Cookery book club - July - Hugh F-W Veg and curries by Madhur Jaffrey and the Hairy Bikers (vroom vroom)

[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 June our books were:

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

And we posted here

For July our books are:

• Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Veg Every Day
• Madhur Jaffrey Ultimate Curry Bible AND / OR madhur Jaffrey's Curry Easy AND / OR Hairy Bikers' Great Curries

For August, our books will be:

• Fuchsia Dunlop Every Grain of Rice (chopsticks at the ready ladies)
• Dan Lepard Short and Sweet

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 September's books this month.

Two more recipes to report.

Last night we had the onion tart from HFW. Very, very easy with bought puff pastry as instructed (though I'd normally make it but it was too hot anyway). Rather good for such a simple recipe. What's not to like about caramelised onions and pastry!

Tonight it was the Vietnamese pork with lemongrass from MJ ultimate. Pleasant but not earth shattering. The lemongrass comes through nicely.

show there seem to be two Kenyan chicken dishes, do you remember which it is?

Oh ok, well ill try another of their recipes then.....that one had put me off but ill give it another go.

We tried the courgette spouffle last night, I added Dijon to the bechamel as I was worried about it being too bland. It was nice but nothing special, DS1 refused to eat more than a mouthful but then he's a fussy bugger when in the wrong mood. Everyone else ate it all up, DH eating DS's up but no one called for it again. Will try the masala potatoes tonight with some gammon and salad. Will have to try the fish curry as well by the sounds of it.
Weather down here has definitely cooled off a bit, can now face cooking again. I spent the evening making koupepia and spanikopitas as well yesterday and have a great lunch box today :)

Hi everyone, I've been on a bit of a Hugh cooking binge this week (suddenly realised the end of the month is nigh) so thought I should report back.

Having loved the beetroot hummus I made it again, still just as good and I want to try lots of the other dips in that chapter now.

Last night I made the spicy carrots and chickpeas, but had it as a side dish rather than in pittas. I had it without the sour cream and found it a bit dry, but then had the leftovers today for lunch in a wrap (also from HFW) with the sour cream and it was much nicer.

Along side the carrots and cold roast lamb, don't tell Hugh I also had radishes with butter, which is more of a serving suggestion than recipe! I loved it for nostalgic reasons, it brought back memories of my student years, spending the summer working in France when this was often served.

On Sunday I had a cook-a-thon from the last few months. I started with the broad beans from the garden and made bean and dill hummus that I'd bookmarked from from Kitchen Diaries. NS suggests serving with lamb, so I slow roasted a leg in a 'pulled pork' way, and then made Hugh's wraps from his magic dough. It was a really lovely meal. And finished off with Jamie's quick brownies, which weren't great - not fudgy enough IMO and more cakey, but fine served with cream.

Having not cooked a thing from HFW since I got it last year, I'm really enjoying it. So what should I cook in this last week? What is everyone's fave? (It's seems like there's been more curry cooking going on this month)

I'd like to do Hugh's fish book in future. I have both that and meat, and his meat one is my bible whenever I get a new cut to cook. I've love to get a kick up the bum to get going on fish and make it as indispensable.

I have finally taken Jamie Oliver back to the library today, so I'm about to add a late entry to the June thread, for reference

Just tried to reserve August's books, but my library doesn't have short and sweet, just 2 other books by Dan Lepard - handmade loaf and baking with a passion. Does anyone know if there's any cross over between these books? Or a good stock of his recipes online? I'm v pleased to see there's 2 copies of Every Grain of Rice, and I don't think there's a waiting list, as it was the Chinese cookery I'm most looking forward to.

There's loads of Dan Lepard online zuleika, he has a column in the Guardian.

We had the spouffle last night. I enjoyed it a lot but I was absolutely ravenous as DD is having a massive growth spurt and it seems to have affected me too! It was quite a lot of faff for something which comes out so homely though I thought. We had the courgette version. I thought actually that it might be a nice thing to give DD in a month or so (we're just about to start weaning) - lots of big chunks and some squishy stuff.

Today I'm making the Baked chicken curry from Madhur Jaffrey's Easy Curry book (in the fridge marinating smug)
I'm planning on making the green lentils with green beans and fresh coriander too.
One of the ingredients is ASAFOETIDA - has anyone used this? It sounds fairly disgusting from the description and I may just miss it out unless there are any experts out there who have tried it?

