• DKennedy on July 20, 2025

  Gift from Conor on his first visit here on 7/19/2025

• rees.linda on January 15, 2015

  Great book- extremely comprehensive and clear. You can find practically anything in here. Use it a lot. Cover falling off and loose pages, and dog eared! Only issue I have is that the book itself is really incorrectly indexed. Things often not on the page they should be. Can't only be my copy? I have 2001 edition, 1856264106.

• Alpal1968 on November 10, 2012

  This is the first book I go to when I am looking for a new recipe, as it has great recipes for just about everything. If I had to abandon all my lovely cook books (shudder!) and keep just one, this would be it.

• saladdays on February 01, 2012

  This is a'desert island' book. It is so comprehensive with basic and 'master recipes' with lots of interesting variations it could be the only book that you ever need.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Winter leek and potato soup

  • Indio32 on February 01, 2026

    Really good! Used vegetable stock to keep it veggie. Will make again!

• Carrot soup

  • rodillagra on January 13, 2010

    Preschooler decided for the first time ever that she wanted soup. Result: First she put a glass of milk in which did not help. Fresh bowl of soup produced. Added swirl of cream. Very impressed child. She stirred it round and then wanted the cream separated back out again. Still she did eat about four spoonfuls which was more than expected.Nice soup though. I liked it.

• Curried parsnip soup

  • anniecc on January 28, 2024

    Delicious, classic soup and really simple to make. I prefer a thicker soup so next time I would increase the quantity of parsnips by 50%, possibly more.

• Spiced pumpkin soup

  • anniecc on December 29, 2025

    This seemed an interesting twist on the traditional pumpkin soup, however I used tinned tomatoes and found the tomato flavour was too dominant. Next time I would reduce the quantity or perhaps omit altogether. I can imagine adding some red lentils for texture and protein.

• Spiced zucchini and green pepper soup with roast red pepper cream

  • Pamsy on December 03, 2020

    Still trying to use up this summer's courgette mountain and this soup is a useful addition to my courgette recipe folder. Liked the spicing, easy to make and very tasty.

• Winter vegetable and bean soup with spicy sausage

  • rodillagra on March 15, 2015

    http://letters.cookingisfun.ie/2010/01/16/simply-delicious-soups/

  • Livia on December 01, 2020

    Made this with proper spanish chorizo as that is what I had and it came out delicious. Added also a bay leave

• Gaspacho

  • Fiona on January 02, 2011

    A large bag of very ripe tomatoes became this sublime soup on a hot summer's day. The elaborate garnish that goes with it is well worth the effort. I froze some and used shavings of it to cool it down rather than watering it down with ice cubes.

• Baked eggs

  • peacheater on March 23, 2026

    Made a version of this with two eggs per slightly larger cocotte. Used the specified quantity of heavy cream as well as some diced ham. Did not use a metal dish so didn’t boil the water bath and cocotte as instructed. Instead just used just boiled water. 12 minutes was too little for soft eggs, likely because of not boiling as well as the larger cocottes. Left in for a further ten minutes- too long, alas! About 17-18 minutes would likely have been perfect.

• Goat cheese and thyme leaf soufflé

  • ALawson25 on February 06, 2023

    Bake this soufflé until golden and puffy in a shallow oval dish instead of the traditional soufflé bowl; it makes a perfect lunch or supper dish. Made by two iconic Irish cheesemakers, Jane Murphy from East Cork and Siobhán Ní Gháirbhith near Inagh just south of the Burren in Co. Clare. Serves 6 75g (3oz) butter 40g (1 1/2 oz) flour 300ml (10fl oz) cream 300ml (10fl oz) milk a few slices of carrot sprig of thyme, a few parsley stalks and a little scrap of bay leaf 1 small onion, quartered 5 eggs free range organic, separated 110g (4oz) crumbled goat cheese, Ardsallagh or St. Tola’s goat cheese 75g (3oz) Gruyére cheese 50g (2oz) mature Coolea farmhouse cheese, grated (Parmesan may also be used) a good pinch of salt, cayenne, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves Garnish thyme flowers if available 30cm (12 inch) shallow oval dish (not a soufflé dish) or 6 individual wide soup bowls with a rim Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8. Brush the bottom and sid

• Khai loog kheoy (son-in-law's eggs)

  • Franki on January 09, 2022

    P114

• Risotto alla Parmigiana (risotto with Parmesan cheese)

  • Indio32 on May 02, 2021

    Made this 'stock' risotto for tonights supper. Used Spanish bomba rice along with homemade chicken stock. Bulked it out with some cold chicken warmed through and a good handful of spinach. Enjoyed by all!

