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?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Grapefruit cake sounds good.

[ScienceRocks]

Remus, there is a recipe in kitchen diaries I make almost weekly , but it is close to the back of the book so maybe you haven't got to it? It's chicken and fennel in a spiced creamy sauce, and I adore it with brown rice. Not a tomato in sight! Maybe worth a go? Or did you say that you are veggie?

Some of his baking is fabulous. Kitchen diaries 2 has a wonderful apricot crumble cake in it, for example.

I admit that i have a soft spot for nigel based on real fast food, a book I used a lot when I was younger. He has also tweeted me a few times, which means that we are friends, no?!

[Kneedeepindaisies]

Is it ok if I do 1 book recipe and 1 blog recipe from Smitten Kitchen?

[Curioustiger]

kneedeep ... Of course!

Here's my school report for smitten kitchen. I made the raspberry ricotta wholewheat scones first. I followed the recipe very closely but haven't made scones before. Tbh I was very disappointed, the mix was very wet and the scones didn't rise as I had expected, so they came out like thick cookies. As there wasn't a pronounced raspberry taste this was doubly disappointing because I would have split them and had them with jam if they were thicker. Annoyingly they smelt amazing so I felt cheated!

Then I made the grapefruit and olive oil pound cake. I thought this was a good cake and I would probably make it again. Note to self: if a recipe says pierce with a toothpick and soak with syrup, it is inadvisable to poke whopping holes with a kitchen skewer and mar the appearance of the cake! But I can't blame the author for that.

Having also made the whole lemon bars previously, which were fantastic, I'm cautiously optimistic for the rest of the book but really interested to see what everyone else thinks.

[Curioustiger]

remus you asked for veg reccs from smitten kitchen... I haven't cooked them myself but here is the veg section from the book. If any of them appeal but you can't find them let me know and I will pm you the recipe.
-gnocchi in tomato broth

• Alfredo pasta with sweet peas
  
• linguine with cauliflower pesto
  
• giant pasta shells with artichoke and ricotta
  
• leek fritters with garlic and lemon
  
• sweet potato blinis
  
• Mexican stuffed peppers
  
• slow cooked bean ragout
  
• roasted tomatoes and baby onions with white beans
  
• spaghetti squash and black bean tacos with feta
  
• roasted aubergines with yoghurt- tahini sauce and cumin chickpeas
  
• wild rice gratin with kale and caramelised onions
  
• mushroom bourguignon
  

I know you are not fond of toms etc but others are so this might help them. There's a salad section too...

[ScienceRocks]

Interesting about the scones, tigerlily. I wonder if they are supposed to be flat, American breakfast scones, rather than the fluffy English ones some of us are more used to?

Good to hear that the grapefruit cake was good though.

I have earmarked the tacos to make later this week, plus the kedgeree risotto from feast. Exciting!

[Curioustiger]

science I bet that's it because they were in the breakfast section. I haven't seem breakfast scones like that before. So maybe the problem is my expectation. Tbh though I still wouldn't recommend them as I don't think they're strongly flavoured enough to hold their own without a spread of some kind

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks Science, but you're right - am veggie, so the chicken recipe is no good for me. I'll probably just do a salad and a curry when we are on Kitchen Diaries.

DairyMoo - Wild rice, caramelised onion & kale gratin sounds nice. I don't think I've ever had kale.

Tiger -

• leek fritters with garlic and lemon
  
• sweet potato blinis
  

both sound like something my dds would eat. I'll have a hunt for them and then let you know if I need you to do any typing. Thank you.

[ChocsandChipsandSealingWax]

Ooh tiger I would love the mushroom bourgignon recipe if it's not on the blog too - DH is veggie and adores mushrooms so that would be perfect to be one of my SK ones!

[Curioustiger]

Here you go chocs it's on the blog
mushroom bourguignon

Job done!

[Grockle]

I am going to make that mushroom bourgignon, thank you

[Curioustiger]

I detest mushrooms you know. Absolutely cannot stand them in any form. But I hope you enjoy it you weirdos

[Pantah630]

We have just dined on Chicken with Olives and Grapes with Broccoli Slaw from Smitten Kitchen. I'm unable to stick precisely to recipes so managed to add more grapes than necessary to the first, I stand by that decision, it was very nice indeed. All clean plates here, except DS1's olives.
I didn't have any buttermilk so added lemon juice to milk as substitute and upped the mayonnaise content. It's very different but I liked it, I wouldn't go overboard with praise as she does in the book but again all plates cleared. I think it would be better added to a BBQ buffet or some grilled fish as the sauces of both joined together on my plate but that was my mistake putting them together, not the books.
In conclusion, I would make the chicken again for tea, served with steamed veg and wedges or rice/orzo. The Slaw I'll try again with buttermilk next time but probably not until the summer.

