Cookery bookclub - who is with me?

[Curioustiger]

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?

[kneedeepindaisies]

Finishing April off with sausages in cider and apple gravy from Feast which I definitely recommend, and lazy mash which DH loved and he hates mash

I'm running out of time tonight but I really want to make SK carrot cakes.

[Curioustiger]

kneedeep if you like the cider and sausages etc you might like my incredibly lazy meal which sounds similar... Fry some onions and garlic and add a chopped apple or two (with peel). Add some chicken breast chunks or similar for pork (sausages would work) ... I stick it all in the same pan but if I had a sous chef I would use two! Pour over a couple of sploshes of Pomona apple brandy to deglaze the pan (cider or calvados would also work). Serve with rice. Completely lovely and healthy and SO EASY.

[TheRealFellatio]

Even though it's now May I am still going to cook from Feast, as I have it, and something from the SK blog. I am usually an obsessive buyer of books that I like but that blog is so good it hardly seems worthwhile in this case.

I will try to do both things before Monday then I can start for May. Although I have just ordered Jerusalem and Kitchen Diaries 1 from Amazon but they can sometimes take weeks to reach me, so it looks like I am going to be playing catch-up for a while!

I also ordered the Thomasina Miers book and I already have 30 minute dinners so I will be all set for June. Please try to give us a bit of advance warning for future months though otherwise I will be forever out of the loop.

[Hunn1e]

Just ordered the Nigel Slater and SK (I know it's now May, but I was feeling left out).

I love the Ottolenghi books - I also love his online grocery shop. Date molasses.....mouth watering at the thought!

I made the preserved lemons about 2 months ago so have only just been able to start using them - what a revelation! They are wonderful in all sorts of dishes as well as the recipes that he recommends. I use them a lot with couscous and salads. They work really well with quinoa too.

My favourite recipe from Jerusalem is the Open Kibbeh (page 160) - it's like a cakey Jewish pizza.

Shakshuka (page 66) is a sort of Tunisian version of eggs in purgatory and is great hangover food!

Oh and I can't not mention the roasted potatoes with caramel and prunes (page 86) - sounds odd but it really really works!

Going to have to try one I've not done before for this evening as looking through the book has me salivating!

If you like this book and Ottolenghi's others, you'd probably like Claudia Roden's Arabesque too.

[TheRealFellatio]

Right, this morning I have made the Guiness chocolate cake from Feast. It's not got the cream cheese icing on it yet, but so far it's looking/smelling good, it didn't collapse or fall to pieces and I'm very pleased. I had to turn the oven down towards the end and give it about 15 minutes longer than the book said though, as it was still very wobbly in the centre.

then I made the kidney bean dip with spices and lime, just because I had an opened can of kidney beans knocking around in the fridge, and for dinner I am going to make the red wine braised lentils with bacon, which I am looking forward to enormously.

Still can't decide what to make from the Smitten Kitchen website. Maybe the cauliflower and feta fritters.

[Curioustiger]

hunn1e if you have a sec post your Ottolenghi reccs on the may thread (also on food and recipes) as its really helpful to know which recipes work!

realf don't worry about being out of sync, I still have a few sk ones I want to try. For July we have settled on madhur jaffrey ultimate curry bible and Hugh f-w veg. However in April we decided on a book for June and had to ditch it as so many people found it hard to get hold of. So I would advise just waiting a bit before buying anything to see if it stays on the list, iyswim. You can see all our deliberations as to which books to choose on the may thread as we are picking books three months in advance to give people plenty of notice (so in June we will pick august's books, etc).

[Curioustiger]

realf after making that lentil dish I realised I will never again cook lentils without bacon ... Thumbs up from me!

[TheRealFellatio]

May thread? Oh. Ok.

[kneedeepindaisies]

Thanks for the suggestion tigerlilygrr. I have chicken in the fridge and cider to use so might do that for dinner while I plan from May's books

[Hunn1e]

How do I find the May thread?

[ELR]

Just a quick update just made the ritzy chicken for an early lunch although i added black pepper and smoked paprika to the buttermilk last night before sticking in the fridge. i served them with garlic, lemon & black pepper mayo in wraps with mixed leaves.
Quite nice but I think I prefer my own version which is just fresh breadcrumbs, Parmesan and black pepper. I then oven cook them to make them healthier instead of frying.

[Curioustiger]

Do you just coat your nuggets and stick them on a baking tray then? Would like to know a healthy version as olive them even more than my toddler does?

[ELR]

Hi yes I dip them in seasoned beaten egg first then seasoned fresh bread crumbs sometimes I add chopped fresh herbs and a little grated Parmesan. I then lay them on grease proof paper and if I remember spritz them with a little olive oil but they are fine if you don't.
Bake at 200 gas 6 for 12-15 mins.
In the nigella recipe she leaves them to tenderise in buttermilk then just coats with the ritz crumbs I did this but used a combo of creme fraiche and yogurt.

[Pantah630]

May thread here

[BetsyBell]

I have a Smitten Kitchen Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap tart cooling for a lunch with family later - it looks beautiful and smells gorgeous too. Very easy to make and I reckon will impress anyone. I've also prepped a variation on the nut & herb coated lamb chops - I have some lamb steaks marinading with a pesto of parsley, mint, garlic & almonds, bound together with a little olive oil & white wine vinegar. Lots of other tasty things prepped too but not based on any of the recipe books featured! I prefer to make up my own recipes really .

[Pantah630]

The tart sounds delicious betsy let us know how it tastes later. In fact your lunch sounds lovely, room for anymore?

I've chopped up some pork tenderloin and have marinating in my own version of souvlaki in the fridge to go with leftover mejadra later.

[BetsyBell]

The tart was FABULOUS Pahtah, really no one could get enough and it wasn't too sweet or heavy. Thoroughly recommend. I served it with a little double cream and alongside a big dish of berries and melon people could pick at.

The whole lunch was delightful, not least because we could eat in the garden :D

[Pantah630]

It's no-bake May here, this will be on the list to try in June. Glad your lunch went well :)

[Nolda]

I know it's really late but I've only just got round to doing my Smitten recipe. I made the Buttered Popcorn Cookies and they are yummy. My DC loved them too .

[Pantah630]

Will keep that one in mind for June as well nolda

[MyLifeIsStillChaotic]

Hello :)

I have been lurking as I had been wanting to buy Jerusalem for ages and this thread was the encouragement I needed to get it. I made the mejadra last night which was tasty, but not sure I'd be in a real hurry to make it again. I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon and I felt it overpowered the dish slightly. I have also just made the shakshuka and had it for lunch (I've made before but not this recipe) and it was lovely - a real comfort food dish and since I am full of cold, it was just what I needed. I have to say though I didn't have any harissa so I just added a chopped chilli.

I'd love to be able to join the bookclub thread properly but I can't afford to buy lots of recipe books and the libraries in my area are pretty lacking in recipe books so I won't be able to source many of them. But if I can get hold of the book you're doing, I join in if that's ok?

[Cantdothisagain]

Tried the ratatouille sub (yummy) and the plum muffins from Smitten. Both good - second day of plum muffins and they are still good. Best success though has been the choc chip brioche pretzels. Absolutely amazing - easy and impressive. Off to check out the May thread now!

[Pantah630]

Will have a look at those cant pretzels sound very interesting. See you and mylife on the other thread, lots of the books can be viewed from google books therefore cutting out the buying of new books :)