The Vegetable Butcher ~ a Review

As you may know I have reviewed quite a few cookbooks over the years and they have all been interesting, entertaining, nicely presented, good recipes, fun, etc. but this one is different!

I have just received a review copy of “The Vegetable Butcher” by Cara Mangini and can honestly say it is one of the best new cookbooks I have seen in years.

Unlike so many cookbooks this one actually teaches, advises and encourages the reader to be creative (as do my own).

The book starts with information on knife skills and other useful kitchen info.  This is followed by  sections each dealing with a over 100 vegetables with pretty well all the information you’ll ever need – varieties, season, what to look for, storage, what to pair it with, how to prepare it, different cooking methods, ways to vary dishes, recipes for accompaniments, what to do with leftovers and over 150 rather delicious sounding recipes, such as ...

Caramelized Broccoli with Chile Oil and Parmesan

I decided to try this as I had a splendid head of broccoli in the fridge but once I started I had a brief moment of uncertainty. I wasn’t quite sure about the combination of Parmesan, chilli, garlic and lemon and not only that the kitchen was beginning to smell a bit odd with the roasting broccoli, but ... it was gorgeous! As I had no idea what to have for dinner I ate it with some penne pasta (and a glass of red) and enjoyed every mouthful.

... and ...

Sweet Potato Latkes

These are really quick and easy and they are also just my sort of thing; delicious.  I ate them pretty much as suggested in the recipe with sour cream and chilli jam; Cara Mangini does give a recipe for Cranberry Chipotle Jam which sounds gorgeous but I already had chilli jam in the fridge and used that.

I shall definitely be making both these recipes again and no doubt lots more from The Vegetable Butcher.

The book is somewhat American – eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette), fava (broad) beans, arugula (rocket)  and rutabaga (swede) and the occasional cup measurement but nothing you can’t cope with.  There are also a few ingredients one would be lucky to find in the UK – crosnes, fiddlehead ferns (I’d love to try them!) and jicama, for instance – but also lots of more normal veggies; asparagus, avocados, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, celery, spinach, radishes and, a bit of a surprise, rhubarb although it is indeed a vegetable.

Beautifully illustrated with very detailed visual instructions, this book is exceptional. I have a friend who runs the vegetarian Café Cinnamon in Falmouth and she’d love this book but tough!! She can borrow it but I’m afraid it’s a keeper!

The Vegetable Butcher is published by Workman Publishing and I recommend that you get a copy! 

Jamie Oliver & Me!

Today I saw, for the first time, Jamie Oliver's new much discussed book "Save with Jamie". 

I can't afford to buy it but I did browse for a long while. The first recipe that caught my eye, and which seems to have attracted the attention of lots of other people, included in its ingredient list a side of salmon. (More about this in the future here!) 

On closer inspection, many of the recipes (which all look fine to me, by the way, and I have always thought Jamie's food appealing) include ingredients I would not expect people on a tight budget would have much truck with: fennel, lamb (so expensive these days) and prawns, for instance.

Having said that, and seeing that there has been such an outcry among foodies and bloggers as to how unrealistic this book is for "genuinely poor people", I would just like to say that, whilst I can see their points, I don't suppose the book's target market is people actually below the poverty line, (which officially I believe we are), but rather at middling sort of chaps (I wrote that on purpose to sound middle class!) who are now feeling the pinch but can still afford a book to pick up some new ideas.

Jack Monroe says people are constrained by lack of knowledge and I very much agree with her.  It has been said that my generation (fairly old!) were the last to "learn at their mother's knees "and I don't think cooking education at schools is of much use. Wasn't it Jamie Oliver, however, who started the Ministry of Food in Rotherham together with the Pass It on Campaign whereby a few people were taught some basic recipes with the hope that they would teach more people, they would pass on the info and so on.  

This was a good idea I think but if you don't know Jamie Oliver or anyone else who can teach you to cook there are lots of books available to read for free in pubic libraries, lots of stuff on the telly ("massive fucking" big or otherwise) and learning the basics is so very, very worthwhile.  Just imagine being able to make yourself something quick, easy, cheap, healthy and utterly, utterly yummy.

