May Cookery Book Club - Middle Eastern month

[HuevosRancheros]

This month we are having a vague Middle Eastern theme - Jerusalem (Ottolenghi) and Persiana (Sabrina Ghayour) have grabbed our imagination, but other books can definitely be shared - let us know what you like cooking
give us more books to buy

Maybe an Indian month? I quite fancy trying the more summery Indian kebab style dishes from eg made in India rather than the wintery curries.

But I'm open to suggestion and temptation for new books...

Made in India would be popular here. Or I think we did Nigeria summer last year. Or we could do Thomasina again, lots for summer in Mexican food imo.

lol at Nigerian Summer

We've just had katsu curry from HB Curries, I'm planning some form of fajita this week so hopefully Thomasina can help with that as I've only bought corn tortillas not any spice mix.

Grr bloody phone. Nigella. Nigella. Nigella.

I'm happy with any of these :)
Even Nigerian Nigella Summer as I bought it as a cheap second hand, about half way through book club, but haven't done it justice

Pantah I'm sure Thomasina will deliver, but for quick fajitas I use a spice mix of ground cumin, a bit of ground coriander and smoked paprika (or a dollop of chipotle en adobo), chilli to taste. Tastes like the packet mix!!

I'm more intrigued by Nigerian summer

I don't think I ever have Nigerian food.

Btw I made the burnt aubergine with red onion and yellow pepper from ottolenghi. Thanks for the tip for making the aubergine in the oven. The salad is so lovely. We had it with roast chicken with smoked paprika, olive and preserved lemons from Diana Henry's cook simple. They are very good together. (The chicken is also Middle eastern isn't it given the preserved lemons. Is paprika a Middle eastern spice? I used the Spanish bull brand).

And yes I have forever summer too.

Perhaps I need to ask my cousin for a good Nigerian book (he lived there for a few years)

Oh it's 2 little terrors with a name change btw. Not someone new who just popped up at the end of the month

How about a summer month? Other than Nigellas forever summer, I'm thinking ice cream, ice lollies, barbecues? I have been making ice lollies and they are so easy and so good.

I don't think I will stop cooking from MiI. It's such a good book. pantah I like the katsu sauce from hb's curry book. But I use my own crumbed chicken recipe. (For the geeky cooks here katsu don is always pork chops in Japan, so chicken isn't authentic. Though my DH doesn't eat pork so it's chicken here).

This is the ice lollies I have in e freezer. Blueberry raspberry mint gluttonforlife.com/2011/07/08/pop-culture/#more-7913

I used frozen ones. Not sure if fresh ones will add anything extra?

Those lollies look good :)

Thanks for the tip Huevos I much prefer to blend my own spice mixes so will give that a go.

Forever Summer and Delia's Summer Collection again?

Is Forever Summer the one with that awful watermelon and feta salad that everyone except me loves?

If so I just gave it to the charity shop as I never used it. But I'll have a look at the Delia one.

That's the one

New thread here