Mary Berry - Foolproof Cooking

In this brand-new, official tie-in to Marys much anticipated series, the nations best-loved home cook will teach you to cook with confidence, with over 120 delicious recipes.

This book features all the recipes from the show, including delicious weeknight dinners, irresistible dinner party suggestions and of course, plenty of tempting traybakes and biscuits for those with a sweet tooth.

Featuring her no-nonsense tips and techniques, each chapter ensures perfect results every time, whatever youre cooking. In addition, Marys no-fuss advice will help you foolproof your kitchen whether thats preparing ahead to entertain a crowd, planning weekly family meals, or ensuring your store cupboard is well stocked.

With Marys no-fuss guidance, discover how every delicious dish can be made completely foolproof.

Mary Berry is the nations favourite baker and author of over 70 books, including the bestselling Mary Berry Cooks, Mary Berrys Absolute Favourites, Mary Berry At Home and Mary Berrys Baking Bible. She is the much-loved judge on the BBCs The Great British Bake Off and has been teaching the nation to cook for over four decades.

Cordon Bleu trained in Paris, Mary began her career as a magazine cookery editor before publishing her first cookery book in 1966. Mary is also an AGA expert and taught AGA masterclasses for many years from her home with Lucy Young.

In 2009 Mary was awarded the highly coveted Guild of Food Writers Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2012 she was made a CBE in the Queens Birthday Honours list.

Cooking for friends and family, whether its for a speedy supper or a celebratory lunch, should be enjoyable, fun and rewarding. The recipes in this book are just that. They are designed to be foolproof dishes you can depend on completely, with no worry or panic, making cooking so much more relaxing and pleasurable. All have been tried and tested to work seamlessly, and I hope they will give you the confidence you need to enjoy cooking every day of the week.

Nowadays, we all lead such busy lives that we need to find ways to save time and plan ahead. For this new collection Ive made sure that lists of ingredients are kept to a minimum, using store-cupboard staples wherever possible. Turn to for my foolproof guide on how to make the most of it.

Preparation is fundamental to becoming a confident cook, whether planning meals for the week ahead or devising a menu for a special celebration. Cooking for the family day to day can actually be more demanding, in my view, partly due to lack of time during the week, but also because of the need to make meals that are healthy and well balanced while keeping an eye on the budget. My handy guide to family cooking (see .

Entertaining friends and family, no matter how small your gathering, can be stressful, but Ive always stood by my prepare ahead as much as you can mantra, and it has never failed me. All of the recipes in this collection give guidance on preparing ahead and freezing, where relevant, to make them as practical and helpful as possible. And before you start have a look through my foolproof tips for entertaining .

Many of the dishes in this new collection are perfect for entertaining, in fact, straightforward to make but guaranteed to go down well. For a super-quick starter, try my Tomato and Basil Salad with Whipped Goats Cheese and Parma Ham makes for an impressive main course and takes very little time to prepare its marinated ahead to create a wonderful depth of flavour, and can be roasted or barbecued in less than 40 minutes.

If youre craving a hearty Sunday lunch, try the succulent herby roast chicken a real favourite of mine that my mother passed on to me.

makes a wonderful combination and shows how a simple herb or spiced butter can instantly add an extra dimension to a dish.

Ive particularly enjoyed creating recipes for the Salads and Vegetables chapter of this new collection. I find global cuisine so inspirational, especially when it comes to meat-free cooking: my Oriental Vegetable and Noodle Salad with Ginger with its touch of spice and beautifully contrasting textures.

No cookbook of mine would be complete without at least a couple of chapters on sweet things. I can always find an excuse to make a pudding! For me an indulgent pud rounds off a meal perfectly, whether its a childhood favourite or a British winter classic to end a lazy Sunday lunch like my Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding () is a really handy cheats dessert thats speedy to whip up and easy to serve.

Baking is one of the most rewarding and relaxing forms of cooking, and I never tire of making a sweet treat to share with friends and family for afternoon tea or a birthday celebration. I especially love baking with my grandchildren, and my Chocolate and Cherry Biscuits () it has just the right level of spice, which offsets the creamy, velvety icing so well.

Ive really enjoyed coming up with the recipes for this cookbook and ensuring that they are all foolproof. To add an extra layer of security, Ive also included key tips alongside each recipe to help guide you through any trickier techniques and to guarantee success. Im so thrilled to be sharing these tried and tested recipes with you, and I hope that you will gain as much satisfaction cooking them for friends and family as Ive done creating them.

You can cook this dough base in different ways: in a frying pan on the hob, on a griddle or even a barbecue it is a great outdoor option for children. If cooking on the barbecue, just split the flatbreads open and fill with sweetcorn, chopped ham, tomatoes or cheese with sauce. No need for plates!