Cooking up a treat for hungry students

Culinary trends and celebrity chefs come and go, but The Dairy Book of Home Cookery continues to be the first choice for millions of homes across the UK. Now, the essential cookbook is back.

The classic cookbook, which was first published in 1968, followed by a metricated version in 1978 and an updated edition in 1992, has been reworked to include new recipes and techniques, as well as old favourites, for the 2012 kitchen.

So, whether you’re looking for a new cookbook that has everything you need to create traditional dishes or culinary masterpieces to wow your friends and family, or you already own a previous edition that’s been used so much you need to replace it, or you want to hand down your cooking experiences to family members, The Dairy Book of Home Cookery is the perfect companion for any kitchen.

It takes you through all the essential cooking techniques you need to know and features more than 900 recipes, from soups to sauces, dips to desserts, pastry to pickles, curries to cakes. It’s a staple item that offers something for every kitchen and cook, giving you recipes that you know will always work:

Nick Rowe, executive editor, explains: “The previous editions of Home Cookery sold more than three million copies, with the 1992 edition selling over 800,000 copies alone. However, we still get daily requests from people wanting to buy it again and again. It’s either someone who has an old version that needs replacing or parents and grandparents that want to give their children a copy when they leave home.

“To meet the demand, we felt it was time to republish the book. Since its last publication, we’ve seen many more techniques and ingredients become available, so this has been reflected to fit the needs of the 2012 kitchen.”

Chicken Kiev

Serves 2.

Preparation 10 min.

Cooking 1hr

2 chicken breasts, skinned; 25g butter, softened; 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed; 1 tbsp chopped parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 tbsp plain flour, 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, beaten; 50g Cornflakes.

Cut a small slit horizontally into chicken. Mix together butter, garlic, parsley and seasoning. Push mixture into chicken pockets. Mix together flour and Parmesan.

Dust chicken in flour, then beaten egg and then Cornflakes. Place on a baking tray and bake at 180°C (350°F) Mark 4 for 20-25 minutes, until cooked and golden.

Braised Pork Chops

Serves 4

Preparation 40 min

Cooking 1½ hr

4 x 175g pork chops, trimmed of fat; 2 tbsp plain flour, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 25g butter, 1 large onion, peeled and chopped, 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced, 2 large celery sticks, chopped, 225g tomatoes, chopped, 2 tsp caster sugar, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Toss chops in seasoned flour. Fry in butter until crisp and golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate, keep warm. Add onion to remaining butter in pan. Fry until golden.

Cover the base of a fairly shallow ovenproof dish with potatoes. Add celery, tomatoes, sugar and Worcestershire sauce to onion in pan. Mix well. Pour over potatoes. Arrange chops on top. Cover and bake at 180°C (350°F) Mark 4 for 1-1¼ hours.

Pork and Cheese Burgers

Serves 4

Preparation 15 min

Cooking 20 min

450g minced lean pork, 1 tbsp Taco seasoning, 110g Lancashire cheese, grated; 1 egg

Place meat in a bowl and break up with a fork. Add spices, most of cheese and egg. Mix until combined. Using dampened hands form into eight burgers. Grill until well browned and cooked.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese and grill until melted.

Bacon and Cheese Potatoes

Serves 2

Preparation 10 min

Cooking 1 hr 5 min

2 x 225g potatoes, scrubbed; 2 bacon rashers, 175g cottage cheese, ½ tsp chopped parsley, 50g Cheddar cheese, grated.

Prick potato skins and bake at 200°C (400°F) Mark 6 for 1 hour or until soft when pinched. Crisply grill bacon.

Chop bacon and mix with cottage cheese and parsley. Cut open potatoes and spoon in filling. Top with grated cheese.

Vegetable Cannelloni

Serves 4

Preparation 35 min

Cooking 45 min

15g butter, 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped; 110g aubergine, diced; 110g courgettes, diced; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed; 125ml tomato juice, 40g plain flour, 40g butter, 450ml milk, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 75g Cheddar cheese, grated; 4 tbsp natural yogurt, 12 no-pre-cook cannelloni tubes

Melt butter in a saucepan, add vegetables, tomatoes, garlic and tomato juice. Cook for 10 minutes. Place flour, butter and milk in a saucepan. Heat, stirring continuously until sauce thickens, boils and is smooth. Cook for a minute. Season to taste.

Add 50g cheese and yogurt to sauce, stir until melted. Spoon vegetable mixture into cannelloni tubes. Place in an ovenproof dish and pour over sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 180°C (350° F) Mark 4 for 30 minutes.

* To find out more about The Dairy Book of Home Cookery, and other products available, or to order your own copy, visit www.dairydiary.co.uk or call 0845 0948 128. The book costs £10.49 (plus a one-off payment of £2.50 P&P if you order online)