tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45838524847135290082024-03-13T02:39:37.787+00:00Cookery Book Supper ClubUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-79622407572602268442012-10-31T12:58:00.003+00:002012-10-31T12:58:56.163+00:00Viva le Veg!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Constantia;">This
blog is long overdue since the supperclub evening when we enjoyed a veggie
feast created from the recipes within this book was many months ago now. I
offer only one excuse for this lapse, the other 20,000 words I wrote to complete
my MSc. However buoyed up by a lovely lunchtime date with the man himself at the University of Bristol (see picture) and the fact that he answered my question
with such passion, I feel the need to share our thoughts on the book from that
evening and give you some insight about his latest book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If
you saw the accompanying TV series you will know that the man famed for
connecting us with the reality of animal husbandry and a deep respect for life and
death on the farm, gave up eating meat in order to fully embrace writing this book.
The purpose of this self imposed vegetarianism being to crush his own
prejudices about meals without meat being somehow inferior and dull. In fact he explains that being able to ditch meat as the main attraction on the
plate can lead to a different style of eating, more akin to mezze or tapas where
flavourful little dishes can be combined. This informal style of mix and
match eating was certainly evident at our meeting and as the grand daughter of a Covent Garden porter I know my granddad would be amazed if he could see the many ingenious ways we have found to use the humble vegetable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QdAR7jF1o9Y/UJEXTWKdT1I/AAAAAAAAAC8/IaWD-zCAKWg/s1600/me+and+hugh+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QdAR7jF1o9Y/UJEXTWKdT1I/AAAAAAAAAC8/IaWD-zCAKWg/s320/me+and+hugh+2.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">On
the night we enjoyed-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">North
African squash and chickpea stew, Celery orange and pecan salad, Asian
inspiried coleslaw, Herby peanutty noodly salad, Aubergine parmigiana,
Courgette and sultana tealoaf, Beetroot and sultana tealoaf, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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About the book......<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Constantia;">Design and layout</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We
loved the photography, vegetable illustrations and fonts, the chapters were
intriguing and helped to guide meal planning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Recipes
(general remarks)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Overall
we found them very easy to follow. Beware the quantities are sometimes very
large though. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it says in the
title, it provided many “everyday” recipes that would be easy for work night
suppers as well as a few more time consuming weekend dishes. It’s also a good
reference book if you are wondering what to do with strange vegetable box items.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Recipes
tried and tested<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Chilli’s
stuffed with beans, Pasta with greens garlic and chilli, Leek and cheese
toastie, Cauliflower with toasted seeds, DIY ‘pot’ noodles, Root frittata,
Spicy merguez chips, garlicky minty mushy peas, Cauliflower pakoras with
tamarind raita, Sweetcorn fritters with coriander or mint raita, Sweet potato
and peanut gratin, Pasta with new potatoes green beans and pesto.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Constantia; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> This is a great book if you want to either create more interesting vegetable dishes or if like Hugh and many others, you feel it's right to reduce the frequency with which you eat meat. As winter draws closer there is no better time to reflect on the harvest and try to utilise and celebrate all that we are able to yield from the land be it meat or vegetable.</o:p></span></div>
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In his new book Hugh works on using just three ingredients to create delicious meals and his theory certainly evokes fond memories of great flavour combinations such as rhubarb, crumble and custard. I am sure it will feature at the supperclub table soon. </div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-30617087913929015172012-05-20T18:35:00.000+01:002012-05-20T18:35:35.431+01:00Pretty Perfect<div style="text-align: justify;">
Is cooking about being perfect? Baking aside, surely creativity and expression in the kitchen require a certain degree of improvisation and a dash of innovation. The concept of "Perfect" is to examine the recipes for classic dishes, consider the variations proffered by others and come up with a definitive version of the dish. This is useful because it strips away the pretentious flourishes of a chef with a brigade of helpers and hones in on the key ingredients and principles upon which the dish is based. You get a real feel for the thought process that has taken place during the dissection of each recipe and are clearly guided as to where and how any developments can be made. Goodness knows how much it cost and how long it took to examine the recipes so thoroughly. The stories behind each recipe are engaging and the design of the book is classic with a modern quirky twist. There is enough for both the beginner and well established cook and for once it didn't matter that there was no photography, perhaps it just wasn't necessary because many of the dishes are such classics.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dishes we enjoyed at supperclub were kedgeree, guacamole, coq au vin, flapjack and crumble. Other recipes road tested were hollandaise sauce- unusual method, roast chicken -lovely skin, cottage pie and omelette. There is an excellent bibliography so that the original recipes can be found and some good advice to beginners about investing in a "bible" which I quite agree with, having been a cook for many years I still use a battered and falling apart inspection copy of Delia's basic cookery course and also the Leith's bible, mostly for larger catering projects. Felicity Cloake has also published a Perfect Christmas Day which has 15 essential recipes for Christmas (though I have to say I always go for Josceline Dimbleby's orange mince pie recipe personally) which I'm sure will be a great guide for those facing the festive food preparation for the first time. More ideas, advice and lovely food photography can be found at http://felicitycloake.com but don't beat yourself up if something goes wrong, nobody's perfect! </div>Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-15582034953977293612012-03-01T20:32:00.000+00:002012-03-01T20:38:31.697+00:00Find the Scandi in You<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Wrap up warm and be prepared to be taken on a journey. Tread in
the deep, crisp snow, wander through the colourful and narrow streets, forage
in the vast woodland, gaze into and fish in the bright blue waters and feel the
warmth of family and friends as you simply break bread or share a feast with
them. Be guided through the land, the culture, the food, the atmosphere and the
seasons by the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scandinavian-Cookbook-Trina-Hahnemann/dp/1844008355/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330612353&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Scandinavian Cookbook</a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">As you might expect, the Scandinavian Cookbook is cleanly, clearly
and efficiently laid out. The month themed chapters help you to eat with the
seasons, though of course there are recipes which will see you right at any
time of year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">And the recipes don't disappoint: with a great deal of dishes
quite unique to Scandinavian cuisine, the food is fresh and healthy and packed
with flavour. There are a fair amount of fish recipes but also a lot of baking,
desserts and treats as well as a wide selection of meat and vegetable dishes
and not forgetting the pickles and berries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Recipes are accompanied by snippets of background information,
insights into the Scandi way of life and some very personal stories about the
author's Danish upbringing. The photography, from Lars Ranek, combined with
these accounts, brings the book to life, giving the reader a real sense of the
place as well as the obligatory dishes to drool over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_w6JVzjvUnQ/T0_cZuUEt-I/AAAAAAAAAFo/ymXewRzsuMo/s1600/ScandiCookbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_w6JVzjvUnQ/T0_cZuUEt-I/AAAAAAAAAFo/ymXewRzsuMo/s320/ScandiCookbook.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">But what might you be feasting on? There is, of course, a recipe
for Swedish meatballs and I urge you to go ahead and make your own, the result
was much more satisfying than Ikea meatballs, though there's nothing wrong with
indulging in a plate of those every once in a while to help you survive a trip
to the big blue and yellow place! We had ours accompanied by some roasted
potatoes, greens, pickled cucumber and berries (we used the suggested
substitute of cranberries due to a lack of lingonberries). The only thing
missing was the 'gravy' but a quick search on Google and the meal was soon
complete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">But, not surprisingly, there's more to Scandi food than meatballs.
