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

[Curioustiger]

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).

Just checking in as I've managed to finally get round to cooking the "Chicken with caramelised onion and cardamon rice" from Jerusalem.

First served it on Saturday night but forgot herbs, but there was so much of it, I cooled it quickly and reserved it tonight but with herbs and yoghurt.

WOW!! What a difference a large handful of herbs make!!

It was delicious :)

I'm still dithering about my final KD recipe - the pork and lemon polpettines are off the list as I've realised I've already made them, although probably without the anchovies. So I'll do them again one day properly, but not this month. I've also book marked the bolognaise for the future, after the rave reviews from you lot. Actually I have a question on that one - I tend to batch book bolognaise to fill the freezer with useful stuff, will it freeze with the milk in?

I've narrowed my choice down to a cake, for some half term baking with the girls. Probably the brownies, but the easy pear and blueberry cake in May is also v tempting.

Those spice cookies sound amazing, maya gold is my favourite chocolate bar in the whole world, so I must try them. Still waiting for Jerusalem from the library, so I'll hunt online for them

Happy holidays Tiger and ELR

Sneaking in at the last minute I made the lamb shawarma last night and it was gorgeous.

Zuleika I've always frozen the sauce after adding the milk, and it seems to thaw/reheat OK. Never had any probs, anyway.

That easy pear/blueberry cake is great too - was just talking to my little brother last night, and he and his girlfriend make it every couple of weeks, varying the 'fruit' content each time: their favourite so far is raspberry and white chocolate.

Meant to say last week, ELR you rustled up fish cakes for a big family meal just hours before going on holiday?!

My copy of Jerusalem is due back to the library today. It's such a wonderful book, that I'm going to have to buy it. And I'm converted to KD, too. Great! Is this going to happen every month? I fall in love with two new cookbooks and spend a fortune adding to my bulging collection!

What a fun month that was. So glad I was referred over here. Thanks.

Have just made the chocolate krantz cake from Jerusalem. It's to die for, really, really nice.

Thanks for the tip Maniacbug, I'll give its try

I made NSs chocolate brownies yesterday and I was a bit disappointed, they taste great but are a bit dry compared to my usual recipe. However that does have raspberries, so maybe adding some to Nige's recipe would up the stickiness

And so that's me done for May (but not done with either books, several recipes are still bookmarked). I'll head over to the June thread, see you there

right before the month is over, I will add the recipes I have done this last week.

Jerusalem- shashuka, this was nice, but nothing special. not stand out.

kd-the chicken wings, 26/4 - simple but delicious , I made these with the nutty salad from February on page 60, this salad is amazing! me and dh loved it, can't wait to make it again.

the Vietnamese beef, again delicious, but the dressing and salad wasn't as good as the previous.

the orange and lemon cheesecake- the best desert I have ever made, so creamy and soft, worth all the effort. Very proud of myself.

tonight I am making the lamb shanks in mustard sauce, February 7th, completely at odds with the weather, but I defrosted the lamb yesterday, when it seemed to suit the day.

right before the month is over, I will add the recipes I have done this last week.

Jerusalem- shashuka, this was nice, but nothing special. not stand out.

kd-the chicken wings, 26/4 - simple but delicious , I made these with the nutty salad from February on page 60, this salad is amazing! me and dh loved it, can't wait to make it again.

the Vietnamese beef, again delicious, but the dressing and salad wasn't as good as the previous.

the orange and lemon cheesecake- the best desert I have ever made, so creamy and soft, worth all the effort. Very proud of myself.

tonight I am making the lamb shanks in mustard sauce, February 7th, completely at odds with the weather, but I defrosted the lamb yesterday, when it seemed to suit the day.

right before the month is over, I will add the recipes I have done this last week.

Jerusalem- shashuka, this was nice, but nothing special. not stand out.

kd-the chicken wings, 26/4 - simple but delicious , I made these with the nutty salad from February on page 60, this salad is amazing! me and dh loved it, can't wait to make it again.

the Vietnamese beef, again delicious, but the dressing and salad wasn't as good as the previous.

the orange and lemon cheesecake- the best desert I have ever made, so creamy and soft, worth all the effort. Very proud of myself.

tonight I am making the lamb shanks in mustard sauce, February 7th, completely at odds with the weather, but I defrosted the lamb yesterday, when it seemed to suit the day.

right before the month is over, I will add the recipes I have done this last week.

Jerusalem- shashuka, this was nice, but nothing special. not stand out.

kd-the chicken wings, 26/4 - simple but delicious , I made these with the nutty salad from February on page 60, this salad is amazing! me and dh loved it, can't wait to make it again.

the Vietnamese beef, again delicious, but the dressing and salad wasn't as good as the previous.

the orange and lemon cheesecake- the best desert I have ever made, so creamy and soft, worth all the effort. Very proud of myself.

tonight I am making the lamb shanks in mustard sauce, February 7th, completely at odds with the weather, but I defrosted the lamb yesterday, when it seemed to suit the day.

right before the month is over, I will add the recipes I have done this last week.

Jerusalem- shashuka, this was nice, but nothing special. not stand out.

kd-the chicken wings, 26/4 - simple but delicious , I made these with the nutty salad from February on page 60, this salad is amazing! me and dh loved it, can't wait to make it again.

the Vietnamese beef, again delicious, but the dressing and salad wasn't as good as the previous.

the orange and lemon cheesecake- the best desert I have ever made, so creamy and soft, worth all the effort. Very proud of myself.

tonight I am making the lamb shanks in mustard sauce, February 7th, completely at odds with the weather, but I defrosted the lamb yesterday, when it seemed to suit the day.

right before the month is over, I will add the recipes I have done this last week.

Jerusalem- shashuka, this was nice, but nothing special. not stand out.

kd-the chicken wings, 26/4 - simple but delicious , I made these with the nutty salad from February on page 60, this salad is amazing! me and dh loved it, can't wait to make it again.

the Vietnamese beef, again delicious, but the dressing and salad wasn't as good as the previous.

the orange and lemon cheesecake- the best desert I have ever made, so creamy and soft, worth all the effort. Very proud of myself.

tonight I am making the lamb shanks in mustard sauce, February 7th, completely at odds with the weather, but I defrosted the lamb yesterday, when it seemed to suit the day.

Argh! I thought I'd worked this phone out !

pregnantpause

I've really fallen in love with both books this month, not looking forward to returning them to the library at all. Think I'll end up having to buy them too.

I made the tahini biscuits to wave Jerusalem good bye (well, in terms of this thread anyway). They were lovely. I really enjoyed cooking from Jerusalem. Good choice. See you on the June thread.

oh I've just discovered this thread and now you've all legged it over to June .....

I hate in the cafe last week and it was gorgeous. Does Jerusalem make a good birthday present? Or should I try one of the others first?

If you enjoyed the food, then yes I'd say so lighthouse I've enjoyed almost everything I've tried and lots I'll carry in cooking. I have it on kindle but am trying to stop myself buying the real thing now :)

Ok, so it's late, but I made NSs bolognaise today, on your recommendation. It is very good and will probably continue to use the recipe. And I've used a June thread tip that I've picked up from JO, to chop the veg in my processor

And after I was unsure about his brownie recipe, DH declared them far better than my usual

Right, over to the June thread to talk about the new books