Of all the books on our bookshelves over half of them are cook books that I've accumulated over the years. I did at one point have an entire shelf dedicated to my Good Food magazines which I've recently cut down to a quarter of a shelf - I could never bring myself to get rid of the May 2012 issue which includes the recipe for Best Ever Chocolate Brownies (they really are the best ever!). Amongst the mountain of cook books I have a select few favourites that I find myself turning to the most at the moment:
1. The Part-Time Vegetarian - Nicola Graimes
This psychadelic book was a present from a good friend who knows what a nightmare it is to be around me on a work day when I can't get home for lunch. I prefer to eat mostly veggie dishes at lunch times when I know I'll be having a meaty dish in the evening. Why supermarkets seem obsessed with having meat in like 95% of their on-the-go options eludes me and anything veg-heavy always looks SO boring. Lunchtimes basically consist of me trying to figure out what to eat for about 30 minutes leaving us 15 minutes to get back to work and wolf it down. This book has a really good range of veggie style meals (with non-veggie options) that I can use to get my bum in gear and start taking lunches to work. I'm obsessed with flicking through the pages to decide what to cook for dinner for the rest of my life, everything in there looks so delicious! I was just glad that not every dish had tofu or quorn as a meat replacement (I'd be leaving it out). It's a beautifully varied book and a must-have on the shelf if you want to cut a little meat out of your diet.
2. Brilliant Bread - James Morton
This book was a Christmas present that I received a couple of years ago and it has single handedly changed our bread habits since (we now make all of our own bread). The recipes in this book are so easy to follow and well written that you just want to try all of them. James Morton explains the science behind the bread in a fantastically easy-to-understand way and has written an entire chapter on no-knead breads. Seriously, throw away your bread maker and buy this book. Bread is so easy to make (I have a loaf on the go right now) and it doesn't take as long as you think. Bread will work around you, you just need to know how. This book will show you the way!
3. Mary Berry's Baking Bible
This is my all time favourite book. I received it for Christmas 7 years ago from my mum and have her to thank for so much because this book really lit the flame of a baking fire inside me (one not even Gaviscon could fix). All the recipes I've tried in this book (and I've tried a LOT of them) have never failed me. I've used it so many times that some of the pages are covered in cake mix splodges and I can barely seperate them - I'm a messy cook. The "Very Best Chocolate Fudge Cake" is my absolute favourite chocolate cake recipe. I use it for the base of every chocolate cake; it makes a delightfully light and moist sponge. When people ask me what baking book they should start with I always say Mary Berry's Baking Bible - it has everything you could want to try to get you started.
4. Everyday Super Food - Jamie Oliver
This book has been very well used since we bought it in the later half of 2015. Of course the food is going to be delicious - it's Jamie Oliver - but the recipes in this book are just so amazingly varied. There are styles from all over the world that have been put together to make healthy, beautiful dishes that you can easily make with ingredients you find at the supermarkets. I'm so excited about the current food revolution of healthy not meaning boring anymore. Healthy is varied and bright and colourful and delicious! And this book is a brilliant showcase of that.
5. Simply Nigella - Nigella Lawson
I'm a huge fan of Nigella, her books are so eloquently written and I'm mesmerized by her TV personality. She is THE domestic goddess. This new book of hers feels a little healthier than the rest (well I can kid myself into thinking that anyway) that's not to say it's a health food book by any stretch. As with all of Nigella's books you get a huge catalogue of recipes for your money. The "Sweet" section is a decent portion of the book with enticing pictures that will make you want to add a dessert to every dinner you have! Her books are always a go-to when I'm trying to decide what to cook for a dinner party and this one certainly does not disappoint.
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