Cookbook club- March- middle eastern and Mary berry

[whatareyoueatingNOW]

I hope it's okay that I set up the new thread for cookbook club.

So this month we are cooking from Mary berry online and family favourites, and our food travel option is the Middle East- any books any recipes.

Here's the Mary berry website
www.maryberry.co.uk
And lots of her recipes can be googled too- a wealth are in bbcgood food.

And for middle eastern inspiration here is king Ottolenghi website which offers lots of recipes www.ottolenghi.co.uk/#navigation

Bethan kedhy of jewelled kitchen bethanykehdy.com/category/recipes/

And here is a list of good blog options to peruse

stepfeed.com/8-lebanese-food-blogs-you-should-definitely-bookmark-and-follow-3873

Happy cooking everyone

Mary Bezzer’s Victoria sponge cake....it sank a little in the middle, too much raising agent? Tasted fine though!

www.simplyleb.com/recipe/manakeesh/

I made these Lebanese manakeesh today. They were so so. I wouldn't make them again I'm sorry to say. I found the cheese version nicer, and felt the zaatar version could do with a dip- houmous maybe- because it was dry.

I've made Turkish pide from a book called Turkish delights which have blown me away- so that if I'm looking for a flatbread type thing I'd lean toward those in future.

I’m making carrot and butternut fritters from Honey & Co at the weekend - will report back then.

I’ve also got my eye on a cherry pistachio cake.....

what they look lovely what a shame that didn’t live up to expectations!

Carrot and butternut fritters from Honey & Co very good!!

We squeeze extra lemon on them

They’ve got tarragon and cardamom in - unusual and delicious

They look great tafetta, did you do them in a pan? I tend to avoid things like fritters as I think I need a drier but I’d like to give them a go

Fryer not drier!

Just a pan with 2 cm veg oil in

Can I recommend Mary Berry’s Pesto Pasta- takes 10 minutes and is great when hungry teenagers come home in need of food.

Tonight’s meal was another from Feasts, and another huge thumbs up. Chicken Shwarma was very good, we eat like this often but usually I just make up a seasoning with whatever’s in the house so it was good to follow a recipe. I had to do without fresh coriander and gherkins as my car broke down today and my local coop is a bit limited! Have to say I’m really impressed with this book, I can see it becoming a family favourite.

EnglishGirl - that looks delicious!

Is shwarma a massive faff? Did you use thighs?

Yes I did, bought skinless boneless ones to make life a bit easier. I’ve never done Shwarma before even though I often make flatbreads but I’ll definitely do it again

This is the recipe I used Shawarma

Thank you! They look eminently achievable. I also make my own flatbreads, we all love them.

DC are massive fans of Shawa - Lebanese takeaway so will def be making this soon!

I live in a cultural backwater the only takeaways near me are Chinese and Indian so I have to try these things if I want to eat them!

Sorry if I am being dense but what book are we cooking from?
I can see we are doing any recipe etc for Middle East but for Mary Berry is it any recipe too? I can find an Absolute Favourites book but not Family Favourites mentioned in the original post.
I cook from a lot of Mary recipes online and in my complete cookbook but was hoping this was an excuse to buy a new Mary book :-D

I have the chicken shawarma marinating for after Cubs tonight, didn't have any Greek yoghurt sacrilege now my fridge so used up left over Skyr instead, fingers crossed it won't make too much of a difference.

Can someone recommend a good flatbread recipe for another time please. I have lots of ME books but would like to go down a tried and tested route first if possible.

koalas I’ve not looked for the MB book to be honest, think it’s the most recent series so maybe not out yet?

Pantah I only ever use the Jamie Oliver easy flatbread recipe since I tried it. By far the best I’ve tried and easy to make.
flatbread

Another vote for the Jamie Oliver flatbread recipe. I like to add cumin, coriander and nigella seeds to the dough.

They look nice and easy, will give them a go next time. Using up some corn tortillas tonight, chicken smells lovely, can't wait to tuck in.

I add them if I’m doing it with a curry. It’s such a versatile recipe I make it a couple of times a week, we have it in lieu of garlic bread, pitta, naan etc as I always have the ingredients in. I know he isn’t popular on here but so much of my every day family food is influenced by Jamie.

Koala; any Mary Berry book and or the website - it just keeps options as wide as possible for people to join in. (it also serves to feed those of us with cook book addictions -waiting for feasts)

I do Hugh FWs flatbread from EveryDay Easy

Here’s the recipe - dead easy

www.rivercottage.net/recipes/flatbreads