Sex in the Kitchen ~ Opel Khan

Today I'm going to tell you all about Sex in the Kitchen, which I'm quite sure you've been dying to know about but have been too afraid to ask. Fear not, this is a topic I've explored at length and I'm more than willing to share this knowledge with you. There is something very sensual about the culinary experience, passionate and seductive, and Khan is quite unabashed in bringing this to the fore in his book, so let's step inside the pages for a moment and we can experience it together.

Pleasantly surprising, given that I'm sure the book was published with the aim of making sales based on clever marketing, is the fact that the recipes are accessible to the home cook, neatly presented with simple and easy to follow instructions, and each of them with a beautiful glossy photograph of the seductive treat. Further they stand up well to the test of time - published in 2004 the recipes don't feel dated and I'd happily partake in the proffered sex in the kitchen today, had I someone to participate in the experience with me (all the recipes serve two people).

The chapters venture from the sensual and romantic 'candlelit dinner', where you'll find tempting mains like the saffron gnocchi with broad beans & sage burnt butter, lobster with herb butter & spiced fig chutney, or duck breast with rose petal sauce to win over your potential lover, right through to the more base 'lust supper' where you can keep up your energy with a smoked trout salad or perhaps some fried haloumi with capsicum relish.

Elsewhere you'll find ways to remind your lover how sweet they are with the turkish delight soufflé accompanied by some home made vanilla ice cream, or perhaps you want to get straight to the point and pour them a slippery nipple. Personally I'm thinking about sharing a roast pumpkin, rocket & parmesan salad followed by the oven-roasted barramundi with clams, mussels & tomato, rounding it out with the saffron ice-cream & french meringue sandwich and then a pink lady. Anyone for dinner?

This book is recommended for adults - you know you all want it.

- Kath

Dark chocolate and orange truffles

Once upon a time I fell madly in love with a very wonderful person who happened to be rather fond of dark chocolate. We'd go to the movies where we'd hold hands and share a block of Lindt Intense Orange between us. When her birthday came along I was very keen to impress her, so I created this recipe especially, and as she liked the truffles so much I found myself recreating them every time I had an excuse to try and impress her.

The recipe is as follows:

1/4 cup cream
2 tbspn Cointreau
200g dark chocolate, chopped
(I like to use either Lindt 70% or a combination of Lindt 70% and Lindt 85%.)
Zest of 1-2 oranges, very finely grated
Cocoa (rich dark, good quality, to coat)

In a saucepan bring the cream, Cointreau, and orange zest to the boil, and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove the cream mixture from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until the mixture is completely smooth. Transfer it to a bowl and chill.
Shape the chilled mixture into balls and roll in Cocoa to coat. Refrigerate.

This last step might need to be done in two stages, making rough balls and then firming them up again before smoothing them and dusting with cocoa.

I hope you enjoy the recipe - I have retired it from my repertoire as although the truffles have proven very popular, in the end I lost the girl and now it's finally time to start dreaming up new recipes to make for new girls.

- Kath

Mango magic ~ Bay Books

I once dated a girl who was allergic to mangoes. It lasted less than six weeks, and I haven't dated anyone since, which begs the question was I so traumatised by the possibility of not eating mangoes again that I have vowed off relationships? Perhaps that's not the only reason, so let's suffice to say I am a little bit in love with this fruit, and when I came across this book many years ago it found a place in my bookcase very swiftly.

I'm going to be honest with you here - the book was first published in the late 80's and it looks it, however if you are willing to look past the slightly dated food styling, you'll be pleasantly rewarded by the experience. Bay Books are an experienced cookbook publisher, and the book is easy to read and easy to use. Simply laid out recipes with straightforward methods and loads of big glossy photos provide an easy to use book for cooks of any experience level.

Admittedly I haven't cooked a lot of the recipes within the book, largely because I have to fend off my children to get near mangoes, so they tend to be eaten unadulterated, however there are plenty of reasons within the book to take your mango experience further.

