Cookery Book Club July - Ottolenghi's Plenty and Bill Granger's Asian Everyday

[HuevosRancheros]

July is imminent, so let's start thinking about new recipes :)
Hopefully the sun will shine and the food will match!

Lots of the Plenty recipes are on the Guardian website.

I will come back later this evening to tell you what I've made before and what I plan to make in the near future

ooh that sounds good. We had the Plenty broad bean burgers the other night, really delicious even with slightly floury beans. Nice green to potato ratio so not too stodgy. Hoping for green pancakes tonight if time allows.

That's good to hear, glorious, about the burgers.... I have always been put off them by the potato - may give them a whirl. Always have broad beans in the freezer too :)

Have the books for August been decided yet?

Don't think so, any suggestions?

Mmmm the green pancakes are brilliant. Lighter than you might expect. We had them without the chilli for DD's benefit, but definitely missed it. Smoked mackerel with them was a bit too rich, I think they'd work better with some white fish done simply.

Green pancakes here too - they were really good!

How about a Fay Ripley book for next month? They all seem to have good reviews on Amazon.

Does anyone have and are there any recipes online? Not one I've heard of but very happy to do if others have books I must not buy any more

I have lots of Ina Garten but it's all in US measurements and I know she gets most peoples goat and adds too much salt and butter. Michel Roux Jr Cooking with the Masterchef anyone?

this looks nice

selection by Fay here

I don't have a Fay Ripley book, but I like the look of them so just want an excuse to buy one. Don't think there are many recipes online though.

Barefoot Contessa is one of my TV guilty pleasures, so more than happy to do one of hers. I've also got Cooking with Masterchef on my amazon wishlist.

I made the spiced red lentils with cucumber yogurt for lunch yesterday. It was delicious. DH, not a great lover of pulses, went back for seconds. I'll definitely make it again.

I'll not manage to make anything from Everyday Asian before the end of the month as I've just picked it up from the library, but will do something in the next week or so.

As I'm new to this, I've no idea which books have already been done so I'll sit quietly re suggestions for August!

Had the Hoisin Chicken with celery salad last night from EA. Was absolutely delicious, and a nice contrast between the sweet and slightly spicy chicken and the cool salad. Dh has said he would definitely eat it again, which is rare for him with a chicken dish (he prefers veggie dinners).

Ooh we have that down for this week too madamecake, glad it's good. Also planning duck in plum sauce from EA, and aubergine and lemon risotto from Plenty.

Last night we had the crying tiger beef, very easy and good effort/interest ratio. DH felt the sauce was a bit unbalanced. There's definitely too much fish sauce but otherwise I reckon it's just supposed to be salty/bitter/umami whereas he wondered about some sweet. It'd work well but I think it's kind of the point that it isn't balanced.

Shall we do Fay Ripley and Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) then? Whatever books you can lay your hands on? I'm voting Michele Roux Jr for September, hoping there are some lovely autumnal recipes in there.

Sounds good to me. Lots of Ina Garten recipes here.

new thread here

Duck in plum sauce divided opinions. I ackowledge it's a bit lowest common denominator, but I liked the fruity sweet and sourness of it, and lots of fresh plum really lifted it. DH thought it was too sweet, and he's right really.

Next month sounds good. This week we still have lemon and aubergine risotto from Plenty to go, which I'll post here.

I liked a few recipes from Plenty a lot (broad bean burgers, green pancakes) but not in love with the book overall sorry!

Everyday Asian has heaps of easy stuff in a style I like, so I can see myself using it for weeknight standards a fair bit. I'd never have picked it up so I'm glad to have been introduced to it

Hi all sorry not been around cooking much new stuff lately, I've been so busy and still waiting for the books from the library, so just looking online.
Made the Paella from plenty tonight, I enjoyed it but think I prefer my own trusty recipe I did enjoy the addition of artichokes and olives though. Didn't have any sherry so used pimms!! The lentil soupy thing with cucumber yogurt looks really nice gonna make that tomorrow and will try the aubergine and lemon risotto if I can find the recipe online as that sounds nice.
Love barefoot contessa so looking forward to that and I think I may have a Faye ripleys book lurking somewhere amongst the hundreds of books I've got!

The risotto was delicious, though quite a faff with charring one aubergine and frying the other. I thought it needed more of the charred aubergine flavour and I wasn't convinced by the basil. We made the leftovers into arancini, always a winner ELR if you can't find it I'm happy to type it up.

Found it www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/feb/23/foodanddrink.shopping1

Thanks glorious will give it a go either early next week or when I get back from holiday. We are off to naples and sorrento for 9 days on Thursday.