| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| bagpuss |
cook booksI have an absurd number of cook books which to be fair I mostly don't use but there are a few which I reguarly go to. These currently number all of the Nigella Lawson books (though Domestic godess is probably the one I use the most), HFW Meat and a gorgeous book called falling cloudberries. Other than that I get good food magazine every month aswell and generally end up trying at least one recipe from it.What are your current favourite cook books because I really need more 
Last night I made some lovely rhubarb muffins from Nigellas latest Feast |
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| cab |
Phillip Harbens Cookery Encyclopedia is and has been my favourite all my life. By far the most useful cookery book I know. | ||||||||||||
| Behemoth |
Elisabeth Luard's European Peasant Cookery - I can not recomend this enough. It's a bit like Meat and the the River Cottage Cookbook mated with Elizabeth David's European provincial cooking.
I'm currently working through a Vegetarian cook book that my OH has which has dishes from around the world, I'd never looked at it properly but have been pleasantly suprised. It's Italian week this weeek. had Wild Mushroom risotto with spinach and peas last night. |
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| bagpuss |
This one is on my amazon wishlist but I haven't got round to aqquiring yet, Maybe I should consider it |
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| Behemoth |
First published in the 1980s, there are over 500 recipes in this collection, and Elisabeth Luard has now revisited it to revise, expand and update it. The recipes come from 25 countries, ranging from Ireland in the west to Romania in the east, Iceland in the north to Turkey in the south. This compendium covers vegetable dishes, potato dishes, beans, lentils, polenta and cornmeal, rice, pasta and noodles, eggs, milk and cheeses, fish, poultry, small game, pork, shepherd's meats, beef, breads and yeast pastries, sweet dishes, herbs, mushrooms and fungi, oils, smoking, salting and curing and preserves. Written with scrupulous attention to detail and authenticity, the recipes are peppered with anecdotes and little known facts about local history and folklore.
You can get it for £19.50 in postage at: http://www.swotbooks.com |
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| Bugs |
I think the one I use most at the moment is Marguerite Patten Basic Basics Baking. It might not be adventurous enough for you though, Bagpuss, because you know all the basics! But it does give a fair few variations, and is handy for reference too.
I do rather like Delia's vegetarian collection but haven't used much from it...borlotti bean soup and pommes boulangere are a couple of favourites from it though and I will be exploring further. |
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| Behemoth |
We've got Delia's Veg collection and most of the recipes are excellent but they seem to take ages to prepare.
got her seasonal veg one for xmas and must admit that I've hardly looked at it. |
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| Jonnyboy |
I like Nick Nairns Scottish cookery, Anything by Rick Stein but his Seafood book based on the Padstow cookery course is a seminal work.
Plus the Dairy book of home cooking, If you can't find it anywhere else it will be in this little gem. |
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| sean |
Simon Hopkinson: Roast Chicken and Other Stories/Gammon and Spinach/Roast Chicken and Other Stories, Second Helpings.
Simon Hopkinson & Lindsey Bareham: The Prawn Cocktail Years Dairy Book of Home Cookery Sophie Grigson & William Black: Fish Loads of others, but they're the ones I go back to, and they have the highest percentage of recipes which I actually use. |
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| tahir |
Ditto We've also got Delia's How to Cook series which we've found very useful |
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| bagpuss |
I am not sure about that my sponges are good but my pastry is awful 
I have to say for a good reference I have both Leiths Techniques and Leiths Cookery Bible which are very good though when I want to know something now I generally look in two or three till I find one which agrees with what I already though If you like cookery books and get into london with any regularity I recommend you visit books for cooks which is a wonderful place with a lovely little cafe at the back and so many cook books |
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| cab |
What's to learn about pastry? You mix the stuff and bake it... How hard can pastry BE? | ||||||||||||
| Bugs |
If that's the case (or even if you think it's the case) it's a really excellent, excellent book. It also covers bread and biscuits plus lots of different types of basic cakes. One of my best buys. |
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| bagpuss |
When I make pastry it tendds to be eitehr to elastic or too crumbly rarely just the right balance between the two In my opinion pastry is one of the few preserves of cooking where the chemistry of it and how you treat the dough is quite important where as most of the sponge recipes I consistently make are very resilent and it doesn't matter if you changes things a bit but having not made pastry with any frequency it is probably as much a matter of practice but I like my explaination and I am sticking to it |
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| cab |
It's all in getting the crumb right in the dough. Get it nice and crumb like, add water till you've got enough water in it while kneeding it, get it nice and homogenous, and refrigerate under a teatowel or bit of clingfilm. Roll it out after resting at least half an hour, ideally longer, and roll it out fast to stop it getting too warm, and there you have it. Simple short crust pastry. I find that duck and goose fat make the best savoury pastry, whereas you can't beat butter for sweet.
