Very much a sister publication to the previous book (Gelatine Home Cooking Secrets), this book was also published by Davis to promote the use of their products.
For some reason, and it is hard to put my finger on it, I kind of like this one more as a cookbook than the other. Perhaps it's that there are some interesting and useful hints in the 'Skills with Gelatine' chapter, or perhaps it's the utterly fantastic section on garnishing (see below for an example). Either way, this book asks very little and offers a whole lot.
For a start there are quite a number of interesting recipes such as the Pineapple sponge, the Yoghurt cheesecake and Maple cream. There are a good half dozen refrigerated soufflé recipes, and having made these in the past they are a lot more delicious than they sound ~ my pick of these recipes is the Strawberry soufflé. There are recipes for a very nice sounding Emerald sorbet, with a creme de menthe / lemon tang, and for Marshmallows the way they used to be made for school fetes.
There are of course quite a number of those scarier recipes that are best left to the depths of time, such as Moulded sheep's tongues and every recipe within the salads section (Potato salad set with gelatine - really!). Still, this book balances those less appealing recipes with a much greater number of those that are worth a try. I do think that I'll take my Quiche Lorraine minus the setting agent though.
Recommended for brave cooks, or those wanting to do something with those gelatine leaves that have been sitting in the pantry for a very long time (OK, I admit they actually use powder in the recipes, but that doesn't mean you are limited to powder - leaves are better).
- Kath
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Gelatine Home Cooking Secrets ~ Jean Saunders (Davis Consolidated Industries Ltd)
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the bookcase along comes a truly scary cookbook. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, however unless you were born prior to about 1940 you'd probably look in horror at many of the offerings contained within should they ever appear on your table. Even if you are a little older you'd likely think twice before sitting down to some of the more interesting offerings within the book.
Perhaps I'm not really being fair. There are a number of recipes within this book that I would happily sit down to, such as the Champagne Jelly, the Pine lime tingle or the Lemon sponge. The book is full of very useful hints and techniques for utilising gelatine - with details on decorating with gelatine, using it for weight control (a glass of fruit juice thickened with gelatine half an hour before a meal to fill you up) and on that most tricky part - unmoulding. But then, given that the book was published by a major gelatine manufacturer you'd expect them to pull out all stops to help sell their product.
Some of the recipes that are less to my personal taste include things like Whole fish in aspic or the equally interesting Rice and salmon mould which features a shaped rice base with the top an aspic jelly with large chunks of salmon set within it to reform the outline of the fish (set in a fish mould). Frankly I don't understand why anyone would serve Lunch-time savoury, a mixture of tomato juice, celery, worcestershire sauce, water and onion salt set into a jelly with and served in wedges with lean meat and salad. I think the only thing less impressive might be the Sweet and sour pork which is set into a jelly and results in "a sparkling apricot meat mould with an unusual sweet and sour flavour". I suspect the guests wouldn't ask for seconds.
I did thoroughly enjoy reading this cookbook though. It was lent by a friend and I suspect it may be more kitsch than any other cookbook I have read to date. I had a very good giggle at the recipes and they really do reflect the 1970's when the book was first published. This however doesn't mean I'd cook or eat much of the content. Just a feast for the eyes this one.
Recommended for those up for a giggle, or even a wobble.
- Kath
Perhaps I'm not really being fair. There are a number of recipes within this book that I would happily sit down to, such as the Champagne Jelly, the Pine lime tingle or the Lemon sponge. The book is full of very useful hints and techniques for utilising gelatine - with details on decorating with gelatine, using it for weight control (a glass of fruit juice thickened with gelatine half an hour before a meal to fill you up) and on that most tricky part - unmoulding. But then, given that the book was published by a major gelatine manufacturer you'd expect them to pull out all stops to help sell their product.
Some of the recipes that are less to my personal taste include things like Whole fish in aspic or the equally interesting Rice and salmon mould which features a shaped rice base with the top an aspic jelly with large chunks of salmon set within it to reform the outline of the fish (set in a fish mould). Frankly I don't understand why anyone would serve Lunch-time savoury, a mixture of tomato juice, celery, worcestershire sauce, water and onion salt set into a jelly with and served in wedges with lean meat and salad. I think the only thing less impressive might be the Sweet and sour pork which is set into a jelly and results in "a sparkling apricot meat mould with an unusual sweet and sour flavour". I suspect the guests wouldn't ask for seconds.
