Cookbooks offer everyone something different. Some people look to them for guidance, others use them for inspiration and some simply enjoy looking at the pictures and reading through the tit-bits of prose. At Fine Food Specialist we frequently discuss how we use our cookbooks and in the Content Team we often excitedly recommend our favourites to each other while enjoying leftovers for lunch.
Here are three of the Content Team's current picks that we hope encourage you to pursue your own food-filled adventures in the kitchen.
The first cookbook on the list is one of our Content Manager’s favourites: Honey & Co: Food from the Middle East, by Itamar Srulovick and Sarit Packer. Since she visited their London restaurant a few years ago Olivia has been hooked on all things Honey & Co. Food from the Middle East is written as a kind of restaurant memoir by Itamar and Sarit, making it a very enjoyable read, as well as being choc full of great, easy to follow recipes. Most ingredients can be found in supermarkets or delis but there are a couple Olivia is still on the hunt for (soft feta that comes in a tin, anyone?). Her favourite recipe from this beautiful compilation is ‘Meatballs in Sweet, Sour, Spicy Tomato Sauce.’ According to Olivia, "It tastes so much better than it sounds," for they are no ordinary meatballs.
The secret ingredient is quince, which is a delectable and remarkably fragrant fruit which must be eaten cooked. While meatballs and quince are an unusual combination, Olivia is adamant that it is absolutely delicious and definitely a must-try.
The second collection of culinary works to make it on to the list is one of my favourites, Jamie’s Comfort Food, by Jamie Oliver. This cookbook has become one of the most used and cherished on my bookshelf since its arrival on Christmas Day 2014. I have always been a big fan of the author and I love his restaurants, especially Barbecoa.
So, when Jamie’s Comfort Food came out I was extremely excited to get my hands on it. This cookbook is exactly what it says it is: a set of glorious recipes that are perfect for when you need some comforting from the inside. I use it at least twice a month. Comfort Food often offers inspiration for when I have friends over for Sunday lunches. I also spend a considerable amount of time just browsing through the book reading the little stories and looking at the pictures. My favourite recipe so far is 'Jamie’s Jerk Ham, Egg and Chips'. I have only made it once but it was magical!
Our final installment is a shared favourite, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes from a New York Kitchen, by Deb Perelman. We are both fans of the ‘Smitten Kitchen’ blog, so it is not surprising that we also enjoy poring over the book. It is more than just pages of recipes, it is a book of stories and lovely anecdotes about the writer’s food experiences, from the time she ate a poisonous mushroom as a child to that New Year’s morning she was stuck by the stove frying and flipping French toast.
I got my Smitten Kitchen Cookbook about three years ago and it has definitely become one of my faithful companions in the kitchen. It has some scrumptious breakfast and brunch ideas as well as inspiring vegetarian options, which can really help on a slow ‘Meat-free Monday’. I personally have two favourite recipes.
The first is a creamy and earthy wild mushroom tart and the second is spaghetti squash and black bean tacos with feta cheese. Both recipes are simple but delicious and perfect for a light lunch or dinner. While these are our favourites there so many amazing and inspiring cookbooks out there.
Share yours with us below, we can always use new sources of inspiration.