At the end of April Global Poverty Project challenged us to eat for under £1 a days but I didn't join in because as I really do know how to cook and how to use every scrap I often do this anyway by accident!  

I am sure Jamie Oliver knows his stuff but so do I!

My Credentials ...

~   I have been a professional chef for over 30 years not only in the UK but also in several other places where I have learned a lot more than if I had stayed at home. 

~   I have lived in a small, crappy caravan (not on holiday - lived in) with a broken oven and the only working space was if I put a chopping board over the sink.

~   I have also lived on various boats at sea, moored up, on the hard, passage making and for a couple of years stuck in the mud!  None of them were well equipped to say the least. 

~   For many years I cooked professionally on a Caribbean island where supplies were very erratic so I had to be not only very inventive but in an way that would impress rich people on holiday!  In short I know how to cook even in limited circumstances. 

The only sort of cooking I haven't done is on the telly! 

Now In my own humble way I have been trying to spread the word on how to cook and how to make the most of your food. 

I have been writing a series of books on very useful, flexible recipes which can be learnt by heart then tweaked and adapted to make your own wonderful creations.  This seems far more useful than just publishing separate recipes. See here for all my books.

I have also written a real, grown up properly published book which can be of real help in making the most of all your food. If you want a book that helps you prepare delicious nutritious meals using even the smallest amount of leftover food and a few things you could already have in your kitchen cupboard may I recommend (and not only because I wrote it!) ...  

Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers: An Inspiring A – Z of Ingredients and Delicious Ideas 

Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers has probably five times as many recipes ideas and suggestions as Jamie's book does and is just over a third of the price, although admittedly it is not a lovely brightly illustrated hardback.  It is, however, a useful pocket bible which will certainly help save money and avoid food waste.

Considering the subject of the above blog post I think it only fair that I should show you this Amazon review of Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.

Read more here.

'Breakfast for Dinner' ~ a Review

Having just written about Dinner on Toast for lunch and Ice Cream for Breakfast  it is a coincidence (or maybe destiny) that I am now reading a rather lovely book called Breakfast for Dinner!  

Written by Lindsay Landis and her husband Taylor Hackbarth, a couple of American chaps, and published by Quirk Books this really takes me back to my years in the Caribbean where Sunday Brunch at the Tamarind Club was a huge, popular and fun event.  Many of the dishes in Breakfast for Dinner are either similar to those I used to do or exactly what I would like to do if I was still cheffing out there, or even here.

On first flick through there are a lot of American ways of putting things which may be unfamiliar in the UK; but, seriously, don't let this be a deterrent.  Among talk of grits, marinara sauce and Monte Cristos there are some excellent recipes and ideas and, in fact, I'm having a bit of a drool right now as I browsefor examples to give.

The Parmesan Beignets look gorgeous as does the recipe for Tomato Peach Jam which is recommended to serve with them. Chocolate Brownie Waffles are a inspiration as is so much in this book.

In addition to great photos (I've been trying to find out who took them but perhaps it was the talented authors themselves)  and very tempting recipes there is a lot of useful info on how to poach eggs, make crepes and homemade pasta, and such like.  In addition are footnotes to the recipes giving alternatives, serving suggestions, suitable side dishes and, a personal favourite, what to do with leftovers.

Bacon Action! 

Another thing I very much like about this book is there is a lot of bacon action; Bacon Jam, Candied Bacon, Maple Bacon Cupcakes, Candied Bacon and, of course, that old breakfast standby Bacon Infused Bourbon leading inexorably to how to make a Bacon Old-Fashioned. 

"Two Greedy Italians eat Italy" ~ a Review

When I was up country (as we say in these parts) I had lunch at Carluccio’s; the menu was tempting, the food very good and I was really enticed by the deli selling all sorts of fascinating stuff.  I didn’t have long to linger, however, as I was with my agent (ahem!) and about to meet up with publishers to discuss the possibility of publishing the book I am writing. 

ASIDE ~ if you would like to think positive thoughts for me in this regard please feel free; there’s still time as I haven’t heard anything yet!