Puff paste is fiddly, but you couldn't call it challenging. |
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| Bugs |
I read somewhere that you shouldn't put the pastry in the fridge in a ball as is "traditional" because, logically, the centre doesn't reach the same temp as the outside...stores heat I guess. So you should place it in the fridge in a "disc" or square shape...rather like what Mr Saxby will sell you, wrapped in plastic...ever heard of that one?
I don't make a lot of pastry (would rather have my fat in cake and my starch in potatoes!) and the only problem I have with it really is shrinkage in small tart cases, and rising because I'm too lazy to bake it blind properly. Always seems to taste nice though. |
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| cab |
I've never had a problem with that, and mine goes in as a ball. I wonde whether if it was a larger ball (I almost invariably make pastry with half a pound of flour) whether that might prevent the middle of the pastry getting cool? |
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| wellington womble |
My favourites are currently Meat (by HFW) and Boozy food, which is sadly out of print, but Bugs made me buy one! Its all her fault!
The recipes I use most are all stuffed in a file, things I have torn out of magazines, photocopied from other books, or printed off the net - I suppose because I chose them individually. I have all delias books too, and use them quite a lot, and most of nigella's but I don't use them as much, I should and will this summer (honest!). |
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| bagpuss |
Unfortunately I am an impatient soul at heart so I prefer recipes which read something along the lines of put all ingredients in bowl, mix till ready, bake, A remarkable number of the baking recipes I do have very few extra stages or any waits Having just had one of the rhurbarb muffins as part of my lunch I may be forced to hide them this evening though we shall have to see |
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| cab |
Hidden muffins, eh? That's almost a challenge. | ||||||||||||
| bagpuss |
Of Nigellas the book I use most is how to be a domestic godess, The dense chocolate loaf is great as are many of her fruit sponges my OH is fond of the damp lemon loaf but done with pink grapefruit |
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| Bugs |
So this is how you provincials while away the long featureless evenings is it 
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| sean |
In the east maybe, down here 'tis 'hunt the scone'. |
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| Behemoth |
In Yorkshire we don't toy with good food and have 'hunt the stone' | ||||||||||||
| wellington womble |
I tried the chocolate one - It didn't cook (which I don't mind, as I like squidgy cake) and was so unbeleivable sweet, which I do mind - it was toothache in a loaf tin. Can you suggest what I might have done wrong? I'll give it another go, as some of her savoury recipes have been very successful. |
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| bagpuss |
some of nigellas cakes are very sweet I think she possibly has a sweeter tooth than me which must be quite difficult (I was fed bowls of sugar by an old lady who looked after me as a small child) If you use dark muscarvdo sugar and highest cocoa solids bitterest chocolate you can find that should solve some of the problems though I will say if you don't have a sweet tooth avoid her chocolate ginger cake from feast which is lovely but very sweet For the cooking I would just say cook if for longer covering the top with baking towards the end of the cooking time if you are worried about it burning it should indeed be a very sticky cake so a tester will never come out completely clean The damn lemon loaf isn't so sweet expecially if you use a bitter citrus fruit like grapefruit and that is very pleasant. She also has a nice rhubarb and cornmeal cake again which isn't quite so sweet |
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| cab |
Squidgy, so probably slightly heavy, and exceedingly sweet. That's a Nigella cake recipe all over 
I often find her cakes are a bit over-rich, a bit over-sweet. Can you just cut down on how much sugar you add, and presumably add a little less liquid too? |
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| bagpuss |
Not sure what effect that would have, You could try substituing black treacle which isn't as sweet as sugar This is a good site about the function of baking ingredients which talks about substitutions By the look of what it is saying about molasses you would probably also need more baking powder. You could also use 100% cocoa solids chocolate or add some cocoa powder to reduce the sweetness of it |
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| greenbean |
Hello, Nigella's recipe for Clementine Cake in How to Eat is lovely, moist and not too sweet, it's nice served with a dollop of Creme Fraiche.