The Scandinavians have, as have many cultures, adopted the burger and made it
their own. There are two unusual recipes: Bif Lindstrom, a beef burger
containing capers and beetroot, and an incredible fishy equivalent; salmon
burger with a chive and mayo dressing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">A trip to Scandinavia wouldn't be complete without some reindeer
(well, we had moose which we found in Lidl). Reindeer (or moose) steaks with
their spicy black pepper and aniseed crust, served with a potato and celeriac
gratin and roasted sprouts was a perfect wintry Sunday dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The veal with baked rhubarb and barley salad was a great way to
enjoy the vibrant pink forced rhubarb available in the early months of the
year, whilst, if baking is more your thing, we had fun experimenting with the
yoghurt and wheatgrain bread and the spelt buns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">For dessert, some apples, past their best, and some stale bread
magically transformed into a divine apple trifle, and to accompany your Danish
blue cheeses, how about the walnuts pickled in wine?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 14.25pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This beautiful book brought back memories of a wonderful and
chilly week exploring Stockholm two years ago, and with Angie having just returned from a friend's wedding in Norway we had plenty of stories of our own to throw into the mix, as well as some extra tasty treats to sample which Angie brought back with her. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Let yourself be transported to
Scandinavia and embrace the Scandi in you. You won't be disappointed. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-18976658639417542902011-12-22T12:35:00.000+00:002012-02-03T12:37:15.093+00:00Christmas is Coming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1y-ErElaVK8/TyvS_LisZkI/AAAAAAAAAFg/CJVNmxvIdWs/s1600/Nigella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1y-ErElaVK8/TyvS_LisZkI/AAAAAAAAAFg/CJVNmxvIdWs/s200/Nigella.jpg" width="138" /></a>With Christmas fast approaching we reached for the domestic goddess herself to guide us through the party season. We embraced the festivities at book club with no nonsense recipes for canapés, cocktails and fuss-free dishes to help us recover from our over-indulgence, taken from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nigella-Christmas-Family-Friends-Festivities/dp/0701183225/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328271980&sr=8-1">Nigella Christmas</a>.
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The sweet and floral pungency of the lychinis (lychee martinis) and the caffeine induced energy boost from the espresso martinis has left us in somewhat of a blur over the evening’s proceedings but we can report that once again we ate well.
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<br />
We nibbled on spiced nuts, drunken devils on horseback, spicy crab canapés as well as goat’s cheese and figs wrapped in Parma ham. We were treated to a soothing bowl of ‘Dr Lawson’s Cuban Cure' chorizo and black bean soup then went off-piste with rice paper rolls and some tequila ice cream from Nigella Express. There were even mince pies and Christmas rocky road to take home.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-20248651364292022422011-12-01T16:21:00.001+00:002011-12-01T16:37:46.753+00:00How to Make the Perfect Roast<span style="font-family: Arial;">We Brits love a good roast dinner – we’re famous for them
the world over – but how often does your roast not quite live up to
expectations? </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p>
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Whether you’re looking to get crackling to die for, a
more succulent roast chicken, rare roast beef, potatoes which are crunchy on
the outside and fluffy in the middle or simply some new ideas of what to do
with fish, vegetables or even fruit, Molly Stevens has the answers.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-About-Roasting-Approach-Classic/dp/039306526X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322756691&sr=1-1" target="_blank">All About Roasting</a> you can jump straight in and cook the
recipes (beware that measurements and temperatures are for a US audience but
conversion tables are at the beginning of the book) or, if like us you’re
serious about honing your skills, you can first read about the principles of
roasting – from a definition and history to the science behind the perfect
roasting techniques through to preparation, temperature, shelf positions,
timing, checking if it’s cooked, resting and carving. You name it, she’s
covered it! </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There are handy tips throughout (ever thought of lining your
baking tray with greaseproof/parchment paper to stop your potatoes from
sticking or salting your meat for 24 hours before cooking to ensure it’s juicy
and tasty? Both work!) and some tempting photography. Though there aren’t as
many photos as we’d like of finished dishes there were plenty demonstrating key
skills step-by-step, such as trimming joints, butterflying and rolling or
carving.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2-DIK1IN2O4/TteoYrogKvI/AAAAAAAAAFA/eHKkeeqdHKo/s1600/AllAboutRoasting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2-DIK1IN2O4/TteoYrogKvI/AAAAAAAAAFA/eHKkeeqdHKo/s320/AllAboutRoasting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You can tell from the writing that Molly is someone who has put
a lot of time and dedication into this book – many a technique was thoroughly
tested to ensure we were guaranteed success. We tried, with more than
satisfying results, the basic roast chicken using the pre-salting method, both
the simple roasted potatoes and the British roast potatoes, a more tricky pork
tenderloin roulade, butter roasted plums with vanilla, ginger and rum as well
as a surprising dish of roasted cherries with creamy polenta. Full bellies all
round again!</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Not instantly struck by the publication, we grew to appreciate
it as a great reference for showing us how to turn a good roast into an
exceptional roast. We’re all now well on the way to being masters in the art!<o:p></o:p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-65615654234540912832011-10-31T17:07:00.006+00:002012-08-23T16:09:39.326+01:00The Knives are Out!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rq5fxyHPf8k/Tq7dYpJ_jaI/AAAAAAAAACo/uq5gqwV2U2Q/s1600/knife%2Bpic.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669712396340399522" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rq5fxyHPf8k/Tq7dYpJ_jaI/AAAAAAAAACo/uq5gqwV2U2Q/s320/knife%2Bpic.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 241px;" /></a><br />
Bought Borrowed Stolen is a big book full of big, bold and tasty recipes. It uses a very novel technique for guiding the reader through the different regions and recipes, that of the author's penchant for collecting kitchen knives on her travels. This was great fun and much like Allegra, we too find it essential to round off a holiday with a visit to a supermarket or homeware store to pick up a useful kitchen item. Much discussion ensued on this point, culminating in a show and tell style knife off! With Rose bringing an identical knife to one in the book (see photo) and Angie throwing (not literally) a fine Thai fruit carving knife into the mix.<br />
<div>
Once all the knife discussion was over we dined on Pumpkin Stew which looked bright and colourful and just felt right for the end of October being both comforting and spicy. We followed this with a chicken, rice and peanut dish with an unpronounceable name. Equally tasty and with lots of textures. It's a really simple dish to put together for supper and can also be made successfully with leftover chicken. We rounded off our culinary tour in the USA with the West Coast Ricotta Cake, lovely and lemony and Oaty Pancakes served with maple syrup. </div>
<div>
It's a nice book to pick up and read, although we didn't feel it needed the fact files on each country. The photography is a little uninspiring throughout and you'll need to get to grips with the lingo "chuck the corry in", but aside from this, there is much to inspire. Other recipes tried were Apple and Chicory Slaw, Pork Adobo and Green Juice. The book is very similar in concept to Orchards In the Oasis by Josceline Dimbleby, the travelogue cookbook is flavour of the month it seems. </div>
Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-41322484194254516292011-10-16T11:39:00.002+01:002012-08-23T16:12:19.761+01:00We Love Leon!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4pXvrOcRRog/TprDIvmX4WI/AAAAAAAAACY/7gM2Nsvr8n8/s1600/IMAG0226.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664054036355604834" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4pXvrOcRRog/TprDIvmX4WI/AAAAAAAAACY/7gM2Nsvr8n8/s320/IMAG0226.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 241px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
This book is fun, think Sergeant Pepper meets Barnum. You'll be quite happily meandering through the dairy section when you find a secret pocket with a colourful European cheese map or browsing through the beans and you suddenly end up in Brassica Galatica! There's so much useful information (including the Scoville rating scale for chilli's and a bright tear out seasonality chart) and it's presented in a such an exciting way that even if you are well informed about food, you'll want to read it anyway. This is also a no nonsense book, if you want to find out why figs are good for you, it tells you - "good poos". <br />
The Leon mission is to bring healthy fast food to the masses and each of the recipes in part two of the book has a helpful food symbol or three to let you know what' going on in the dish. At the meeting we enjoyed the Leon classic chilli con carne, a rich and robust dish that really benefits from using chunks of steak rather than mince. The Leon superfood salad, again another classic that is still on the menu in the cafes. It's packed with good things and has great texture and flavour due to the interesting combination of just blanched vegetables, herbs and seeds. This was followed by the Leon Better Brownie which had all the necessary brownie qualities, moist, gooey, chocolatey with a slight crunch to finish. We also sampled the Leon Lemon, Ginger and Mint Quencher made, in the absence of fructose, with agave nectar and it worked just as well. <br />
While we are in the drinks section and as it's nearly November I'll be making the Lemon and Ginger Coldbuster soon, just in case!<br />
Other dishes we have made and loved are - Mother Buckle's Raspberry Cheesecake, Leon Gobi, Happy Carrot Salad and Magic Mackerel.Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-82188834517649615342011-09-12T13:31:00.003+01:002011-09-12T13:52:33.384+01:00Our latest reading list.Following recommendations from our members and some suggestions from publishers we are pleased to announce the next books for consumption! <div><br /></div><div>September 27th</div><div>Perfect by Felicity Cloake</div><div>October 25th </div><div>Bought Borrowed Stolen by Allegra McEvedy</div><div>November 29th </div><div>All About Roasting by Molly Stevens</div><div>December 27th</div><div>Nigella Christmas (Cocktail and Nibbles night)</div><div>January 31st</div><div>The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trina Hahnemann (with goodies brought back from Norway)</div><div><br /></div>Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-19402841159963553022011-08-03T12:13:00.003+01:002011-08-03T12:54:21.116+01:00Second helpings of Yottam Ottolenghi- Plenty<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-InaCZZVNgQ8/TjkxHnTKcXI/AAAAAAAAACQ/USwm2S74e6A/s1600/IMAG0153%25231.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-InaCZZVNgQ8/TjkxHnTKcXI/AAAAAAAAACQ/USwm2S74e6A/s320/IMAG0153%25231.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636590415509090674" /></a><br />We are all big enthusiasts of Ottolenghi and our only criticism of this book was the lack of a pudding section! We liked everything from the padded cover that felt all nice and squishy to the photography, layout and design. Where Hopkinson leads yet another chef follows and the sections are based around ingredients or families of ingredients. This is obviously how the mind of a great chef works!! The recipes in the book seem a lot better than the recipes printed in his newspaper column.<div>I will confess now that if you had said I would choose to make a dish that contained tofu a few months ago I would have laughed you out of my house, yet here I was thinking about what to cook for the book club meeting and I was drawn to the black pepper tofu (a dish I have now made many times since and the sauce is also good with beef and chicken). Other dishes we sampled that evening were Soba Noodles with Mango and Aubergine (really refreshing and herby), Garlic Tart and Gorgonzola Tart (fantastic pastry and deliciously rich fillings), Butter beans and Sorrel (a great foil for more robust flavours) and Stuffed Onions. All were consumed with relish. </div><div><br /></div><div>There aren't many recipes that we haven't tried from this book and interestingly when Sarah was moving house the Ottolenghi books were the ones that had to be kept to hand! </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the long list of recipes that are tried, tested and loved-</div><div>Pasta and Fried Courgette Salad</div><div>Two Potato Vindaloo</div><div>Green Pancakes with Lime Butter</div><div>Lentils With Grilled Aubergine</div><div>Shakshuka (perfect for an indulgent lazy brunch)</div><div>Aubergine with Buttermilk Sauce</div><div>Sweet Winter Slaw (loved by everyone I serve it to)</div><div>Sweet Potato Cakes </div><div>Cucumber Salad With Smashed Garlic and Ginger</div><div>Mixed Vegetable Paella (so colourful I felt the need to tweet a picture of it) </div><div><br /></div><div>It is a well known fact that most people will only make a few of the recipes in any given cook book but I think you will agree that there is something special about Ottolenghi that keeps you dipping in again for more. He should have a TV series .......promise you I'm not his agent! </div><div><br /></div><div>PS Just off to buy some more tofu! </div><div><br /></div>Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-53332688959561959502011-08-03T12:03:00.003+01:002011-08-03T12:12:56.981+01:00Roast Chicken and a Whole Lot More!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZaz7tN-7Dk/TjktHmmsSaI/AAAAAAAAACI/l-wc_18oqgE/s1600/IMAG0079%25231.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZaz7tN-7Dk/TjktHmmsSaI/AAAAAAAAACI/l-wc_18oqgE/s320/IMAG0079%25231.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636586017276053922" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">My copy of Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson proudly bears a big yellow sticker proclaiming it to be the most useful cookbook of all time (as voted by Waitrose Food Illustrated) so with such a provenance it was only right that it should feature at the cookery book supper club. The style of taking one ingredient and offering various recipe suggestions was novel in 1994 when it was first published and there have been many imitators; the most recent being Bryn’s Kitchen. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">So from anchovies to veal we are taken through a culinary alphabet of Hopkinson’s favourite ingredients and given a little insight about either the food or the recipe. We liked the fact that Simon gives you plenty of alternative ideas for a recipe and that the book is well indexed. There is a wide variety of dishes and the connections between chefs and the provenance of the recipe is explored to such an extent that it’s like reading a little recipe family tree. Some of the stories are amusing too. We thought it was a good manageable size and liked the flaps (great as bookmarks). There are some classics in this book that most culinary enthusiasts would agree should be in everyone’s repertoire namely the famous Roast Chicken and the St-Emilion Au Chocolate.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">On the downside some comments are a bit outdated now (see Veal) and some recipes a little vague, 2 or 3 tomatoes? The surprise pudding was not a great success for Sarah and made her wonder if the recipes had been fully tested? Perhaps our sensitivity to recipes laden with cream and butter has been heightened since the book was published so some recipes can seem a bit too rich. Simon sounds a bit like a grumpy old man at times!!