Last night I made the lamb rajsomething red curry. It was bland and, IMO a waste of good lamb. I found it incredibly watery I won't try it again.
I also made the broccoli with mustard and cumin seeds, which was delightful, and alongside a better curry would have been a real treat. I don't have asafoetida so left it out, but I don't think it was lacking for it btw
They're both from curry easy.

Feathered asafoetida in it's raw state smells really rather nasty and you only need to use it very sparingly as it's quite strong and also loses it's pungency quite quickly when stored.

However, it adds an amazing "something" to Indian dishes. If you can get a hold of it, then I would use it but don't be put off by how pongey it is.

I think I might make the Vietnamese Cari Ga tonight from Curry Bible. One of my favourites!

Thank you. I will try to get to the shops later today and buy some . . . definitely worth a go!

Asafoetida absolutely stinks when raw! I keep mine in the plastic container it came in, then that goes in a tin and finally a zip lock and you can still smell it when yo open the cupboard! Recommend making sure you store it somewhere airtight before contaminating the contents of your cupboard. I do use I though and think something would be missing without.

Natal kidney bean curry also uses it, and is a great, easy, store-cupboard curry so I'd recommend that too.

You've convinced me too! :)
Ocado don't stock it , so I haven't had it up til now, what is a girl to do? I shall have to hotfoot it to one of out local Indian stores.... goodness knows what else I shall come home with, always get tempted!

Get some amchur - mango powder. It gives things a very interesting taste!

So, I'm guessing mango powder is a bit sweet/sour/tangy?

What does it do to a dish? :)

Made the broad bean and carrot risotto tonight.

I didn't use baby ones and added a bit of shredded chicken and it went down very well.

Would definitely make it again.

I love amchoor. Reminds me of my mum's cooking.

I know it's a bit last month, but I went to wahaca yesterday. Always a pleasure.

Oh, and the blackcurrant and lavender cordial was hugely successful

Science I am a bit jealous re wahaca. I love it so much there it is slightly embarrassing. I think it's / they're one of the best restos in London at any price.

Have you been to Rasa on Charlotte St by any chance? I think it's similar in the way that it takes a little known 'ethnic' food and does it really really well. It's also pretty reasonably priced.

Tiger, I adore wahaca too. Having breakfast there is my new favourite thing to do. This was the third time I have been for breakfast - the first time I had a breakfast burrito, last time I had sweetcorn fritters, and this time I had the torta. Yesterday there were five of us, we were there for two hours and it cost us £10 a head. Such a bargain.

I haven't been to Rasa (I am one track minded on Charlotte street). Is it South Indian?

Anyway, I digress. Tonight I made HB spiced fish curry. It was much more subtle than it sounds: sea bass coated with seasoned flour, with a rich tomato sauce. I served it with chapattis and raita. The spicing was delicate and complex, and it was a perfect dish for the warm weather. Easy too.

I went past Wahaca today and tried to convince dd to go there for dinner but she insisted on pizza express

On the bright side as I neared the end of my vegi pizza I found a rogue pepperoni slice on it so I got it for free after complaining!

Science yes it is (had to google!) It's not like any other Indian restaurant I've tried. There's one in Islington as well apparently. I must try wahaca breakfast...

Well done viva! My dd is too young to express a preference ( long may it last)

Just made the courgette and green pepper sabzi (minus the green pepper) and the mung dal and chicken for dinner tonight, but have had a quick taste. The courgettes are delicious, so will definitely do those again for an easy side dish. The chicken tastes nice too, though I think I tend to prefer creamy curries. Will get verdict from dh and 2yo ds later.

Madhur Jaffrey baked Chicken curry wasn't a rip roaring success. I'd give it a luke warm okay.
I didn't have the energy for the green beans and coriander dish - so maybe it is a subtle dish that needs some lovely accompaniments. Looks like people are having more success with H.B.

We had the Anglo-Indian sausage curry from MJ Easy the other day. Made it into about 15 little meatballs rather than 8 patties and the DCs devoured them. I left the green chillies out of the sauce so found it a bit bland, but the meatballs were highly flavoured (think I would use only half the salt next time) so it worked OK. I probably wouldn't serve if I had friends over, but it was a quick, easy and (without the green chillies) DC-friendly midweek meal.

Flicking through MJ I noticed with interest that where a recipe calls for fresh curry leaves she suggests basil as an alternative (think it was 20 curry leaves = 8 basil leaves). I know others have had trouble sourcing fresh curry leaves too so just thought I'd mention it!