I did thoroughly enjoy reading this cookbook though. It was lent by a friend and I suspect it may be more kitsch than any other cookbook I have read to date. I had a very good giggle at the recipes and they really do reflect the 1970's when the book was first published. This however doesn't mean I'd cook or eat much of the content. Just a feast for the eyes this one.
Recommended for those up for a giggle, or even a wobble.
- Kath
Monday, May 9, 2011
Fresh Moroccan ~ Nada Saleh
I'm quite a fan of Moroccan food, and this book really whets my appetite. Published in 2006 the book takes a modern approach to this national cuisine with gorgeous glossy photographs and a lighter fresher take on traditional recipes, with less salt and less fat contained within the dishes. There is a nutritional analysis for each recipe and most are also accompanied by a healthy tip. This lighter approach in no way means that the dishes are light on flavour. On the contrary the use of fresh herbs and spices and fruit and honey create big, bold, dynamic and complex flavours that leave my mouth watering.
The Honeyed lamb tagine is to die for - sweet and spicy with the delicious crunch of whole almonds. I've thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken, chickpeas and raisins and the Lamb tagine with prunes and apricots numerous times. The Chicken, couscous and caramelized onions is fantastic - we've cooked it several times for dinner guests as it not only tastes divine but presents beautifully as a complete main course, looking as good as it tastes. The Mallow, aromatic herbs and olives with the jewel like pomegranate seeds glistening is as much a feast for the eyes as for the palate - mmm.
There are plenty of recipes I've yet to try, such as the B'steeya of fish with crispy filo pastry and the dark glistening Marinated aubergines. There are sweets like the Rice pudding with almonds or the Dried fruit salad for those with a sweet tooth, although with mains such as the Tagine of lamb, quince and honey (which we recently made with our own quinces) who needs dessert?
I love this book. Recommended for everyone.
- Kath
The Honeyed lamb tagine is to die for - sweet and spicy with the delicious crunch of whole almonds. I've thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken, chickpeas and raisins and the Lamb tagine with prunes and apricots numerous times. The Chicken, couscous and caramelized onions is fantastic - we've cooked it several times for dinner guests as it not only tastes divine but presents beautifully as a complete main course, looking as good as it tastes. The Mallow, aromatic herbs and olives with the jewel like pomegranate seeds glistening is as much a feast for the eyes as for the palate - mmm.
There are plenty of recipes I've yet to try, such as the B'steeya of fish with crispy filo pastry and the dark glistening Marinated aubergines. There are sweets like the Rice pudding with almonds or the Dried fruit salad for those with a sweet tooth, although with mains such as the Tagine of lamb, quince and honey (which we recently made with our own quinces) who needs dessert?
I love this book. Recommended for everyone.
- Kath
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Cadbury, A Taste of Chocolate ~ Renée Lang (ed)
As a marketing tool this cookbook is a bit of a silly idea. I'm certain that Cadbury must realise that no-one in their right mind believes you need to go out and buy 'Cadbury Bournville Cocoa' to make one of the enclosed recipes if your cocoa is in a differently labelled box. That said, if we use just a tiny bit of common sense the book is quite handy. The recipes are quite simple to read and also to follow. The most difficult they get is Chocolate ice cream and Tuile baskets to serve it in, neither of which would necessarily stretch an experienced cook terribly.
What I have found the book useful for is quick and simple idea's for the occassional morning tea at work (can't take Tim Tams every time). It's also got some nice recipes if you are wanting to get the kids involved in cooking. The recipe for Yum yum balls is virtually identical to the non alcoholic Rum balls I used to make with my mother and sisters for special occasions. It is both fun to eat and to make, as long as you don't mind getting a bit messy - they are rolled into balls in the palms so if the kids are helping you need to make sure they have scrupulously clean hands, and it also helps to have a non-cooking person around to turn the taps on when you are finished (when I say messy...). I've also used the Plum pudding christmas truffles recipe quite a few times for morning tea's towards the end of the year as they are very quick and very easy and look impressive enough that no-one realizes quite how quick and how easy they are. If you can melt chocolate (and for this recipe I'm lazy and use the microwave) and you can cut glacé cherries you'll have no trouble.
