We all know cooking from scratch is healthier for our waistlines and our wallets, but pressed for time and inspiration, most of us turn to the same meals again and again. In this accessible and streamlined cookery primer, Darina Allen, of Ireland's world-renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School, shows how simple it is to rustle up delicious and nutritious meals using 25 of the most popular staple ingredients, from eggs and potatoes to tomatoes, rice and pasta. With advice on shopping well, wasting less and the essential equipment every kitchen needs, Darina shares her lifetime of experience to show you how to cook good food time and time again.

'Darina Allen is Ireland's Delia Smith and Mary Berry rolled into one' - The Times

'She is without doubt one of the most important people working in the food world today' - Skye Gyngell