Delia's Complete How To Cook (2009)

Delia Smith wrote her How to Cook series for the novice rather than the experienced cook, and this single volume gathers all three books into one 704-page course, with an index that covers the whole thing. Each subject moves through background, then instructions, then recipes, so you understand the method before you are asked to make the dish. The tone is patient and never talks down, which suits anyone embarrassed about starting late. The dishes are traditional British cooking and can feel old-fashioned next to the newer books here, but for a reader who likes being taught properly, one step at a time, it is still a dependable teacher.