a whole room from floor to ceiling jammed with books, ordered like the more anal of us order our records according to part of world, style of cookery and chef/author. His current thing is El Bulli "Captain Beefheart of cooking" inspired food such as mustard ice-cream and wierd flavoured foams.

What else would you call them apart from cookery books?

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 01:37 (twenty-three years ago)

same topic, earlier opinions

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 01:42 (twenty-three years ago)

What else would you call them apart from cookery books?

Uh, cook books. Really. People don't say cookery here. It even feels funny typing it.

― Sean (Sean), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 01:45 (twenty-three years ago)

John D. is so totally OTM it's awesome

also Madhur Jaffrey isn't half bad either

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 06:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food, Real Food and Appetite are all good. Especially Real Fast Food. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River cottage book for hearty meaty country cooking. Rick Stein's British Fish Cookery (still in print), Antonio Carluccio's Introduction to Italian Cookery (sadly not). The Reader's Digest Cookery Year. Delia Smith's Complet Cookery course (may no longer be in print). The Winnie the pooh Cookery book.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 09:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Prue Leith. Only book you'll ever need (though love is reserved for the Alcoholic Cookbook, purely for the inordinate amounts of sherry thrown at everything).

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:26 (twenty-three years ago)

1000-recipies-of-anything style books (no one has ever cooked a single dish from these things ever)

I tried to make Welsh Rarebit from "1000 Vegetarian Recipes" £9.99 from Asda. Okay so it looked nothing like the picture, and I think you were supposed to be able to pour the cheese onto the bread rather than slice it on, but it tasted nice.

Did anyone else get this weighty tome for Christmas? Or was it just the present of choice for any vegetarians in Ormskirk?

Favourite cookery book "Chocolate" by Jacqueline Bellefontaine. The inlay says "This inspirational cookbook features a fascinating range of 120 chocolate recipes from around the world..."
Hmmm Chocolate!

― Celeste (Celeste), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:30 (twenty-three years ago)

You all have inspired me to go buy cook books during my lunch break today. Thank you.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:34 (twenty-three years ago)

A Campbell Cookbook: Cooking with Soup

― rosemary (rosemary), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 18:36 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

So apparently this El Bulli book has a CD-Rom...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

do you have it yet Spencer?

I watched the decoding Ferran Adria programme the other day and it was bloody marvellous - the bloke is some sort of bonkers genius

― Porkpie (porkpie), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 19:56 (twenty years ago)

Unfortunately, no...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:21 (twenty years ago)

Would love to see that show!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:22 (twenty years ago)

I have it from Bittorrent, but I don't think I can G-mail it. I'll investigate yousendit or something. It's amazing watching Bourdain's face as he is served all these different outlandish dishes which alternately make him crease up in a fit of giggles or go all wistful

― Porkpie (porkpie), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

ok, I investigated - spencer is that yr working e-mail?

― Porkpie (porkpie), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 20:38 (twenty years ago)

there's a series of books always on discount in Borders Books that are generally great - large, colorful pictures, helpful hints, and great recipes. i have several, including the wonderful "four ingredient cookbook".

― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

err, if there's a yousendit of that around i'd *love* to see it too...

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 14 July 2005 07:39 (twenty years ago)

I tried last night but it was running all bloody night and never uploaded :o(

I'll be in a position to burn it to dvd soon, or even would it fit on a normal cd?

― Porkpie (porkpie), Thursday, 14 July 2005 17:14 (twenty years ago)

clips from the film, including bourdain's reaction to baby ravioli wrapped in baby pea, here

― dan (dan), Thursday, 14 July 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

i meant "baby pea ravioli wrapped in baby pea"

― dan (dan), Thursday, 14 July 2005 18:07 (twenty years ago)

I'll be in a position to burn it to dvd soon, or even would it fit on a normal cd?

i imagine a downloaded tv program prob would, if it's a divx file?

anyway, i'm sure i'll see you in the pub some day soon, this can be discussed then i guess.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 15 July 2005 14:30 (twenty years ago)

mmm, smothered in a baby pee reduction, yummy!

― AaronK (AaronK), Friday, 15 July 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

I think my subscription to Cook's magazine may've just run out--but I totally make more recipes out of or inspired by it than any cookbook I think.

― sgs (sgs), Friday, 15 July 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

six years pass...

The new Ferran Adria book looks really good. Haven't cooked anything from it yet but it all seems really appealing and simple enough to pull off in an hour or so after work.

― A little bit like Peter Crouch but with more mobility (ShariVari), Friday, 23 September 2011 11:47 (fourteen years ago)

seven years pass...

Are either of the Rachel Roddy books any good? I love her Guardian column.

― djh, Monday, 26 August 2019 16:02 (six years ago)

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