I just moved to the London, and while the food has been pronounced underrated for so long that it probably no longer is, there's an array of ingredients that I have no idea what to do with: broad beans, smoked mackerel, the vast array of "pickle" (which is nothing like what we Yanks call by that name)... I don't know where to begin with the lovely fresh ingredients that're all around me. And while I've chuckled at the words "spotted dick," I don't have the foggiest idea what it is, along with "jacket potatoes" and many other dishes you see all over the place here.

Anyone have any suggestions for a cookbook that covers more or less traditional British food? And besides that, anything with a decent glossary of British foods?

Delia Smith , Mary Berry and Nigella Lawson do traditional recipes and also have their own websites aswell as lovely books. Gary Rhodes has a couple of 'Around Britain' type books. Phil Vickery is another.
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I found a link to some cookery books here
http://www.britishfoodfocus.com/recipes....

I think my favourite book is

The Dairy Book of Home Cookery: New Edition for the Nineties (Hardcover) - Sheelagh Donovan


Spotted dick is a steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit (usually currants), commonly served with custard.
A Jacket potato is a baked potato (my fave type)

http://www.seabrite.com/jeffs_great_brit...

I found Gary Rhodes Modern New British Cooking very good. Loads of recipes and reading on the history of the food.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-British-Clas...

On a by side I live in London but just got back from New York and bought the Balthazar cook book..cannot wait to get my chops into this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Balthazar-Cookbo...

I recommend Gordon Ramsay's Pub Food cookbook. It gives recipes for all the standard dishes that Brits love to eat, including spotted dick, I believe.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gordon-Ramsays-G...