Cookery book club - June - Mexican Food Made Easy (Thomasina Miers) and Thirty Minute Meals (Jamie Oliver)

[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!

For May, our books were:

• Jerusalem by Ottolenghi
  
• Kitchen Diaries
  

And we posted here

For June our books are:

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

For July our books will be:

• Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Veg Every Day
  
• Madhur Jaffrey Ultimate Curry Bible
  

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. We pick books three months ahead so will be choosing August's books this month.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Discovery - that's the one! I love it. :)

[ScienceRocks]

Remus, breakfast at wahaca involved a breakfast burrito. It was filled with frijoles, feta, spinach, avocado and other lovely things. I had mine with chipotle sauce

You can also get Mexican scrambled eggs, torta (a bap with Mexican filling), doughnuts, banana bread, ranchos hueveros (not sure of the spelling, sorry). The branch I went to (Charlotte street) also has a takeaway bit for lunch that sells a few bits and pieces so I got some dried chile de arbol etc as I haven't been able to get them elsewhere. Not sure the other branches do breakfast. Not sure why.

I should be on commission, I love it there!

[Pantah630]

Am planning to ride up to London tomorrow to go to BM, is there a Wahaca nearby? I need to try some Mexican food to make sure it tastes correct nothing to do with description of breakfast burrito above honest
:)

[Pantah630]

It looks like Charlotte St is only a brisk walk away, breakfast sorted

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks Science - have never been to Charlotte Street but keep hearing good things about it.

[maniacbug]

Evening all, I sat down with the TM book and some post-its earlier, intending to make a list of recipes to try - but soon realised that I was writing down every single one! I don't even know where to start, so Science your list is a very welcome nudge in the right direction.
I eat some form of chilli sauce with most meals as it is, so am keen to try the hotter dishes and determined to try and source at least some of the range of specific chillis mentioned. Am most envious of everyone within travelling distance of a Wahaca. Wonder whether she'd consider opening one in the south west??

JO... I was keen when I first picked this up from the library, because I'd expected it to be more basic and was pleasantly surprised. I still like the look of a number of the dishes but am struggling to get my head round the way the instructions are listed in order of timing for the whole meal. I can see it would be v. efficient if you were doing the sides/drinks/whatever that he recommends, but what if you want to pick and choose from different meals? Not sure my patience is up to filtering out the relevant bits! Going to give it a go, but DH and DS1 seemed more keen on this one so I might end up handing it over to them.
For now, though, my best friend was recently raving about his method for banana ice cream (in the Meatball Sandwich menu), so I think I'm going to start with that.

[ComradeJing]

How did I not know this was a mn thing now?? Bloody self imposed mn ban.

Joining thread. Will be back to report :)

[greensnail]

Signing in for June. I'm all set to make the rainbow trout with chilli cream tomorrow, really looking forward to it.

[spilttheteaagain]

Ooh, I have to say the Tuscan salad in the JO book (it's a side to the summer veg lasagne) is absolutely GORGEOUS, I really recommend that. Not impressed with his curries, - I haven't tried making them, but I just thought using pataks paste was not revolutionary or recipe worthy. If you like your curries, the Hairy Bikers Great Curries book is fantastic. (are we allowed to mention non listed books??!)

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Jamie's from scratch curry in Happy Days is the one I use when I want a 'proper recipe' curry, but must admit that for mid-week coking, I sometimes use a paste (work full time and can't always ba to do it all in the evenings!).

[ohforfoxsake]

I miss Wahaca since moving North

But I have both these books and have only made TMs chill con carne so thanks for the inspiration, am going to have a crack at being a little more adventurous!

[spilttheteaagain]

Oh I use the pastes too Remus, and very acceptable they are too. I just thought it was a bit naff in a recipe book.

His tomato soup is also very nice.