Coincidentally, on my return to Cornwall, among the various delights waiting me was another lovely  book from Quadrille (I thank you); “Two Greedy Italians eat Italy” by Gennaro Contaldo and no other than Antonio Carluccio ~ the very chap who developed the above mentioned Carluccio’s caffè business together with his ex-wife Priscilla Carluccio. 

The book is divided into three main sections dealing with food from the mountains (the Alps including the glacial lakes), from the coast and from the rivers and plains giving a little about the geography of each area as it relates to food and lifestyle. 

 “Comfort Food from the Mountains” deals with warming, rib sticking food.  The first recipe is for Beef & Wine Soup which is good beef broth enhanced with wine, cream and Parmesan and served over buttery fried bread.   This is just the sort of food for someone keen on using up leftovers, as I am, and so is the second recipe in the book for Bread Dumplings in Beef Broth.  As it happens I am making beef stock as I type (see recipe at the end of this post) so will try these recipes soon.  

This section also includes several game recipes, polenta, pizza, chestnuts, potatoes, sausages and cabbage, that sort of thing.  Towards the end Carluccio gives a recipe for Mascapone All’ Amaretto.  As luck would have it there was were a few Amaretti in the cupboard and a little mascarpone in the fridge so it seemed only right that I try it for breakfast.  Sadly I had no Amaretto so I had to compromise with a little brandy but it was still delicious!

“Fresh Flavours from the Coast”, of course, gives many fish and seafood dishes plus some desserts and ices and a particularly enticing recipe for Focaccia di Formaggio.

The third section “The Larder of the River and Plains” concerned the the agricultural area where not only fruit and vegetables are grown but also rice for risotto and wheat for pasta. 

Each of the guys contributes recipes, which are clear and straightforward, and also the occasional note on ingredients.  I have never been to Italy (what a slacker!) but this strikes me as real or realistic Italian food, not restaurant dishes beyond the call of day to day cooking and I am tempted by a great deal of it.  I am also tempted to visit Italy.

If the photos are to be believed Carluccio and Contaldo seem to have had fun compiling this volume and they they remind me a little  of “Last of the Summer Wine” ~ two old friends still playing with life and enjoying themselves together.  

ANOTHER ASIDE ~ does anyone have any idea what’s in Compo’s matchbox?

“Two Greedy Italians eat Italy” by Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo is a follow up to their first book “Two Greedy Italians” which accompanied the BBC series of the same name (get the DVD here).  It is to be published by Quadrille Publishing Ltd on the 12th April this year and can be ordered from Amazon here. 

Boneless Beef Stock

If you are prone, as I am, to being left with lots of beef scraps after trimming steaks or preparing meat for casseroles then store every little bit in the freezer till there are enough to make an effort worthwhile – 500g at least. 

~   Defrost all the beef scraps if they are frozen – fat and sinew and gore are all fine for this.

~   Cut a whole onion into quarters, no need to peel it!

~   Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large pan and add the onion and all the beef bits.

~   Cook uncovered over high heat, stirring occasionally, till the beef is well browned and the onions may even have started to char.

~   Pour over enough water to cover generously, bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat and simmer for ages till you have a rich brown stock.

~   Strain the stock into a clean pan discarding the solids.

~   Add a seriously good glug of red wine (half a bottle even!) and boil till the liquid had reduced by 75% or so.

~   Cool, pour into an airtight container, cover and chill.

This keeps very well in the fridge; as it cools the fat rises to the top and solidifies thus sealing the dish.  It can also be frozen and I suggest freezing in ice cubes as it is strong and you may only need a little at a time.  This not at all classic stock has served me very well; I like to add a spoonful to sautéed mushrooms, to steak pans when deglazing, to creamy sauces, and to anything that could do with a beefy boost, such as my ever popular Peppered Steak Salad.  

  

“Christmas Miniatures – finger food and tiny treats” by Australian Women's Weekly - review

Quick – get this book!

Any minute now Australian Women’s Weekly are publishing a lovely little book “Christmas Miniatures – finger food and tiny treats” (thank you so much for my review copy) which I urge you to buy asap. The sooner you get it the sooner you can start planning what to make as gifts and what to cook for the upcoming festive season; there’s lots to choose from.

