Is there a September cookery book club?

[PenelopeClearwater]

Is there a September cook book club? I have had a look but I wasn't sure if I just wasn't looking properly.

I started the thread and I've been terrible!!!

I haven't been well, I have a large gallstone so I'm hoping the GP will agree to remove it and that it'll solve my problems!

So I haven't been eating that well really.

I did Jaimies canillini bean, leek and artichoke patalast night, very good, although I used chicken stock and think I might put a rasher of streaky bacon in next time!
Also the banana and fig loaf for breakfast this morning, really good. These recipes are amazingly well thought out I think, the flavour combinations and huge amount of vegetables are really great.

I'm falling behind! Haven't cooked any more from the books, but I'll add my voice to the made in India recommendations. Easy place in my top five favourite mist used books.

That sounds nice hoolio I don't have that book but might order from library.

Had an Anna jones failure last week; the beetroot and Raddicio gratin was awful, raw potato after double the cooking time and it took ages to slice those beetroot on the blinkin lethal mandoline.

Still, have prepped silver lake potato bake from MWTC for tonight looks good will report back.

Also made a couple of nice recipes from ' My new roots' book which I got from library. Very similar to AJ worth a look on her blog as lots of recipes on there

Yes that pasta sounds great.

I did the courgette polpette the other night from MWTC. Our courgettes must have been a bit small as they were too bread and not courgettey enough for me. I liked the flavour combination a lot though (mint, chilli, lemon, what's not to love!)

I am reading Made in India and absolutely love it - much more the 'new nigella' than Anna Jones I would say. Doing a quick meal with stuff we have in so doing garlic chicken from the book which smells yum. Planning to fry courgette in the leftover juices and have with frozen sweet potato chips and avocado. Not sure if it will all go but I am looking forward!

Hoolio is the diet aspect working bannan bread for breakfast sounds delish!

I am sticking to it 5 days out of 7, and it's great eating so much fruit and vegetables.

The banana bread is lovely, and very filling. There is another recipe for banana bread in there too. I might try adding cocoa powder to make a chocolate cake!

Also, there are pancakes in there made with banana, which I can vouch for as I make a very similar recipe which I sort of made up based on Nigella's recipe in Feast. They taste like a real treat but are sugar free and low calorie.

Penelope hope you manage to loose the gallstone soon and it improves the way you feel. (Slight wry smile as the auto correct was very determined that you were suffering due to a hail stone rather than a gallstone!)

We've tried Jamie's turmeric seared chicken this week. There were a lot of separate elements to the dish, which made it a bit of a faff to make. While each individual element was nice, I am not entirely sure the dish worked as a whole. Using smoked paprika as a flavouring in the skinny hummus instead of lots of tahini was an interesting change, but it won't be replacing a tahini/oil laden hummus too often in the Hag household.

Are we doing new books for November? I'm going to make one or two more from these books as I've not made as much as I planned, but new books to -buy- focus on, would be welcomed.

Yeah I reckon we should. I have the new Nigella but haven't really looked at it yet. Or we could reprise a favourite like Made in India or Every Grain of Rice or an Ottolenghi or Dan Lepard or Mexican made simple. ..

Can we possibly do Nopi please?

Happy to revisit a favourite, or do something new :)
(I am revisiting MiI this weekend for a dinner party :))

If anyone wanted to do an online thing (so no temptation to buy new books just before Christmas!!), I'm quite keen to try out some more of felicity cloake's "how to cook the perfect...." recipes - I keep turning to her whenever I want to try something new-to-me - in the past week I have sought her advice on toad in the hole and piña coladas!!

Oh and sorry, forgot to say - Penelope, hope you're feeling better

Nopi has a fair few recipes online which I'd like to try before buying the books. So I'll second that idea as if it comes across well it's a great Christmas present for me.

The new nigella has mixed reviews glorious- what do you think of it? Is it worth buying or a library book?

Gransnet has some nopi recipes too!

I had a flick through the Nigella book today and wasn't overly inspired. Ive orderd it via the library.

Yeah neither was I, it feels a bit outdated/ doesn't have the spark of her early ones. I will try a few bits though. The oreo chocolate tart for instance...

Helloooo have been on holiday over half term and eating lots but not cooking much for a change. although talking of Dan Lepard it Was my daughters 8th birthday and she requested Carrot cake so I made the easy one from short and sweet sandwiched with orange cream cheese icing and passionfruit curd was lush. (It was a little less sophisticated than it sounds, as covered in plastic how to train a dragon figures)

Online recipes great idea. I also use Felicity Cloake lots as a reference point for basics. Not inspired to buy Nigella agree just feels a little old hat. Tempted by Nopi though

Mmm that carrot cake sounds good.

Shall we try 'cook the perfect. ..' then? Save us from ourselves before Christmas!

Sorry, I've been really slack, but I'm here, honest :)

How to cook the perfect... sounds, well, perfect

Especially if we can make last into December, as I'm planning on using her for red cabbage and a Yule log :)

And a rice pudding this Sunday!

Can I just add a lone voice for the Food Lab? One of the best books I have bought in years. I followed the Serious Eats blog and it's in a similar vein to Felicity Cloake's Perfect column except that the author goes into the science behind the cooking. It's by J Kenji Alt-Lopez.

It's probably basic stuff for most people but it really gives me the confidence to go off piste as it broadens your understanding of why stuff works. Also the poached egg method is awesome.

Ooh, that sounds a bit like Harold McGee, I got his book last Christmas, must admit I haven't read it much yet though
There are no recipes in his book though, just the science stuff. Interesting though :)

Huevos Harold McGee is heavily quoted! It's much more accessible though.