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Food/Recipes

Cookery bookclub - who is with me?

448 replies

Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 10:19

I love cookbooks and have picked up a ton of recommendations since joining mumsnet. I am keen to set up a cookery book club - anyone else interested? I propose:

  • we select one book each month
  • we go away, try out the recipes and generally revel in the deliciousness
  • we chat about it


We could alternate between books people are likely to have eg Nigella, Jamie, Delia and something a bit more unusual. If we have a rolling three month list, that gives people time to borrow / buy books they don't have (from the library for example).

What to you think?
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Pantah630 · 05/04/2013 10:32

Sounds good to me, I have far too many cookbooks and only use a few of them, this might get me either using or culling a few. I love looking at the pictures and recipes but can never stick to a recipe, I have to adapt them. It's the Cypriot gene I think, everything is better with lemon, oregano and thyme :)

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 10:34

Ok that's two (exciting)... Any more for any more? pantah perhaps you could nominate a book to kick us off?

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ScienceRocks · 05/04/2013 16:24

Yes please!

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ScienceRocks · 05/04/2013 16:25

I have most nigella, jamie and nigel slater books if there's an inclination to kick off with one of those...

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snoworneahva · 05/04/2013 16:28

Nice idea - maybe we could suggest a couple of books at a time? I need to exercise my cooking mojo - I was on fire before Easter...but there are cookbooks that have never had a proper airing.

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Pantah630 · 05/04/2013 16:34

When I do my blindfolded, Wonder Woman spin in front of bookcase later, I'll concentrate on those shelves science :)

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Kneedeepindaisies · 05/04/2013 16:34

Yes please!

I have alot of Jamies, a Nigella and the usual really but would like to try new or different ones.

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SillyBlueHat · 05/04/2013 16:35

I will lurk - there isn't a lot of cooking going on in this house with a newborn dictating the rules

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 16:38

Ok, pantah you throw darts while wearing a cape! Just please don't pick nigella Christmas ... I had to throw my copy away as it was covered in soy sauce (not even a sodding recipe from the book!)

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 16:44

Does anyone else want to suggest a non-obvious one? I have tons of ideas but don't want to inflict my preferences on the group yet

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 16:44

As well as pantah's, I mean, not instead of

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Kneedeepindaisies · 05/04/2013 17:16

Go for it tigerlily

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 17:57

Right ok, here is my frankly brilliant suggestion. I propose the smitten kitchen cookbook because a. it's frankly brilliant too and b. I believe all the recipes are also on her blog (google smitten kitchen if you don't know it) so will be readily available to everyone. I am very pleased with my cleverness there! So that can be book 1 for April and we'll let pantah pick book 2. Please can you all think of books for may though as I would like to give plenty of notice (one trad, one new again).

I suggest we all try and cook at least two recipes from each book over the month - that's basically one a week so should be doable!

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Pantah630 · 05/04/2013 18:22

More difficult than I thought, my cookbook bookcase not including those housed in bedroom if a narrow five shelfer with another lot on top. I span and pointed and hit an American, oops, it was The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, therefore I looked above and below and hit Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros, Delia's Complete Cookery Course, Nigellas Feast and 2 Hairy Bikers, Ride Again and Mums Know Best. If I had to pick one it would be Feast, seem to remember a rather good poached chicken recipe in there but happy to bow to peer pressure Grin

Off to google Smitten Kitchen now.

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 18:25

Right let's go with feast, as it's the book that taught me how to cook! So April is feast and smitten kitchen. Ready steady cook! I am genuinely really excited about this.

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Orangesarenottheonlyfruit · 05/04/2013 18:30

ooh watching this thread with interest. Follow Smitten's blog and have been humming and hawing over her cookbook. Think I would like it but have SO many cookbooks already!
Any top recipes on there?

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Pantah630 · 05/04/2013 18:33

I'm looking at her lamb kebabs with tzatziki and its the Barefoot Contessas recipe :) the salted caramel brownies look rather yummy too. How do we know which ones are in her cookbook?

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ScienceRocks · 05/04/2013 18:38

Ooh good, I have feast and like the look of smitten kitten. Do we randomly choose recipes or are we going to try and do the same?

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 18:41

Right it's not very convenient but if you go to the page for the book on amazon and go to look inside then go to Table of contents, then scroll down to index, you'll get a list... Not sure if it's exhaustive. Based on my sample of two I think it's worth cooking a book recipe (that's also on the blog) as I think they may have been tested more... I hav e already made the whole lemon bars in the book (amazing... I've made them three times as the ingredient list is short and cheap!) and the coconut muffins in the blog (disappointing but I am not great with muffins), which is why I say that.

Just thought of a new rule for the group... If you have the book already you have to cook two new recipes, although you can discuss your tried and tested favourites as well of course! That should keep things interesting.

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 05/04/2013 18:41

Great idea. Would be especially interested in Nigella ones, as I have most of hers and no longer trust her, so it would be good to get recs! Oh and mine would need to be veggie too.

From 'Feast' I can heartily recommend the Guinness cake and the veggie chilli is pretty good (but mine is better!).

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 18:43

Science I am tending towards choose your own as we're bound to have different preferences ... I don't mind though. I think I will be asking people to recommend ones they've tried and follow them if I like the sound, so bound to be a bit of convergence.

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Pantah630 · 05/04/2013 18:54

The bread sauce flavoured potato gratin with the one pan sage and onion chicken and sausage is calling me from Feast. Anyone tried it? Shall add to next weeks menu unless I get some bad reviews.

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Curioustiger · 05/04/2013 18:55

I made safe and onion chicken and it was delicious!

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ScienceRocks · 05/04/2013 18:57

Shall I get the ball rolling on Feast, as I have already cooked from it quite a bit? My thinking is that some of my comments on some of the recipes in there may fire up some enthusiasm Smile

From the Christmas chapter, I have done both the chestnut and gingerbread stuffings. My notes state that the gingerbread stuffing would be good with venison, if anyone is inclined that way, and that is can be made up beforehand and stored in the fridge until baking. The chestnut stuffing is also lovely, but I'm a purist about chestnuts so wouldn't make it at this time of year, which also applies to the chestnut cheesecake (though I make this regularly at Christmas time to great acclaim). One recipe from this chapter that works year round is the cranberry and white chocolate cookies - as unctuous as a biscuit ever gets and quite a hit at school bake sales!

From the Easter chapter, I can recommend the lemon meringue cake. The macaroons in the Passover chapter are also very good.

The breakfast chapter in my book is very well thumbed. The rhubarb muffins are excellent as is the banana breakfast ring (which I often make in smaller quantities according to the number of black bananas I have, and in a smaller cake tin) and the granola (which is good in hampers to give as presents).

In Kiddiefeast, I regularly make the chicken pot pies and use the crepe recipe. The cut out cookie recipe is also a winner and I usually make double the quantity of mixture and freeze half to cut out and bake at a later date.

In the chocolate cake hall of fame, the old fashioned cake is a rare thing: a disappointing nigella recipe. Maybe someone else will be more successful with it than me. The quadruple loaf cake is fabulous, however, though you do need to be careful to not let the syrup turn to caramel!

One thing I do want to try is the kedgeree risotto from the Easter chapter. I'm intrigued to see how it turns out. Some recipes in the midnight feast chapter are also tempting.

Too much? Wink

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 05/04/2013 18:58

Has anybody done the Georgian feast? The melon and spiced relish really appeals.

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