Recipe review club

[GlumyGloomer]

I love trying out new recipes, and thought it would be fun to have a thread where we try stuff out and report back. Source must be cited and link provided if online. Photos encouraged.

Tonight I'll be making asian aubergine wedges, from Nadiya Hussain's Time to Eat book.
I like the taste of aubergine but have grave doubts about the texture. Still, I'm being brave and giving this a go.
Worth noting that I leave the chilli out of everything so that the dd's can eat it (I add at the table).

Anyone fancy joining me? (Waits for tumbleweed...)

Lol at the corned beef book. The something went wrong book sounds amazing.
I used to buy restaurant tie in books, hence the Nordic Bakery book. This morning I made barley flat breads, which went a bit wrong. I adjusted the oven temp down from 240 to 220 as it's a fan (although suspect it runs on the cool side). At the end of the 15 minutes they still looked very anemic, so I gave another 5 minutes and 5 minutes before giving up and discovering I'd made biscuits. Dispite the pale colour (nothing at all like the pic) and jaw work out the taste was nice, so I may try again at some point.

I like the idea of exercising the jaw to burn off calories.

I don't know if it's relevant, but some of my newer books actually state all temps are for fan ovens - you know the section that includes what egg sizes are used, all spoonsful are rounded etc & that I don't read!

It would be much better if the info was included in each recipe.

I really must read recipes all the way through before deciding to make something! Decided I really wanted to make this courgette and tomato loaf recipe with the last from the garden, but that I couldn't be bothered making the chutney, so started making it only to then realise some of the chutney was supposed to go in the loaf! Oops. I added chopped tomatoes instead. Smells good... looks good, hopefully it tastes good!
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/food/2020/sep/26/yotam-ottolenghi-bread-recipes-paratha-courgette-loaf-soda-bread-figs

That looks good. I quite often start a recipe, only to find it should be marinated over night or something. I followed the link and was reading the parata recipe. I'd love to try it, but doubt I'd get it right with the level of child interference I'm likely to encounter

Posted too soon.
Tonight I made sausage and mushroom toad in the hole (another Nadiya). The addition of crushed coriander seeds was nice, but the sausages didn't brown at all and the batter was a bit stodgy. I've reached the conclusion that I just don't have the knack for toad in the hole. I've never yet made one a patch on my mum's. I don't get to practice much because Dh doesn't really like them.

Oh no, disappointing. I can't even remember when I last made toad in the hole!

I tried a curry recipe posted online, celebritychef type thing, we love curries and I've been after a staple favourite.
The reviews were great, paid for things I don't usually have, for an ok curry .
Gutted !

@TheGhostofGlumy
I'm not a fan of Delia - far from it - but she does give specific details for TITH & it works.

I only make it for DH on special occasions as I don't like Yorkshire pud & avoid sausages.
@Imicola
Was it OK? I've got his "Simple" book, & everything I've tried so far has worked - even when I swap ingredients!

@Gotthetshirt23
I know the feeling, but at least your meal was edible.
I once bought some enormously expensive monkfish, but the recipe I followed (to the letter) was a dud & an anniversary meal ended as a t/a curry.

@Georgyporky tbh I wouldn't bother making it again without the chutney. It was pretty salty, and just tastes of garam masala, but I guess with all the flavours in the chutney it would be nicer. Texture was good and it looks nice. Toddler thought it wad a bit meh, and preferred the lentil soup! So not a resounding success!

Lamb for tomorrow, think I'll go for a curry. I might get my madhur Jaffray book out.

I made this tonight,
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tandoori-roast-chicken
I didn't bother with the onion or extra lemon though, and made the gravey by adding creamed coconut to the pan juices. It may not be particularly authentic but it is delicious.
@Georgyporky I have Delia's complete cookery course, so it's probably in there. It's a very old and literally falling apart book, (inherited) so I don't use it much, but sometimes I have a flick through. I'll take a look.
@gotthetshirt23 that is annoying, especially when you have a leftover jar of whatever that you have no idea what to do with (I have some ingredients like this).

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/succulent-sausages/toad-in-the-hole-with-roasted-onion-gravy

I've got a really old M.J. falling-apart book.
I showed it to an Indian friend, who was a bit sniffy about it & said to double all the spices & it will be better . I've done that a few times, & I agree.

Apparently M.J. dumbs down for the UK market - doesn't realise we've been eating Indian hot stuff since Q.V.

My parents have a Madhur Jaffray book, which was used quite a bit when I was growing up, and I do remember it being a bit bland. On the flip side I used to go with my friend to visit her Indian grandparents, and I was very proud when I finally built up my chilli tolerance enough to eat a whole samosa (washed down with vast quantities of mango juice)

Thanks for the link, although I shall have to leave it a few months before I try again (as I said, I'm the only one that likes them).

Does anyone have a good recipe for pumpkin pie? I've never tried it and I'm curious, so it's on my halloween cook list this year, along with the obligatory pumpkin soup.

Get the right sort of pumpkin !
Sainsbo were selling them @ 10p each on Nov 1st last year, but they were tasteless without a lot of spice & the texture was awful. I found out that "carving pumpkins" are a different variety .

I've ordered both a caving pumpkin and a culinary pumpkin. We shall see...

There is also the option to just buy a tin of pumpkin puree which I might do as a back up

Thankfully I didn't use the m j recipe book in the end (not used it in a while, and didn't realise the recipes are not great). I made a lamb pathia from a random website, in the slow cooker. Quantities were odd, with not enough spices, so I increased that! Came out quite well, and even got the toddler seal of approval.

But I once made an amazing date and tamarind chutney which I was sure was from her book. Looked it up as i was thinking it would be lovely to make again and it's not in there...argh, where did I get the recipe?!

Try looking for onion squash. Morrisons quite often has selection of small squashes at this time of the year, also Lidl.

I made pumpkin puree once, too much faff as you can buy it at world Food aisle at most supermarkets.

My DD cooked a lovely dinner the other night Waitrose.com chicken and mushroom gruyere cobbler (sorry don't know how to post a link)

Very very delicious

www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/c/chicken-mushroomandgruyerecobbler.html

Omitted the wine

@Imicola have you read Salt Fat Acid Heat? You might find that book interesting. She writes about how to understand the science of food so that recipes are unnecessary. There are a number of fill out posters show all the flavour combinations from around the world, plus other classics

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/salt-fat-acid-heat-1?utmcampaign=shoppinggfeedgbben&utmsource=google&utmmmedium=cpc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo7PZ9Z2s7AIVxrTtCh0xwwu5EAQYBCABEgL-4fDBwE

@Mumisnotmyonlyname no, I haven't read that but might truy and have a look. I also was tempted by one a few years back I think it was called the flavour thesaurus? But I haven't ever had a copy. I'm fine on principles of cooking, it's the inspiration on flavours and combinations I need!