• Penne with tomatoes, spicy sausage, and cream

  • sophie_bsts85 on March 25, 2026

    So quick and easy and very delicious. Next time I’m going to try frying off the chorizo before making the sauce so I can get a slightly different texture and less fat. Although I think it’s the butter that adds a wonderful depth of flavour.

  • sophie_bsts85 on March 25, 2026

    I used mutti tinned tomatoes as I didn’t have fresh and popped the Parmesan rind in whilst the sauce cooked down.

• Spaghetti with mussels

  • Pamsy on December 18, 2021

    We enjoyed this, but next time I'd try prawns as they'd stand out more in the tomato sauce. Removing from shell after cooking and before adding to sauce makes them easier to eat. Addition of spaghetti makes this a main course rather than a starter. As ever, cleaning the mussels was the most time consuming aspect of the prep.

• Carrot, parsnip, and cabbage with mustard seed

  • Pamsy on April 19, 2026

    Interesting and different way to cook carrots, parsnips and cabbage. Root veg are coarsely grated and cabbage is finely shredded, add a chopped red chilli and stir fry . Do the prep in advance and it's a 5 minute job to cook. Particularly good with a Sunday roast. Good for entertaining as well.

• Colcannon

  • sarahkalsbeek on March 18, 2023

    This was delicious and simple! I used kale instead of cabbage and it turned out perfectly.

• Italian salad dressing

  • Pamsy on June 09, 2020

    Very good, made the balsamic version.

• Shanagarry chicken casserole

  • saladdays on February 06, 2012

    This makes a very fresh tasting casserole, would recommend adding the optional 'mushrooms a la creme', it does enhance the final taste. Seerve with mashed potatoes or rice.

• Boned chicken, casserole-roasted, with port and cream

  • Pamsy on December 15, 2018

    This is NOT a boned chicken. My pet hate - inaccurate recipes!

• Roast guinea fowl with parsnip crisps and red currant sauce

  • saladdays on January 04, 2016

    Made this for Christmas day. A delicious celebratory meal for two people, didn't make the parsnip crisps as I don't deep fry but the redcurrant sauce is very good. I was able to make it from our own redcurrants from the freezer. The recipe makes quite a lot so we are still using it with cold meat. It would make a good ice cream sauce too!

  • saladdays on January 04, 2016

    Made this for Christmas day. A delicious celebratory meal for two people, didn't make the parsnip crisps as I don't deep fry but the redcurrant sauce is very good. I was able to make it from our own redcurrants from the freezer. The recipe makes quite a lot so we are still using it with cold meat. It would make a good ice cream sauce too!

• Duck breast with spiced lentils and caramelized apples

  • Pamsy on April 13, 2026

    Excellent duck recipe, I reduce the lentils to 25gr pp and serve with new potatoes. An even better version is with juice and zest of an orange plus Cointreau and orange marmalade.

• Braised lamb shanks with garlic, rosemary, and flageolet beans

  • ALawson25 on June 02, 2020

    This was delicious, the meat was very tender and fell off the bone. I found that the beans took over an hour to cook, and I had to add water several times. I think this was because I didn't have a tight fitting lid for the pan. I used smoky bacon, next time I might use unsmoked for a more subtle flavour.

  • sarahkalsbeek on January 02, 2022

    Very delicious. We only made the lamb shank part of this recipe, not the bean recipe (we made this for New Years and had black-eyed peas on the side). Very flavorful, tender meat. Enough sauce with the meat itself that we didn't feel we needed the extra beany sauce, but definitely want to try that at some point!

• Greek moussaka

  • etcjm on April 28, 2019

    Bit disappointing. Picked this version due to not have potatoes in it. Think I was cautious with seasoning because of salting then rinsing the aubergines. But what I ended up with was woefully under-seasoned. Even with the herbs. There's a lot left so I will let it sit and see what its like tomorrow. Not for me given the number of pans I used, as well as having to cook another meal for my daughter who was apoplectic when she saw the aubergines! No picture - it looks even more unappetising than I've described.

