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Food/recipes

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:

Report

Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 20:38

Ok done. That's two I don't have so will definitely be a new experience for me.

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Crikeyblimey · 05/04/2013 20:42

Oooh - can I join?

When do we has to "report"?

I have just treated myself to a sparkly new KitchenAid mixer, so any baking needs doing - I'm your gal :)

Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 20:50

Hello crikey you can report any time in april but at a minimum you have to cook two new recipes from smitten kitchen and nigella feast and let us know what you think! Enjoy!

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 05/04/2013 20:52

This thread is going to cost me a fortune - I keep flicking between here and my Amazon account. Kitchen Diaries better be good - its £11 second hand!

Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 20:54

Yes it is expensive isn't it ! I am trying libraries first as a secondary resolution is to support my local library.

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 05/04/2013 21:15

Good idea. My local library is tiny and rarely open but they are great at ordering things in so I'll try them next week. I don't have much bookcase room left to keep buying.

Does anyone subscribe to any food magazines? If so we could do recipes from them too.

Grockle · 05/04/2013 21:23

Good idea, I'm in!

I suggest Yotam Ottolenghi because I won his new book on here

I'm not convinced about Nigella's guinness cake & DS won't eat it

Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 21:33

grockle it's on the list for may! I won't ask for reccs now but in may it would be great if you could let us know which ones are your favourite.

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Grockle · 05/04/2013 21:34

Ooo, good! I read the start of this thread then skimmed so have obviously missed the reading list. I will go back and read properly

Grockle · 05/04/2013 21:36

Also, not a cook book but Tastespotting is a fab site for finding inspiration. Smitten Kitten often linked to on there.

bewareoftheswan · 05/04/2013 21:38

Ooh, great idea, me too please! I love reading Feast, but I've cooked very little from it as I was a veggie when I bought it. So I'll try some meaty recipes. I like the choccie Guinness cake, and also the vodka pasta. Will try and find a copy of the other one.

My suggestion for a future book would be Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. I used to use it all the time, but I haven't cooked from it for ages. It's expensive, so would be happy to post recipes...

Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 21:42

bewareoftheswan do you mean vodka pasta or vodka steak from feast? I have to say that I made the vodka steak once and it was the worst meal I have ever cooked. I kept waiting for the magical alchemy of cooking to manifest itself and it never happened... just tasted like vodka poured liberally over steak. I have always wanted to ask someone who's tried it if it's meant to taste like that, because I ended up chucking both steaks!

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 21:43

Oh presumably you do mean pasta, just seen the veggie bit. Was it good? I am not sure i can face more vodka-infused disappointment...

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 21:44

I will keep a list of future book reccs as want to strike a find balance between giving people time to get the book and allowing a bit of surprise. So keep them coming and I will make a note.

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 05/04/2013 21:45

Yes to World Vegetarian - one of my favourites! What have you made and really liked, Swan? I like the lentils in a grated tomato sauce, the Trinidadian split peas, lots of the dips, the chilli, more that I can't currently remember.

Grockle · 05/04/2013 21:46

Madhur Jaffrey is a great idea too.

I've been quite ill for a long time & no longer cook. I used to love cooking & made everything from scratch. I think this thread might inspire me to actually start cooking again. The vodka pasta thing is a staple in the US so I might try that.

Kneedeepindaisies · 05/04/2013 22:25

The thread's moved on since I was last here earlier. Can I just clarify:

April: smitten kitchen and Feast- 2 from each

May: Jerusalem and The Kitchen Diaries- 2 from each

ScienceRocks · 05/04/2013 22:26

IMHO, nigella has good and bad books. I love How To Eat, Domestic goddess, Feast and Kitchen but Bites, Summer and Express were awful.

Kitchen Diaries 2 is a fab book, well worth the money (again, IMHO).

Madhur Jaffrey is a good call. Not done any ottolenghi stuff, so that will be interesting. May I also request Thomasina Miers one month? My copy of Mexican Food Made Easy is filthy

ScienceRocks · 05/04/2013 22:27

Is the second book for may the first or second kitchen diaries?

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 05/04/2013 22:28

Express has the excellent Blackberry Crisp recipe though.

Kneedeepindaisies · 05/04/2013 22:31

PP who mentioned food magazines. I get Good Food and the Sainsburys magazines a fair bit and they have quite a few recipes online.

ScienceRocks · 05/04/2013 22:36

Express also has the recipes for coleslaw and baked eggs, so it isn't entirely useless, I agree Remus. But so many main dishes were disappointing - steak with white bean mash, and chicken and mango curry spring to mind.

I think I need to get out more.

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 22:49

Recapping

April: feast and smitten kitchen
May: Jerusalem by ottolenghi and the first kitchen diaries book by Nigel (as requested by poster)

Two recipes from each that you haven't cooked before. Try and stay broadly close to the actual recipe (pantah I am looking at you). Tell us what you think! Plus any thoughts more broadly on the book. And any suggestions as to which two to pick from books you already know and love are very welcome.

I will keep a note of all cookery books suggested and will put madhur j down for June (need one more ... Let's go trad for June book 2 and pick one people are likely to have or can get easily). However I'm closing the list after that as want to be three months in advance (long enough to plan, short enough to keep it fun). I will still keep a note of reccs though.

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 05/04/2013 22:54

JUne 2 - Rose Elliot?

Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 22:55

science I agree on bites but like express and summer. The chicken section in summer is lovely I think. And the coq au Riesling in express is so easy and so tasty, sometimes I have as is, sometimes I use it as pie filling... Yum.

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