I must apologize ahead of time for the strange hue to my photos today.  I don't know what was up with the light but it was not the best for taking photos, but I didn't want another day to go by without telling you about this fabulous book I read recently!

As you know I am a cookery book enthusiast!  I just love cookbooks.  I go to bed with them and I really enjoy them.  I have some that are really old actually which I cherish a great deal.  New . . . old . . . in between I have never met a cookbook that didn't have some value to me.  They are like good friends.

This book here today is not a cookbook, but a book about cookbooks!   In short it is a compendium of 101 classic cookbooks, compiled and edited by  Leslie Geddes-Brown, selected by her for their influence, for their unusual recipes or simply for their beauty.  It is clear that this is a woman who is a cookbook lover too, and as she says quite rightly that this is a person collection of her own favourite cookbooks, which might not be the same as your favourite cookbooks . . . but I have to tell you from the outset . . . Leslie has great taste because a lot of her favourites were MY favourites too!



Looking at her cooking space, you just know this is a person who loves all aspects of cookery . . the tasting and smelling, the touch and sight . . . and of course the sounds of food cooking.   There is not too many other things you can do that involves all of our five senses in quite the same way and that is the approach Leslie has taken in this book . . .  these are cookbooks that incite you to run into the kitchen and immediately get stuck in, they set your taste buds to tingling and your fingers to itching to be in the kitchen chopping and beating and . . . cooking.

 

Each book listed is complete with a cover shot and a few pages from it's interior to whet your appetite and a totally edible description of it's contents, complete with interesting facts about it's author.



There are some very old surprises such as The Gentle Art of Cookery by Mrs D F Leyel and Miss Olga Hartley, published in 1925 . . . which I found quite fascinating . . . and am now on the look out for . . . (You would be surprised what you will find in old used book shops.)

 

There are some not so surprising new comers . . . such as The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver . . . (I still regret giving my copy of this away.  Never, ever give away a cookbook.  You will instantly regret it.  Trust me on this.)

And of course everything in between.



I was not at all surprise to see Nigel Slater included.  As you know he is my all time favourite.

  

There is also a fascinating section which is devoted to Cooks and their books, which is a small list of some really good cooks and the cookery books which inspires them.

I have quite, quite enjoyed going through this and have spent many hours in the days since I received it going through it again and again . . . each time finding something new and discovering some book which is new to me and which I covet owning. 

With more than 500 colour illustrations, lively text, including a short history of cookery books, and an elegant design, A Book for Cooks is a culinary delight for all foodies.  This is a  stylish compendium of 101 of the world’s best cookery books, from the seventeenth century to the present day, showing covers and several inside pages of all featured books.  I would consider this to be a welcome addition to any true foodie's cookbook library.  I think any foodie on your Christmas list would be quite happy to find this under the tree on Christmas Morning!

A Book for Cooks
101 Classic Cookbooks
by
Leslie Geddes-Brown
Published by Merrell Publishing

224 pages
ISBN  978-1-8589-4579-8
UK £30.00
US $ 50.00 

Many thanks to Helena for sending me this book to review.  All opinions are my own.

Spoon the hot mince into 4 preserving jars, dividing it equally amongst them.  (You will need 4 X 500ml preserving jars/2 cup jars)  Top the mince with a good sprinkle of the grated cheddar and the rest of the chives and the top with the crispy herve potatoes.  Lightly season again and serve immediately.  (I added an additional sprinkle of cheddar on top and a few chives, just because!)


First published in New Zealand in 2012, this 224 page hardback book will be available in the UK on the 17th of October 2013 published by Jacqui Small LLP. You can pre-order it now from Amazon at a discounted price. 

Book: Pie: Delicious Sweet and Savoury Pies and Pastries, From Steak and Onion Pie to Pecan Tarts
Author: Dean Brettschneider
ISBN: 9781909342187
Publication Date: 17 October 2013
Cover: Hardback
RRP: £25 

I did receive a review copy of this book at no charge, but I assure you wholeheartedly my opinions are my own.

As you all know I am awfully fond of cookbooks.   My motto is you can never have too many of them. Todd would disagree . . . but what does he know?   His idea of cooking is holding a tin in one hand and a pot in the other.    I have noticed that whilst he might balk at the amount of cookery books I have . . . he never complains about the recipes I cook from them.   He's always more than happy to chow down!

I was recently sent this beautiful cookery book Sicily published by Phaidon.   It's a pretty hefty book, containing more than 50simple  recipes from the Silver Spoon restaurant in Sicily, this book is much more than a mere cookery book.  Personally I found it completely fascinating and I learned a lot about Sicily that I hadn't known before.

