Register

Cookery books

For all refugees from the old Beeb Food Boards :-)
Chill out and chat with the foodie community or swap top tips.
NOTE: CHATTERBOX IS IN THIS FORUM

Moderators: karadekoolaid, THE MOD TEAM, Stokey Sue, Gillthepainter

User avatar
Posts: 1790
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:25 am

Re: Cookery books

Postby Amyw » Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:02 pm

I think it’ll be interesting in 20 years time , what will seem outdated in current recipe books, as there seems such a diverse range on offer . Whether maybe people will be a lot more plant based /healthy eating based then so our baking books will seem obsolete then

User avatar
Posts: 4920
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:52 pm
Location: North West London

Re: Cookery books

Postby Pepper Pig » Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:10 pm

Well I don’t know about you Amy but I have four children in their thirties. They hardly have a cookbook between then even though they all cook, they get their recipes of t’internet.

User avatar
Posts: 1790
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:25 am

Re: Cookery books

Postby Amyw » Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:17 pm

I’m in my thirties and to be honest most of my cookbooks are on my kindle now . It’s a fair point as to if cookbooks will totally become obsolete in the future . Another dying business perhaps

User avatar
Posts: 797
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:17 pm
Location: East Anglia, UK

Re: Cookery books

Postby Suelle » Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:21 pm

Amyw wrote:I think it’ll be interesting in 20 years time , what will seem outdated in current recipe books, as there seems such a diverse range on offer . Whether maybe people will be a lot more plant based /healthy eating based then so our baking books will seem obsolete then


Fads come and go, but I still have recipe books from 20, and even 40 years ago, which I still consult regularly.

I think you may be right in some respects though. I think there will be limitations on some food supplies - possibly meat, certainly the fish we commonly eat now, maybe even imports of fruit and veg we can't grow ourselves - which will change the sort of cookery books we use.
Traditional home baking, and more:
http://mainlybaking.blogspot.co.uk/

User avatar
Posts: 797
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:17 pm
Location: East Anglia, UK

Re: Cookery books

Postby Suelle » Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:22 pm

Amyw wrote:I’m in my thirties and to be honest most of my cookbooks are on my kindle now . It’s a fair point as to if cookbooks will totally become obsolete in the future . Another dying business perhaps


If you use the term 'recipes' instead of 'cookbooks' your original point is still valid - where we get the recipes from is immaterial.
Traditional home baking, and more:
http://mainlybaking.blogspot.co.uk/

Posts: 567
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:48 pm

Re: Cookery books

Postby cherrytree » Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:42 pm

That’s interesting Pepper Pig as my four all in their thirties and forties have loads of cookery books as well as using the internet.
I don’t think that there is any point in trying to foresee the culinary future. I suppose my oldest cookery book is Delia’s Complete , that is apart from the unbelievable Cordon Bleu Cookery Course I mentioned earlier. No wonder Delia came along and shook us all up.

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Cookery books

Postby herbidacious » Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:49 pm

I sometimes print out recipes that I have in cookbooks :oops:

But the bottom line is that I like books.

None of my young colleagues (in their mid-20s-30s) own and CDs (I don't think they even have downloads. Just stream stuff.) and have very few DVDS, but they do all own books.

User avatar
Posts: 1790
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:25 am

Re: Cookery books

Postby Amyw » Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:43 pm

No cds or DVD’s here either !!

User avatar
Posts: 1076
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:16 pm
Location: Greater Manchester

Re: Cookery books

Postby smitch » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:17 pm

I have a real soft spot for ‘How to be a Domestic Goddess’ by Nigella. One of the first cookbooks I bought as a student. I also love the Bero book, I have a couple of old copies from my Nan.

I’ve got all Ottolenghi’s books but I’ve only recently started using them regularly. I love the flavours he uses. I’ve also got happy memories of going to his restaurant in Spitalfields with my friend.

I do have a lot of kindle cookbooks, Amazon do some good deals on a regular basis.

I do often get recipes from the internet rather than look through a book but it depends what I want to make. I’m in my late 30s and have way more cookbooks than my parents or in-laws.

We rarely buy DVDs, we stream or download most of what we watch. Same with music, haven’t bought a physical album for myself for years.

User avatar
Posts: 2581
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:40 pm

Re: Cookery books

Postby karadekoolaid » Thu Sep 10, 2020 4:02 am

Exceedingly old-fashioned and out of date, I suppose, but I haven´t got a single cookbook on kindle. I love the feel of a book and the fact I can flick through the pages put the hard copy in front of me when I´m cooking.
I look for loads of recipes online, of course; since the printer has gone on the blink, I write them down into my notebook. (Hoots of laughter from the younger generation!
I´ve got about 250 cookbooks, none of them particularly new,but the most dog- eared are Madhur Jaffrey´s "Eastern Vegetarian Cooking", Camellia Panjabi´s " 50 great curries" and a book called "Verdura" - vegetables Italian style, by Viana La Place.

User avatar
Posts: 3919
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Cookery books

Postby scullion » Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:40 am

i have my third copy of that madhur jaffrey lined up for when the current copy gives up the ghost - it's my most used cookbook.
one day i will count mine. there are probably more than i realise or need but don't intend to cull yet.
i have a few of my mother's including one she was given as a wedding present. i'm not sure it had the desired effect.
i have a couple of free ones on the kindle but i often take a photo, on my phone, of recipes from the internet or computer so i don't have to write them down to use in the kitchen.

User avatar
Posts: 8629
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:02 pm
Location: Stoke Newington, London

Re: Cookery books

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:09 pm

I culled my books of all kinds when I realised I would never again read through a whole book of print on paper

I kept 2 bookcases full - one of reference books such as dictionaries etc and some books of personal value, the other of cookery books, books you usually only need to read one or two pages of at once.