I used to collect Australian Women’s Weekly years ago and have cooked and sold many a fine dish based on their recipes.  Becoming nomadic I stopped collecting cookbooks (or anything really) but now, having settled down in order to practice for my dotage, I’ve started again and am glad to see that AWW are as good as ever and to add this book to my budding new collection.

“Christmas Miniatures” gives over 50 recipes for nibbly treats divided between …

~   Cocktail Food with a subsection entitled No Fuss Finger food.  This section concerns savoury nibbles such as Vodka-Cured Gravlax, Sticky Glazed Pork with Pineapple and so on and so forth – lovely stuff!

~   Little Pies and Tarts

~   Little Cakes & Pudding

~   Biscuits and Slices

~   Chocolates and Sweets including a subsection on sweet gifts.

There are, of course, some of the things one would expect in such a book; miniature Christmas puds, a few weeny versions of mince pies, including an Eccles cake version, and chocolatey delights but there are surprises too; Stained Glass Biscotti being one and Gingerbread Christmas Trees another – lovely presentation.  In fact quite a few of these tiny treats are not only good enough to eat they are pretty enough to hang on the tree first.

The book is illustrated with some great photos, one per recipe, so you know what you are aiming for and in the back are some conversion charts and a useful glossary.  The relevant details are “Christmas Miniatures” is published (on Monday!) by Octopus Books through their imprint Australian Women’s Weekly and is available here from Amazon, the ISBN numbers are ISBN-10: 1742450881, ISBN-13: 978-1742450889

"In at the Deep End" by Jake Tilson - a Review

I think it was when I read “Loving and Cooking with Reckless Abandon” by Kevin Gould back at the start of the century that I first realised that Quadrille are publishers of exceedingly fine books – books that are not just informative but enticing, tantalising and just plain different.  I have reviewed a few of their books now and it’s always a pleasure.

Now I am reading, in fact have almost finished reading “In at the Deep End: Cooking Fish from Venice to Tokyo” by Jake Tilson.  It is an enjoyable book on many levels.  Ostensibly I suppose it is a cookbook containing as it does over 70 fish recipes, but it is also a wonderful collage of travel stories, doodles, information, photos, sketches reminiscences, jokes and apparently, if you go to his website, Jake will be uploading a podcast for each chapter to help set the scene.   

I say I am “reading” the book and indeed I am but also I indulging in a lot of flicking through because there is a so much  going on and I don’t want to miss anything, it is a visual delight as well as a good read and a useful cookbook. 

The story is that Jake Tilson was scared of fish so decided to confront his fears in a big way by tavelling to various particularly fishy parts of the world and cook local fish in each place.  For this reason some of the recipes use fish that is a little “out there” so to speak; mini octopus, cuttlefish, barramundi etc., but a savvy cook can deal with this sort of thing taking the idea and using what’s available.  Indeed this is the book’s message, or one of them  – eat local fish. (Another message, which ties in with the first, is of course make sure that what you eat is sustainable.)

Many of the recipes, however, do feature more “normal” ingredients, herrings, haddock, crab etc. and some of the methods and ideas are unusual.  In one recipe soft shell crabs are coated in raw egg and left for a while before cooking, apparently they eat the egg which makes them egg-like and custardy themselves when cooked.  A severe case of you are what you eat!

To be honest I haven’t cooked anything from this book yet but I wanted to post this um.. post for a couple of reasons.

1. I want to get one last post in before the end of August and I am out tomorrow, and
2. I don’t like having a book for too long before reviewing it.  I am delighted to have received this from Quadrille and anxious to let them know what I think of it.

Actually I thought I had a third reason but my computer just crashed and now I can’t remember what it was!

In the near future I shall, of course, be trying out some of the recipes and will be sure to blog about them – so keep in touch! 

Jake Tilson seems to be an enormously talented and multi-faceted man; he is not only the author of this lovely book, he is also the photographer, the designer and even the typographer.  All this and cooking too!   I had not heard of the guy before now (see how one suffers living in the Caribbean for many years) but see that he has written another book "A Tale of 12 Kitchens" (apologies Quadrille - I see it is not one of yours!) and after I've posted this I'm off to Amazon to see if I can get a copy. 

