Good student cook books.

[A57 HSV]

I'd be grateful for any recommendations. My 17yr old wants to start cooking and will be going to University next year.

[Foliage]

'Jamie's ministry of foods' pretty good, The 15minute/30minute meals always seemed a bit rushed, to simple to me.

What my mum did when I moved out 15 years ago was hand me a load of written up sheets of paper with her recipes on them.

[C0ffin D0dger]

I'm sure there are some good ones out there but I didn't have one when I went off to Uni.

Master the basics and make the rest up as you go along I always found to be the best way. Can't go wrong with Spag Bol, Chilli, stir frys, currys, fish pie, and then the usual meat and two veg type affairs - chicken portions (legs and thighs are cheaper and tastier than breast), pork chops, sausages, bit of rump steak, salmon fillets, smoked mackerel, fish fingers, spuds (mash/boil/jacket/roast), and boiled / steamed greens / carrots / beans/ etc.

As a student on a budget I soon learned how costly ready meals are, money that was better spent on beer in the Union. Using the sauce jars (curry etc.) is good way to cheat a little without adding too much expense.

[C0ffin D0dger]

Foliage said:

'Jamie's ministry of foods' pretty good, The 15minute/30minute meals always seemed a bit rushed, to simple to me

Not long bought the 15 minute book and been doing a few recipes form it. So far all quite nice although 15 minutes from start to finish is somewhat optimistic in most cases, might get nearer on the second time around. Problem with that book for a student is that most of the meals are for four and based on a sharing concept i.e. whack the whole thing on a big platter / tray and put it in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves. No so good if cooking for one.

[soad]

Sainsbury's - Curry Recipe Collection
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/serv...

[sherman]

Delia Smiths "How to Cook " book would be a brilliant start.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delias-Complete-How-Cook-c...

If you are wanting something slightly more advanced try "Practical Cookery" . Its a very comprehensive text book mainly aimed at trainee chefs but the recipes are very easy to follow and handily come in 4 or 10 people sizes. it also explains alot about the diffrent things in the recipes like all the cuts of meat and where they are on the animal.

[captainmatt]

Student here (entering my 5th year in a few weeks).

I've had a fair few cookbooks for students and not made many of the recipes in there to be honest - student ones are always pretty outrageous with things they expect you to have. Makes no sense to me at all and the results are never great.

Instead as said learn the basics - spagbol, chilli, curries, pasta sauces. Then experiment from there. Homemade burgers are a good shout too. There is plenty of stuff online that can be adapted to even the tightest student budget and it's better than buying a student cookbook that has weak flavourless recipes packed with expensive ingredients.

If he's lucky he'll have decent flatmates who can teach him a few things too, and cooking for lots of people will help him along.

Failing that there's always the takeaway menu.

[Fishtigua]

Every catering student learns from Practical Cookery. It's been going for 45 years, after all this time it's been updated very little because it works.

I still use the basic sponge cake recipe today, 30 years later.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/034098399X...

[Mobile Chicane]

soad said:

Sainsbury's - Curry Recipe Collection
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/serv...

Good shout - moreover it's only £5.

To the concerned parent, I'd suggest that the best tools with which you could send your progeny off to university (whichever punk rock comprehensive is considered a university nowadays), chief among them would be the above-mentioned book.

Moreover, a spice wardrobe of all the key items, plus a decent grinder, a sharp knife plus sharpener, and a heavy-based pan.

[Foliage]

Instead of getting a cook book it would probably better to spend the money on the essential ingredients spices, herbs etc. And print some recipes from the internet.

[dapprman]

While really targetted at pre/early teens, you could consider
Good Housekeeping My First Cookbook
Good Housekeeping My Second Cookbook
These are very simple, but really are just about teching the basics - I still after all these years use the roasting chart in one of them for reference.
Hunt round /charitysecond hand shops and yuo might be able to get them for a couple of quid each.

[rehab71]

This is a good cook book for quick, simple meals. Also has some recipes based on store cupboard ingredients

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Easy-Cook-Cookbook-peo...

[paul.deitch]

They don't taste very good. Some say raw is better.

[OvalOwl]

Cooking In A Bedsitter by Katharine Whitehorn.

You may not be in a bedsitter and it is ages old, but it is the book to get.