My Cookery Book Wish List with The Works

Wednesday 6 July 2016
Confession time. My name is Claire and I am addicted to Cookery Books. My habit started at a young age when Santa brought me The Brownie Guide Cookbook. The rest is history and groaning bookshelves. I will fully admit that I have many books from which I've never even cooked a single recipe. Please tell me I'm not the only one? Some are most definitely just for reading and flicking through whilst others become well loved and are regularly used. One of my favourite places to add to my collection is The Works. It's the kind of shop that you simply can't go into without coming out with a sneaky bargain. Whilst there's nothing better than browsing the shelves you can also visit them online where they stock the same fantastic range of books, gifts, toys, stationery and arts & crafts all at fantastically discounted prices. There's free delivery over £20 and they also offer click and collect to your local store.



Whilst browsing their current online selection to compile a Wish List I set myself the challenge of a Top Ten. Clearly I need to work on my counting skills as that soon crept up. I've settled on 13, a bakers dozen, which seemed somewhat appropriate. I had to do some pretty harsh editing to get it down to that. Without further ado here's my current wish list. Only 3 months until my birthday and 6 until Christmas. I just might have to treat myself in the interim...


One of the occupational hazards of food blogging is that there comes the time where the lbs start to creep onto the old waistline. Both of these books provide fantastic foodie inspiration that won't leave you feeling like you're even on the diet. I already own one of the Si & Dave's Hairy Dieters Cookbooks and lots of the recipes in it have become firm family favourites. Having had a flick through of Joe's Lean in 15 at a friends house I was really taken with the dishes he creates and even moreso with the concept of shifting your body fat by eating more and exercising less.


I couldn't possibly have a cookery book wish list without the King and Queen of Bake Off featuring within it. I've already got a number of each of their books on my shelves but these latest two offer something different yet again. I'm all for Mary's promise of recipes that will make your life easier and I do absolutely trust her #InMaryWeTrust. Mr Hollywood on the other hand only has to look at me with those brilliant blue eyes and anything that he'd teach me to bake would automatically taste amazing! 


I'm a bit of a latecomer to Tom Kerridge having only recently come across him when he hosted the revamped 'Food & Drink' on BBC2. However I really like his style of cooking and this book promises 100 everyday recipes so that anyone can achieve his Michelin-starred cooking at home. Sounds good to me! HFW on the other hand I've loved for a very long time and could happily watch his River Cottage shows over and over again. I already have an embarasingly large collection of his books but the concept of putting three good things together on a plate and somehow the whole always being greater and more delicious than the sum of its parts is hard to resist.

Food For Free £10.99
Wild Food £16.99

I'm always looking to add to my knowledge of wild food and foraging. If you're going to be eating stuff you find in the great outdoors you really need to have the best advice on hand and all three of these book fit the bill.
When Food for Free was first published in 1972 it became an instant cult success launching an awareness of seasonal, fresh, local and unusual produce. More than 40 years on, Richard Mabey’s classic guide continues to inspire and whet the appetite for the natural ingredients around us.
Wild Food is all around us, growing in our hedgerows and fields, along river banks and seashores, even on inhospitable moorland. In this definitive book, hundreds of these plants are clearly identified, with colour photography and a detailed description. 
Seaweed and Eat It  Part cookbook, part natural history guide, with recipes, folklore and ideas for seasonal feasts, this book takes the reader through the process of identifying, learning about and cooking unusual and wild native foods.


If you're not familiar with The Broons they are 'Scotland's happy family which makes every family happy'. Appearing weekly as a comic strip in The Sunday Post newspaper they are a Scottish institution. I already own Maw Broons recipe book so I reckon her book for Bairns (children) would be a great resource to add to my food education in schools work. 
A tradition has emerged in our household that a Gingerbread House is baked, assembled and decorated on Christmas Eve to become Boxing Day Desert. I have nothing to do with this, it's all down to my sister and my two kids. Gingerbread Wonderland sounds like exactly what they need for a successful 2016 creation!


I'm a big fan of both cooking and eating outdoors. Even moreso if it can be done under canvas or whilst on a glamping expedition. Both of these books sound like they would provide me with fantastic inspiration for my next camping adventure. 
The Hungry Camper gives more than 200 quick, cheap and delicious recipes that all the family will love and also includes helpful checklists on what to bring along, how to prepare for big family meals, and invaluable camping tips for a stress-free trip. 
Pitch Up, Eat Local is the Camping and Caravanning Club's inspiring guide to amazing places to camp, and the fabulous food to cook there. Full of details and first-hand descriptions of farmers' markets, doorstep sales, farm shops, pick-your-own and campsites that produce food.


For further bookshelf inspiration have a look at The Works wish lists from some of my fellow bloggers

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for The Works. All views expressed are my own. Prices correct at time of publication.


9 comments

  1. That gingerbread wonderland looks beautiful, I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

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    1. I may already have ordered it! At £3 it would surely be rude not to.

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  2. Such a great list of books to try! I have a massive cook book stash already, but always love adding to it. The Works stock some great recipe books.

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    1. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one with a massive cookbook stash. Don't think you can ever have too many.

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  3. I really fancy picking up Mary Berry's new book! Looks like it would have lots of lunch time inspiration :)

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    1. Just when you think you can't possibly need another Mary Berry book she comes up with a new concept. She really is the queen of food!

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  4. It hadn't occurred to me that I could browse the Works on line - what have you done?!!! I really want that 'Pitch Up, Eat Local' and "Wild Food' even though I don't actually 'need' any new books!

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    1. Pitch Up, Eat Local just screamed out at me! All my camping trips are planned around food.

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  5. Such a great selection! The Works is such great value. I'm going to look out for those foraging cookbooks.

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