• Traditional roast rib of beef with horseradish sauce, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding

  • Beachhousecook on May 23, 2020

    Page 336

• Winter beef stew

  • saladdays on November 03, 2013

    This is my 'go-to' recipe for a basic beef stew. the technique is straightforward and the results are excellent. I usually add a bit more stock or water at the same time as adding the mushrooms 20 minutes or so before the end.

  • Frogmountain on March 17, 2025

    Page 341

• Daube de boeuf provençale (beef provençale)

  • Fiona on September 01, 2011

    A traditional beef stew is transformed with the addition of the anchovy and caper mixture at the end of the cooking process. This is delicious and was devoured by the family.

  • FJT on December 05, 2020

    A lovely beef stew, perfect for a snowy weekend. I added some celery to the marinade ingredients and cooked it lower and slower than the recipe states: 150 Celsius for 4 hours, topping up the liquid half way through. I liked the addition of the anchovy / caper mixture towards the end of cooking. All in all a very good recipe and I’m sure it will be repeated.

• Sri Owen's sumatran rendang

  • Cvtbird on January 18, 2025

    I can’t find this in the book.. anyone know a page number?

• Lemon verbena or lemon balm sorbet

  • ktmoss on May 18, 2026

    My favorite use for lemon balm

• Homemade butter

  • etcjm on May 08, 2021

    Rainy day in the UK. Whipped cream reduced in the supermarket, what better project than butter. I did culture it overnight, 2 litres with milk kefir and 2 litres with greek yoghurt. I think I used every bowl, sieve and cheesecloth I possess. Got about 850g butter per 2 litres plus 1 litre buttermilk. I've tried the kefir one and a little of the flavour comes through - will be brave and leave 48 hours next time. Very enjoyable experiment and will change slightly next time as I don't think I have washed or patted it enough to get the buttermilk out. I will use quickly in baking in case it turns.

• Tunisian orange cake

  • Pamsy on September 02, 2019

    This is a lovely moist cake that keeps well. Just remember NOT to pre heat the oven!

• Oatmeal cookie squares

  • Cvtbird on March 25, 2021

    Flapjack

• Ballymaloe brown yeast bread

  • eliza on March 28, 2021

    This bread is delicious, quick, and super easy to make. I used the version found on David Lebovitz's blog. I used dry yeast as he noted (2.5 teaspoons). My flour was whole spelt flour from Flourist (in Canada). The dough rose quickly and in my convection oven I baked it for 20 minutes at 450, then about 10 minutes at a bit under 400. Cooled for about 45 minutes before slicing. This is probably the fastest yeast raised bread ever taking about 1.5 hours from beginning to end. I look forward to trying again with fresh yeast. Best eaten fresh but slices can be frozen for later.

  • eliza on March 19, 2022

    I made several changes with delicious results. This time I used Flourist sifted red fife and Einkorn for the flour, and I switched the sweetener to honey. Baked 425 convection for 20 min then 400 for about 7 min then removed pan for a final 3 minutes. Watch carefully since top can brown quickly.

• Spicy apple chutney

  • BessGressingham on November 13, 2022

    The drawback with this chutney is that it's very sweet.

• Tomato and chile jam

  • Pamsy on August 09, 2019

    Really tasty. Adds interest to a toasted sausage sandwich/baguette or cheese on toast or all manner of dishes. Probably takes closer to 90 mins to cook.

• Fadge or potato bread

  • rodillagra on July 09, 2021

    The outside cooked perfectly but the inside seems way too soft. I will try adding more flour the next time.

• Crostini with spiced eggplant

  • Pamsy on August 05, 2022

    Although we're not normally over keen on aubergines, we both enjoyed this. Made half the quantity which would serve 8 slices of crostini. (Used WFBD Parisian baguette). Good as a canape for guests.

• Wild garlic pesto

  • BigOrangeTiger on March 21, 2015

    The ingredients in the book actually include a clove of garlic as well. I found this totally overpowering - couldn't taste the wild garlic, just a strong taste of raw garlic. And I used a small clove too! Next time, I'll leave it out.

• Butterscotch sauce or toffee sauce

  • Pamsy on October 27, 2024

    There are much better recipes for Butterscotch sauce. Try Delia's.