Frugal cook books

A place to review any books you have come across (even if they're out of print) which help to make ends meet.

I'm kicking off with 'Delia's Frugal Food'. I'm not a Delia devotee, but this has been a very useful book for me. My original copy came from a second-hand bookshop about thirty years ago. It was covered with dirty wrapping paper which was masking something even more evil on the cover (dried food, before you ask). It has been re-printed recently, and my OH bought me a copy. It's beautifully presented; lovely photos, and is more of a coffe table book now, but the measurements are now all in metric which I find a bit annoying as I have to re-set the scales.
I wouldn't say that all the recipes are truly frugal, but there are some gems here, especially the spiced bread pudding.

I've got the original in paperback.

The index drives me mad as it is not a logical index, but there are some useful recipes in there.

I've got the original paperback too - 1980 impression. I "grew up" knowing Delia for this book so was confused when people referred to her more yuppie food.

I do have her Vegetarian's Cookbook which I admit I appreciate very much, although I hate her style of writing. (I scan the recipe instructions only but then have to look more carefully when "add a slug" seems to be the next step!) I make her recipes frugal by only using my usual veg and stores but it helps with ideas.

I like Bob Flowerdew's "Grow your own, eat your own". I find it refreshingly unpretencious and good for a giggle.

I have "Gaia's Kitchen - Vegetarian recipes for family and community from Schumacher College" by Julia Ponsonby. This comes from the college Satish Kumar set up and has recipes in quantities for 6-8 and 40-50. This is useful as you know the recipe will work scaled up. It has alot of interesting ideas and for reminds me of the college and the people.

The Cranks resturant books are good "traditional" brown rice/lentils.... and wholemeal bread crumbs - not sure if they are still in print!

Jaded Green wrote:
The index drives me mad as it is not a logical index, but there are some useful recipes in there.

Yes, you have to know what you're looking for exactly, and even then you have to be lateral - I ususally end up thumbing through the book to find the recipe I want anyway!

I think some of the best frugal cook books are the ones during the war or in the early 1950s. Some of the recipies are vwry tasty & in fact have been adapted in new books to keep up with the times. There is 1 recipie I keep coming across in Weightwatchers, which is a war time one & been passed down.

Are you allowed to tell us what it is?

What you are really saying is can I go through several cookery books & find it, when I have a few minutes I will try & it will be whichever I come up with first.

Have had a look, but I have no WW books at the moment, have fleabayed them all.

It was something similar to bread & butter pud, but using grated cheese & tomatoes.

Now adapted to use onions etc. Remember onions were quite rare during the war.

The other recipie I came up with was

Tomato Charlotte
salt & pepper
2 tsps sugar
1 1/4lb toms thinly sliced
4ozs breadcrumbs
2 tblspoons chopped parsley
2 tblspoons chopped chives or spring onions
1oz melted marg or dripping.

Oven 180c/gas 4.
Grease 11/2 pt pie dish. Mix some seasoning with the sugar & sprinkle over the toms
Layer breadcrumbs & toms in the dish
ending breadcrumbs
Add most of the parsley,& chives
Top with marg or dripping & bake for 30mins.
Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley etc & serve hot.

Now, cheese is added to give extra flavour & make a really good dish.

That sounds lovely. (I wasn't sure if it was a well-kept secret if it was a weightwatchers recipe!!)

Not done any recipes from it yet, but have recently been reading (as I do cookbooks!) Feeding the Nation - a book full of war time recipes.

Mrs C

You will probably find the recipe in it as I think it was one of hers.