Favorite UK Cookbooks?

I'm enjoying the discussion going on regarding US cookbooks, so I thought I'd find out what your favorite UK cookbooks are?

One that I have been loving lately is Nigella Lawson's Feast. It's really neat, as it sort of takes you through a year of recipes focusing on holidays and events. If you liked the Nigella Christmas Special that was on this year, it has all of those recipes as well. And the cake section is amazing.

I also really like Donna Hay. She is Australian, but as it also uses metric measurements I thought I would mention her here. I have Modern Classics vols. 1 and 2, and they are great. They are very simple and straight forward (mostly basic recipes). They are incredibly useful.

Heehee. Dueling cookbook threads!

I like all of Nigella's - they're probably the ones I go back to most often.

I actually sort of like Jamie Oliver's too - despite finding him extremely irritating.

I also really like Donna Hay. She is Australian, but as it also uses metric measurements I thought I would mention her here. I have Modern Classics vols. 1 and 2, and they are great. They are very simple and straight forward (mostly basic recipes). They are incredibly useful.

I have a friend who's a big Donna Hay fan. I've looked through her collection and they do look good!

I actually sort of like Jamie Oliver's too - despite finding him extremely irritating.

Me too. He's way better on paper!

My fave (and most used) cookbook is my mother's old Constance Spry. Really useful and good, but sadly without all the lovely glossy pics that modern cookbooks have.

I also like Nigel Slater, Delia (her Summer and Winter books are great), Rick Stein, Margaret Costa's Four Seasons cookbook is fabulous, and I love Tamsin Day-Lewis's Tarts With Tops On (pie recipes).

(Trying to think what else is on my cookbook shelf) 

Oooh I love watching Tamsin Day-Lewis - I should get a cookbook by her.

I've also never looked at a Nigel Slater book, but I do like him.

I've got an Ainsley Harriot book that my husband bought me called Friends & Family that is really good, although I am not normally a big Ainsley Harriot fan.  I've also had several books by Rose Elliot over the years, the one I have now is Vegetarian Supercook. But looking at my cookbook collection most of them aren't British at all: Italian, Greek, Persian, Indian, Thai ...

I love Jamie Oliver's Italy but my very most favorite is Delia's Vegetarian Collection

I have Jamie Olivers first 3 cookbooks.  They have awesome recipes, especially his Chile con carne and the salmon wrapped in prosciutto.  I usually make the Chile and freeze it for when I can't be bothered to cook.  If you want to impress someone make the salmon wrapped in prosciutto it soooo easy and is by far the BEST fish dish I have ever eaten or made myself. 

Most of my cookbooks are like Britwife said by topic and not chef/cook.  I have Thai, Moroccan, Portuguese, Tapas, Indian, French, Soups, Pasta Sauces, Risotto and so on.

I do have about 4 of Madhur Jaffreys cookbooks.  I made lamb rogan josh once from her cookbook.  Yummy but time consuming, it's not quick and easy Indian cooking.

Then I'm constantly trolling the internet for recipes.  I love http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/ . Also the BBC website has an extensive food section.  Only problem is that a lot of the recipes are from ready steady cook, which I can't stand!!

Ooh just found www.deliaonline.com.  I'm looking for a recipe for pork fillet for tonight. 

I have to say though that my favourite all time cookbook is the one I first started out with here.  It's called "American Cooking in England". It really helped me with my conversions, substitutions, and different cuts of meat. It explained fan ovens and gave helpful little hints.  I don't use it nearly a much now but every once in a while I will come across something I don't know the name for over here and it has been a godsend! 

Heehee. Dueling cookbook threads!

I've actually been meaning to post this topic for a little while, but haven't for fear that it would cause me to run out to the store and buy a bunch of new cookbooks! We've had to put a little moratorium on cookbook purchasing for the moment as we literally have no more room for them in our flat. I do love them. I read them cover to cover just like a novel.

I've actually been meaning to post this topic for a little while, but haven't for fear that it would cause me to run out to the store and buy a bunch of new cookbooks! We've had to put a little moratorium on cookbook purchasing for the moment as we literally have no more room for them in our flat. I do love them. I read them cover to cover just like a novel.

I find that I buy a lot more random ingredients and foods after I read a recipe I'd like to try!! I really need to eat out of my cupboard for awhile before I start buying more stuff!!

Agreed, Olive Oyl. One thing I'm really trying to work on is finding or making recipes for things that I already have in my cupboard.

"American Cooking in England".

This sounds great. I am shocked I've never seen it. Must look it up on Amazon.

I just bought Real Chocolate by Chantal Coady & I'm dying to get stuck into it!  She owns a chocolate shop in London called Rococo & her book explains about the history of chocolate, how to cook it without ruining it & her recipes are savoury as well as sweet - so I'm keen to incorporate chocolate in all my meals!

Anything Nigel Slater - we have his Kitchen Diaries & Real Food, both great!  We also have the Jamie Oliver Italian cookbook.  Delia is good -- we don't have one of her cookbooks but DH will google for her recipes sometimes.

I just bought Real Chocolate by Chantal Coady & I'm dying to get stuck into it!  She owns a chocolate shop in London called Rococo & her book explains about the history of chocolate, how to cook it without ruining it & her recipes are savoury as well as sweet - so I'm keen to incorporate chocolate in all my meals!

Oooh, I love Rococo chocolate! But I didn't know there was a cookbook! Thanks for that!