Cooking the Books

[absley]

Yes, Land of Rice & Fish. It's not instantly appealing esp WRT the fish and seafood recipes, but I think I just need to choose a menu and get stuck in. EGOR was the same when I first got it.

I'll have a look at those Dining In recipes - thank you. Am going going to also try and get to my local Georgian place this week - I met someone on Friday who had been and said it was quite simple but good as we enter autumn, so I think your instincts are right.

[emma_p]

Has anyone else got the new Ottolenghi book?

[Ella77]

No- what’s the theme (if there is one)? I keep meaning to try Rovi. Have you been there? (I wondered if they were related?)

[Mountain Goat]

No! I forgot it was coming out! What's it like? I will order it.

It's "Simple", Ella. I'm not sure his idea of simple will always be massively simple mind.

[Ella77]

Just 93 ingredients to order from Sous Chef, then .

[Mountain Goat]

Better than the usual 930.

[emma_p]

Yes, simple. It’s nothing to do with Rovi, which I haven’t been to (yet). The cover is very minimal so this bodes well. I’m saving looking through it until I have my pot of post kid bedtime mint tea

[Ella77]

Lovely.

[absley]

How does it look, emma?

[emma_p]

How does it look, emma?

I really love the new book. The list of recipes I want to make is really long

I made four things from it last night, the aubergines with curry yoghurt (I had made these before - they were from his Guardian column) baked mint rice with pomegranate, walnut, olive and feta salsa (I LOVE this method of cooking rice as it is so easy and v buttery) lamb and pistachio meatballs and the crushed courgettes. Everyone loved it - Liv's favourite were the meatballs and G loved the courgettes. I liked the rice with the salsa best - the salsa felt just perfect for mid-Sept. S's brother was obsessed with the aubergines, the fried onions, almonds and pomegranate on top did make them look really pretty. Everything was fairly easy and I liked how lots could be made in advance. There were still a lot of ingredients going on though

(I had planned to make a dessert from the book too ran out of time so I asked S to pick up a plum tart from the French deli on his way home.)

[Edith Bacon]

That sounds absolutely delicious, emma. I’ve got that book saved for later in my Amazon basket but I’ve bought loads lately so I can’t justify it yet

[Flora Poste]

I love it as well - we're having the lamb meatballs this week as well

I want to do pretty much every recipe in it tbh, which is fairly unusual in a cookbook these days for me!

[Princess Morripov]

Edith, I bought it on Wordery the other day for £15. I bought the Mowgli book from there too, heavily discounted in comparison to Amazon too. :enabling:

That all sounds lovely emma! I think I will definitely be giving those recipes a go. How "simple" were they though?

I realised I forgot to update on the dishes I tried from the Mowgli book. I did the onion bhajis, they were alright but the best ones I've (home)made have been from the Madhur Jeffrey book so I think I'd stick with those.

I did the Mother Butter Chicken. Amazing, it was so nice. Quite often when I've done those kind of dishes they've needed house of marinading but this was really quick and perfect.

Rotis - really good and super simple.

Aloo Ghobi - again super simple and really nice.

ETA my roti were not round because A rolled them out and made them look like naan. And I am not sure why I just launched a load of coriander on top of my rice, but I was a bit pissed by this point on my birthday

[Morganna]

Mother Butter Chicken sounds delicious, Pov.

I have just ordered Simple. I have all of the Ottonlenghi books except for the first one, which I think I will ask for for Christmas. I love them, and tend to adapt a bit (often a lot ). I can pass an hour or more just looking at the recipes and the photography.

The only one I haven't used is Sweet, as I so rarely bake, and it never seems worth buying in all the tins and ingredients. I can still drool over the pictures, though.

[Kenickie]

That looks fantastic, Morri.

The new Ottolenghi sounds great. I might ask for it for Christmas.

[Princess Morripov]

I've ordered two, one for me and one for my brother (for Christmas), I just have to hope he doesn't get it before

[Kenickie]

If he does you can give it to me.

[Princess Morripov]

Last time T already had a copy, but my brother exclaimed they'd happily have His N His copies (and got me to write in it), and then left his here, hidden in a drawer, (the rude bastard) but it ended up fine really as I then just stole it for myself

I will post you something Simple if he pulls that stunt again

[Kenickie]

I only ever get my brother edible presents now as he has a habit for leaving them at my mum and dad's otherwise.

[Princess Morripov]

My brother leaves the edible things he can't be bothered with either. I just find stuff in drawers. I just buy things I want now