The Student Cookbook

THE STUDENT COOKBOOK


Beverly LeBlanc, Virgin Books €13.90


Promising to bring out the student's "inner Nigella or Jamie", 'The Student Cookbook' comprises 150 quick and easy recipes to suit all budgets and offers plenty to tempt anyone looking for straightforward nutritious recipes. There are no illustrations so it's a dense read, although broken down into useful sections – Welcome to the Kitchen (basics), All-Day Breakfasts, Grazing Nosh, Packing in the Carbs, Positive Proteins, Leave-Alone Cooking, In the Flash of a Wok, Come to Dinner, When the Cupboard is Bare and, rather too luxuriously perhaps, The Cocktail Hour. There's plenty of basic home economics in here – food hygiene and the like – and good sound nutritional advice. I like the sound of tofu skewers with peanut dip and lamb shanks with dried fruit. A handy book for a beginner cook and anyone looking for inspiration on a limited budget.


FRUGAL FOOD


Delia Smith, Coronet Books €12.50


My copy of this classic (it was first published in 1976) has Delia Smith in a lovely pie-crust collar blouse beaming out over piles of legumes and vegetables. "Tempting recipes for careful cooks" is the tag-line. Delia's recipes always work, and there are plenty of retro-chic recipes here to tempt the frugal gourmet. I can vouch for spiced chicken with lentils, although there are rather too many recipes involving kidneys for my liking. Best for old-fashioned, very British, stews and casseroles, ideal for casual kitchen suppers, and some rib-sticking puddings.


THE PAUPER'S COOKBOOK


Jocasta Innes, Frances Lincoln €11.10


I've loved Jocasta Innes' book, first published in 1971, ever since I was a child. My friend Alison's mother, who embodied all the hippie-dippiness that was good about the '70s (she made her own yoghurt and was the first person ever to serve me pasta) treated it as her bible and we ate very well in Alison's house as a result. The recipes are delicious and also stylish, and are less stuck in the British nursery food rut than Delia's. Well worth buying.


HOW TO FEED YOUR WHOLE FAMILY A HEALTHY BALANCED DIET WITH VERY LITTLE MONEY AND HARDLY ANY TIME, EVEN IF YOU HAVE A TINY KITCHEN, ONLY THREE SAUCEPANS (ONE WITH AN ILL-FITTING LID) AND NO FANCY GADGETS – UNLESS YOU COUNT THE GARLIC CRUSHER……


Gill Holcombe, Spring Hill €13.90


The title says it all. This would be a good starter basic for an inexperienced cook looking after a family on a budget and trying to steer clear of processed food and ready meals – shepherd's pie, moussaka and chicken curry all feature – but proper foodies will find little new amongst the recipes. Curried nut roast went down well, though.


THE KITCHEN REVOLUTION


Rosie Sykes, Polly Russell and Zoe Heron, Ebury Press €34


This is the real deal, although you might have to take a week off work to get to grips with it. Dense, dense, dense, this reads more like a textbook than a cookbook, and will reward careful study with some fantastic recipes and strategies for saving time, money, effort and food. Aimed at accomplished and adventurous cooks, it promises to help you make the most of your time, cooker, fridge, freezer and store cupboard. With menu plans for each week of the year taking advantage of what's seasonal, each week is broken down into a shopping list; a Big Meal from Scratch for family and friends that provides the basis for two others; Something for Nothing – two easy meals that use leftovers; Seasonal Supper – quick simple supper made from seasonal ingredients; Larder Feast – using just store cupboard ingredients; and 2 for 1 – a meal that freezes well, so half can be frozen for another day. An educational and inspiring book.


MORE-WITH-LESS


Doris Janzen Longacre, Herald Press (Ontario) €10 on www.amazon.co.uk


This book comprises recipes and suggestions by Mennonites – a Christian community akin to the Amish but more open to the world outside – on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources. Its spiral bound format is kitchen-friendly, and the content will appeal to those taking a whole-life approach to frugality and ecology. The book uses American measures, so you would need a set of US measuring cups, and the philosophy of the author informs every page – wholesomeness incarnate. Recipes tend to be low-fat, low-sugar and use less expensive forms of protein, and are based on economy of money, time and energy, as well as designed to promote good health. Interspersed with the text are inspirational inserts and personal remarks from readers of an earlier edition about the recipes. Great bread recipes.