Cookbook discussions.

All too often when I'm out shopping, I find myself drawn to the cookbook section of the department stores. It's an addiction :)

The last thing this house of mine needs is another cookbook, and yet more often than not, a new one finds it's way into my trolley...then onto my coffee table...and then onto the top shelf of my pantry cupboard :)

There are a few things that I look for in a cookbook...

  I look for at least one recipe that I am dying to try...usually a simple recipe, with ingredients that I would have in my fridge and pantry. This cinnamon teacake, for example,  was very simple...but so so good :)  Better still, it was able to be served warm with a jug of fresh cream...perfect for when you've invited friends over on a Sunday morning (and you don't want to give up your sleep-in!)

I look for great photos...

 ...and a photo of each and every recipe. I like to know what my finished product is supposed to look like :)

I also like a cookbook that is not just recipes...

...a cookbook that I can sit and read, that has little snippets of stories or interesting information that can entertain me while I sip my cup of tea.

And I look for simplicity. I'm not a great cook by any stretch of the imagination, and my repetoire is quite limited. I like to go a little out of my comfort zone...but not a lot :) Baking something that my family will love to eat is much more important to me than using hard-to-find ingredients to make a dish that will probably end up in the bin....and trying to master advanced techniques when my time is limited usually leaves me more frustrated than happy!

For the record...the book pictured above is my go-to cookbook at the moment :) Lots of yummy, easy and family friendly recipes in that one!

Do you have a favourite cookbook? And what do you look for when buying a new cookbook? Just curious :)

TTFN xxx