River Cafe Cook Books

[Demented]

Just wondered if anyone had any of these. They are on special offer just now with The Book People, Book 1, 2 and Green for £20 and the River Cafe Easy Book for £9.99. I've had a look at the Easy book in the shops and it looks pretty good but I don't know whether to have a splurge on all the books. Anyone tried them?

Also Passione by Antonio Carlucio (I think that's right). I had a look at this in the shops but wondered if it was a bit faffy for someone with small kids. Any opinions very welcome.

I have all the river cafe books, I love them, but it depends if you like their sort of food and what kind of a cook you are. If you are a reasonable good cook they are OK, but they are complicated (except Easy) and full of quite awkward ingreadents. However I do use some occassionally, but you are talking to a cookbook queen, I adore Nigella, love Nigel Slater, haven't got any Jamie, but have flikcked through and like the idea, however the one I use most of all is still good old Delia!!

Thanks Crunchie, I think I am fairly competent but don't like the sound of awkward ingredients so that puts me off a bit. Thinking of trying Nigel Slater (after all the good reviews recently on Mumsnet) but I just don't like paying full price for cookbooks (can't see any of his on The Book People), love Nigella, I've got all of Jamie's books, I really like his style but don't use his books as much as Nigella's. I just can't take to Delia, too precise for my liking. Love cookbooks.

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Nigel books are Great and so easy to follow. Just good simple food. We have Appetite & Real food. My husband is a mad cookbook fan & cook. I am lucky as he does mostly all the cooking.He buys a lot of his books from Taste online. We also have the River cafe books and as yet I dont think we have attempted anything in them. Although I did try the chocolate sorbet,YUM YUM, I saw on the programme , but couldnt find it in the books.

Beginning to sound like a no-no then, glad I asked. Is the Easy book any easier ingredient wise? I think I may break a habit of a lifetime and buy a Nigel Slater from W H Smith.

melsy, I've just noticed you mention Taste On-line, is that a book club? Do you have a commitment with them?

Another vote N. Slater. I think he writes really well & his recipies are quite hard to get wrong. I've to the River Cafe Easy book & have made a few things from it - the ingredients aren't too outlandish & I got most of them in our local Sainsbury's.

Just done a search on Taste On-line, know who they are now, they usually have a leaflet in the Good Food magazine, I have been wary about ordering because I have joined similar clubs (music clubs) in the past and although the introductory offer is good you end up paying through the nose for CDs to meet your commitment. I notice they say that you don't have to buy any book full price, just wondered how they compared price wise to the likes of W H Smith, Tesco, Asda etc? It's annoying that they will only let you see the introductory offer and nothing else.

I have them all and I love them. I think you jsut need to be a bit clever at times with substituting some of the ingresients. The lemon tart recipie is the best one ever IMO. Easy to make and tastes divine - anyone who comes for dinner expects to have this and moans if I've done something different!

If you are unsure start with the Easy one. If you like it you can always ask for book1 and 2 as pressies some other time!

I have finally got round to ordering Book 1, 2 and Green, glad I held off as the new offer with The Book People is £15 for the three, in their January sale. Figured if I didn't like them I would sell them on on E-bay, I don't think you can lose out at that price. Will update when I receive them and cook something from them.

I did recently buy a couple of Ainsley Harriot's books and was very impressed, have cooked a couple of things from them, everything is nice and quick, I am planning a menu from his book for some dinner guests tomorrow night so fingers crossed.

I've just re-read this thread and have to ask myself, why did I order these books, I had decided no, I think I just can't resist a bargain. The books have arrived and they are lovely cook books but I just can't see me cooking much, if anything, from them. Here you go kids here's your Pizza with robiola, white truffle and rocket, tomorrow night it's fresh tagliatelle with nettles followed by baked nespole !

I have spoken to the Book People and they tell me I can return the books however they will not collect them and the postage will cost around half of what the books did. So it looks like they will be making an appearance on e-Bay (probably have a higher chance of regaining my money that way).

On a more positive note I have also purchased Moro by Sam & Sam Clark and it looks like a lovely book that I will use.

I feel a bit stooopid actually, what's new?

Hi Demented. I have Passione but haven't cooked an awful lot from it (but more than from The River Cafe first book - the only one I have). I don't think Passione is a great Italian cook book if you are looking for things that are easy and simple and that you can happily cook thngs from while looking after small children. It is however quite good for dinner party stuff. I have done a lot from Moro and would especially recommend the bread /dips/ mezze recipes and the chocolate apricot tart.

I though Passione, looked really nice in my local book shop but perhaps a bit faffy, I hadn't seen any of these River Cafe books in the flesh and was taking a bit of a gamble. I do fancy the lemon tart that jmg was talking about though, it looks really nice and reasonably easy, perhaps a bit of a change for me desertwise so I may give that a go on some guinea pigs!

I am undecided about what to do about the books just now, if I wasn't trying to lose some weight I would probably take them to my bed at night and read them, but that all seems too dangerous!

However, Demented, Ruthie and Rosie look like they never eat anything they make anyway, I've never seen two such scrawny chefs, so maybe you could pig out on their recipes and not put on weight.