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Cookery bookclub - May - Jerusalem by Ottolenghi and Kitchen Diaries I by Nigel Slater

521 replies

Curioustiger · 25/04/2013 10:40

Come join the Mumsnet cookery bookclub! Each month we choose two cookery books - one popular, like Nigella / Jamie / Delia, so you probably already have it / can borrow it and one a bit more unusual. We cook a minimum of two recipes each - you choose the recipe, they just have to be ones you have never cooked before- which works out at four new recipes each month.Then we chat about them!

To see our April thread about Feast by Nigella and the Smitten Kitchen blog / cookbook, click here ... This thread is still live as we're quite taken with these books and are keeping on going!

For May, our books are:

  • Jerusalem by Ottolenghi
  • Kitchen Diaries
and we'll post on this thread.

For June our books will be

  • Mexican Food Made Easy by Thomasina Miers
  • Thirty Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver

We will always try to pick at least one book with recipes available on the Internet, and local libraries are great for cookbooks if you can order in advance, so don't be put off if your cookbook collection isn't threatening the foundations of your house extensive.

We have veggies, low carbers and 5:2ers on the thread so this is very diet compatible! Although I refuse to take any responsibility for cake-induced weight gain (even my own).

OP posts:
greensnail · 20/05/2013 20:37

I picked up the two June books from the library today and have had a quick flick through the Thomasina Miers one. It looks delicious, I can't wait to get stuck in.

Still planning to do the turkey burgers next but haven't had chance yet.

Am having a bit of a panic over dd2's birthday cake at the moment. I don't suppose anyone on the thread has the Australian Women's weekly children's cake book? I have it on my kindle and am meant to be doing the fifi the poodle cake but I can't get the templates for the cake to download. If anyone has a copy they could scan and email to me I'd be so grateful. I've emailed the publisher but they haven't got back to me and I'm running out of time for her party on Sunday!

greensnail · 20/05/2013 20:39

Oh and kneedeep, I'm always disappointed if I borrow a cookery book and its not covered in random splashes, so I wouldn't worry too much!

Pantah630 · 21/05/2013 13:38

A few of you were raving about Dan Lepards Short and Sweet book a few pages back and Aprils thread. On another thread earlier there was a link to a KindleFire sale today with recipe books this is there and the Hummingbird Bakery book and a few others if anyone is interested. I don't have a kindle fire but have a kindle ap on my iPad, it works fine.

That's all folks, back to the thread. I'm going to try the Swiss chard with tahini later as a side with some salmon and couscous, although it will be spring greens instead of chard and not over a kilo of it :)

Hunn1e · 21/05/2013 14:02

I've had a bit of a techno meltdown with no broadband for the past week or so - getting withdrawal symptoms from this thread! It's taken me all morning to read through what I've missed!

I've been using my preserved lemons (Jerusalem) with gusto in the last week as they'd finally matured enough for use - had them in salads and couscous and anything else I could think of. I'm going to try preserved clementines next!

I've discovered a new cookery book this month which I'd like to put forward as one of the lesser known books for future months - it's called The Ultimate Nepalese Cookbook by Pemba Lama - he was a Gurkha chef and I think he featured on the Jamie Oliver School Dinners series. I bought this as an electronic book and there are even "cook along with Pemba" videos embedded to show how to do a few of the recipes. Everything I've tried so far has worked out really well and it's something a little different!

ELR · 21/05/2013 14:18

Thanks pantah I have just ordered that on my kindle as my brother has my hard copy and refuses to give it back!

snoworneahva · 21/05/2013 14:55

ELR I couldn't get Turkey thigh - just the breast. Dh liked the burgers though, he gave them a 8.5 out of 10. I just couldn't get too excited, they scored a 7 from me. Smile

KneeDeepInDaisies · 21/05/2013 15:01

Thanks Greensnail. I think they'll be a few more splashes on it by the time it goes back.

Thanks for the link Pantah. I'm off to have a look. I've only got an old Kindle which isn't great for cookery books but have the app on my IPhone so will try it out.

KneeDeepInDaisies · 21/05/2013 15:02

Snow, how many burgers did you get out of that recipe? I only managed 8!

snoworneahva · 21/05/2013 16:31

I think I got around 12 burgers from one recipe - of varying sizes as ds was "helping". I doubled up though as they will make a great addition to the packed lunch box.

Other things we've tried with great success from Jerusalem lamb Shawarma, stuffed aubergine with lamb and lamb stuffed quince - we used peppers as we didn't have access to quince.

I'm making the Shawarma again tomorrow with the roast butternut squash, red onion, tahini and za'atar.

glorious · 21/05/2013 18:47

Ooh thanks pantah I've ordered it. I have his bread book which is great.

FreeButtonBee · 21/05/2013 19:26

Have made the pork and lemon meatballs - just waiting for mt DTs to go to sleep so I can cook 'em! Fingers crossed they taste as good as they look. V easy to make. Which is top for me at the mo'.

karmakameleon · 21/05/2013 20:14

Well I've just made the turkey and courgettes burgers and the spicy carrot salad from Jerusalem. I found the burgers quite disappointing. They were just quite bland so they won't be on the menu again. The salad on the other hand was great, really tasty with spicy strong flavours.

I think I'll try the tahini cookies later this evening assuming DS decides that he might go to sleep soon. So looking unlikely.

FreeButtonBee · 21/05/2013 20:22

Omg the pork and lemon polpettineare yummy! Wasn't sure about the pasta and the reduction but its absolutely awesome. My lemon zest is a bit coarse though. An excuse tobuy a new zester or another microplane grater! And I think it,d be even nicer if you made mini weeny meatballs out of the mince mixture - easier to eat with pasta. Defo making again.

