Today I was back on BBC Radio Derby talking about cookbooks and how certain celeb cookbooks can sit there untouched because the recipes can seem daunting. I know the amount of cookbooks here run in to triple figures. Some are husband’s, some I’ve brought, some have been given to me and some have been sent to me by publishers. I’m not the kind of person that the survey mentions who finds cookbooks daunting, if anything I find them a challenge. Come on I’m married to a man who has built a pizza oven and tandoor in the back garden out of junk. The hurdle of having to make a vacuum chamber so he can make Heston’s Black Forest Gateaux from In Search of Perfection is not going to faze him.
However I do understand how people can find recipe books daunting. There is a particular cookbook *cough* Jamie’s 30-min Dinners *cough* of which I find the recipes superb, but very difficult to follow. There is almost too much information in the recipe meaning that the most important information can easily be missed. Too often recipes for those who don’t have the confidence to cook are long-winded when they could be significantly shorter, or is it because certain cookery skills we take for granted are not common to everyone and need to be spelled out.
In interview I was also asked if technical terms can be confusing to the uninitiated and if you really needed to know these fancy words to cook well. At this point thank goodness it was radio. My face was a picture when asked if I knew what a ballotine was. I do but had a total mental block and all I could see in my head was a certain Dragon from the Den and yes I also forgot that chiffonade was relating to thinly cut flat herbs and vegetables and not related to fluffy chiffon cakes. I think I redeemed myself with the umami and cartouche explanation.
I would guess about 1/3 of the cookbooks I own have ‘celeb chefs’ as their authors. Some of these cookbooks are big favourites of mine. Nigella gets mixed press, but I do love her recipes as they always work for me and are down to earth. Mr Ramsay however… I was given about 4 of his books a few years ago and I don’t think I’ve cooked from any of them. Next time you’re near a charity shop look at the cookbooks. I would bet your bottom dollar there is an untouched cookbook there by Gordon Ramsay and most likely one by Ainsley Harriot.
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mintcustard
January 28, 2013 at 4:58 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I like Nigella too, here recipes work in my kitchen. Nigel Slater too as he gives you ownership and encourages you to play with his basic ideas.
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 5:16 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I know some people think her recipes don’t work, but they do for me.
mrsfinelife
January 28, 2013 at 5:05 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’m a Nigella fan, and the same about Gordon Ramsey. I love reading Nigel Slater but rarely cook anything from it. Jamie’s 30 and 15 minute meals are good, but I’m contemplating giving away Italy and Dinners – again, never cook from them.
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 5:07 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I ended up giving away my copies of Nigel Slater for the same reasons. Loved reading it, but I never felt inspired to cook from it.
Maria
January 28, 2013 at 5:12 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I have Marguerite Patten (goddess) and the Leon cookbooks on my shelf- they are a constant source of foodie inspiration for me!
Maria xxx
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 5:14 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Ah yes I have quite a few Marguerite Patten cookbooks. I love the retro covers and photography in them.
Choclette
January 28, 2013 at 5:15 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Ahh, no idea what cartouche is. Those are tough questions to be asked on radio. I’m not generally a fan of celebrity cook books as I view them as a gimmick, but I do like Nigel S and Nigella. Is Dan Lepard a celebrity? His Short and Sweet is one of my favourites. Spin offs like the River Cottage handbooks are really good, but none of them are actually written by celebrities.
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 5:18 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’m a huge fan of the River Cookbooks. I’m one of the rare people who didn’t quite get Short & Sweet. I borrowed it from the library and soon took it back surprising given how much baking I do.
Sharon
January 28, 2013 at 6:12 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Nigella is my heroine. So many recipes turn out wonderful from her books. I’ve tried the odd one from Hugh FW and Delia, with success too. Won’t touch Jamie though, I abhor his politics.
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:46 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I would say Nigella is my heroine too.
Tika
January 28, 2013 at 6:26 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Tana Ramsey gets my vote, I have four of hers. Great family recipes which can be poshed up for a dinner party or thrown together for a mid week meal. Some “family” recipes are a bit out there, bacon muffins freshly made for breakfast with a quail’s egg in the top? It’d be lunch by the time I’d get to eat! Easy to follow recipes though with logical steps that match how I cook and prep along the way. But as with most cookbooks the oven goes on far too early! I don’t like Delia’s How To Cheat though as it’s a bit pretentious, I just use her principles to store cupboard cook, though I draw the line at bought frozen mashed potato!
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:45 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I agree with the frozen mash!