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> Here are recipes we have tried and enjoyed-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span>Curried smoked haddock soup</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Salmon in pastry with currant and ginger (a favourite dish for about 25yrs!)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Salade Frisee Aux Lardons (Rose had this in France)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Breast of Lamb Ste Menehould (confirmed not to be greasy at all)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Green Paste (highly recommended with the lamb)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Onion Tart (best to do the onions the day before or at least one hour ahead)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">For our meeting we had a great selection of dishes these were-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Onion Tart <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Poached Salmon <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Oriental salad<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Baked New Garlic with creamed Goats Cheese<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Toasts<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">We are all enjoying Simon’s new TV series a no nonsense simple approach to good cooking and great graphics to boot. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-15741491199188719412011-04-07T12:24:00.005+01:002011-04-07T13:21:27.609+01:00Chipotles and chatter<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QtHCbNRa1Wk/TZ2gvxCtRHI/AAAAAAAAAB0/vRBQGo3DP4E/s1600/mexican%2Bbook%2B3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QtHCbNRa1Wk/TZ2gvxCtRHI/AAAAAAAAAB0/vRBQGo3DP4E/s200/mexican%2Bbook%2B3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592803054743012466" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfOKY0dQ67U/TZ2fbHwufmI/AAAAAAAAABs/NIKMjjQRlr0/s1600/mexican%2Bfood.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>There’s no doubt that Tomasina Miers has expanded our appreciation of Mexican cuisine and offered us a much more exciting range of recipes than was previously available in Mexican cookery books.<div><br />We have found in the past at the book club that sometimes a title doesn’t always live up to the promise and the “made simple” tag is a case in point. We are all enthusiasts but a recipe with 20+ ingredients, some of which could be challenging to find, doesn’t really resonate with simplicity. That said, we had a colourful and tasty feast at our meeting and a lot of lively food discussion.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We started with <b>cucumber agua fresca,</b> a refreshing bright green cooler that cleansed the palette and set us up for the courses to follow. Sarah who kindly hosted our evening noted though that this recipe was inaccurate, as it yielded two and a half litres not two glasses so be warned!</div><div><br />There’s never a wrong time for breakfast in my mind and the first dish we sampled was <b>The great Mexican breakfast</b> from the soul food section. A build your own affair with corn tortillas a rich and gently spiced tomato sauce, fried egg and crumbled Lancashire cheese. To accompany this Sarah also made <b>Frijoles refritos</b> (declared by Abigail, a new club member as the best she’d ever had) and <b>My addictive sweet chipotle paste</b> the Mexican equivalent of a sweet chilli sauce.<br /><br />I have mixed memories of my backpacking trip through Mexico two years a<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e_Tb9i47Bjg/TZ2hOlaebjI/AAAAAAAAAB8/I85q3hmPjjM/s200/DSC00012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592803584197422642" />go as three days into the adventure, just as I was starting to unwind, the swine flu pandemic started and I was foraging in the fabulous food markets for face masks instead of frijoles! However one Saturday evening in a town square in Merida I first tried real tacos made there on the street and so very different from the “tex-mex” variety that are generally found here. So with this fond memory spurring me on I decided to bring the <b>Autumn tacos with onion squash and chorizo </b>to our meeting.</div><div><br />The filling is straightforward to make, though a little oily, but finding authentic tacos unless you plan to make them yourself is a bit trickier. I didn’t have any luck at the Sweetmart based in Easton (though you can buy masa harina there) but they can be found at www.mexgrocer.co.uk . Alongside the tacos we tried <b>green rice</b> and the<b> roasted almond and avocado salad</b> a vegetarian version of the chicken and avocado salad on page 86 we all thought the textures and flavour of the salad worked well together so another hit.<br /><br />The evening ended on a high as we put aside our rice pudding angst (hot or cold, thick or thin, skin or no skin) and embraced the light and delicately spiced <b>Chilled Mexican rice pudding</b>. This unusually calls for long grain not pudding rice and is cooked on the hob, so no sticky skin. Flavoured with cinnamon and orange zest it was a big hit. I could imagine having it for breakfast too with some fresh fruit and crème fraiche.<br /><br />It always amazes me that whenever we meet we have such a varied selection of dishes that seem to work together really well, and so it was again this time. Breakfast at supper, Autumn tacos in Spring and cold rice pudding, a topsy turvy night that really captured the spirit of Mexico and not a chilli con carne in sight (although we all wanted to give Tommi’s version a try)!<br /><br />Other recipes tried and tested<br /><br /><b>Chipotles en adobo </b>p36 A must make preserve for the Mexican food enthusiast, the puree which keeps in a kilner jar for months will add real depth of flavour to your dishes and can be stirred into sauces, mayo and dressings to give a savoury and smokey hit.<br /><br /><b>Churros<br />Meatballs</b> (a very unusual mixture that wasn’t recommended)<br /><b>Vanilla Cheesecake</b> (light fluffy and delicious)<br /><b>Chopped chilli relish</b> ( some chilli skins can be a bit tough, possibly sieve???)<br /><b>Roast chilli salsa<br />Queso funditos<br />Chorizo potato and thyme quesadillas</b><br /><br />The introduction and explanations of typical ingredients are really helpful and clear. I especially like the chilli page. </div><div>Also discussed - chilli festivals, hugely popular events for lovers of all things hot!<br /><br /></div>Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-13119471218784203202011-01-26T18:08:00.000+00:002011-01-26T18:08:40.254+00:00Moor, Moor, Moor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM29wO9RhtI/AAAAAAAAACY/WjAiwrs180E/s1600/moro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" s5="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM29wO9RhtI/AAAAAAAAACY/WjAiwrs180E/s200/moro.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>The <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moro-Cookbook-Samuel-Clark/dp/009188084X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296060122&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Moro Cookbook</a> is the first of three cookery books by the chef-owners of the well-known and award-winning <a href="http://www.moro.co.uk/moro/restaurant/default.asp" target="_blank">Moro</a> restaurant in London, Samantha and Samuel Clark.<br />
<br />
The book focuses on the husband and wife team’s passion for Spanish, North African and Eastern Mediterranean food. Simple dishes with robust flavours and a Spanish influence are combined with those which are more exotic, fragrant, delicately spiced and Arabic in nature. <br />
<br />
The combination of Spanish and North African cuisine is not a surprising one given Spain’s history. The invasion of Spain by the Moors influenced much of the Iberian Peninsula – the religion, architecture and undoubtedly the food.<br />
<br />
That the recipes extend from such a wide-reaching geography makes for an exciting collection to match many a mood, budget and appetite; classic tapas and mezze dishes, hearty, peasant-style meals, rich meat and offal platters, delicate fish suppers and indulgent puddings. <br />
<br />