You might start with the Indian mango salad which features chilli, yoghurt and coconut, or the Mango tabouli, but personally I'd skip the Seafood mango mould. For main dishes I feel spoilt for choice - I'd probably cook the Chicken with green mango curry, the Mango pork medallions or perhaps the Devilled mango crab which looks rather heavenly despite the name. And then you move onto the sweet stuff.

This is where the mango is truly in its element. The Mango soufflé, the Ginger mango cheesecake, the Mango ice cream, each and every one will leave you weak at the knees. I'm already thinking about when I'll make myself the After dinner mangoes, slices steeped in lemon juice, water and Cointreau, dried and rolled in cinnamon sugar and frozen for a cooling after dinner treat.

Now really, all this should be enough to satisfy the mango aficionado, so it comes as a pleasant surprise to find additional chapters on baked treats, pantry goodies and refreshing drinks. Personally I'm going to skip past the Mango gingerbread and its like, and drool over the Mango jam, the seven different chutney recipes (the Mango nectarine chutney sounds positively sinful), and the Spicy mango sauce. And while all this drooling is going on, a nice glass of Mango rum ice should keep me pretty well satisfied.

Recommended for mango fans, and those who love them.

- Kath

Rum Drinks, 50 Carribean Cocktails, from Cuba Libre to Rum Daisy ~ Jessica B. Harris

It's a warm day. I've been working hard in the garden and now it's time to chill. Whether you've earned it with a bit of hard physical labour or you just feel like relaxing, it's hard to go past a cool glass of something to set you on the right track to relaxing. If that's where you're at right now, you need look no further than this handy little cookbook. Rum drinks has got your cool classics and tropical tipples covered, along with a few other very handy bits and pieces.

The book commences with a background to rum and it's influence on history, then follows on with a chapter on all you'll need to know to mix your drinks, including no less than eight various sugar syrup recipes, including how to make your own grenadine. There are garnishes galore, and if you were ever curious about your liquid measurement conversions you'll find what you need here. I would expect most readers will skip past these chapters and head straight to the recipe sections, though with the glossy historical photographs you may find yourself caught up reading before you get anywhere near making yourself that drink.

It's the rum drinks though that you're looking for, and the book has two chapters of these to delight and tempt you. Where to start though? The first of the two chapters contains your classics, so you might like to start with the Canchanchara - nice and zingy with lime juice and honey, or perhaps the timeless Pina Colada. The Punch à la Noix de Coco with its freshly grated coconut, vanilla bean, lemon zest and nutmeg is also a promising option, or of course you can channel your inner Hemingway with a cool Mojito.

Moving onto the chapter on tropical tipples a little more variety sneaks in, and you might go with a Yellowbird featuring orange and lime juice and Tia Maria, a Rum Bloody Mary, or even indulge in a Boa Noite with the tartness of passionfruit juice. Throwing caution to the wind the chapter even has a recipe for the good old Shandy, and in my books that makes it a winner - definitely my cooling drink of choice after working in the yard.

And once you've started to relax you're probably going to be thinking about something to nibble on - well no need to fear, the book has you covered there too, with a nice little chapter on Caribbean snacks. The Plantain Chips or the Coconut Crisps will go nicely with your Rum and Ginger, or if you were interested in something a little more substantial you might go with the Sugarcane Shrimp or the Dominican Fried Chicken to accompany your High-Octane Limeade. And if you're not sure what nibbles to have with which drink, the final party planner chapter has that all done for you.

This is a nicely put together book, recommended for anyone experiencing warm weather who might be thirsty. Not one for recovering alcoholics or children though.

- Kath

How to cook children, a grisly recipe book ~ Martin Howard and Colin Stimpson

I have to admit, I've never managed to cook any of the recipes within the book and I suspect that is probably a good thing from everyones perspective. That said, any home cook wanting a truly representative collection on their shelves really should take a look at Howard and Stimpson's offering. Although lightweight at only seventeen recipes, each of them provide the cook tempting offerings rarely found in other books.