Samantha Fernley
January 28, 2013 at 7:00 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Quickly goes to look for celeb cookbooks on my shelf……..none! About 30 cookbooks and not one by a celeb. I think perhaps it puts me off. I do want Rachel Khoo’s book though so I can pretend I am her ;)
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:44 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I love Rachel Khoo!
Ari
January 28, 2013 at 7:33 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I live in France (but am from a stone’s throw of Derbyshire originally)… and i’d just like to say that translations of cookbooks are rarely a success. Perhaps I should add that I’m a pro translator (not of cookbooks) and a passionate cook, so I’m picky.
Case in point – one of Jamie Oliver’s books that has been translated into French. Seriously, it just does.not.work. There are translation errors, things missing, products that just aren’t the same…
This has taught me, in fact, not to buy translated bookcooks in general, or to treat them with suspicion. I actually dread to think how awful some of the great French chefs’ recipes are when massacred by some translators.
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:43 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
That’s really interesting about cookbook translations. Not something I’d thought of before.
Laura@howtocookgoodfood
January 28, 2013 at 7:52 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Hi Jules, I adore Nigella mainly because she is my favourite food writer. She just is so good with words. I am not a celeb cook book fan but am addicted to charity shop cook books, mainly retro but in recent times I have found so many goodies for next to nothing. One of the best books I have read is Rococo’s latest chocolate book and also Mission Explore full of fun food news for adults & kids alike.
I do need to get some River Cottage books too and also love all the Donna Hay for visual inspiration even though I am useless at food styling!
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:41 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Book People have a great deal with River Cottage handbooks at the moment http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=306679
Al
January 28, 2013 at 7:52 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I love 30 min meals for the challenge (can I do it) and then remake quite s few things. Dan is brilliant. Not getting on with Paul Hollywood I’m afraid. M Roux best yet tho
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:58 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’m impressed. I’m yet to make one of the Jamie’s meals under 30min!
Dawnies Kitchen
January 28, 2013 at 7:54 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Delia has to be my most used celeb books, followed closely by Jamie, but I’ll seek inspiration and ideas from anywhere. I think The Silver Spoon is possibly my favourite cookbook of all time – it is a book entirely devoid of ego
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:39 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I should really have a look at Silver Spoon. I hear lots of good things about it.
Carla G
January 28, 2013 at 8:07 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I love my James Martin books and use them all the time, also really like Rick Stein…Jamie Oliver’s haphazard approach just doesn’t work for me, nor does Gary Rhodes’s super precise method. My latest favourite is Paul Hollywood’s How to bake
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:38 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’m a fan of How to Bake
Sue
January 28, 2013 at 8:15 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I really enjoy your blog. I found it googling for a baked doughnut recipe and became hooked – I will definitely be a regular reader.
I am a cookbookaholic – last year I had a bit of a clear out of some I had as a teenager and now never use, and have cut them down to around about 130. Most I consider to be inspiration rather than sticking absolutely to the recipe, but I do like Nigella and often go back to Delia (although she annoys me on tv). What I love most are the cookery books I inherited from my grandmother; they fall open at her favourite recipes and the pages are marked with splashes of sauces and cake mix…and every now and then I come across a 30 year old shopping list tucked in the pages.
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:37 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Like you I love how cookbooks can reveal the past. Some cookbooks I’ll never throw out. Even if I don’t use them they have memories.
Deb
January 28, 2013 at 8:29 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Jamie Oliver every time! Followed closely by Nigella, HFW and Ina Garten. All of whom inspire me to cook. Book I refer to for basics – Good Housekeeping Cookery Book.
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:36 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I own an ancient Good Housekeeping Compendium and also think it is superb for basics.
Sally
January 28, 2013 at 8:40 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Cook book addict here and yes – even though I many – Nigella and Jamie are well -thumbed (apart from Nigella’s Kitchen which seems to have marked a downward spiral). Tamsin Day-Lewis is my most used author – not very s’leb but she’s been on the telly (and her brother is an A lister). Don’t have anything by Gordon and threw Tana Ramsey’s book out within a week – previously uncountenanced. I do cook from the Roux Brother’s cook book – the earliest celeb chefs and Raymond Blanc has doable recipes. Like you I won’t be stopped by lengthy or slightly difficult (like a challenge) but can’t do fiddly or over-complicated. Just remembered Hugh FW – his books are fantastic.
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:34 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’m a huge fan of Hugh/River Cottage books. Meat and Bread Handbook are my bibles.