Although the recipes in the book aren't complicated affairs they are tasty and if you have a sweet tooth they are probably right up your alley. The Hazelnut swirl cheesecake looks absolutely delicious, as does the Ice cream tort with grasshopper sauce as pictured on the cover photograph (above). The Orange sticks is another recipe I adapted and have used a lot over the years (combining the best of my candying recipes) and I would be more than happy to sit down to a big bowl of Chocolate surprise in golden syrup dumplings with a dollop of vanilla ice cream at the end of a cold Canberra day.
Recommended for the family cook, and for getting kids involved in the process. Some quick and useful idea's for morning tea's at work.
- Kath
What I have found the book useful for is quick and simple idea's for the occassional morning tea at work (can't take Tim Tams every time). It's also got some nice recipes if you are wanting to get the kids involved in cooking. The recipe for Yum yum balls is virtually identical to the non alcoholic Rum balls I used to make with my mother and sisters for special occasions. It is both fun to eat and to make, as long as you don't mind getting a bit messy - they are rolled into balls in the palms so if the kids are helping you need to make sure they have scrupulously clean hands, and it also helps to have a non-cooking person around to turn the taps on when you are finished (when I say messy...). I've also used the Plum pudding christmas truffles recipe quite a few times for morning tea's towards the end of the year as they are very quick and very easy and look impressive enough that no-one realizes quite how quick and how easy they are. If you can melt chocolate (and for this recipe I'm lazy and use the microwave) and you can cut glacé cherries you'll have no trouble.
Although the recipes in the book aren't complicated affairs they are tasty and if you have a sweet tooth they are probably right up your alley. The Hazelnut swirl cheesecake looks absolutely delicious, as does the Ice cream tort with grasshopper sauce as pictured on the cover photograph (above). The Orange sticks is another recipe I adapted and have used a lot over the years (combining the best of my candying recipes) and I would be more than happy to sit down to a big bowl of Chocolate surprise in golden syrup dumplings with a dollop of vanilla ice cream at the end of a cold Canberra day.
Recommended for the family cook, and for getting kids involved in the process. Some quick and useful idea's for morning tea's at work.
- Kath
Friday, May 6, 2011
The Essential Olive Oil Companion ~ Anne Dolamore
This is quite an interesting book, not least because it provides a lot of detail apart from recipes about olives and olive oil. Following the introduction is a history of the olive and the ancient world, then chapters encompassing information about growing and harvesting olives, the oil production process and a chapter specifically devoted to tasting. I found this section quite interesting - I've read other more comprehensive treatise on the subject, but this was interesting nonetheless.
Recipes in the book are broken into chapters according to the country or region they are from, the majority of these around the Mediterranean. I was pleased to find some guidance for preserving table olives (Oh how I'd love to grow juicy black Kalamata's), and the recipes themselves are easy to follow tasty affairs. You'll find recipes like Gazpacho, Champinones al ajillo (Mushrooms in garlic), Ensalada de naranjas, aceitunas y jerez (Orange, olive and sherry salad) and Pollo al jerez (Chicken with sherry) from Spain, Caponata (Aubergine salad) and Spaghetti all'aglio e olio (Spaghetti with garlic and oil) from Italy and Fondue Bourguignonne from France. From North Africa there is Lamb tagine with olives, Taramasalata from Greece and Seviche from the Americas, with recipes such as Imam bayaldi (Stuffed aubergines ~ Turkey) and Frango piri-piri (Chicken piri-piri ~ Portugal) representing the rest of the world. Some quite interesting and flavorful uses of olives and olive oils.
Recommended for foodies.
- kath
Recipes in the book are broken into chapters according to the country or region they are from, the majority of these around the Mediterranean. I was pleased to find some guidance for preserving table olives (Oh how I'd love to grow juicy black Kalamata's), and the recipes themselves are easy to follow tasty affairs. You'll find recipes like Gazpacho, Champinones al ajillo (Mushrooms in garlic), Ensalada de naranjas, aceitunas y jerez (Orange, olive and sherry salad) and Pollo al jerez (Chicken with sherry) from Spain, Caponata (Aubergine salad) and Spaghetti all'aglio e olio (Spaghetti with garlic and oil) from Italy and Fondue Bourguignonne from France. From North Africa there is Lamb tagine with olives, Taramasalata from Greece and Seviche from the Americas, with recipes such as Imam bayaldi (Stuffed aubergines ~ Turkey) and Frango piri-piri (Chicken piri-piri ~ Portugal) representing the rest of the world. Some quite interesting and flavorful uses of olives and olive oils.
Recommended for foodies.
- kath
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