The recipes are each preceded by a note from the general editor, Esmelia Sniff, detailing interesting points about the recipe's author and the recipe provided. These are quite useful when it comes to selecting a recipe, for instance in introducing Mad Elaine de la Moustache's recipe for Enfant aux Escargots et Grenouilles she notes "Her food's all right if you don't mind disgusting foreign muck". The recipes are all delightfully illustrated with pictures of the the chef or their preparations, though thankfully these are drawn rather than photographed, which might have the tendency to put you off your food. A fairly standard format to each of the recipes, they aren't hard to follow - an introduction by each chef, a list of ingredients followed by the method.

What is trickiest about the recipes isn't the method itself, but sourcing the ingredients. Whether you're thinking about making the Moppet Vindaloo with Paul-oww Rice and Samosas, requiring lots of hot Pippas, a boy called Sam and another called Paul, or the Apple Betty with Eyes-Cream, needing a girl named Betty, some rabbit poo and lots of nits, you are unlikely to have the requisite ingredients to hand. My son had a reprieve recently when I was tempted to make the Leg of Aberdeen Angus with Chloeflower Cheese and Tatties as we didn't have a Tatiana or Chloe to hand, much to his sister's dismay.

To truly get the best out of the recipes in the book, the right ingredients are key. Ugla Snoganov in her recipe for Classic Gingerbread makes clear that the selection of the two young redheads needed is important, noting that "If they're not ginger enough then you'll be left with a load of Auburnbread. Too ginger and you'll get an oven-full of carrot cake". Sage advice from an experienced cook.

In light of the challenges in recreating the recipes in the book, not to mention the lengthy gaol terms if you succeeded, my personal recommendation would be to treat it as inspirational, and then move on to a more mainstream book to find the recipe you are actually going to cook. The Irish Stu with Little Dumplings sounds tempting? I'm certain you'll be able to find an Irish stew and dumpling recipe that will do the trick, and I'm sure a nice paella recipe would do in place of the Pie-Ella.

Recommended for parents and their children wanting a giggle, and perhaps that group from Terminus in season five of The Walking Dead.

- Kath

A Feast of Ice & Fire ~ Chelsea Monroe-Cassel & Sariann Lehrer

I love this cookbook. I'm perfectly happy to admit I'm quite a fan of Game of Thrones, so when I found this, and endorsed by George R. R. Martin himself, it was a must have for my collection. That aside, the book itself is great, from the extensively researched recipes to the big glossy photos, it's a feast in and of itself.
Split into chapters based on the cuisine of the regions around the fantastic Westeros, Monroe-Cassel and Lehrer have covered off nicely on all the medieval inspired dishes you could want, from the hearty and warming dishes of The Wall such as Mutton in Onion-Ale Broth and Pork Pie, through to the Honey-Spiced Locusts and Tyroshi Honeyfingers from all the way across the narrow sea.

What is particularly impressive about the book is the way they present the recipes, and in particular those which have been sourced from original medieval texts. Each recipe is preceded by a quote from one of Martin's novels mentioning it, providing context for the dish presented, and this is followed on many recipes by notes from the authors detailing the origin and inspiration for the recipes they present. The recipes themselves are very accessible, clearly presented and easy to follow, but best of all is that those originally from medieval sources, which might tend to stretch the modern palate, are coupled with a modern version of the same dish. The Medieval Pease Porridge is partnered with a modern version, likewise the Elizabethan Lemon Cakes and also the Medieval Mulled Wine, with a sister recipe of Southron Mulled Wine sourced from a chaplain's wife at a top British university. This provides the reader with both the inspiration and the means for creating their own Game of Thrones inspired feast with scope for whatever varying degree of authenticity they choose.
Whether you're wanting to sample the richness of the North with Aurochs Roasted with Leeks, Turnips in Butter and Baked Apples, head south to the warmth of Dorne for Dornish Snake with Fiery Sauce and Stuffed Grape Leaves or feast like the ruler of the Iron Throne in Kings Landing on Roasted Boar, Quails Drowned in Butter, and Almond Crusted Trout, this book will satisfy. Finish the feast with some Peaches in Honey, Apricot Tarts and a cool glass of Iced Milk with Honey before you sleep it off, and you'll be all set to feast again another day.
This is the first cookbook which had the boys at work all excited, and is highly recommended for fans. Not a bad resource for the rest of you either, but be quick. Winter is coming.

- Kath