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Original poster

Cookery bookclub - who is with me?

448 replies

Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 10:19

I love cookbooks and have picked up a ton of recommendations since joining mumsnet. I am keen to set up a cookery book club - anyone else interested? I propose:

  • we select one book each month
  • we go away, try out the recipes and generally revel in the deliciousness
  • we chat about it

We could alternate between books people are likely to have eg Nigella, Jamie, Delia and something a bit more unusual. If we have a rolling three month list, that gives people time to borrow / buy books they don't have (from the library for example).

What to you think?

OP posts:
XBenedict · 17/04/2013 21:02

Are you cooking from just Feast this week or any Nigella?

Original poster
Curioustiger · 17/04/2013 21:46

greensnaill I am pretty sure it will be fine in a tin as I've left it in my office kitchen overnight before. Freezers are the bane of my life, mine is so frosted up I broke a drawer trying to ram it in...

xbenedict just feast. Although there is a fair bit of repetition between feast and her other books.

OP posts:
Original poster
Curioustiger · 17/04/2013 21:48

By the way after the crushing disappointment that was the lamb shanks last night I made the choc muffins in the kiddie section of feast which were nice. I made them with my toddler so didn't really give the recipe a fair trial, but they tasted good, and were very easy.

OP posts:
Original poster
Curioustiger · 17/04/2013 21:54

One final thing - earlier in the thread I got my months muddled up. Just to recap -
April: feast, smitten kitchen
may: Jerusalem by ottolenghi, kitchen diaries by Nigel slater
June: Mexican food made easy (thomasina miers), 30 minute meals by Jamie

So sorry if I confused anyone! In may, we can pick books for July, so we have a rolling list and a bit of room for spontaneity.

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greensnail · 17/04/2013 22:05

tigerlilygrr I did the same thing with my freezer drawer a couple of weeks ago. At least I've now been forced to defrost it and seem to have about 3 times as much room as before. I recommend it!

I hadn't noticed the chocolate muffin recipe, my dds would like to try that I'm sure.

XBenedict · 18/04/2013 11:13

I don't have Feast but luckily my lovely friend does and she's just brought it over for me so I'll get cooking. Do we choose anything, cook it and report back?

Original poster
Curioustiger · 18/04/2013 11:16

Yep anything as long as you haven't cooked it before. The minimum is to do two recipes but if course you can do more. I stuck quite closely to the recipe for my main two but went off piste a bit for later recipes!

OP posts:
XBenedict · 18/04/2013 11:54

Ok I'll have a browse and pick a couple Smile

kneedeepindaisies · 18/04/2013 14:57

I can't stop eating my Guinness cake. Don't get me wrong it looks awful but tastes soooo good.

XBenedict · 18/04/2013 16:17

Right I am going to make roast loin of pork with caraway, lemon and garlic tonight. Will report back later Smile

Original poster
Curioustiger · 18/04/2013 16:37

Ooh don't think I've made that one (my DH is not keen on

OP posts:
Original poster
Curioustiger · 18/04/2013 16:38

Pork! Posted too soon). Let me know how you get on as I am trying to convert him after the success of crispy pork chops.

OP posts:
ScienceRocks · 18/04/2013 16:42

Are recipes from Jerusalem available online somewhere? Tried t get it out of the library today and it isn't even listed. Don't really want to buy it sight unseen...

Soupqueen · 18/04/2013 16:48

Ooh, can I join in? I've just moved house and, despite taking about 50 cookery books to the charity shop, I still have far too many Blush

I have Feast, Kitchen Diaries, 30 Minute Meals and Jerusalem so off to a good start.

The only things I've made so far from Feast are the chocolate and banana muffins (lovely) and the roast lamb for one. I'm veggie but make it for DH, it's one of his favourite dishes and really easy to scale up for 2 people for those who were looking for something that doesn't feed the five thousand!

I might struggle to make 2 from each this month, with coming to it late and half of my kitchen still being in boxes but I will give it a good shot!

poppy77 · 18/04/2013 18:05

ScienceRocks - there are Ottolenghi recipes in the Guardian each Saturday I think, might be worth having a look at those?

I made the Malteser cake today - it is certainly a crowd-pleaser. The cakes were fine, but I wasn't entirely convinced by the icing - I made it in the food processor as she suggests, but it seemed at bit grainy (and I think it looks a bit grainy in the picture too). Does anyone else make it by hand? She says using a food processor is easier than sieving, but personally I find it way more effort anyway.

I am going to make a real effort with savoury dishes next week as that is my definite weak point. So I'd be grateful for any veggie recommendations that will convince reasonably fussy children - I figure I'm safe with the pizza from the Smitten book, but I'm a little stuck after that.

karmakameleon · 18/04/2013 23:01

Hello all, thought I'd quickly check in before bed. Really looking forward to some of the future choices, especially Tomasina Miers. Love Wahaca and have both her books but have never cooked anything out of either of them so will be interesting for me.

