Below is a picture of the best cookbook ever.


I know it looks old. It is. Published in 1968 this is the book my mother learned to cook from. She passed it on to me when I became a teenager and learned to mix and conjure up a meal or two from it myself. More than that actually. It's almost an encyclopaedia of cooking covering starters, mains and desserts as well as in-depth information on different types of vegetables, meats, pasta -and how to cook them, equipment, accompanying wines and so on, as well as walking through the basics and more complicated recipes.

It's expansive containing hundreds of recipes, yet detailed and easy to understand. My failure rate was very, very low unlike some of my attempts at modern recipes. However, it's age does show here and there. I don't see myself handling pig's trotters any time soon but then that kind of thing is quite retro and these things come back into fashion every so often.

And then, sadly, I lost our copy in a house move in 2006. I was devastated. I tried looking for it online but the paper slip cover had gone long ago and although I leafed through it's pages often I had no idea what the title was, just the author. Scouring the net, I ordered a used Patten book I thought could be The One. It wasn't. Then when I saw the description and cover of this, I knew it had to be my Holy Grail. And I was right! I have so many memories of using it from childhood with one of my parents by my side and through school lessons, I'm ecstatic to have found a copy in such great condition. I'll treasure it always. ( )