Of course, there are recipes for favourites such as tortilla, chorizo al jerez (chorizo with sherry), baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and pollo al ajillo (chicken cooked with bay, garlic and white wine) but there are also some more surprising and interesting recipes like quail baked in flatbread with pistachio sauce, cod baked with tahini or bitter chocolate, coffee and cardamom truffle cake.<br />
<br />
Some of the ingredients are mystifying and, for anyone outside of London, could be difficult to source. The lack of photographs amongst the recipes and almost 70’s look to those which are there mean that it’s quite difficult to imagine how some of the more unusual or unfamiliar dishes should look. Don’t be put off, once past these first hurdles, the recipes are quite simple to follow and the food, for want of a better word, delicious. Had we known just how soft textured and flavourful the torta de naranja (orange and almond tort) was or could have seen how beautiful it looked, we all would have baked it a lot sooner. It’s a regular from now on!<br />
<br />
There’s a theme to many of the recipes; stages of long, slow cooking which are well worth pursuing as the result is an intensely flavoured and satisfying meal, even from the simplest of ingredients. The patatas a lo pobre (poor man’s potatoes) is just one such example, sweet, soft and extremely tasty and yet made from just a few ingredients – onions, garlic, bay, green pepper, potatoes, olive oil and seasoning. <br />
<br />
One of the more surprising dishes was the sopa de setas (mushroom and almond soup with fino sherry). What started out as, albeit tasty, mushroom flavoured water was brought alive and thickened by the addition of crushed almonds.<br />
<br />
The Moro Cookbook helps us reach a true understanding of Moorish food, an often over-looked and under-appreciated cuisine.<br />
<br />
Our chef’s specials:<br />
<br />
• Carrot and cumin salad with coriander<br />
• Tabbouleh<br />
• Sopa de setas<br />
• Lentil soup with cumin<br />
• Charcoal-grilled quail with pomegranate molasses<br />
• Hummus with ground lamb and pinenuts<br />
• Pollo al ajillo<br />
• Patatas a lo pobre<br />
• Moros y Cristianos<br />
• Torta de naranja<br />
• Bitter chocolate, coffee and cardamom truffle cake<br />
<br />
A word of warning! The bitter chocolate, coffee and cardamom truffle cake recipe calls for 30g crushed cardamom pods. This is a tremendous amount of cardamom and the end result is intense. The combination works very well but if you’re not a huge fan of cardamom, we would recommend cutting back on the quantity.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-33227800726262219442010-12-07T12:36:00.002+00:002010-12-07T12:40:46.529+00:00Our Next MeetingUnfortunately our November meeting was postponed and due to holidays and festivities we have decided not to hold a meeting in December. <br />
<br />
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 25 January 2011. Book of the month is <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moro-Cookbook-Samuel-Samantha-Clark/dp/009188084X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288551629&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Moro Cookbook</a>.<br />
<br />
Come and celebrate our one year anniversary!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-66851986262607808302010-10-31T19:44:00.040+00:002010-11-01T17:42:42.710+00:00I've Got a Little Fishy...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3SgDPT6qI/AAAAAAAAADU/vKIkmlvfnAg/s1600/tonks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3SgDPT6qI/AAAAAAAAADU/vKIkmlvfnAg/s200/tonks.jpg" width="135" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Tuesday night was fish night. With recipes this good why wait until Friday?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A slight breakdown in communication meant that we reviewed not one but two of Mitch Tonks' fish cookery books this month - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fish-Complete-Seafood-Companion/dp/1862058334/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288552672&sr=8-1-fkmr0" target="_blank">Fish: the complete fish and seafood companion</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fresh-Simple-Seafood-Mitchell-Tonks/dp/071814628X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288552672&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Fresh: great simple seafood</a>. There are worse mistakes to make!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The two books are brimming with delicious fish and seafood recipes which are a joy to cook and eat. The simplicity of the recipes, quite rightly, allow the fish to be the star of the show: we are instructed to either simply grill, fry, bake or poach the fish and serve it with a tasty accompaniment or treat it delicately</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">with herbs and spices.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3LJXmjlHI/AAAAAAAAADA/5tOnEQQz_ns/s1600/ceviche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" nx="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3LJXmjlHI/AAAAAAAAADA/5tOnEQQz_ns/s200/ceviche.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>On the menu at Supper club from Fresh were:</div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">bream ceviche with coconut, chilli and lime</li>
<li>pan-fried haddock with creamed leeks and runner beans</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The creamed leeks and runner beans are a staple in Angie's kitchen where she pairs it with lamb, chicken as well as fish. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3LY4XX9KI/AAAAAAAAADI/gJL6Kke4oXA/s1600/bream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" nx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3LY4XX9KI/AAAAAAAAADI/gJL6Kke4oXA/s200/bream.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>On the menu from Fish were:</div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">grilled bream with cumin, lemon and sea salt</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">grilled salmon with watercress, capers and mint </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">spiced new potato salad</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The spiced new potato salad accompanies a plain grilled salmon fillet in the book but it is such a fabulous, easy recipe which is bursting with flavour that I had to share it with our book club members. It will definitely be a regular on our dinner table and will work well with meat as well as fish.</div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3Lbt5IqdI/AAAAAAAAADM/3YhGvxkA068/s1600/salmon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" nx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3Lbt5IqdI/AAAAAAAAADM/3YhGvxkA068/s320/salmon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Other highlights from the book are:</div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">hake with green sauce and clams</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">bream cooked en papillote with garlic, chilli and rosemary</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The recipes for both of these and others are on Mitch Tonks' <a href="http://www.mitchtonks.co.uk/recipes/page:1/" target="_blank">website</a>.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3K1Ln7cwI/AAAAAAAAAC4/bs7Fw3O-aF4/s1600/tonks_fresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM3K1Ln7cwI/AAAAAAAAAC4/bs7Fw3O-aF4/s200/tonks_fresh.jpg" width="158" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Fish and Fresh offer the reader more than just recipes - they are also reference guides, containing information on fishing, sustainability, alternative names, notes on taste, texture, territory and seasonality. Handy tips, tricks and photographs feature alongside the recipes - what to ask the fishmonger, how to make</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">life easy for yourself in the kitchen and what to look out for when buying fish.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If we were to have one slight criticism of the books it was that some of the recipes are not quite detailed enough especially when expressing quantities of ingredients - a small handful of herbs, for example, is difficult to gauge.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
