Experts > Mary Berry

Mary Berry's Top Book Recommendations

Want to know what books Mary Berry recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Mary Berry's favorite book recommendations of all time.

1
This volume contains three of Elizabeth David's most popular cookery books: 'Mediterranean Food', 'French Country Cooking' and 'Summer Cooking'. less

Mary BerryLast year my husband and I finally bought our own home in the British countryside and in it was an AGA stove. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s an old-fashioned cooker which is always on. That’s useful in the cold, damp British climate. Many people turn theirs off in summer, but we found we didn’t need to—it was still cold enough in July for it to be nice to have a warm kitchen hearth. (Source)

Helena Frith PowellEating is fundamental to life and to some extent defines you. You don’t look good if you live off McDonald’s and Diet Coke. (Source)

Jojo TullohFrench Country Cooking has got briefly written recipes that are encouraging but also kind of improving. It makes you feel like you need to try harder, which is a good thing, but then Elizabeth David says something like, ‘The merit of food, all different kinds of food, is less important than the spirit with which cooking is approached.’ As opposed to being determined to do it in a spirit of... (Source)

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2
Recommended by Mary Berry, and 1 others.

Mary BerryMary’s own cookbooks are very much in the style of Katie Stewart—practical, doable, traditional cooking with a touch of the international. And I do think traditional British home cooking is fabulous. It deserves to be up there with the great cuisines of the world. I’m talking about Sunday roasts—lamb, pork, beef—with crunchy roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding, toad-in-the-hole, and some of the... (Source)

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3

Chinese Cookery

Chinese Cookery is Ken Hom's timeless collection of over 150 recipes. These classic dishes have been passed down from generation to generation and follow the Chinese rules of balance to ensure a harmony of colour, texture, aroma and flavour.

Recipes include old favourites such as Cashew Chicken, and Sichuan Prawns in Chilli Sauce as well as new recipes from the kitchens of Hong Kong and Taiwan such as Steamed Salmon with Black Beans and Mango Chicken. Although Ken emphasises the need for authentic ingredients and good cooking technique, these are everyday recipes - simply...
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Recommended by Mary Berry, and 1 others.

Mary BerryAnother thing I like about the list is the inclusion of two books on more exotic cuisines. Italian food is wonderful and it’s hard to beat a perfectly cooked steak frites. But, probably partly because Britain has traditionally had a reputation for rubbish food (at least for eating in restaurants), its cuisine has always been more adventurous, geographically speaking. And you get used to that.... (Source)

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4

The "Times" Calendar Cook Book

Recommended by Mary Berry, and 1 others.

Mary BerryA lot of new cookbooks are published every year, but for me Mary’s list is perfect. The oldies are often the goodies, and I can personally attest to the timelessness of book no. 2, Katie Stewart’s Times Cookery Book. My parents, both Dutch, used it, my sisters, who live in New York and the Netherlands use it. I use it (I like the moussaka recipe on p57. See? I even know the page number). (Source)

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5

The Constance Spry Cookery Book, Deluxe Edition

In 2011 Grub Street published a beautiful, elegant newly designed, updated and metricated edition of The Constance Spry Cookery Book with specially commissioned line drawings; the first new edition since its publication in 1956. Because The Constance Spry Cookbook is now an established classic and a timeless treasure which has stood the test of time and is the most requested cookery book on wedding gift lists we are producing for the first time in the book's history a deluxe slipcased edition with foil embossing on the cover and slip case and the book has color tipped pages. It is one of the... more
Recommended by Mary Berry, and 1 others.

Mary BerryIn 2015, a few weeks after the death of my father in Italy, I moved back to the UK. My husband is British, and I was at boarding school in England from the age of 9, so in spite of not having a British passport, it’s the country where I feel most at home. We rented a barn down a small lane near Oxford, and one of the first things we were told was that we might see Mary Berry walking along it, as... (Source)

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