Made the chocolate Guinness cake tonight and not quite sure if its the best chocolate cake ever or a total disaster! On the plus side, it's very easy method and readily available ingredients.

However, on the downside, the cake didn't just sink but actually has a crater in the middle of it! The icing was a total disaster. I made it in the food processer as suggested in the recipe and it became a thin, runny liquid. Will do it by hand if I ever make it again. But although my cake looks a mess, it does taste fantastic!

Tomorrow we are having the veggie chilli from Feast so will report back on that tomorrow night.

Original poster
Curioustiger · 19/04/2013 03:14

Hi karma, I remember the icing from the cake as being a bit dodge too. I have started making it with just icing sugar and cream cheese, and only adding the cream to thin it down if necessary. It puzzled me how she gets the foam like effect shown in the picture with the ingredients listed tbh. Can't help you with the crater though!

Hello soupqueen come on in! I seriously have to reorganise my kitchen too although at least you have the excuse of a recent house move.

poppy I am looking for an excuse to make the Malteser cake now but think it may have to wait for a birthday party by the sounds of it.

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karmakameleon · 19/04/2013 22:02

With the malteser cake, is the quantity of butter correct? I've always fancied it but the recipe just looks wrong.

We had the veggie chilli for dinner tonight and it was fab. Nice change from the meat version I usually make and a definite to have again.

greensnail · 19/04/2013 23:36

I've made the Malteser cake lots of times and don't think I've ever altered the amount of butter. It comes out great, I love that cake!

Guinness cake still going down a storm here. I made the icing in the food processor too and it did go runny at first but I took the whole funnel bit out of the lid to let more air in and gave it a long blitz and it thickened up nicely. I think my icing looks pretty similar to Nigella's but next time I will try with the whisk attachment on the processor to try to get it even fluffier.

I made the Ritzy nuggets for tea this evening and they were a success with everyone except the chicken nugget loving 4 year old. She only ate her carrots though so suspect she wasn't really hungry anyway, probably due to too much Guinness cake!

Just had an email from the library to say my reservation for kitchen diaries has arrived so looking forward to picking it up this weekend but will have to resist cooking from it until next month!

ScienceRocks · 21/04/2013 10:39

Made the smitten kitten blueberry yogurt pancakes this morning. Recipe here

Really good.

greensnail · 21/04/2013 21:13

We had pizza for tea made with smitten kitchen pizza dough. Was lovely and very simple to make.

Just finished the Guinness cake but dd1 has requested we make another one for her grandparents visiting next week. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in making the lemon bars first as I really want to try them.

Original poster
Curioustiger · 21/04/2013 21:35

I made the beesting cake which was the latest recipe from the SK blog yesterday. I am a reasonably good cake maker (no Mary berry, but competent) and I found it quite difficult. First you make a yeasted base, then a crunchy honey almond topping, then a creme patissiere style filling. The topping and the creme pat were beyond gorgeous - I literally had to force myself to stop eating them out of the pan! But the yeasted base (which required two rises) didn't rise properly and was a bit chewy. I am going to try again though as it felt like I'd almost made a fantastic and quite showy cake, if you know what I mean!

So anyway even though it's not technically in the sk book I'm telling you all in the hope that someone will pick up the gauntlet and give it a go and tell me where I'm going wrong with the base!

OP posts:
cakeandcava · 22/04/2013 10:12

Hi, can I join? It's probably a bit late for April, but will try to cook something from the Smitten Kitchen blog this week, and then get properly stuck in in May. I've been eyeing up Jerusalem for weeks, so this is a great excuse!

Original poster
Curioustiger · 22/04/2013 10:20

Pleasure to have you in the club cakeandcava

OP posts:
pregnantpause · 22/04/2013 20:08

Probably too easy and obvious for most, but we had nigellas creamed chicken tonight with pasta and it was delicious. The DC especially loved it (although as it's in kiddiefeast I would expect them too) I did add onion and sweetcorn as I am somewhat obsessed with getting at least some veg in, but I think it added to the meal tbh.
I still haven't received sk so am going to go out of April with a bang (not literally I hope) and cook a recipe from feast everyday that's leftGrin
Tomorrow I will be attempting the damp apple and almond cake and chicken murgaharli(sp) with the panneer peas and some cardamom rice.
Wednesday I am going for the lamb meatballs with veg stew and cous cous.
Thursday will be yellow pea and frankfurter thing.
Friday will be the much recommended sake steak.
Saturday I am making the simnel cake, and because it's the recipe that nigella herself recommended, the custard cream hearts. If I get that far I will be proud of myself and less annoyed with the non arrival of skSmile