That said, these are books we'll be dipping into regularly - both are more than worthy of pride of place on the cookery book shelves in our homes.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-90080731222278474092010-10-24T15:11:00.004+01:002010-10-24T15:26:13.777+01:00The Day we Did the Double and Met the MasterWe travelled to Dartmouth on a bright and crisp autumn day. The reason for our visit, a meal at <a href="http://www.seahorserestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Seahorse</a> - a birthday present for my mother-in-law to be. Lunchtime was upon us as we boarded the higher ferry to cross the Dart so we headed into town to the only other place we’d heard about - <a href="http://www.rockfishdevon.co.uk/" target="_blank">RockFish</a>! <br />
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A warm welcome awaited us along with the promise of very fresh fish (as the strapline goes, so fresh tomorrow’s is still in the sea) and golden chips. We were spoilt for choice with a long list of seasonal fish and seafood, batter and breadcrumb options and the usual side orders of chips, mushy peas and curry sauce. <br />
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Our meals were brought to the table in cardboard trays: breadcrumbed red gurnard and good old-fashioned scampi with tartare sauce, calamari with aioli and a crab sandwich on brown, accompanied by piles of chips and bowls of mushy peas. The fish was divine, the chips cooked to perfection and the mushy peas the best I've tasted! <br />
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We received a nice surprise as we were leaving. Mitch was in the restaurant, on his break from The Seahorse kitchen further down the Embankment. He came over to say hello and ask if everything had been ok for us. He struck me as a cook and business owner who genuinely cares about and takes an interest in his customers and staff and is always looking for ways to make improvements (though we would have been hard pushed to find fault!).<br />
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Parallels have been drawn between RockFish and Rick Stein’s fish and chip restaurant in Padstow but Mitch has got every detail of RockFish right and for me, there was no comparison. If lunch was this good, just how big a grin would we have at dinner?<br />
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A walk around town and the sea air stoked our appetites for the evening. We donned our best bib and tucker and headed back into town. As we stepped out of the taxi, the large, heavy wooden doors burst open, we entered the warmth of the intimate dining room of The Seahorse restaurant and were greeted with a beaming smile and a wave from the kitchen. Glasses of prosecco were sent our way with a message from Mitch: 'congratulations on doing the double!'.<br />
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We were astounded by the service we received, great service so often a rarity - the staff were friendly, attentive, extremely knowledgeable and obviously passionate about the restaurant. They talked us through the menu, brought out the fish from the kitchen for us to see before we made our decisions and knew just when to leave us be. <br />
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The large window dividing the kitchen from the dining room means that Mitch can keep a constant eye on proceedings. Messages from the kitchen and dining room were constantly being relayed to all the staff, including news of my mother-in-law to be’s birthday.<br />
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Mitch's approach to the food is simple - let the fish shine through. We chose starters of red Mediterranean prawns, grilled and dressed with olive oil, spaghetti with prawns and cardoon in a rich tomato sauce which had a deep shellfish back note, mussels from the nearby Elbury Cove which were packed with flavour and the zuppa di pesce - it came, was eaten and the dish refilled!<br />
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Following the stunning starters, expectations were high for our main courses and were exceeded: sea bream cooked en papillote with roast garlic, chilli and rosemary - strong flavours but delicately applied to the fish; John Dory which had been given an Italian treatment with a tomato, anchovy and olive sauce; skate traditionally served with black butter and capers, and fritto misto (a selection of crisp fried monkfish, John Dory, red mullet, prawns, whitebait, squid and chiperones) which overflowed from the plate!<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TMRB9FKZWmI/AAAAAAAAACM/RPZ6hJ80q-I/s1600/SarahAndMitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TMRB9FKZWmI/AAAAAAAAACM/RPZ6hJ80q-I/s320/SarahAndMitch.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Towards the end of service Mitch came out from the kitchen to talk with his guests – not in a pretentious way and expecting praise but to actually talk – though, yes he did sign books and menus, say ‘Happy Birthday’ to the birthday girl and have his picture taken with me too! </div><br />
As a coincidence, Mitch Tonks’ Fish cook book is being reviewed at this month’s Cookery Book Supper Club. I had spent the previous couple of weeks reading, testing recipes and tweeting about the delicious dishes I had created. RockFish, having picked up my tweets, told me that Mitch was really interested in what we were doing so, of course, there was one obvious topic of conversation when he reached our table. <br />
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Unfortunately Mitch is unable to make it to book club on Tuesday but I did offer him an open invitation for whenever he is in Bristol! <br />
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There's no doubting that Mitch Tonks is at one with the fish he sources from Brixham fish market and knows how to make your day, evening, or even year!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-86262595539384820762010-10-12T19:31:00.005+01:002010-10-31T19:07:37.881+00:00October's Book of the Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM2-BaaWvmI/AAAAAAAAACg/vniDR0FD9cg/s1600/tonks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM2-BaaWvmI/AAAAAAAAACg/vniDR0FD9cg/s200/tonks.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>As the name suggests Mitch Tonk's <span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fish-Complete-Seafood-Companion/dp/1862058334/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286980620&sr=8-1" target="blank">Fish: The Complete Fish and Seafood Companion</a> is all about, well...fish. More than just a cook book, it's a complete reference guide to fishing methods, sustainability, seasonality, fish names and how to buy as well as prepare fish and seafood. </span><br />
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For many fish holds the fear factor, but Mitch Tonk's comprehensive and modern guide should help allay those fears. And for those who have already taken the bite, there are many tempting recipes.<br />
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If you need to stock up on fish in prepartion for book club or fancy sampling some of the fish from the book but want the night off from the kitchen, you can always head out to the <a href="http://www.therockfishgrill.com/" target="blank">Rockfish Grill and Seafood Market</a> on Whiteladies Road!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-22498896851632444482010-07-21T15:24:00.002+01:002010-07-21T15:27:01.820+01:00Summer HolidayWe are taking a break for the summer and will be back refreshed and refueled in September.<br /><br />See you on 28 September for some Nigel Slater comfort food.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-35872234517750243912010-06-27T14:53:00.002+01:002010-06-27T14:55:09.305+01:00Meeting PostponedThe meeting on Tuesday 29 June has been postponed.<br /><br />We hope to be back in July with Nigel Slater's Real Food as the book of the month.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-32152385705907961732010-06-23T10:24:00.004+01:002010-10-31T19:08:26.103+00:00September's Book of the Month: Real Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM2-oCvufUI/AAAAAAAAACk/VutsAKI4ib0/s1600/slater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM2-oCvufUI/AAAAAAAAACk/VutsAKI4ib0/s200/slater.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>When I think of Nigel Slater's <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Food-Nigel-Slater/dp/1841151440/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277380050&sr=8-1" target="blank">Real Food</a>, I think comfort. The recipes aren't '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">chefy</span>', they're not full of hard to source ingredients and they're not complicated - they let good ingredients speak for themselves in great home cooking. Real Food is about being selfish and taking pleasure in the simple things in life. It's food which is full of flavour, you can easily make and want to eat.<br />
