Top Ten cook books

Finally!!! I got my act together and wrote this!!!

This is a post that I have been planning for a long time and have never got round to writing! We all need a recipe in order to make something, whether it's yours, your nan's or a TV chef, we have got a recipe that we like to make! We as Brits love a cook book, last year alone spent over £39 million on them and I have several cook books that I use, so I thought I would share with you my favourite cook books and my favourite thing I like to make from them, enjoy!!

Even Pusheen Cat loves cook books!!! :)

10: The Usborne Cookbook for beginners 

 

This was the cookbook that started my love of baking and cooking! I got this as a present for my eighth birthday and was amazed by the pictures of all the food that was in there, they had everything that I liked, from mexican food to big chocolaty sinful cakes. I remember looking at the pictures fondly and thinking "Wonder if I can do that?" and so I tried and failed a few times but eventually got the hang of baking and cooking and I've never looked back. 

This book is perfect for the beginner in baking or for children, like my eight year old self. With easy to follow instructions and a great picture guide on learning baking skills such as beating eggs, this is a must for the amateur baker!

Recipe to make: the super yummy mega moreish marble cake (thats what I call it, its just marble cake in the book!) really easy and super stunning when you cut into it! 

9: Fairy Tale cookbook by Lucie Cash

This book is a bit of an oddity that I picked up whilst holidaying in Guernsey, but a lot of great fun! The chapters in this book are centered around much loved fairy tales such as Snow White, Cinderella, Peter Pan and Alice In Wonderland. With its wonderfully simple recipes, great wit and beautiful drawings, any dish you make from this book makes sure your dinner party ends "happily ever after" (p.s. sorry but I can't guarantee your prince will burst through the door and whisk you off into the sun set on a white horse, if so WHERE'S MINE?!)

Recipe to make: White rabbits syllabub- This is wonderfully creamy and tangy and super quick so if you are "late for a very important date!" this takes no time at all to whip up at the last minute and take to a tea party! 

8. The Great British Bake Off- Showstoppers

Ahhh, one of my favorite telly programme's (funnily enough as I am writing this, the next series starts tonight!)

This book is adapted from the third series and all the wonderful and breathtaking bakes that were made, including a stunning raspberry and lychee tart with little pink macaroons on the top. It also includes the judges technical challenges including Paul Hollywood's infamous 12 plaited loaf, which got all the bakers in knots! I suggest that this book is better for confident bakers as some of the recipes in it are quite tricky!

Recipe to make from this book: Tea cakes, a lot of effort and hard work but it really does pay off! 

7: Fay Ripley's Family Food

 

Actress turned cook, Fay Ripley's cookbook is brilliant for any family and her recipes are fool proof! With chapters covering all sorts of foods, you will never be out of ideas for tea. The book has tips for those with babies, adults and even what to do with the leftovers, all delivered with charm and wit! This is a lovely book written by a lovely lady! 

Recipe to make from this book: Dan's "bung in the oven" bolognese, this is soooo yummy! I could eat it every single day for the rest of my life! So easy to make and you can leave it in the oven and pop out for a coffee, it's great to make when mates are coming over! 

6: The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo 

If you want French food without the fuss, then this is the book for you! Rachel Khoo shows us how to make classic French food, sometimes with a modern twist, or with a simple approach. The perfect beginners guide to french cookery, plus she wears the most beautiful dresses in this book so its worth just having a look to see them!

Recipe to make from this book: Raspberry and Lemon Curd Madeleines, super yummy, sticky and moreish! I love the tang of the lemon curd and raspberries! (If you want to make plain Madeleine check out my recipe!)

5: Miss Dahl's voluptuous delights by Sophie Dahl 

 

Model turned cook, Sophie Dahl shows you indulgent food for the entire year with some recipes that I only save for special occasions! Beautifully written and the most amazing entries to each season of the year, plus all of the recipes uses ingredients that are in season, so not only will you be eating nice food, you will be doing the planet a favour! 