Sally
January 28, 2013 at 8:40 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
PS The Diana Henry book is fantastic
Nora
January 28, 2013 at 8:48 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I also love Nigella and have lots of her books. She’s been there for since I started learning to cook, and has always been reliable. I own two of Jamie’s books, but never cook from them – though I do sometimes look up his recipes online and find they work really well. Similarly I don’t own any Hugh FW books, but I’m working my way through his recipes on the Guardian website! But the most surprising one was a Gordon Ramsay book called ‘Healthy Appetite’, which I picked up in a charity shop. I don’t really know why I bought it, because I didn’t really expect to like it, but actually, it’s really good. Lots of delicious, quite easy recipes. I’m pretty sure he didn’t really write it – there’s quite a long list of other people who were involved in various capacities! But I don’t really mind, because it’s a good book.
PS I’m totally going to try and slip the word ‘cartouche’ into conversation tomorrow!
Jules
January 28, 2013 at 9:32 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Nigella – How to be a Domestic Goddess was one of the first cookbooks I bought. Cartouche is a good word.
Glamour in the County
January 28, 2013 at 11:13 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I love my Nigella cookbooks, but the Jamie Oliver ones I’ve been brought have never been used
Jules
January 29, 2013 at 9:18 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I can happily just read Nigella books and look at the pictures!
thelittleloaf
January 29, 2013 at 7:50 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I didn’t know what a cartouche was – you learn something new every day! I’ve made a couple of Jamie recipes that haven’t worked – I don’t think his publishers proof them very well – and since then have used them for inspiration rather than directly following the recipes. Ditto my hummingbird Bakery book. My all time favourite recipes are by David Lebovitz – they just always seem to work.
Jules
January 29, 2013 at 9:20 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’ve heard lots about recipes from the Hummingbird Bakery book not working. Not ideal for a baking book.
Glenda - Dining In
January 29, 2013 at 9:21 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I have Michell Roux which I like. Just got Raymond Blanc and not tried yet. I cannot get on with Jamie Olivers’s 30 minute meals and gave that one away. I like Ainsley Harris and, of course, Delia.
Jules
January 29, 2013 at 9:28 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Surprisingly I don’t own a single Delia cookbook.
Deepa (@lazygiraffe)
January 29, 2013 at 11:30 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I keep resolving to use my cookbooks more but it isn’t happening, but I do keep buying more. I’ve got quite a few Jamie Oliver books and they are great but none of the 30 min / 15 min books. My Gordon Ramsay Sunday Lunch book is unloved, I cooked one thing from it and just didn’t get on with it, and it was a bit of a boring book. My most used are the River Cottage Veg Book (inspired by ‘argh my husband has decided to be veggie!) and Jamie at Home book. Love Nigella’s books too, I have the Nigella Kitchen book but I haven’t used it much, but good food porn.
Jules
January 29, 2013 at 9:31 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I really should get myself a copy of RC Veg. It’s about the only RC book we don’t own.
The Beach Hut Cook
January 29, 2013 at 1:54 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
As the owner of 241 cookbooks – I know, it’s a bit much isn’t it but I find a good recipe from Sainsbury’s magazine always works and comes up trumps and of course my blog recipes!
Jules
March 28, 2013 at 6:19 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Yes I’m a big fan of Sainsbury’s mag too. Even better that it is significantly cheaper than other food mags.
Rach
January 29, 2013 at 7:52 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
My favourite cookbooks are Mary Berry’s and the Good Housekeeping – they are both bibles and I almost always find what I’m looking for there!
I’ve got ‘Fast Food’ by Gordon Ramsay which I never use because the recipes never seem to work! I love Gordon on TV though.
Jules
March 28, 2013 at 6:20 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
It’s amazing how many people I speak to who have copies of Goid Housekeeping and love it. Fab book.
Helen T
January 29, 2013 at 8:06 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
There are no Ramsay books staying in this house, and I’m not sure I’d keep the Rick Steins either. There’s plenty of Delia, Nigella & Nigel, some Hugh FW. I like Jamie’s British cookbook, but my go to is still Tamasin Day Lewis’ Kitchen Bible. If you’d like a Silver Spoon, happy to give you mine. I’ve cooked from it once, it’s now a book end.
Oh, & I couldn’t not mention Short & Sweet, which I love, and then there’s an ancient BeRo baking pamphlet. Must make some Australian Crunch soon!
Jules
March 28, 2013 at 6:21 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I’m one of the rare few who couldn’t get on with Short & Sweet. Maybe I should give it a second chance?