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The book is based around his favourite ingredients - those in which he finds solace - potatoes, chicken, sausages, garlic, bread, cheese, ice cream and chocolate. Let's face it, who's not a fan of at least one of these?<br />
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Look forward to some food which gives you a hug from the inside on book club night.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-64039556571212439002010-05-12T10:53:00.006+01:002010-05-16T16:07:55.711+01:00May's Book of the Month: Dough<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TVnLjTMjPxw/S-qE7tUY9SI/AAAAAAAAAAk/DZTv6u5V1zU/s1600/books_1b9cbcc1aa500ffd37aa3b541d7157e4.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 100px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470330858707154210" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TVnLjTMjPxw/S-qE7tUY9SI/AAAAAAAAAAk/DZTv6u5V1zU/s200/books_1b9cbcc1aa500ffd37aa3b541d7157e4.jpg" /></a><br />This month's featured book is <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=dough" target="blank">Dough</a> by Richard Bertinet. I first met Richard at the Taste festival in Bath in 2008 and was immediately struck by his passion for baking. At the festival I really enjoyed mucking in with the bread demonstration and creating a fougasse, even though he thought it would be fun to rub wet dough up my arms! <div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I've made bread hundreds of times but his method of making a very soft dough that you work using a scooping and stretching technique is quite different to the process described in most books. If you feel that you need a little extra help there is a useful DVD with the book that goes through the main processes. I have successfully made many breads in the book and although it's a cliche to say it I do find breadmaking is enormously satisfying. If you think the bookclub meeting is just going to be sarnies all night you'd be so wrong!</div>Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-70146557698800314892010-04-30T16:13:00.001+01:002010-11-04T16:49:18.836+00:00The Spice of LifeWow, mention the word curry and cookery book fans come running from all corners! We had our biggest attendance on Tuesday night when we hosted our Atul Kochhar Simple Indian evening and it was certainly spicy!<br />
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To get the feast started, we had aloo tikki (North Indian pan-fried potato cakes) with a fresh coriander chutney and a grilled tomato chutney. The lamb with green chillies, a southern Indian curry with a kick, came next, accompanied by pulao rice, naan and a cauliflower and potato curry. What a treat for the tastebuds.<br />
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Simple Indian is an excellent book, the chutneys are a revelation and the dishes are exceptionally tasty. These are traditional Indian dishes packed with flavour, really quite healthy and we imagine authentic.<br />
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The introduction in the book explains the appeal of Indian food - the diversity of flavours, textures and colours as a result of the varied regions, religions and cultural influences on the subcontinent. Atul describes how to achieve flavour in different ways by using whole or ground spice, by roasting, frying or by using spice as a seasoning. <br />
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As the name of the book would suggest, the recipes on the whole are relatively simple to cook and the ingredient lists not too extensive. I have tried most of the dishes from the book with only one failure - the naan bread. Unfortunately, my failure was replicated on the night by Angie who also couldn't get the naan right. Perhaps Atul will reveal the secret of success at some point?!<br />
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If we were to be picky, we'd have to say that there just aren't enough photographs in the book. As well as inspiring you to get cooking, a photograph goes a long way in providing guidance when cooking a dish, especially when many of the dishes are new to people.<br />
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Tried, tested and recommended you cook tonight:<br />
<ul><li>coconut fish curry</li>
<li>Deccan fish curry</li>
<li>tandoori salmon</li>
<li>spicy chicken with spinach</li>
<li>peppery chicken curry</li>
<li>home-style chicken curry</li>
<li>achari chicken</li>
<li>lamb biryani</li>
<li>Chettiar aubergine</li>
<li>cauliflower, carrots and peas</li>
<li>stir-fried spinach</li>
<li>mushrooms with coriander leaves</li>
<li>paratha</li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-31336442290852238132010-04-12T15:41:00.005+01:002010-10-31T19:09:18.899+00:00April's Book of the Month: Simple IndianBeing a self-confessed curryholic and (dare I use the word?) fan of Atul Kochhar, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844001512/ref=sib_rdr_dp" target="blank">Simple Indian </a>seemed an obvious choice to appear in our book review list.<br />
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I first came across Atul Kochhar on the first series of Great British Menu where his mouthwatering and impressive dishes combined the use of Indian flavours and great British produce. He must be doing something right given that his restaurant, Benares, in London's Berkeley Square has earned him a Michelin Star!<br />
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I am feeling very well prepared for April's meeting with a list of his recipes already under my belt. It's going to be such a difficult month feeding on curry, curry and even more curry, but someone has to do it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM2-1eJfH1I/AAAAAAAAACo/uFP8Zz_hkWo/s1600/Atul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/TM2-1eJfH1I/AAAAAAAAACo/uFP8Zz_hkWo/s1600/Atul.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-68421332304835374712010-03-21T13:13:00.011+00:002010-04-21T15:25:07.151+01:00March's Book of the Month: Made in Italy<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/S88KvIagUjI/AAAAAAAAABM/htG08gQcYAs/s1600/locatelli.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 143px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462596677852484146" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__1pHPV4enHQ/S88KvIagUjI/AAAAAAAAABM/htG08gQcYAs/s200/locatelli.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Giorgio Locatelli's <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Made-Italy-Stories-Giorgio-Locatelli/dp/1841157023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267011623&sr=8-1" target="blank">Made in Italy: Food and Stories </a>is March's book of the month and was chosen by Angie. I asked her what inspires her so much about the book.<br /><br />"I often ask people; 'if something terrible happened and you had to leave England, where would you most want to be a refugee?' For me the answer has always been Italy. Locatelli sums up the reason in the first paragraph of the book: "la convivialita", the pleasure of sharing a meal with others. When I was growing up, if people came to our home they would never leave without sharing some some food with us, so the Italian way of life is very close to my heart."<br /><br />The book is presented in the style of the traditional Italian meal (antipasti, zuppa, risotto, pasta, pesce, carne i dolci) and as well as recipes, Locatelli shares with us some excellent information, anecdotes and stories about ingredients, how to treat them, Italian life, history, culture and its varied regions. Interwoven between the courses are delightful personal stories that give the reader a great insight and understanding of how food, love and life are one and the same for Italians.