I need to pick my Feast dishes now :)

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I made the grapefruit cake today and it has nearly all gone.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I have a fabulous Mushroom Goulash recipe if anyone would like it? From a Hungarian cookbook my Hungarian relatives gave me.

[Curioustiger]

Glad to hear it mrs s - surprisingly more ish! But a firm no thank you to mushroom goulash pantah I am definitely making the chicken now, it sounds delicious. I have a whole chicken in the fridge so I might force myself to learn how to cut it up properly.

[ScienceRocks]

I made the smitten kitten crispy black bean tacos this evening. Recipe ((smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/02/crispy-black-bean-tacos-with-feta-and-slaw/ here))

It was nice. I used Chinese leaf and carrot instead of cabbage and onion for the slaw, and ran out of Cheshire cheese (used instead of feta) so used some natural yogurt too. My Wahaca habanero sauce added a bit of kick

[Grockle]

I'm going to make Smitten Kitchen's caramel cake, I think. Do I have to follow the recipe exactly as it is or can I adapt it? I want to put caramel in between 2 layers rather than on top.

[Curioustiger]

grockle adapt away - as long as its recognisably the same recipe that will be fine (ie sage for rosemary, fine, fish instead of meat, not really the same recipe). The only reason I even specify the latter is because, for me at least, this is partly about getting out of a rut with cookery and I think following the recipe is a way to do that. But do let us know about your adaptation! I am generally a bit scared of caramel so tips appreciated.

[poppy77]

I hope no one minds me joining in - my two recipe books arrived today (any excuse to buy more books).

I'm going to attempt a recipe from one of the books this afternoon, although I don't yet know which, and it will have to be something I can cook with what we've got, because I have two vomity children and one new puppy who can't be left. So possibly nothing too complicated!

[Curioustiger]

Hi poppy! Let us know how you get on!

[Curioustiger]

Just to let you all know I tried the coffee toffee from sk last night. It was a disaster but I think probably my fault. The recipe required me to put butter, sugar, espresso powder etc into a pan and heat. I am so lazy with butter that I just put the whole pack in (should have cubed it). This then took ages to melt, but the rest of the ingredients melted really quickly. So then by the time the butter had melted everything else was much too hot (the recipe is very precise about temps). Then you are meant to add choc drops to the top and smear them over the toffee to form what looks in the picture like two layers. But when I did that it just puddled in with the toffee so all became one layer. I then stuck it in the freezer to make it hard as suggested, and when I took it out some of the butter had just frozen pretty much as is (so was like lard), and the rest was just a mess. I am annoyed as the flavour of the middle bits was actually very nice and different ... A strong coffee taste which would have been great for after dinner coffees. So hopefully I will get a chance to try again and not cock it up. Grr.

[pregnantpause]

I know I'm late, but I have to join! I'm nearly out of excuses to buy more cookbooks, and like a guardian angel MN provided for me a perfect one!

I'm ordering feast now and will pop by sk blog for a bit of inspiration now

Can't wait til next month, I love.kitchen diaries,. I will report back

[karmakameleon]

Another latecomer here! By happy coincidence my copy of smitten kitchen arrived on Friday and I've spent every spare minute of the weekend flicking through and deciding what to make. I made the lemon bars last night and they are gorgeous and very easy. Took about an hour including baking time and all the ingredients are in the store cupboard. DH has requested the cinnamon squares next!

On the savoury side, I have my eyes on the meatloaf. Maybe one to do at the weekend. I'm also quite keen on the breakfast and brunch recipes so might give those a go too.

Remus another veggie option from the book is the pancetta, bean and chard pot pies (leaving out the pancetta obviously) and I think that one is on the blog too.

I have Feast too, but as much as I love to read it, I only really seem to use it a Christmas time or for the odd cake. I love the lemon meringue cake and the quadruple chocolate loaf cake. Any suggestions for savoury recipes that aren't meant to feed the five thousand as its only DH and me (nine month DS doesn't eat enough to count)?

[pregnantpause]

As I don't have the book and the recipes mentioned that I fancy aren't in the blog, I'm going to do a blog recipe tonight and hope my library has smitten kitchen in tomorrow
I'm doing the mushroom marsala, (as I have hthe ingredients in house)
I'm not a born cook tbh - I do well with a recipe but it doesn't come naturally. Here's hoping this will be delicious.