recipe book

Meaning

A book containing instructions and lists of ingredients for preparing and cooking various dishes. It is also commonly referred to as a 'cookbook'. People use them to learn new dishes or keep track of family culinary traditions.

Examples

• My grandmother gave me an old recipe book filled with handwritten notes.

  My grandmother gave me an old recipe book filled with handwritten notes.

• I bought a new vegan recipe book to get some inspiration for healthier meals.

  I bought a new vegan recipe book to get some inspiration for healthier meals.

• She flipped through the recipe book looking for a quick dessert idea.

  She flipped through the recipe book looking for a quick dessert idea.

• This recipe book has beautiful photographs of every single dish.

  This recipe book has beautiful photographs of every single dish.

• I keep all my favorite baking instructions in a small blue recipe book.

  I keep all my favorite baking instructions in a small blue recipe book.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I bought a new receipt book for cooking.

  ✓ I bought a new recipe book for cooking.

  A 'receipt' (/rɪˈsiːt/) is the paper showing you paid for something. A 'recipe' (/ˈresəpi/) is the instructions for cooking. This is a very common pronunciation and spelling confusion.

• ✗ She is looking at the recipes book.

  ✓ She is looking at the recipe book.

  When using a noun as an adjective to modify another noun, it should remain in its singular form. Use 'recipe book', not 'recipes book'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I found this amazing chocolate cake instructions in an old ___.

  💡 A printed collection of cooking instructions.

  Show answer

  recipe book

• Her kitchen shelf is full of international ___s from her travels.

  💡 Plural form of a book containing food instructions.

  Show answer

  recipe books