I have quite a few cook books on Kindle, I like being able to search the text and sometimes they do 99p offers on recent titles - not obscure ones, I have acquired books by Sabrina Ghayour and Diana Henry like that. Just be aware that Bloomsbury excise the index from Kindle cookbooks which is a real irritation (they have been lobbied).

Eat Your Books highlight good Kindle offers on their website

User avatar
Posts: 1790
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:25 am

Re: Cookery books

Postby Amyw » Sun Sep 20, 2020 8:45 pm

Bought Ottolenghi’s baking book “Sweet “ the other day on Kindle . Apart from I’d like a few more photos , I like lots of photos in books , there’s some really nice recipes in there .

I heard a few people mention Jamie Oliver’s new book . Is that the 7 Days one ? Worth the hype ?

User avatar
Posts: 4598
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Re: Cookery books

Postby herbidacious » Sun Sep 20, 2020 9:19 pm

I am really quite excited by Ottolenghi's Flavour.

User avatar
Posts: 1790
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:25 am

Re: Cookery books

Postby Amyw » Sun Sep 20, 2020 9:56 pm

Ooh I didn’t realise he had a new one out , will have a little browse, I love his food

User avatar
Posts: 1076
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:16 pm
Location: Greater Manchester

Re: Cookery books

Postby smitch » Sun Sep 20, 2020 10:30 pm

I love the new book. It is almost all veggie with suggested adaptations for the non-veggie ingredients. I’ve made a couple of dishes already.

If you like Ottolenghi, look out for Falastin by Sami Tamimi. They wrote most of the other Ottolenghi books together. It has a lot of meat dishes but plenty of veggie dishes or stuff that can be adapted. It is all recipes from his Palestinian homeland.

Posts: 502
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 5:03 pm

Re: Cookery books

Postby RockyBVI » Sun Sep 20, 2020 11:43 pm

I used to love cookbooks / recipe books but I lots every single one without exception when Hurricane Irma came to visit in 2017. Whilst I wish I still had them, I by and large haven’t replaced them (or in fact a lot of what we lost - definitely less into ‘stuff’) My mum has bought me a few since - the Leith fish bible and baking bible - both of which I love. Ottolenghi’s Plenty and Cooking Without Fuss - which was written by the chef at the Havelock in Shepherds Bush - which was my favourite place when I lived in London. I’m not minded to buy too many more but I do think I need a good Indian one.

User avatar
Posts: 5297
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 11:58 am
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Cookery books

Postby Earthmaiden » Mon Sep 21, 2020 12:13 am

Amyw wrote:I heard a few people mention Jamie Oliver’s new book . Is that the 7 Days one ? Worth the hype ?

I have been 'off' JO for some time but watched a couple of programmes after seeing it recommended here and reading of the nice things ltc had made from her book. I was quite impressed and I have bought the book now, I like the look of it and will certainly be trying a few things. It is not meat/fish free.

User avatar
Posts: 4920
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:52 pm
Location: North West London

Re: Cookery books

Postby Pepper Pig » Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:45 am

Pepper Pig wrote:Well I don’t know about you Amy but I have four children in their thirties. They hardly have a cookbook between then even though they all cook, they get their recipes of t’internet.


I've just remembered that both girls have anything written by bloody Gino D'Acampo . . . . :roll: :roll: :roll:

I've also remembered that I often turn to The Hairy Bikers books as well. Their recipes nearly always work well.

Am really enjoying the Claudia Roden "Arabesque" recommended here. Thank you.

Site Admin
User avatar
Posts: 3253
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:56 pm
Location: Bushey

Re: Cookery books

Postby Sakkarin » Mon Sep 21, 2020 12:41 pm

RockyBVI wrote:I lost every single one without exception when Hurricane Irma came to visit in 2017.
:crying2

Here's two-thirds of my collection, mostly my favourite ones (apart from Gordon Ramsay's one - this pic's a couple of years old), the other 120 or so are in a cupboard.
http://www.sakkarin.co.uk/foodforumpix/cookery.jpg

Vatch Bhumichitr's Taste Of Thailand, Fuchsia Dunlop's Szechwan Cookery and Mcgee on Food and Cooking are probably my favourite "specialist" books, my day to day standard ones are an old Marguerite Patten and the Dairy Cookbook (I know I've said that loads of times before). Both bought before Amyw was born!

Biggest omission, I haven't yet found an Indian Cookbook I'd swear by as an overall bible, most seem to have a few good recipes but some stinkers too. The most dog-eared one is "Spicy and Delicious" by Priya Wickramasinghe, although my favourite individual recipes are from a Rafi Fernandez book and a Dipna Anand book.

Although it's got recipes in it, my recommendation for a "documentary" style book is "Hungry Planet: What tThe World Eats" by Peter Menzel. It compares diets from around the world, with a series of spreads showing a family from each country with their weekly food shop spread out in front of them (and a recipe from each country). Astonishing differences between them, both ingredientwise and costwise.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... world-eats

I've thrown out most of my very worst books (apart from Delia's 1974 and 2008 versions of "How To Cheat At Cooking" saved because it IS the worst cookbook ever), but another one that I haven't thrown out but which is a real case of "What was the point of that?", is "Floyd On Africa".

I have a growing aversion to celebrity chefs, I'm pretty sure most of them don't have an awful lot to do with what's written in their books after the first one or two maybe, other than signing them off when the publishing team has written them. :-(

PreviousNext

Return to Food Chat & Chatterbox

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 39 guests