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?

This sounds lovely, maybe you could share a photo of the finished dish?

Making biriyani tonight but it's just from the Tesco website, a fairly simple and easy one.

Ooh I’d like to join, I have around 150 cookbooks and still never seem to know what to cook. I got Padella for Christmas and want to try the pasta dish linked up thread but struggling to get hold of mussels. I have a new boyfriend who eats pretty much anything so a very willing guinea pig for my cooking.

So I admit I failed with the Padella mussels and clams linguine dish. It was snowing today and neither DS2 or I felt like a trip to the fishmonger so we’ve filed that recipe for another (warmer) day. Instead we made the fettuccine linguine with’nduja, lemon and mascarpone from the same book as we had all the ingredients in. It was a hit and everyone cleaned their plates 😀

As a bonus recipe DS1 made the peanut butter cookie dough bites from Oh She Glows. Also delicious.

I’d love to join in! I actually started a Substack on this very topic last year - I’ve got so many cookbooks that I haven’t used for ages, so I’m challenging myself to cook from them more and then writing about the book and the recipes.

I want to try that one too, it sounds delicious.

It would take me about a year, perhaps 2, I think I have about 100 or so cook books

I like the idea. Hesitant to commit...

Im committing to just 1 recipe a week, feels doable.

Yes, lots of investigations. In 2025 I lost 20 kg. I'm having my third colonoscopy next week, which means I am on a low residue diet from tomorrow.

I am having a bit of appetite come back but not every day.

We make those cookie dough bites all the time, they’re brilliant!

I made the manitaria stifado from Nistisima this evening. Only changes were I had to sub the allspice with Chinese 5 spice as I didn’t have any in, and I added butter beans. We served it with bulgar wheat, it was DELICIOUS. I’m a big fan of mushroom bourguignon so it was a nice change from that with different spices and perfect for a cold evening, def adding it to the regular rotation as all one pot, easy, nutritious, delicious

Looks great, and just like the cookbook photo!

A nice idea.
DW has many (many) cookbooks and I am often at home doing the cooking these days as recently early-retired. Will have to see if I can borrow her login for Eat Your Books. Also have a folder of recipes collected from a few years worth of Country Life magazines - organised by main ingredient.
Might not start this week as I am in the area with the Amber snow warning for tomorrow and Friday. So I think this weekend is likely to involve beef casserole from the freezer and maybe a toad-in-the-hole with venison sausages I froze when they were on discount just before Christmas.

Ha, I bought the Padella book too as a present for DP. He doesn’t cook but loves pasta 🙄 Had the same experience with fishmonger being closed so made the linguine with garlic and anchovies. It was lush.

Doew anyone have any deliciously Ella books? I’m considering adding to my pile 🤣