Recipe to make from this book: I have two particular favourites and I can't choose. It's either the vibrant, rich and earthy beetroot soup which you can make batches off and then freeze or the strawberry carnation pudding, which looks like it has walked out of Barbies kitchen due to its bright pink colour - the texture is amazingly strange but super moreish. My aunt makes this for me when she sees me as she knows how much I adore it! 

4: Jo Wheatley A Passion For Baking

One of the winners of the Great British Bake Off, Jo, gives you easy baking recipes that you can make at home for any time of year and has a special chapter specifically aimed for baking with children, perfect for future chefs! Her recipes are easy to follow but always deliver a sense of pride. For me, Jo is the domestic goddess, step aside Nigella!!

Recipe to make from this book: Custard creams you have not eaten a custard cream until you have eaten these! Absolute heaven!

3: Jamie's Minstry of Food By Jamie Oliver

This is the book that got me to really like Jamie Oliver. Now, for those of you who are not aware, this book went with a controversial television series. Oliver wanted to show the effects of processed food on health and how anyone can learn to cook in 24 hours. He went to Rotherham in England and took a handful of people and taught them how to cook in order to spread the recipes on. He also looked at the effect that obesity is having on the UK, this included him going to a special obese ward in a hospital where they use mechanical equipment to lift people on to specially made beds.

I love this book because of all the areas it covers. So, if you don't know how to cook its a great beginner's guide with different food cultures and techniques. It's also good if you want to improve on a certain area of cookery such as Indian cuisine. I also love this book as the idea of the Ministry of Food is nothing new, it was set up during World War II so people knew how they could use their rations effectively but also to prevent malnutrition in the country (like what happened in World War I). The Ministry of Food would hold big events, host radio programmes and give out leaflets to help and encourage people to pass the recipes on to others. So the book also gives you a little history of British home life during the war, but also British food.I love a bit of history!! If you can also watch the TV series, I highly recommend it, because it's extremely interesting! 

Recipe to make from this book: The vanilla cheesecake with raspberry coulis, this is so delicious but also so simply, sweet, tangy just my kinda pud! 

2: Sam Stern's Cooking up a storm

 

Sam Stern is a teenage cook whose target market is people his age, with great and exciting recipes, it's a perfect way to get someone to start cooking. Want proof? Well this book was bought for my brother and now he can cook several things from this book including curries, toasties, wrapped chicken, chocolate mousse and um, 'fry ups' (his favorite!).

 This book is easy to follow and is written in a way that makes it relaxing for the teen mind! I use this book all the time to cook for my mates as they can be quite fussy. This book addresses that and gives you a sense of ease for cooking for fussy friends! It is a great book for helping uni students learn to cook and even better, you can wipe the pages so if you drop your bacon from your fry up on the book, no sweat, just wipe it off! 

Recipe to make from this book: Spinach, sweet potato and chickpea curry. This is so divine! My brother used to make this for me all the time when I was a veggie, so yummy and good for you, it's great for a 'meat free' night or wooing your veggie hippy boyfriend/girlfriend! Even full blown carnivores (such as my dad) will enjoy this! 

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for! My favortie cook book is......*drum roll*............

1: Lorraine Pascale's Baking Made Easy

Here it is!!! Lorraine Pascale is my baking idol and she makes the most gorgeous, scrumptious bakes for all occasions! Whether it's a simple cookie or a set of stunning macaroons, Pascale shows you how to make the easiest recipes and how to add the wow factor! Perfect for any level of bakers and great for those who are interested in starting to make bread!

Recipe to make from this book: Oreo brownies, these are heaven in a bite - so gooey, chocolaty, sweet, and absolutely delicious - everyone will love these!!!

Thank you very much for reading! What is your favorite cookbook? Do you disagree with the top spot? Next time I will be making egg custard tarts from Portugal and I'll have to think of another top ten!