Listmania!
Good Books For A Beginner Cook
Real CookingReal Cooking by Nigel Slater
Buy new: £7.48 / Used from: £7.10
A very good starting point. Simple, no-nonsense cooking.
Appetite: So What Do You Want to Eat Today?Appetite: So What Do You Want to Eat Today? by Nigel Slater
Buy new: £12.99 / Used from: £10.10
This will teach you to improvise, a very useful skill when cooking.
The River Cottage Family CookbookThe River Cottage Family Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Buy used from: £7.02
This is supposed to teach cookery to children, but it is a good introduction for adults, too. The recipes are simple but v. good.
Cupboard Love: How to Get the Most Out of Your KitchenCupboard Love: How to Get the Most Out of Your Kitchen by Tom Norrington-Davies
Buy new: £13.75 / Used from: £3.50
This one teaches how to stock your kitchen cupboards so you always have the ingredients to whip out something tasty in a short time. Useful, and one of the most pleasant writers.
Just Like Mother Used to MakeJust Like Mother Used to Make by Tom Norrington-Davies
Buy new: £9.74 / Used from: £2.93
Confort eating, and very yummy! Your family will always thank you for cooking one of these classic recipes, but they are also simple and well-explained. This is maybe my all-time favourite cookbook.
Tamasin's Kitchen Bible: The One And Only Book For Every CookTamasin's Kitchen Bible: The One And Only Book For Every Cook by Tamasin Day-Lewis
Buy new: £12.31 / Used from: £9.55
This one is maybe optional, but again gives useful information about food and cooking, and has a good chapter on cooking for Christmas.
Don't Sweat the Aubergine: What works in the kitchen and whyDon't Sweat the Aubergine: What works in the kitchen and why by Nicholas Clee
Buy new: £12.99 / Used from: £2.71
"What works in the kitchen and why". Not a recipe book, even if it contains some recipes, more about information and tips on how to execute recipes and improve your cooking. One of my favourites.
Ainsley Harriott's Friends and Family Cookbook: Over 200 Reasons to Eat InAinsley Harriott's Friends and Family Cookbook: Over 200 Reasons to Eat In by Ainsley Harriott
Buy new: £12.97 / Used from: £7.17
Ainsley is another no-nonsense cookery writer whose books I enjoy..I think he deserves more attention.
Complete Cookery Course: Classic EditionComplete Cookery Course: Classic Edition by Delia Smith
Buy new: £12.34 / Used from: £8.50
I guess this list would not be complete without Delia, but I must confess her recipes do not inspire me much.. it's better to buy this in the 3 separate white books, I think it's a newer edition
Pastry Cook: The Complete Guide to the Art of Successful Pastry Making with Step-by-step Techniques and Over 135 Sweet and Savoury RecipesPastry Cook: The Complete Guide to the Art of Successful Pastry Making with Step-by-step Techniques and Over 135 Sweet and Savoury Recipes by Catherine Atkinson
I picked this up in a charity shop, and I love it! V., v. useful.
Anthony Bourdain's "Les Halles" Cookbook: Classic Bistro CookingAnthony Bourdain's "Les Halles" Cookbook: Classic Bistro Cooking by Anthony Bourdain
Buy new: £10.36 / Used from: £4.44
If you wanted to try some French cooking, this one is approachable and clearly explained.
A Taste of the Far EastA Taste of the Far East by Madhur Jaffrey
Buy new: £9.00 / Used from: £0.01
This is a decent introduction to asian cooking, with explanations on ingredients and techniques, and regional differences.
Italian FoodItalian Food by Elizabeth David
Buy new: £6.49 / Used from: £1.75
Elizaberth David's books, in the penguin paperback editions, are so cheap that every cook should have at least one. They may not be very simple but they are a great intro to mediterranean cooking.
A Book of Mediterranean Food (Penguin Cookery Library)A Book of Mediterranean Food (Penguin Cookery Library) by Elizabeth David
Buy new: £5.73 / Used from: £0.73
This one should be useful too, and very cheap (£0.01).
Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family RecipesFalling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros
Buy new: £15.00 / Used from: £8.99
Tessa Kiros' books are beautiful, and this one has a v. good collection of Greek recipes . Also other interesting international recipes - Danish, South-African, and others...Please ignore the "BK 2"