February Cookbook Club - From Delia to a Modern Way To Eat, with a little Bento on the way

[HuevosRancheros]

Welcome to February's cookery book club :)

Each month we choose a couple of books and each try to cook at least two new things from either book. We then report back and share our verdict

This month we have three books to choose from :) :

• Delia Smith's Winter Collection - I'm sure lots of the recipes will be on her website here
  
• A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones - some recipes here
  
• Just Bento by Makiko Itoh - millions of recipes (more than in the book!) on her website here also on her sister site Just Hungry which seems to be updated more recently
  
  Happy Cooking!

[TwoLittleTerrors]

Have you been to yo sushi? They must have the egg sushi? It's that slab of sweet egg on the sushi. If you want to try how others season it!

[TwoLittleTerrors]

The first one on the menu here.
m.yosushi.com/menu/nigiri

[glorious]

TheSichuanese one is my favourite as well, two. Hardly surprising given her background I guess.

I would not profess to be particularly knowledgeable on Japanese cooking but when we were there on holiday I did notice how sweet some (not dessert) dishes were.

[pregnantpause]

Who linked the cotter website? It's great - loads that I want to make, Thanks

[Silverjohnleggedit]

That was me pregnant - his food is amazing!

[HuevosRancheros]

I shall have a look at Denis Cotter's site in a bit - I bought one of his books a few years back, but am afraid I returned it as the recipes were just far too over the top for me to contemplate making.
The one that sticks in my mind, and has come to mind a lot recently in this cold spell, was the one for pancakes, I think it was, that called for "a handful of fresh snow"

When we did EGOR I was amazed and very pleasantly surprised as I had previously got a couple of fuchsia's books from the library but found them very veggie-unfriendly. Shame, as I love Sichuan food, my favourite Chinese :)

Two - turns out we do have a Yo Sushi near us - Nottingham - so maybe I shall try it next time I venture into town. The menu seems to have improved for veggies, it used to be just an avocado roll!

[Silverjohnleggedit]

Pregnant I think that recipe was for snow cakes. I haven't made much from his last two books, they were a bit challenging for the dcs, his foraging book is a fascinating read and funnily the one you had was meant to be his version of simple home cooked food! My favourite books are his first two, Cafe Paradiso and Paradiso Seasons - his approach was very radical 15 years ago when I first came across him...he celebrated vegetables, obsessed over varieties of pumpkin, potato, mushrooms, promoted small producers, worked closely with growers to get the best local produce....

[Silverjohnleggedit]

Sorry I meant Huevos rather than Pregnant

[UptoapointLordCopper]

Whenever I cater for vegetarian friends I do sichuan. All those pickled veg and cold salad dishes. I love them. The weirdest I did was cold potato salad. It was lovely but my guests were surprised it was the humble potato.

[UptoapointLordCopper]

We need to go to a Yo sushi too at some point. Apparently it says in DS's magazine that they have drones.

[HuevosRancheros]

Uptoapoint - do you have a veggie sichuan book that you would recommend? Or at least a veggie-heavy one? I am quite happy with the veggie level of EGOR :)

[UptoapointLordCopper]

I don't really have a sichuan cookbook. I look up "on the internet" (if I see another homework asking for that I might scream) what I enjoy in sichuan restaurants.

I'm not very good at veggie food apart from Chinese ones involving tofu and a variety of fungus. Next time I go to a bookshop I'll look up EGOR.

[HuevosRancheros]

Lots of lovely veggie stuff in EGOR; loads of meaty stuff too :)

These are Fuchsua's Sichuan potato slivers, from EGOR, maybe similar to what you did? Certainly authentic, I ate them in Chengdu!

[UptoapointLordCopper]

Similar Huevos. I did mine as a cold salad. I had that at a sichuan restaurant with a sichuan friend who ordered it. I don't think I would have - it sounds a bit unappetising. But it's very very good.

[pregnantpause]

I made delias pork stroganoff yesterday with rice and beans. It is nice and easy -everyone enjoyed it. I don't think it was any better than my usual stroganoff though.

[pregnantpause]

I made delias apple and pecan loaf with this dc this afternoon. I don't know whether it was the less than perfect measurements or the slightly haphazard mixing , but it's very crumbly. Nothing special. I won't be making it again. But I am no baker and even less so with two children in tow - so don't set much store by my opinion, if anyone was thinking of making it.

[karmakameleon]

I made Anna Jones' blueberry banana pancakes at the weekend and they were quite popular. Everyone enjoyed them and would make them again.

[pregnantpause]

Delia salmon in parsley sauce for lunch here. Again very nice but no better than my own- in fact no different than my own- the only difference was the meat, I've never served parsley sauce with salmon before - I would again, it's nice.

Delia is reliable but not inspiring for me.

[Haywire]

Looking forward to Made in India sounds great will order this week. Might have to hide from DH though as just had a massive cull of cookbooks will not be impressed with more coming in. I may just have ordered deliciously Ella too. Bit of an addiction but hey ho could be crack.

I have roast figs, sugar snow is a lovely book but def need cold weather for it. Also have a change of appetite byDiana Henry but have not used it much not sure why. Can I suggest Dough by Richard Bertinet. This is amazing bread book with great technique that's totally different from usual kneading and really works. Have you done a bread month?

Back to Anna Jones made the sweet potato tortilla and artichoke paella at weekend both fabulous full of flavour. I love the small touches, the almond salsa with the tortilla made it something special. Also made butterscotch blondies these were nice but honey in them a bit to pronounced for me. Kids loved the though.

[Cantdothisagain]

The Anna Jones sweet potato tortilla is really nice - and good lunch food too. Not sure what to try next...

[UptoapointLordCopper]

Is there anything on jerusalem artechoke? This really defeats me ...

[TwoLittleTerrors]

uptoapoint do you have eat my book? The only thing I make with them is the roast chicken in Jerusalem. My search shows up quite a few recipes for the veg. A lot of ottolenghis. A lot of roast veg though.

[TwoLittleTerrors]

And this one from a modern way to eat
www.eatyourbooks.com/mobile#recipe-details/1400777

[UptoapointLordCopper]

Thanks terrors. I'll search them out tomorrow. Perhaps I'll teach DS1 to roast chicken and chuck in the JA too.

[HuevosRancheros]

I am rather excited about Anna Jones :)
It arrived yesterday, I've only had time for a quick flick through, so no "to make" lists yet. But I admit I was expecting just another veggie book, I am thrilled that it has lots of vegan options as I have just started the conversion, this is perfect timing!! Thank you for suggesting it :)

I shall do Turkish eggs for lunch, admittedly with a few tweaks - adding kale and za'atar (I am not giving up eggs yet)
And planning one of the smoothies for breakfast tomorrow - I have bought persimmon for the first time especially