I always thought of Sicily as being not much more than an Island at the tip of Italy's boot, but I didn't know a lot about it.  I just always thought of it as being Italian, but it turns out it is so much more than that.

It is a unique cuisine which can boast influences from Neolithic migrants from Africa and the Arab Peninsula, Greeks and the Romans.

 

This book is divided into the different areas of Sicily, with a variety of recipes representing each area . . . some 9 different spots and chapters in all . . .



As you can see from the map, each area has their own individual variety of cuisines, depending on the cultures of the people which have settled there and the raw ingredients which are in abundance.  Sicily has a unique and varied landscape, comprised of lush and fertile mountains and valleys, arid desert-like plains and a wonderful coastline filled richly with a variety of sea life.  Altogether this makes for a delicious mosaic of cultures and cuisines.



The book is filled with beautiful photographs which read like a travelogue of this beautiful Island . . . representing each area wonderfully.   I really enjoyed seeing them and reading about the cuisine of each area.



It truly is a beautiful spot.  Earlier this year Todd and I had planned on doing a Mediterranean Cruise and Sicily was going to be one of the spots we stopped at.  Unfortunately we had to cancel it and so this book has truly allowed me to see this beautiful Island in a unique and interesting way.  It is a wealth of information about the climate, the people, the landscape and the food.

 

Beautiful fresh produce such as these lovely peppers . . . and lemons



Beautiful olives, fresh sardines, pasta, pizzas, tomatoes, aubergines, chocolate, anchovies, capers, cheeses, shrimps, swordfish, garlic, fennel, oranges, pistachio nuts . . . there is no end to the variety and quantity of ingredients which make Sicilian food so beautifully tasty, and this book so fabulous.



One of the recipes in this book is called Pasta Con I Mascolini, or Pasta with anchovies.   It looks delicious, absolutely delicious . . . of course as you know the Toddster doesn't like pasta, but he does love pies . . .



I was able to bake him this delicious Chicken Pie, Pasticcio Di Pollo. which he really enjoyed.   It was a fabulous mix of chicken, pistachios, almonds, capers, lemon and Parsley and a beautiful crust which was quite unique in that it used eggs, butter, lard and Marsala wine.  Totally delicious. 



Beautiful sauces such as this Salmoriglio sauce, or Salsa Salmoriglio, consisting of simple ingredients . . . olive oil, lemons, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper.  Said to go very well with fish, especially sword fish.





Pomodori Ripieni Fritti, Fried stuffed tomatoes.  These look gorgeous and I can hardly wait for tomato season so I can get stuck into some of them.  Have I ever told you how much I love tomatoes??  Well, I adore tomatoes and these look fabulously delish!

But there is not just savory things in this book . . . there is also plenty of sweetness to be found with recipes for these beautiful sounding sweet fritters called Sfinci, served with a citrus syrup,  Panzerotti di ricotta (sweet ricotta pastries), an assortment of ices, granitas, a sweet coffee jelly and sweet biscuits like these  lovely  Convent Biscuits, or Biscotti Del Convento.  (Did you know I love Biscotti?  You do now!)



Altogether this is a beautifully presented hard covered book, with gorgeous pictures, a wealth of information about Sicily and delicious sounding recipes.

 

There are also two great bookmarks included which come in very handy for making note of what you want to make.  I hate picking a recipe to make and then having to search to find it because I have lost my place.  These bookmarks get rid of that problem.  If I had any criticism at all about the book it would be that some of the ingredients are not readily available here where I live at my local grocery stores, although I am sure I would be able to procure them at specialty shops, or with my knowledge of cookery and flavours . . . I could probably quite easily substitute them with something else.

If you are looking for a nice book, with some beautiful recipes, fabulous pictures and which is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate, you could not go far wrong in getting this book.  Many thanks to the people at Phaidon for sending it to me.



There's all you need to know in that picture there.   Available now.

 

One of the things I love most about the food blogging world is that you get to touch base with food bloggers from ALL over the World!  I think that's pretty cool.   It makes the world . . . well . . . not so big a place, and it opens up your palate to all sorts of variety and possibility.   At least that's my theory.

I was contacted recently and asked if I would be willing to participate in an activity to help to promote the launch of a new cookery book by one of the world's best food photographer/food bloggers Jules Clancy of the popular food blog Stone Soup.  As a part of this activity I was asked to submit an ingredient which she could give me some recommendations for cooking quickly and deliciously.