This big colourful wonderful paperback book is to be published by Quadrille Publishing on 5th September ISBN-10: 1844009750 ISBN-13: 978-1844009756

In other news I have been writing an article for Christmas and cooking and eating (Christmas fudge for instance) accordingly.  The weather is so appalling the mulled wine went down a treat!  

“Simple French Cooking for English Homes” by X. Marcel Boulestin - a Review

~  Menu  ~

Trout and Asparagus Hash

A glass of secret white wine*

Coffee

The other day I went on at some length about a wonderful book about to be published by Quadrille; “The Gentle Art of Cookery” which is out on 5^th September.

Well, lucky me, I have another book in the Classic Voices in Food series; “Simple French Cooking for English Homes” by X. Marcel Boulestin - the X is for Xavier but he is generally known as Marcel Boulestin. 

I got stuck in a couple of days ago and found it to be a real treat.  Monsieur Boulestin has a great turn of phrase and lots of opinions both on cooking and otherwise.  In fact on page 2 under General Remarks he says …

“A good cook is not necessarily a good woman with an even temper.  Some allowance should be made for the artistic temperament.”

… and he gives some useful advice on the handling of servants.

The book, very much as the title suggests, is about French food towards which I had much the same attitude as the people for whom he wrote the book almost 100 years ago, that is that it is expensive and rich and laced with butter. 

However reading the book in bed as Monsieur Boulestin himself suggests I found much to interest me and quite a bit that surprised me too.  His standard recipe for vinaigrette, for instance, includes a whole sheep or calf’s brain which must be where I have been going wrong!  Most of his ideas and suggestions are not nearly so far out.

I decided to treat myself to a classic French dinner whilst my real men were eating something British.  I chose Truites Meuniuère with Petits Pois and it was delicious.  

Truites Meunières 

This is, basically, trout fillets coated with seasoned flour and pan fried in a little olive oil.  Once cooked set the fish aside somewhere warm and wipe out the pan.  Return it to the heat and melt 20g butter per person and cook till it starts to turn golden, add the juice of a quarter of a lemon (and a handful of capers if you are that way inclined, I’m not), swirl about a bit to meld and pour over the fish.

Petits Pois à la Française pour Deux (2!)

2 spring onions finely sliced, on the diagonal if you can – much prettier
45g butter
1 little gem, or similar soft lettuce – shredded
300g frozen peas – petits pois being the best choice, obviously
120ml hot chicken stock (or hot water if that’s all you have!)

~   Gently cook the spring onions in the butter till soft.
~   Stir in the lettuce and as soon as it is wilted add the peas and the stock.
~   Bring to a boil turn down the heat and cook at a fast simmer till the peas are tender.
~   Taste and season and serve.

This way of cooking the peas very much reminded me of my youth!  

When we had our first restaurant, the House on the Strand at Trebarwith in Cornwall, we used to cook our peas in a most appalling and pleasant way using a minimum of water and a large maximum of butter.  They were yummy, decadent and popular but really rich and cholesterolly and we stopped being so extravagant after a while – we didn't even add any healthy lettuce and onions as the French do.

Pin this perhaps?

As is often the way I couldn't eat the whole meal so kept all my leavings and the next day I fried them up with some asparagus I found in the fridge to make a hash.  I topped it with some roasted garlic mayonnaise, sprinkled with smoked black pepper  and Bob’s your uncle so to speak!  (American readers – don’t ask!) 

Marcel would have approved of this behaviour and perhaps this blog, at the end of the book he gives “A Week’s Menu ~ showing how to use up everything” explaining how consecutive meals use up the previous meal’s leftovers.

