I was a bit worried that Andrew was being too ambitious when he chose The Family Meal cookbook by Ferran Adria – he of El Bulli fame. The book is called The Family Meal because it focuses on meals cooked for staff at the restaurant as opposed to those cooked for paying guests, which at […]
Cookbook challenge
Cookbook Challenge – Jamie Oliver’s Comfort Food: irresistible pork buns & potted custard
When I originally started my Cookbook Challenge I said it was because I wanted to avoid always picking recipes from my favourite stand-by books, generally by Nigella and Jamie. But when Andrew is picking the book each week and happens to have seen a TV show with Jamie Oliver making ‘irresistible pork buns’, there’s not […]
Cookbook Challenge – Two Greedy Italians: classic lasagne
Who doesn’t love lasagne eh? Most home cooks will have their own version, whether it’s made using a jar of sauce (which is how I first started making mine years ago, and I used to love eating the white sauce out of the jar with a spoon!), or a skinny version with leeks instead of […]
Cookbook Challenge – The Hairy Bikers: duck massaman curry
I find I can’t watch The Hairy Bikers now without thinking of Keith Lemon’s The Hairy Lairy Bikers, where they give the finger to everything and anything as they drive around on their little scooters. I can’t really imagine those cheeky, chirpy northerners being chippy in real life, but the sketch is very funny. Anyway, […]
Cookbook Challenge – James Martin: Lancashire hotpot and apple pie
I have been thoroughly enjoying these Cookbook Challenges, where Andrew chooses a cookbook each week (and usually a recipe) so that I can finally make use of the hundreds of cookbooks I own and rarely use. But I am struggling to write up each recipe straight away, and so I really need to be a […]
Cookbook challenge – The Magpie Cookbook: beer battered prawns, cod with an anchovy crust and dauphinoise potatoes
So much lovely food, so little time! Despite not posting about my Cookbook Challenge for a couple of weeks, rest assured I have been making a recipe (at least one!) from one of my cookbooks – chosen by Andrew – each week. A few weeks ago, that cookbook was The Magpie Cafe cookbook, which I […]
Cookbook Challenge – Gary Rhodes: goats cheese and tomato salad, cod with bacon and carrots, rhubarb tart
Gary Rhodes is one of those TV chefs who was always on the telly when I was growing up, with his spiky hedgehog hair and checkered trousers. Despite his (for the time) slightly unorthodox appearance, his cooking and presentation could not have been more traditional. Classic dishes, cooked traditionally, presented in a refined and simple […]
Cookbook Challenge – The Hairy Bikers: Cullen Skink & Lamb and Barley Hotpot
This week, not one but TWO recipes for my Cookbook Challenge. I am really enjoying the opportunity to try new recipes and expand my cooking horizons, but I am not sure it’s doing much for my waistline or bank balance! Andrew chose The Hairy Bikers Food Tour of Britain this week. I actually struggled to […]
Cookbook Challenge – John Torode: Aussie meat pies with pea soup
When Andrew picked the recipe meat pies with pea soup from John Torode’s ‘Beef’ cookbook, I must confess I was a bit dubious about it. The combination of pie swimming in soup sounded a bit odd, but I had committed to this Cookbook Challenge and Andrew was getting quite into it, so I thought I […]
Cookbook Challenge – Wales: Drover’s Pie and Plum & Hazelnut Cobbler
I know I this is only my third Cookbook Challenge, but so far it has achieved exactly what I had hoped – taking me away from my comfort zone cookbooks and helping me to discover fantastic new recipes which I’d probably not bother with ordinarily. You might not expect these unsophisticated Welsh dishes to engender […]