The Stone Soup Blog is all about cooking fresh, healthy and delicious meals that can be cooked with 5 ingredients and in 10 minutes or less.
 

I asked Jules about Swede.   I love Swede, or Rutabaga as it is known in North America and probably other parts of the world.  We always called it turnip when I was a child, but that was a misnomer.  It is a member of the brassica family, but it's not a turnip per se.  In any case we love them in this house.  Here was Jule's advice to me . . .


SWEDES
I'll be honest, swedes aren't my favourite vegetable.  I usually only buy them once or twice a year when I feel like making a huge pot of my Mum's lamb and veggie soup or making a mixed root veg stew.

Given that they take at least half an hour or longer to cook, they really didn't get a look in when I was planning recipes for my book '5 Ingredients 10 Minutes'.  But if you love swedes and would like to include them in your midweek cooking more often, the best thing to do is to cook them on the weekend.  Just scrub and dice and roast in a little oil until golden.  Then keep in the fridge to throw into soups like the simple minestrone in my book.

The roast cubes can also be quickly warmed in a pan to make warm salads more substantial.  They're also great in any dishes involving lentils or eggs or cheese.  Try using your diced roast swede to add bulk to a frittata or omelette or even scrambled tofu.  Or make your favourite pasta bake recipe a bit healthier by replacing some of the cooked pasta with roast swede cubes.

I agree, they can take some length of time to cook, and I appreciated Jules advice to roast or cook it ahead of time, at the weekend, so that you can have some ready to add to soups, salads, omelettes, etc. I personally have a pretty quick way of cooking it myself, which is quite, quite delicious.   I simply grated it on the large holes of a box grater and then pan fry it in a bit of butter.   It's done pretty quickly and is absolutely delicious.   Tis a trick I learned from a Canadian Mennonite.

 

I do love Jule's book.    It's got a fresh clean look to it and peppered throughout with her beautiful food photography.   All of the recipes are nicely written and quite doable!  And yes, quick . . . Quick . . . QUICK!



Recipes for tasty spreads and dips such as this simply beautiful looking warm Cannellini Bean Spread with Parmesan . . . 



to the unusual . . . like this Cream Cheese, Honey and Soy Crostini.  Now tell me that's NOT appealing and intriguing!   The picture alone begs me to create it and the ingredients list . . . simply crusty baguette slices, cream cheese, honey and . . . well . . . soy sauce!  It could not be simpler.

 

But that's not all . . . there is also a beautiful variety of delicious looking and sounding soups . . .



Tasty and beautiful looking salads . . .



Quick easy, fresh and colourful pasta dishes . . .

 

A variety of mains using meat, fish and poultry . . .



And even fresh and delicious desserts.

And . . . all of the recipes use five ingredients or less and are easily created in just ten minutes or less.   One of the main excuses people use today for not eating healthy is that they don't have the time to cook healthy meals . . . this delightful cookery book blows that theory right out of the water . . . it is indeed possible to cook fresh and delicious food, using healthy fresh ingredients in not an awful lot of time!

 

I was personally intrigued by her recipe for Crunchy Bread Pudding.  We love bread pudding in this house, especially the Toddster.   Too often though the recipes make far too much and most of it ends up being thrown away because it just doesn't get eaten in time.   Was it possible to make a delicious bread pudding in ten minutes or less??

Yes.   It is and I did.



*Crunchy Bread Pudding*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

Take care to watch while it is baking as it can burn very quickly if you take your eyes off it for even a second.

60g caster sugar (I used golden about 1/4 cup)
125ml whipping cream (1/2 cup double cream)
1 large free range egg
2 thick slices of bread, cut into cubes
cream or ice cream to serve

Preheat your oven grill to it's hottest setting.  Line a large baking tray with some aluminum foil.  Spray it lightly with non stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

Whisk the sugar, cream and egg together in a bowl.   Add the bread cubes and squash them into the mixture, allowing it to soak up as much of it as possible.   Spread the soaked bread onto the prepared baking tray.

Cook under the heated grill for about 5 minutes.  Turn the cubes over and grill for another 3 minutes or so until golden brown.

Divide the cubes between two small bowls and serve with cream or ice cream.

Note:  you can use coconut cream instead of the whipping cream and egg to make this dairy-free/vegan;  or use a gluten free bread for a gluten free version, you can add cinnamon to give a spiced flavour, or replace the crea, sugar and egg with a commercial egg free custard for an egg-free version.



