A recent poll of men and women conducted on Facebook by Whisk found their main issue with cookery books in the UK is that the ingredients used are too expensive. Nearly half the women polled believe this to be the case and over a third of the men said they find cookery books too daunting.

The poll of 100 people across a range of age groups from 13-49 was conducted in August. Nearly 50% of women said that ingredients in UK cookery books are too expensive, and 35% of men said they are too daunting and off-putting.

"A whole generation has missed out on being taught how to cook," says James McIntosh, an Aga demonstrator, home economist and managing director of Whisk. "And today's cookery books may be bright and colourful. but they don't teach you how to cook - they teach you how to follow a recipe.

"Often the ingredients are expensive and therefore out of the reach of many families. What's needed is a back-to-basics approach, one that will really help people to pick up usable and adaptable cookery skills."

Tell me about James' new cookbook

James' new book - mix. - is a comprehensive guide to basic proportions in cookery, giving the quantities needed for simple, everyday family food.

With more than 170 recipes - from how to make a white sauce to how to prepare pastry - the book is ideal for young people who want to learn to cook, families interested in saving money on food bills, and teachers and students of home economics/food technology.

"There is a growing consumer interest in saving money on ever-increasing food bills," says James. "Food is very often the first expense to be cut.

"But it doesn't have to be this way. By simply preparing more food at home, there are quick and easy ways to cut costs while still cooking simple, nutritious meals."

According to Antony Worrall Thompson, mix. Is "a fantastic, concise book explaining everyday recipes and giving every cook a helping hand with the secret of successful cookery - getting the basics right first".

Further information

mix. - published by Word4Word, price £4.99 - is the first in a series of small books by James McIntosh. Future titles include dinner. (to be published in November) and cake. (to be published in January).

For further information, plus lots of useful tips on how to feed a family while saving money on food and fuel, visit Whisk online