PartTimeDomesticGoddess · 21/05/2013 22:03

Hello!

Am excited to finally report in with my first recipe from Jerusalem cooked - the barley risotto with marinated feta. Both really enjoyed it, although I don't think the portion was huge (and not a Nigella size portion of risotto IFYSWIM). Would also probably not use quite as much olive oil next time either. I enjoyed the barley as a change, but DH pointed out that it would work just as well with arborio rice, would just need to adjust the cooking time. I think Jerusalem is a beautiful book, with loads I would love to eat in it, but finding things I can cook for me and DH, who doesn't eat meat and doesn't like aubergines, peppers or butternut squash is more of a challenge! Am planning to try the pasta with yoghurt, peas and chilli in the next week and will also try the galettes, but not until the 2nd of June when I have visitors for lunch (think other parts of the lunch may well be Jerusalem recipes too)
I am also really liking the KD (have hardly ever watched him and don't have any other of his books), but, as others have said, am enjoying it more to read than to actually cook from. DH's limitations are not making it easy to find things to make from there either, but am planning the lemon and basil linguine tomorrow night after the recommendation up thread. Will try and find another one to try, but probably not the brownies as I am already very happy with my brownie recipe.
Will report back soon Smile

Hunn1e · 22/05/2013 07:06

Parttime if your DH won't eat meat, try using haloumi chunks, grilled, wherever a recipe says bacon or lardons.....gives pretty much the same flavour without the pig's involvement!

glorious · 22/05/2013 09:53

That Dan Lepard book is great, thanks pantah . Extra points for containing a swede recipe (scourge of our veg box - I do like it but over the winter we get a lot!)

pregnantpause · 22/05/2013 19:28

I made pearl barley risotto with marinated feta today, from Jerusalem. It was very nice, my dd 1 in particular loved it, as did dh. It was hearty, and very tomatoey. I can't say what it lacked for me, but it lacked something to balance the sharpness of the tomato, which the feta, whilst lovely, didn't quite manage. Dh would give it an 8/10, me 7.

I think when I make it again, I will omit the pasata and up the stock, to mellow the tomato flavour.

snoworneahva · 22/05/2013 20:48

Made the lamb Shawarma again but this time served with butternut squash, tahini and red onion, and a tomato and cumcumber salad, loved it - very comforting...well flavoured, lots of colour too, will make the butternut squash recipe again - the Shawarma is already a family favourite!

NothingTraLaLa · 22/05/2013 20:53

Hello! I've been lurking on this thread as I have stacks of cookery books but find it hard to gear myself up to cook from them. This has given me the kick and focus I needed and I can finally contribute.

DH cooked the chicken in tarragon from KD. I really enjoyed it and would happily eat it again though it always takes me blooming ages to eat thighs. Had it with rice and green beans.

To continue the fat-laden theme, I made the lemon and asparagus risotto, also from KD. Verdict: far too lemony, but substantial and very filling as it makes heaps. I didn't have enough asparagus (recipe calls for 400g for 2 people and I only had 150g) so it may be that more asparagus would have tempered the lemon.

I haven't got Jerusalem (yet), but have found a couple of recipes online that I'd like to try before the month's out. I'm going to give the codcakes in spicy tomato sauce a go or perhaps the lamb shawarma.

Pantah630 · 22/05/2013 22:35

Try the shwarma nothing you won't regret it :)

We had the turkey and courgette burgers tonight, they were quite tasty but despite being quite a wet mix, were quite dry when cooked. I think they'd have been better just cooked on the hob or in the oven, not both as in the recipe. The sumac sauce lacked something so I added chopped cucumber in a variation of tzatziki, I'm sure my sumac must be off, it doesn't appear to taste of anything. I served it with steamed carrot and broccoli with mixed seeds an garlic oil and some little rostis. DS loved it, I wasn't wowed, DH's is languishing in the microwave to heat up when he's home.

Last night we had the Chard with tahini, but with spring greens instead. I love greens, if only allowed to eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be greens and gravy. This was nice, is make it again but not often. It would go well with the shwarma I think.

greensnail · 22/05/2013 22:58

We had turkey and courgette burgers tonight too, ours were quite moist and I found the method of starting them off on the hob and then finishing in the oven was great for getting them just cooked through without drying out.

I agree with others who have said the burgers were slightly bland on their own, however I thought they were really great with the sumac sauce. Dh really loved the burgers but found the sumac sauce a bit too overpowering so I think I'll make him a separate batch with less sumac next time! The girls really enjoyed helping make them and seemed to enjoy them, so generally a thumbs up from us.

snoworneahva · 22/05/2013 23:28

I found the sumac sauce which accompanied the turkey burgers improved after a couple of days in the fridge.

ScienceRocks · 22/05/2013 23:58

Made the KD benchmark bolognaise tonight. It was good (and NS replied to my tweet about it!).

glorious · 23/05/2013 11:41

ooh science how exciting!

akarucker · 23/05/2013 12:10

Just bought a leg of lamb for the shawarma this weekend. Will have it on pita, but just wondering what some other good accompaniments were that some of you had with it?

Also, I don't have a spice grinder, so I was wondering if anyone knew how to convert quantities from whole spices to ground spices. Last time I did it (to make a baharat mix) I think I went way off. They shouldn't be used in the same quantities. Don't want to mess up the mix for the shawarma.