Another thing I like about Jules' recipes is that there are many variations included for most of them which give you the opportunity to charge things up.  There are also 10 minute tricks of the trade, etc.

All in all I think this book is a real winner and will take pride of place on my book shelf.

Many thanks to the people from Penguin and Jules for sending it to me.

5 ingredients 10 minutes
delicious, healthy recipes for tired and hungry cooks
by Jules Clancy
Published by Penguin books
ISBN 978-0-718-15874-3
U.K. £14.99

Do take a gander at the banner at the top of my right hand side bar to see all of the other people participating in this blogging event. 

 

I was recently sent the most delightful book to review.  It appealed to several of my loves . . . Illustration, Travel, History and Cookery.   I think I fell in love with it as soon as it fell through my letter box.  Entitled "Bladkbirds Baked In a Pie, Memories of Rozinante" and written by Eugene Barter and illustrated by Mary Jose.

Eugene Barter was the Senior Secretary of Prime Minister Edward Heath who, at the age of 60, retired to a house in the foothills of the Pyrenees along with her sister and brother-in-law and opened an Auberge, which is a type of restaurant.

This book is a sturdy delightful mix of food for the eyes, the soul and the stomach.   I found the little stories and anecdotes perfectly charming and wonderful to read.  As someone who has always dreamed of doing the same thing . . . I was quite mesmerized by this aspect of the book.

 

The first part of the book is filled with delightful tales of drunken neighbours, burglaries of provincial houses, quirky guests and a life well lived. Sharing with the reader the journey from stranger to accepted French status, Eugene's mesmerizing tale flows through years of encounters and experiences, ranging from  the initial purchase of the house which became her livelihood.   Eugene takes us through the trip of a lifetime and shares with us the lessons which she learnt along the way.  Peppered throughout are these fabulous little pen and ink drawings done by  Mary Jose, who also did the cover art.  All in all I found it to be a fascinating read.

 

The second part of the book is, of course . . . recipes!   In this section you will find tasty selections for everything from Dressings and Sauces to delicious sounding soups, starters, omelettes, pies, fish dishes, salads, game, local dishes, etc.  It is just a beautiful selection.   I was spoilt for choice when it came to choosing a recipe to illustrate to you the quality of recipes you can expect in this book.



I finally settled on the recipe for the Bakewell Tart, for several reasons.   It is a pretty basic recipe and from my experience if you can't get the basic recipes right, there is no hope for you getting the more complicated ones right and let me tell you, this recipe is a winner.  It's very simple, using simple wholesome ingredients . . . but the results are fabulous.  Delicious and anything but simple.  In short, it worked beautifully.

 

Another reason I chose this recipe to showcase the book is that I have never baked a Bakewell Tart for you on here!  I've talked about it a lot . . . and done some really tasty versions of things using the Bakewell Theme . . . ie. steamed puddings, scones, Whoopie Pies, etc.  I thought it was about time I actually showed you a Bakewell Tart!



And I can tell you first hand, it's a fabulous tart.   A real winner.  Just like this delightful book. 

The book also contains cookery conversion tables for pan and dish measurements, oven temperatures and liquid and dry measures, which are very handy to have.

 

*Bakewell Tart*
Makes one 8-inch tart
Printable Recipe

A delicious British traditional tart.  Puff pastry, spread with raspberry jam and topped with an almond frangipane topping.

212g packet of Puff Pastry
2 whole free range eggs
2 free range egg yolks
100g of butter, melted (7 TBS)
100g of caster sugar (8 1/2 TBS)
50g ground almonds (generous half cup)
2 TBS raspberry jam
flaked almonds to decorate
Icing Sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. gas mark 6.  Butter an 8 inch pie tin or flan ring.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a round large enough to line the tin or flan ring.  Beat together the eggs, egg yolks, melted butter, sugar and almonds.  Spread the bottom of the the pastry case with jam.  Pour the almond mixture over top.  Sprinkle some flaked almonds over the surface.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm to the touch.  Allow to cool before cutting into wedges to serve.  Dust with icing sugar before serving. (optional)

  

If you are looking for a cookbook filled with gorgeous food photography, then this is not your book.  There is no food photography included.  If you are looking for a delightful read, quirky illustrations and some really fabulous recipes then this is the book for you.

Many thanks to Sunpenny Publishing for sending me this wonderful book to review.

Blackbirds Baked in a Pie, Memories of Rosinante
by Eugene Barter
Illustrated by Mary Jose
305 pages
ISBN 9781907984167