Cooking the Books

Post Reply
User avatar
absley
Posts: 8765
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 9:05 am

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by absley »

absley wrote: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:54 am And this weekend I finally succumbed and bought Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden which is vegetable-led recipes and looks wonderful - I want to cook so much. Has anyone else got it?
It's great - I've been cooking from it over recent weeks and there are so many good recipes in it. It's split by season (with summer being divided into 3 - early, mid and late), and each season is divided by vegetable. I guess maybe half the recipes have meat/fish in. A few recent dishes:
*roasted fennel with apple, sausage, taleggio and almonds - this will be good when the weather cools as it's quite rich; could also be the good basis for a pasta bake if you want to bulk it out
* charred broccoli with tonnato, lemon & pecorino - he's a big advocate of roasting veggies without oil and it really works with broccoli. He has a few recipes which use tinned tuna, which I dislike, so the tonnato sauce wasn't great for me but the combination worked. Another tuna dish I tried was a courgette and tuna cheese melt/bake - again the tuna wasn't to my taste but I imagine it would be good for those who do like it.
* a couple of raw corn salads - this has been a bit of a revelation for me. I still find corn a bit too sweet to want it very often but raw is good when it's in season. There was version with toasted walnuts, mint, chilli & parmesan plus a panzanella version with tomatoes and croutons, which I've made a few times and really like.
* a roasted aubergine, herb & tomato panzanella - I was unsure about the roasted aubergine but it worked
* roasted mushrooms with gremolata - nothing fancy beyond the tip to roast the mushrooms (tossed with a little oil)until they crisp up a bit; so good!
* roasted carrots with farro, pistachios,dried apricots & whipped ricotta - this has been one of my favourites; the farro has quite a tangy vinegar dressing which lifts everything
* roasted pumpkin with labneh, spicy green sauce and walnuts - again nothing unusual but delicious

Anyone else got/been making anything new?
User avatar
emma_p
Posts: 39264
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:50 pm
Location: stateside

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by emma_p »

I’m seeing lots of cooking from this right now so I just ordered it to pick up when I get home.

I’ve had lots of lovely food here and have made lots of notes of things to try to recreate. Olive salt! Melon, mint, goats cheese and walnut salad! Avocado gazpacho! Leche merengade ice cream :ready:
Mountain Goat
Posts: 27231
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
Location: London

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Mountain Goat »

This all sounds so good! What is the thinking behind roasting vegetables without oil? What does it do? Does he use anything else? (actually isn't roasting with oil baking? :)) )

My meal planning has been buggered this week by me putting stuff in my basket for today's delivery but forgetting to check it out, so as I am just back from holiday too I have very little veg to work with, but I do have two sweetcorns, so am interested in the raw salads.
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
User avatar
absley
Posts: 8765
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 9:05 am

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by absley »

Let me know how you get on, emma, both with SS and your experimentation!

Goat, I think the no oil is about a cleaner flavour and allowing bits to brown/crisp up; and no, nothing else until you dress/add a sauce to the dish. Do you want pics for the corn salad recipes? I think I put one of them on Rosa's no-cooker thread... let me check.

ETA, yes, it's there. He has a variation on that which adds farro - other ingredients much the same.
Mountain Goat
Posts: 27231
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
Location: London

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Mountain Goat »

Brilliant, thank you!
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
Edith Bacon
Posts: 20051
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:15 pm

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Edith Bacon »

If anyone was thinking of buying Rogan, Amazon has it reduced to £7.49 just now...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0008232725/ ... 0DbN04WVSF
Ella77
Posts: 97798
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:55 am

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Ella77 »

For Smitten Kitchen fans, the charred cauliflower quesadillas are really good. We made a few substitutions (e.g. we didn’t have the right peppers), and it was so nice.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/02/char ... esadillas/
Ella77
Posts: 97798
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:55 am

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Ella77 »

I’ve recently taken delivery of the new Nigella book Cook, Eat, Repeat. I’m only on the introduction so far, but it’s lovely and soothing already. I know most of it won’t be veggie, but I bought it to read really.
User avatar
Pippedydeadeye
Directory Pipquiries
Posts: 89689
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 4:15 pm

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Pippedydeadeye »

I do love Nigella. I’m going to catch Saturday Kitchen properly on iPlayer. She looked beautiful this morning.
User avatar
Squirrel
Posts: 34978
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:55 pm

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Squirrel »

That’s a good shout Ella, funnily enough I’ve been reading a lot of Nigella recently as well, her cooking chat is definitely soothing.
User avatar
Blondiejude
Posts: 5923
Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:25 am

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Blondiejude »

Oh let us know how it goes Ella! I’m tempted to ask for this as my present off S for Christmas. I also love reading Nigella, I think I’ve only ever made about 4 of her recipes but she write beautifully.

I’d forgotten about saturday kitchen too pip so Thankyou, I might watch that later tonight.
User avatar
Livilla
Posts: 25419
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:36 am
Location: London

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Livilla »

I am also thinking of using for that for a Christmas present, Ella, as Nigella's cookbooks are some of my most used, so will also be interested in feedback.
Ella77
Posts: 97798
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:55 am

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Ella77 »

I’ve finished it now, and if there’s anything lovelier than a wet weekend spent on the sofa with a cup of tea and a new recipe book, I’m too old to care what it is :)). For that reason I think it would make a great Christmas present. However there are quite a few alternative Christmas recipes in it, so you might want it sooner.

As I assumed it’s very meat-heavy, but that didn’t bother me unduly. It’s written in almost a free-associative style of essays interspersed with recipes (and many more descriptions of recipes). I’ve already bookmarked about 10 recipes to make, and I’ve added the ingredients for the pavlova and the Black Forest brownies to my next grocery order.

Within the book she does address the pandemic in a fairly understated way, saying that it started out as a particular type of book, and had to become a very different one as she went along. It’s nice.
User avatar
emma_p
Posts: 39264
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:50 pm
Location: stateside

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by emma_p »

I really want it now (after I told my brother that Nigella was dead to me when he suggested he'd get it for my birthday present :lol: )
Ella77
Posts: 97798
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:55 am

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Ella77 »

Buy it in secret :)).
User avatar
emma_p
Posts: 39264
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:50 pm
Location: stateside

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by emma_p »

Ella77 wrote: Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:55 pm I’ve finished it now, and if there’s anything lovelier than a wet weekend spent on the sofa with a cup of tea and a new recipe book, I’m too old to care what it is :)).
That just made me so nostalgic for my pervious life :love:
Mountain Goat
Posts: 27231
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
Location: London

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Mountain Goat »

I never had you down as someone who had had a pervious life. :))

I want this now. I don't own any Nigella books ( not sure why, I have no negative feeling about her) but lately I've really warmed to her and this just sounds so comforting.
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
User avatar
emma_p
Posts: 39264
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:50 pm
Location: stateside

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by emma_p »

What an unusual typo! :lol:

I love How to Eat - 90s :love: and it sounds like the new book is similar to that?
Edith Bacon
Posts: 20051
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:15 pm

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Edith Bacon »

I pulled How to Eat to the top of my kitchen library cart today, along with (one of?) her Christmas book(s). Nigella is just the right kind of soothing comfort for now and her new book sounds perfect.
User avatar
Pippedydeadeye
Directory Pipquiries
Posts: 89689
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 4:15 pm

Re: Cooking the Books

Post by Pippedydeadeye »

I want it, and I might just buy it for myself next time I do an Amazon order.
Post Reply