Cook your Books 2026!

[BarryKentPoet]

I have a million an done cookbooks and yet rarely use them, so this year I am going to cook at least 1 recipe from one my books each week.
I am going for just 1 because that is totally doable with very little pressure - and any more than that will be a happy bonus 🤗

Anyone care to join me?

Grabbed the first book from my shelf, and will try this chorizo stew over the weekend.
Will share the result!

Ooh yes, I think I’ll try and do this. I might have to wait a week as I’ve done the shopping for this week. I’ve got some I’ve probably never used.

Join in whenever you want!

I just started to feel a bit sorry for my poor, unused cook books 😂

What a good idea! I’ll try and join you!

This week I’ve promised DS2 that we can try this new pasta dish out of Padella (I got it for him for Xmas).

Yes! I will join you - great idea. There used to be a "try a new recipe every week" thread on here, but I like adding the "use your existing recipe books" angle!

I have a grocery delivery coming on Sunday, so will need to look at my books over the weekend and add the ingredients

Love this idea! Placemarking as I do my meal plan on the weekends - will update when I do!

This looks lovely, I just wish I liked mussels!

This looks like a lovely thread, may I join?

I got three new cookbooks for Christmas and I'm excited to get going with them, as well as looking here for inspiration ✨

What did you get?

I got Boustany, vegetable recipes from Palestine. I've cooked a roast aubergine and chickpea stew. I made labneh, sumac pickled onions and green lemon sauce from the book to serve alongside it and it was delicious. I've filled the book with post-it notes on the things I want to try next.

DH got Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and is still reading it cover to cover

I got Lugma and Ottolenghi's Test Kitchen (I'm a big fan of Noor Murad and her cooking) so lots of lovely Middle Eastern recipes to try. Also, Amy Shepherd's Easy 10. I've had some success with her recipes via her Instagram page, so wanted to see what else there was. Her alternative uses of beef mince initially caught my eye as we do love a bit of mince in this house and can only make so many bolognaise/chillis etc.

I shall look up Boustany, love a Levantine vegetable dish!

You'll love Boustany, then, @MeAndMyGhost ! The author co-wrote Ottolenghi's first couple of books with him.

Ooooh Boustany looks right up my street too!

my dish this week will be Manitaria Stifado (wild mushrooms, onions and garlic in red wine) from Nistisima which is one of my favourite books but I inevitably make the same dishes from it. Will serve with Bulghar wheat

Ah I'd love to join this thread! We're off on holiday on Wednesday for 10 days so might miss a couple. We might be a bit ottolenghi and friends heavy as love their recipes...I may have to ask for Boustany for my birthday! Although also have a great many cookbooks and would love to cook from more.

I also have way to many cookbooks and in addition have 230 on my kindle. 😳Need to combine trying new recipes with eating the contents of the freezer!

I am really looking forward to seeing these recipes! Hoping there will be photos.

I didn't get any new cookbooks for Christmas but I did get Tim Spector's Ferment book.

I haven't heard of that one but it looks good. I've googled Manitaria Stifado recipes and think I'll make it this week as well. I love mushrooms.

I’m very much in. I have masses of recipe books but always find myself heading to my online stash for ease. Have selected salmon en croute with creamy leeks from So Good by Emily English and Szechuan Ling Prawns from Chinese Takeaway by Kwoklyn Wan for the week so far and a weekend treat will likely be from The Pie Room by Callum Franklin, recipe depending on whether we have some friends round for dinner. Looking forward to seeing everyone’s creations.

Making mine today, so will report back later!

Ao, first recipe done! Considering the few ingredients it took, it was surprisingly tasty and I'll definitely make it again! I added rice to make it more filling.

Now to decide on my next book!

That does look really nice!

Yum

I'll watch with interest. It was something I intended to do but at the moment I don't have much of an appetite eg yesterday I ate most of a sausage roll, that was it.

Yesterday I made the citrus sausage traybake from Mezcla. Adapted slightly to serve two instead of four, I also just put the fruit in the same tray instead of using a separate pan and added some leftover roast potatoes that desperately needed using up. It was an excellent, easy mid week meal

Im not doing a new recipe, but its one I haven't made for about ten years as I lent ds my copy of Appetite and he lost it. Its not on Kindle so I bought a new to me copy. So its Nigel's luxurious and deeply aromatic noodle dish. Perfect for a cold dreich day.

Are you unwell? I hope you feel better soon.