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-73137452244517712852010-03-20T22:23:00.007+00:002010-03-23T13:00:29.757+00:00Ottolenghi- the visit!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TVnLjTMjPxw/S6ViE2b6pDI/AAAAAAAAAAc/Wqozb-PI24Q/s1600-h/2010-03-13+15.22.52.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450870759473456178" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TVnLjTMjPxw/S6ViE2b6pDI/AAAAAAAAAAc/Wqozb-PI24Q/s200/2010-03-13+15.22.52.jpg" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TVnLjTMjPxw/S6VewwzensI/AAAAAAAAAAU/dvhm0Ky1Z2I/s1600-h/2010-03-13+16.27.38.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TVnLjTMjPxw/S6VecGc4UqI/AAAAAAAAAAM/R0BOImnba70/s1600-h/2010-03-13+15.22.52.jpg"></a>Having explored the cook book I had to extend my research and see if my baking was up to scratch. I decided to head for the Knightsbridge branch, not the biggest, but very easy to get to with a car park close by and some other pretty amazing shops to hand, Rococo and Christian Louboutin, to name but two. <div><br /></div><div>The window was so inviting with the signature puffball meringues piled high on quirky plates and oranges and chillis lining the window sill. Inside the various salads were sitting on their plinths and people were buzzing in and out, stocking up on patisserie, bread and all sorts of tasty treats. After a short wait for space at the small communal table lunch arrived on a vibrant pink plate. The salads did not disappoint full of interesting flavours, colours and textures that balanced beautifully. I chose a lightly spiced rice salad, a fresh and crunchy green bean salad and a soft and sweet butternut squash dish. In the cook book Yotam Ottolenghi explains how important it is to serve salads at room temperature so that the flavours can come into their own (it's chemistry!) and so all the freshly prepared salad dishes are served this way. </div><div></div><div> </div><div>I couldn't leave without road testing the puds and can recommend both the cheesecake and the passionfruit meringue tart. The latter was a brilliant combination of mallowy soft meringue peaks balanced on a sharp passionfruit curd in a crisp pastry case. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lunch got even better when Yotam walked in and I was able to whip out my cook book for him to sign. He was more than happy to chat as I explained about the cookery book club and the dishes I made for the last meeting. </div>Diner Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402189282067023657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583852484713529008.post-81287033779196241162010-03-02T19:18:00.006+00:002010-05-16T16:02:50.463+01:00A feast for all your senses - and your stomachThere is no doubting that we were all bowled over by this month's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ottolenghi-Cookbook-Yotam/dp/0091922348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271859062&sr=8-1" target="blank"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ottolenghi</span>: The Cookbook</a>. The prose, the photography, the ingredients and the end results are sublime. The book really is a feast for all your senses and Nigel Slater's review on the cover of the book couldn't sum it up any better: 'This is simply wonderful cooking...modern, smart and thoughtful. I love it!'.<br /><br />The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ottolenghi</span> philosophy is one of food bringing pleasure, that you can keep it simple and still delicious and that food should be fun - to buy, to cook and to eat.<br /><br />What is surprising about the book is the sheer number of delicious vegetarian recipes - side dishes and main courses. And before all you meat-eaters run for the hills, you should give them a go! The attention to tastes and textures is so well thought out that for one evening, at least, you won't miss the meat.<br /><br />So, let's cut to the chase! What can we recommend you get in the kitchen and make tonight? Would it be wrong of us to say - everything?!<br /><br />A shocking big hit was the cucumber and poppy seed salad. Genius! We'll never look at the dull cucumber in the same light again. Who would have thought that a cucumber could be so good?<br /><br />The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">chargrilled</span> broccoli with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">chilli</span> and garlic, a recipe that is synonymous with the restaurant, makes an exciting side dish.<br /><br />Hands up if the thought of cauliflower conjures up memories of school dinners? <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ooo</span>, the smell! May I introduce you to the addictive cauliflower and cumin fritters with lime <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">yoghurt</span>? Eat hot, warm or cold, in a pita with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">houmous</span> and some salad. Divine!<br /><br />Oxtail stew with pumpkin and cinnamon. A real winter warmer - and boy did we need it on that cold night in February. A long, slow-cooked dish with hearty flavours, finished with a zing from the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">gremolata</span>. It's one I'll be cooking again and again.<br /><br />We served the stew with a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">mograbiah</span> salad (in the book it accompanies the barbecued quail) but the lemony and herb spiced accompaniment worked really well with the stew. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mograbiah</span> is a large variety of couscous common in the Arab world. It's also known as Giant or Israeli couscous. It's almost pasta-like in consistency, dense and chewy unlike normal couscous which has a more grainy texture.<br /><br />As if that's not enough to tempt you, I'm going to appeal to your sweet tooth and your pudding stomach. Giant cinnamon and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">hazelnut</span> meringues. They speak for themselves really. A trip to one of the restaurants or delis in London is well worth it just to see the piles of these in the window!<br /><br />A quick run-down of our other tried and tested dishes:<br /><ul><li>Caramelised endive with Serrano ham</li><li><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portobello</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">mushrooms</span> with pearl barley and preserved lemon</li><li>Roast potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes with lemon and sage</li><li>Marinated turkey breast with cumin, coriander and white wine - try it also with chicken or lamb</li><li>Sardines stuffed with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">bulgar</span>, currants and pistachios</li></ul><p>And dishes we didn't get around to making but are at the top of our wish lists:</p><ul><li>French beans and mangetout with hazelnut and orange</li><li>Marinated rack of lamb with coriander and honey</li><li>Turkey and sweetcorn meatballs with pepper sauce</li><li>Buttered prawns with tomato, olives and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Arak</span></li><li>Brioche</li><li>Parmesan and poppy biscuits</li><li>Plum, marzipan and cinnamon muffins</li></ul><p>The new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plenty-Yotam-Ottolenghi/dp/0091933684/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271859087&sr=8-2" target="blank">Plenty</a>, is out at the end of April. I'm looking forward to adding it to the book club list. If it's anything like <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ottolenghi</span>: The Cookbook, it won't be disappointing.</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Update</p><p>The plum, marzipan and cinnamon muffins have been spotted at the diner. How did they go down with the customers, Angie?</p><p>Another update</p><p>Recently tried the cherry and walnut bread at a friend's house - went perfectly with the creamy gorgonzola. </p><p>Also recommended is the coriander mayonnaise - slap it in a warm chicken sandwich on fresh white bread.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0