10 Cook Books for Christmas
We have nearly four full shelves of Cook Books in our house, and are adding all the time. Here is a selection of recently published books that I have been running my eye over.
1) Hairy Dieters go Veggie: - We already have four of the Hairy Dieters books and they are all brilliant, food so tasty its sometimes hard to believe you it can hekp you lose weight. Their diet books are undoubtedly the most used cookbooks in our collection. This latest offering has over 80 recipes including a Vegetarian Lancashire Hotpot!. If you have'nt tried their books yet now is the time to start!
2) Feasts : - Sunday Times Bestseller by chef and food writer Sabrina Ghayour, Easy to follow recipes with a Middle Eastern twist. - Tamarind Sticky Ribs - White Chocolate , Cardamon and Macadamia Squares - Sounds good to me!
3) Oklava- Recipes from a Turkish-Cypriot Kitchen: - by Selin Kiazim. The most talked about Cookbook of the year!. Brought up in London, but still with strong ties to her her Cypriot background, the recipes reflect her heritage. While 'Oklava' means rolling pin, this beautifully photographed book covers much more than just baking - Streaky Bacon with Medjool Date butter Sandwich....Mmmmm!
4) Braai : - by Jan Braai the doyen of South African Barbequeing. South Africans take their BBQ (Braai) very seriously, and in my humble opinion are the best in the world at it. This book covers all aspects of the bbq....from a little bit about the history , the necessary equipment and techiniques....loads of deicious recipes and even a bit on Health & Safety (how very un-South African). Become an overnight Braaimaster!
5) Dorie's Cookies :- by Dorie Greenspan. Winner of the James Beard Award for Bakery & Cooking Books. Any book with a recipe for Portofignos with chocolate dough and port-soaked figs has got to be worth a quick read....surely?
6) A Brief History of Tripe:-by Dr Derek Ripley - While not strictly a cook book, this literary masterpiece chronicles the story of Tripe from Prehistoric times to to its more recent renaissance as a northern food staple. A must have for any serios food historian or Offal Aficionado......Have you got the Stomach for it?
7) Bread is Gold : -by Massimo Bottura - Respected three Michelin starred chef takes a holistic look at world food wastage. 150 recipes, 45 of them from world famous guest chefs. Using ingredients that might often have been discarded he has produced delicious and economical dishes. Check out his first book , the delightfully named 'Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef''
8) Student Cookbook: - published by Parragon Books. A brilliant collection of 100 recipes.for the young cook. With tips on Shopping, Store cuboard Staples and kitchen safety you can pack your loved one off to Uni safe in the knowledge that if they can read then they won't starve. Caitlins Four-Cheese Macaroni Cheese Recipe draws inspiration from the very similarly named Four-Cheese Macaroni Cheese.
9) Jamies Five Ingredients: - by Jamie Oliver. Bish Bosh Bash, Jamies back! using just five ingredients he gives us more than 130 simple recipes to enjoy. From crazy simple Pork Burgers to Sticky Kickin' Wings an Boozy Pears & Chocolate....you gotta like him.
10) The Comfort Food Diaries: - My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend a Broken Heart by Emily Nunn - On the face of it it seems like an unlikely plot for a cookbook....her brother commits suicide, her partner walks out on her, and she hits the bottle!. From a dysfunctional Southern upbringing she chronicles how she travels America seeking recovery through food and friends.