[Pantah630]

We made it to Wahaca for lunch, never been before, it was lovely. We had a selection of street food and bought some chillies and herbs for this month. DS2 wants me to make the steak burritos and I'm hopeful there is a pork publl taco recipe as they were delicious. When I've stopped vibrating (feet, hands and ears - this bike isn't the most comfy) will sit down and pick out some recipes. :)

[glorious]

Mmm I'm excited about Mexican! My copy of JO has just arrived at the library so will get cracking soon.

[ZuleikaJambiere]

Signing in for June, hello!

I'm waiting for TM but have already picked up JO from the library - are we cooking against the clock to test his 30 minutes claims? I have a feeling I'll be nowhere near! I'm looking forward to this book, as I lack pudding inspiration and wish I had a few quick and easy recipes up my sleeve to round of weekend meals with something better than yogurt (not that my waistline needs them), so I'm hoping this month will teach me something here

[greensnail]

I sat down to flick through the JO book for the first time this afternoon and I was really impressed. I'm not sure what I was expecting but wasn't feeling too enthusiastic about it, but actually I found myself wanting to eat almost everything in there!

Am planning to do the Jools pregnant pasta first as I've heard such good things about it. I will time it and see if I can do it in 30 minutes, although I have the 15 minute meals book and they seem to take me about 30 minutes usually.

[ScienceRocks]

Just realised I've started early! Made jamie Oliver's fish cakes this evening, which were very nice. Even got it all done in half an hour! I did tweak the recipe slightly by boiling the potatoes instead of microwaving them, and using rocket instead of alfalfa sprouts for the salad.

[Pufflemum]

Hi everyone, I've just ordered the TM book and love this thread to get me started. I already have JO and can highly recommend the cod with mushy peas, this is a favourite for my family and friends, even my DH who is not keen on fish really likes it. The peri peri chicken is also very nice.

[Cantdothisagain]

I don't think I can justify a tortilla press to add to my languishing kitchen equipment drawer.... But am excited about the book. That trout with chilli cream looks fab- do report back!

[Cantdothisagain]

Well I made a start with the classic guacamole from TM tonight. Really liked it. Tbh it's very similar to the one I usually make, but has red onion not spring onion in, and has at its base s sort of paste made from chilli, salt and red onion. Really enjoyed it and will make again.

Taking the book to bed for inspiration for what to try next!

[Kneedeepindaisies]

Read through my TM book today. The recipes look good but where are all the pictures?

[Feathered]

Hello, I'd like to join you, please!
I have three children. A seven year old and (nearly) five year old twins. My husband is a bit of a food snob as is my seven year old, my twins are the world's fussiest eaters and would happily live on mr Kipling cakes and beans. I grew up a vegetarian but have succumbed to meat due to mr food snob being a rampant carnivore.
As a result I am fairly obsessed with what to cook and often buy cookbooks in desperation thinking "This is the one! This is the one that will make everyone happy." I have a good collection but many are sadly unused, so I'm delighted to pull Jamie Oliver off the shelf to start off with and I've ordered The Thomasina one.
Looking forward to this month!

[Feathered]

Oh . . . forgot to mention, my husband is coeliac so no gluten, and one of my twins has a dairy intolerance. Just want you to get the picture of my daily struggle!

[akarucker]

I've just bookmarked the recipes that caught my eye from JO. I think my June menu will include:

Pregnant Jools' pasta
tomato soup & croutons
tray baked chicken
killer jerk chicken, rice & beans
chicken skewers with satay sauce & fiery noodle salad
1 minute berry ice cream (and if that works, a number of other possibilities to get goodness into my kids)
Steak sarnie & crispy new potatoes

These seem like some good weeknight meals. Will report back as and when made. Not terribly exciting, but after Jerusalem, I could do with some uneventful basic meals.

[glorious]

Welcome feathered, that sounds tricky!

I reckon I'll do the oreciette with broccoli and the jerk chicken from JO. Full meals on both because racing the clock sounds fun (and I'm horribly competitive ).