“Take a box of eggs” features more than 100 recipes ranging from the basics of boiling, poaching and frying, through everyday staples such as Tortilla and Quiche Lorraine, to the more adventurous Goat’s Cheese Soufflés and Eggs Andalusia, as well as a range of classic desserts including ice creams, trifles and meringues.

Research by YouGov (May 2012) shows that 35 per cent of 18-24 year-olds have never poached an egg and just over one in five (21 per cent) have never made an omelette. Around one in six (17 per cent) have never scrambled an egg, the same number (17 per cent) have never fried an egg and 16 per cent have never even boiled an egg.

“These figures are really worrying,” says Andrew Joret, Chairman of the British Egg Industry Council. “A whole generation seems to have missed out on basic cooking skills – yet many egg dishes can be cooked from scratch in less time than it takes to microwave a ready-meal.”

“Take a box of eggs”, the latest in the Dairy Cookbook series, contains more than 100 recipes created by Lucy Knox, illustrated with high quality colour photography by Steve Lee. All the recipes have been triple-tested and have a full nutritional breakdown. The recipes are divided into seven sections – basic recipes, toast and snacks, vegetarian, fish, meat, bakes and desserts. Each recipe also has its own QR code (a web address condensed into a code that enables quick access to websites) which can be scanned with a Smartphone for an ingredients shopping list.

“When I was asked to create a book that people would want to turn to time and time again, I knew that a book about eggs would be perfect,” says author Lucy Knox. “Everyone wants tasty, accessible and great value food and eggs tick all those boxes.

“A ‘basics’ chapter was essential; it’s hard to believe that some adults still don’t know how to poach an egg and I was on a mission to change that! For the more advanced cooks, I was determined to show the scope of cooking with eggs and have included a few surprise recipes, such as Gado Gado Salad and Huevos Rancheros. I’m convinced that it will become a firm favourite in many kitchens.”

Visit www.britisheggweek.com to buy the book at a discounted price of £7.49 and enter a prize draw to win one of 100 copies up for grabs.