My Favourite Cookbooks: Part Two
A few weeks ago, I did a blog post about some of my favourite cookbooks.
There's so many out there, it can be hard at times to separate the good from the bad. Most of the time, it depends on your skill level and what type of food you're looking to prepare.
However, there are a few core books that I find myself reaching for time and time again for a variety of occasions. In this post, I've included some more of my picks.
I've included details on what style of dining they cater for and whether they're suitable for amateur cooks. Enjoy!
XoXo
THE SMITTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK
Released in latter half of 2010, this book became a quick favourite of mine. Deb Perelman started a blog documenting how she cooked for her and her family in her tiny kitchen in New York City. Her friendly style of writing, inventive recipes and cute charm won her many fans.
This books is ideal for beginners, with a few more advanced recipes thrown in for good measure. It's generally good for generating new ideas for dishes and the recipes and straightforward to follow. Her Brown Butter Rice Crispy Squares are unbelievably good.
THE LAST FOOD OF ENGLAND
This isn't a cookbook, but I've listed it here as it's a great way to get inspiration for food (perhaps I should start another list of non-cookbook, food books?). It's filled with fantastic historical tidbits and the author takes you on a wonderful journey in his discovery of British food.
This book is good for the dedicated foodie who enjoys history. Ideal reading on a rainy mid-week night with a cup of cocoa.
JAMIE'S COMFORT FOOD
There are so many of Jamie Oliver's books I could've included on this list, they really are all wonderful. He's one of the rare celebrity chefs that consistently produces excellent cookbooks (Nigella's last one, anybody?) and I have yet to fail to find a few new dishes to love in each one.
I've chosen this one for this list though for a number of reasons. Soon, we will be entering the duskier days of Autumn - a time for layers and open fires, changeable weather and steaming, comforting food. To me, this book is Autumn with a hard back spine. Whether it's hearty stews, spicy curried dishes, pies or decadent deserts, this book has it all.
The recipes are simple and straightforward and the ingredients easy to find. Newbie cooks will soon find an arsenal of dishes they can master while more experienced ones will find fresh ideas and twists on old classics. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
FROZEN YOGHURT, CONTANCE & MATHILDE LORENZI
While there are many books on frozen yoghurt out there, this is hands down my favourite. With over 60 recipes for frozen yoghurts in many forms, this is a one stop shop.
Sisters Constance and Mathilde run a shop in Paris and their book was birthed from that and their love of fro-yo, long before it became cool.
It's not all about indulgence (although that is there in their dulce de leche recipe and frozen yoghurt biscuit sandwiches) - they also have recipes using spinach, spirulina and other good things. You also can make their stuff without an ice-cream machine (which I don't have). I plan on making up batches of different ones using the last of the Summer fruits so I can enjoy them all Winter long.
If you've an experimental spirit and sweet tooth, this is the book for you.
FROM VENICE TO ISTANBUL, RICK STEIN
This book is packed full of flavour and is a really easy way of bringing the exotic into your daily foods. Mezze spreads are ideal for dinner parties and will make guests feel very special indeed. To me, this is a holiday in a book. The combination of vibrant recipes and beautiful photographs is a cheap way of whisking you to foreign climes.
Not ideal for the less experienced cook who might be daunted by the lists of ingredients and cooking methods, but brilliant for those looking for fresh inspiration.
There's so many out there, it can be hard at times to separate the good from the bad. Most of the time, it depends on your skill level and what type of food you're looking to prepare.
However, there are a few core books that I find myself reaching for time and time again for a variety of occasions. In this post, I've included some more of my picks.
I've included details on what style of dining they cater for and whether they're suitable for amateur cooks. Enjoy!
XoXo
THE SMITTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK
This books is ideal for beginners, with a few more advanced recipes thrown in for good measure. It's generally good for generating new ideas for dishes and the recipes and straightforward to follow. Her Brown Butter Rice Crispy Squares are unbelievably good.
THE LAST FOOD OF ENGLAND
This isn't a cookbook, but I've listed it here as it's a great way to get inspiration for food (perhaps I should start another list of non-cookbook, food books?). It's filled with fantastic historical tidbits and the author takes you on a wonderful journey in his discovery of British food.
This book is good for the dedicated foodie who enjoys history. Ideal reading on a rainy mid-week night with a cup of cocoa.
JAMIE'S COMFORT FOOD
There are so many of Jamie Oliver's books I could've included on this list, they really are all wonderful. He's one of the rare celebrity chefs that consistently produces excellent cookbooks (Nigella's last one, anybody?) and I have yet to fail to find a few new dishes to love in each one.
I've chosen this one for this list though for a number of reasons. Soon, we will be entering the duskier days of Autumn - a time for layers and open fires, changeable weather and steaming, comforting food. To me, this book is Autumn with a hard back spine. Whether it's hearty stews, spicy curried dishes, pies or decadent deserts, this book has it all.
The recipes are simple and straightforward and the ingredients easy to find. Newbie cooks will soon find an arsenal of dishes they can master while more experienced ones will find fresh ideas and twists on old classics. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
FROZEN YOGHURT, CONTANCE & MATHILDE LORENZI
While there are many books on frozen yoghurt out there, this is hands down my favourite. With over 60 recipes for frozen yoghurts in many forms, this is a one stop shop.
Sisters Constance and Mathilde run a shop in Paris and their book was birthed from that and their love of fro-yo, long before it became cool.
It's not all about indulgence (although that is there in their dulce de leche recipe and frozen yoghurt biscuit sandwiches) - they also have recipes using spinach, spirulina and other good things. You also can make their stuff without an ice-cream machine (which I don't have). I plan on making up batches of different ones using the last of the Summer fruits so I can enjoy them all Winter long.
If you've an experimental spirit and sweet tooth, this is the book for you.
FROM VENICE TO ISTANBUL, RICK STEIN
This book is packed full of flavour and is a really easy way of bringing the exotic into your daily foods. Mezze spreads are ideal for dinner parties and will make guests feel very special indeed. To me, this is a holiday in a book. The combination of vibrant recipes and beautiful photographs is a cheap way of whisking you to foreign climes.
Not ideal for the less experienced cook who might be daunted by the lists of ingredients and cooking methods, but brilliant for those looking for fresh inspiration.
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