Jeni Wright

This book has got a lot of recipes, and multiple color photos with all of them. That said, for a "definitive guide," it dedicates over 400 of its 512 pages to Italian pasta, with the rest of the book covering Asian noodles. Pastas of other regions (North African couscous, Indian masala, German spaetzle, Polish Łazanki) completely ignored. I'm torn between keeping it for the discussion of Italian pasta and the good photos, or getting rid of it for being such a large book (brick) for the show more recipes (spaghetti with yada-yada, rigatoni with yada-yada, fettuccine with yada-yada).

Note: The particular copy I'm looking at is a second printing by Hermes House, which doesn't exactly match up with any of the editions listed by Goodreads. show less

This is one of the handiest cookery books on my shelf, simply because it deals with my favourite kind of cooking - the simple, one-pot kind. The recipes and ingredients are varied enough to give me something new to try, while being a useful reminder of some of the classic one-pot meals. Includes soups, stews, meat and fish dishes, some vegetarian dishes, and desserts. Lovely illustrations that show you what your meal is supposed to look like, rather than shots of arty details. It's also show more really cheap on Amazon, so if your cookery shelf has a one-pot gap in it, I'd recommend this unhesitatingly.

One thing - it's a very small volume, with a stiff paperback cover; keeping it open to the page means using a recipe book stand or laying something heavy across the pages, and moving it to read the text. But try the Turkish Lamb Pilau, (page 70), and you won't care. show less

a classic mid-70s/80s guide focusing on easy, accessible recipes for everyday family meals and special occasions, known for clear, step-by-step instructions, metric/imperial measurements, and useful freezing tips, offering a nostalgic, reliable collection of traditional British dishes.

Lots of information, tons of photos, and plenty of recipes. Was spun off into several smaller books all with some of the info and recipes, but this is the better one since it has the most of all.