Cooking club, Mexican may and a bit of Nigel slater

[whatareyoueatingNOW]

Hi all,

Another month gone, so I've set up a new thread

For anyone new (and the more the merrier) the idea is that each month we choose a cuisine to focus on and a cookery writer/ author as well. This keeps the options quite broad so that more can join on and share what they're cooking and any recommendations (though if your anything like me this will cost you in buying cookbooks that others have raved about)

This month the chosen cuisine to cook is Mexican- so any Mexican cookbooks/ websites/ recipes that you can make, add a review / recommendation on here - Thomasina Myers is always a good shout for Mexican so I'll be using her books largely.

Our chosen food writer is Nigel slater - covering any of his books and or his recipes online.

So any recipes that you use regularly or you'd recommend, and anything new that you try , share it here

Hi all, your pics are great! I love TM Mexican made simple and cook from it lots. A few of my faves are the refried beans and the butternut squash chorizo salad. This weekend I'm trying the Mexican "crudites" - mango, pineapple and cucumber dipped in chilli lime salt. Mmmmm.

Oh and the black bean soup is delicious too.

Thanks for the recommendations feeding- I'll try the salad as it seems right in this heat

Pantah630 thank you for posting the pressure cooker pork carnitas. What a great recipe! My family loved them, and it was so easy to make (cheap to considering how many it fed for the cost of the pork!) it's sort of a citrusy pulled pork - it's the nicest shredded pork I've done under pressure!

Glad you liked it What, it's a firm favourite in our house. We had HB chilli yesterday with added chipotle en adobo and homemade guacamole, a variation of a TM recipe and the one used at the Mexican restaurant in London my DB took us to years ago, just Avo, coriander, lime, chilli, tomato and salt, delicious.

Off to camp tomorrow so no cooking for me until next week now. Happy with a Greek/Cypriot month and whatever else is picked.

Enjoy camp pantah btw am being very dense but who is HB?!

Tonight I had second attempt at NS focaccia - much better this time, more holes, better texture, still salt and oil!

I also did lamb neck with pug lentils from Kitchen Diaries 3. I often do butterfly lamb on puy lentils with goats cheese but this was equally simple- pan fried lamb neck fillet, braised puy lentils with spinach and then sliced lamb over top.

The recipe calls for cream to the lentils. I fear I was accidentally a tad heavy handed and too much cream added which was a shame. Am not entirely sure cream is needed at all tbh.

But good dish and I'd make again.

Thanks Myrtle, HB = Hairy Bikers. The Lamb looks lovely. I need to take a week off to House train my pup, I shall have a go at the focaccia then.

Ooo myrtle, wish I'd read that before- that lamb lentil dish looks lovely- my
Lamb looks much less appetising . I had some lamb leg steaks and made Nigel's lamb with bean and spinach purée- sort of. As the queen of substitutes when I didn't have spinach, I used peas nonetheless, it was delicious, I'd make it again. Though, interestingly considering your comment on the lentils, it called for 100ml cream- I halved that and queried whether it needed it at all tbh.

Recipe here www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/recipes/lamb-steaks-creamed-cannellini/

I made Thomasina Miers black bean tostadas this afternoon. With her roast tomato salsa. Much loved by all the family- as is any interactive taco type food.

I'd like to have an endless supply of black beans, as Thomasina seems to, but whilst absolutely lovely, I do find them a chore to prepare- do they work in the pressure cooker does anyone know?

They look lovely What! Love the sociableness of a diy table top meal like tacos...

Sorry I don't own a pressure cooker so can't help out with your query!

Thinking of June - have we firmed up the author/cookbook side to go with Greek/Cypriot as our country/region theme?

Maybe hairy bikers? Or Rick Stein? Hfw?
I'd suggest delia or Nigella but I think both are better at winter than summer.
I'm open to any ideas -but can't wait to do Greek and revisit smashing plates

Well this is right up my foodie street.

I'll have a look into Mexican stuff, inspiration is sorely needed chez the halfwits...

Re. Black beans

Can't you just buy them canned?

You can definitely pre cook beans in the pressure cooker. Think I have a recipe somewhere, will have a look later.

I knew I'd seen it somewhere, just substitute the pinto for black beans, think I used pinto when I did TM retried beans, and use her herbs, etc..timings should be the same I'd think. Good luck

Oooh this looks like a great thread / idea, I'd love to join in! I'm planning on making Nigel's chocolate and pistachio soufflés from Real Food this Friday night, never made it before but looks great for a cosy night In with DH. Definitely can recommend one pan chicken and bread sauce from his Eat book too, so delicious.
Also love Thomasina Miers Wahaca cookbooks, everything I've cooked from them have been well worth the effort.

Hello everyone... as we start June tomorrow I've created a new thread (and plumped for Hairy Bikers as our author/chef) - hope thats ok?

See you in the Grecian sun over here!
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food_and_recipes/3264492-Cookery-Club-June-Here-comes-the-sun-and-all-things-Grecian-and-Hairy-Bikers?watched=1

We have been in Italy on holiday so just back and last Mexican recipe. TMs burritos but with chicken not steak as had it in.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/14/food-and-drink-thomasinamiers
Lush!