There are a surprisingly, to me, large number of recipes and ideas in the book that I shall be trying.  They range from the simple idea of whisking a little extra butter into Béchamel before serving to his recipe for sausages.  The very next thing I shall do however is his Sirop de Café to see if it is better than mine. It may well be because he advocates adding rum which, unbelievably, I hadn't thought of!  Different flavoured syrups are really useful standbys in the kitchen and are far, far cheaper to make than to buy those expensive syrups for adding to coffee.  I often make vanilla syrup, coffee syrup, port syrup (for blue cheese) and, seasonally, mulled wine syrup.   Here’s a handy hint.

Handy Hint

The easiest way to clean a pan after making sweet syrup is to add a cupful of water and simmer till the syrup has dissolved into the water.  Use this to make a well deserved cup of coffee.

I shall be looking out for the two previously published books in the Classic Voices in Food series (Eliza Acton’s “Modern Cookery for Private Families” and Madame Prunier’s “Fish Cookery Book”) which both came out in April and am excited to read that  “Publisher Jane O’Shea said she sees this as an ongoing series and four more titles are already scheduled for 2012.”  Yippee!

“Simple French Cooking for English Homes” by X. Marcel Boulestin is a slim hardback volume to be published by Quadrille Publishing Ltd on 5 Sep 2011, ISBN-10: 1844009815

ISBN-13: 978-1844009817.

The Flavour Thesaurus -~ plus A Bowl of Cherries

"The Flavour Thesaurus" by Niki Segnit 

Book review first - its a goodie!

The other day I went really crazy and bought myself a copy of "The Flavour Thesaurus" by Niki Segnit which I have wanted to read for a while now.  It’s a brilliant book and rather on the unusual side. It has no pictures and what recipes it has (200 or so really unusual ones) are hidden in the body of the text making it even more fascinating to read.

Ms Segnit has taken 99 different foods and sorted them into 16 groups according to similarity of flavours. The groupings themselves are interesting, not as one would expect salty, sweet, bitter etc. but rather Marine which runs into Brine & Salt, or Woodland leading on to Fresh Fruity. The groups themselves are arranged in a wheel and therefore go full circle. Tricky to explain actually so here’s the wheel- work it out for yourself!

The book starts on a very pleasing note; chocolate which is under the heading Roasted along with coffee and peanut. She pairs chocolate not only with the usual complimentary tastes such vanilla, orange, ginger and chilli (bugger! – now I’m craving some Lindt Chilli Choc) but also with black pudding (citing an Italian blood sausage containing chocolate and cream) or with goat’s cheese.  She even suggests adding a few squares if chocolate to a cheese-board and who I am to say her nay?  It’s all very interesting and thought provoking.

The book itself is a thick hardback more suited to reading in bed than using in the kitchen but this is not a criticism, rather the contrary; it is difficult to put down in fact.  Niki Sengit’s writing is easy going and conversational peppered (no pun intended but I’m pleased to see it here) with fascinating facts and yummy sounding recipes.  

The recipe for Coffee Orange Liqueur *** is really tempting although as it is supposed to rest for 44 days before drinking I cannot report on it now. In fact there are so many ideas I want to try I’ve started a list …

~   Peanut and Carrot Slaw
~   An inauthentic (her word, not mine) Pork and Peanut noodly recipe
~   Chicken and Bell Peppers which sounds Very Interesting Indeed, not to mention simple
~   Scotch eggs made with black pudding

… and so on and on, the above are just from the first few pages!

“The Flavour Thesaurus” by Niki Segnit which I thoroughly recommend was published in hardcover by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC in June 2010 and here are the relevant numbers … ISBN-10: 0747599777, ISBN-13: 978-0747599777

So this has been my bedtime reading for a few days now; it is fascinating and so full of interest and humour it will probably merit a second read. When I do get round to taking the book into the kitchen (who am I kidding – it’s all of 2 feet from the bed!) and cooking from it I’ll let you know how it goes.

In Other News ...

My darling brought home a bag of half price cherries yesterday and they were perfect. So perfect that we ate almost all of them after dinner - just like that!

I made a Cherry Clafouti with the leftover cherries based on my Apple Clafouti recipe.  See here for Roasted Windfall Clafouti plus some other ideas for sweetened batter.

*** Which reminds me that I have both Rumptopf and Cherry Bounce maturing somewhere in the cellar of this very caravan.