One of my favourite cookery books is Big Flavours and Rough Edges : Recipes from the Eagle by David Eyre. The Eagle is a pub in London. The recipes are peasant style, quite a bit of game, a really interesting collection of dishes from mainly Europe, using seasonal foods too. I love the sound of the European Peasant cookery book, I might look that out, I like to read about the origin of regional dishes. |
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| bagpuss |
If this is the cake I am thinking of I do a very similar one from another book which is indeed lovely, its very aromatic. The only downside is the boiling oranges for 2 hours first |
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| Jonnyboy |
Sounds like Nigella herself. Her flourless chocolate cake is pretty much a standard recipe but way, way too much sugar IMHO. Why bother with 70% cocoa if you are going to dump 200 grams of tate & lyles finest in with it? Much better to use t***o value 50% cocoa and about 75grams of sugar, if that. |
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| Goxhill |
I like Nigella's marmalade making - especially pink grapefruit. She has you boilt the fruit to soften first, whole. You slice it up when it's cooled down. I found it a good method. | ||||||||||||
| greenbean |
I agree the boiling for two hours is a waste of fuel. I have an Aga so it's on all the time anyway. I do like the fact that nothing is wasted, ie. the clementine peel is used too. | ||||||||||||
| dougal |
Right, that sounds like Nigel Slater is called for. Real Fast Food and the 30 Minute Cook should do to begin with. |
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| judith |
Excellent book! |
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| bagpuss |
Sorry IMHO Nigel Slater is a complete w****r, Some of his recipes are good but his attitude towards food and how it should be handled always really winds me up. I was given real fast desserts a couple of years ago for christmas and I tried to read it but how his attitude comes across in writing I find really irritating |
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| tahir |
I think that's fairly extreme bagpuss, I've definitely got cook books by writers I don't agree with but I don't think I could call any of them that based on their writing. |
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| bagpuss |
So Tahir you are telling me that you never have such a strong opinion of people on the basis of their public persona which books they publish are part of Nigel Slater is one of the few tv chefs who actually elicits such a strong reaction in me but unfortunately he does. I know lots of people who think his recipes are wonderful and to be fair the recipes of his I have actually tried tend to be good but unfortunately his persona both on TV and in writing irritates |
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| tahir |
Sometimes, but very rarely, to be honest all the Jamie bashing etc that goes on amuses me, he's just an Essex lad that happens to be a fairly decent cook and comes across really well on TV (to those that like him) likewise Ainsley, he's quite funny if you ask me, when he starts getting on my nerves I turn off.
I wouldn't swear at any of them |
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| judith |
If you really want to be annoyed by a cook book, then read Cooking from Lake House Organic Farm by Trudie Styler (aka Mrs Sting) and her chef! It is the most arrogant, pompous heap of self-serving twaddle it has ever been my misfortune to read. And the recipes are useless too! | ||||||||||||
| Mad Dad |
[quote="bagpuss] Nigel Slater is one of the few tv chefs who actually elicits such a strong reaction in me but unfortunately he does.[/quote]
Totally with you on this one Bagpuss. Ainsley too with his Sammy Salt and Peter Pepper b******s. Anyway back to the subject, my favorite cook books are The River Cottage Year by HFW and a The Freezer Book published sometime in the 70's which I got for 10p at a school fayre. Full of useful basic recipies along with freezing/reheating info for bulk cooking. |
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| nettie |
I got a copy of "Falling Cloudberries" for my birthday! It's wonderful; I've only made the hummous so far but it's the best recipe for it I've come across.
There's a lovely and unusual mixture of Finnish, Greek, African and Italian food. I love it! |
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| cab |
While Delia hasn't quite written the Mein Kampf of cooking, I do find that her cookery books rub me up the wrong way entirely. And some of the River Cafe tomes I've flicked through just irritate the hell out of me. Might not go to starred out letters as Bagpuss, but you catch my drift I 'm sure. Oh, and the entire ethos around Nigellas 'Forever Summer' just gave me the hump. |
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| tahir |
Hmm, I don't think I could say that I feel strongly enough to call someone like Nigella (who I can't stand) a rude word, although rude words do play a significant part in my communicative repertoir.
Even whossisface who did Masterchef wouldn't warrant an expletive, or Spikey Saddo Rhodes... |
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| dougal |
Well, I'm happy to second you on that motion.
"Motion" wasn't actually the word that came to mind when I came across a pile of these in my remainders bookshop. But I believe its the term medical people use. |
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| tahir |
What about Classic Conran £ 4.99 at www.thebookpeople.co.uk | ||||||||||||
| tahir |
They've also got the interesting looking:
Eat Carribean by Virginia Burke Food and Travels: Asia by Alistair Hendy On Your Farm by Jimmy Doherty (£4.99) Traditional Breads For Your Breadmaker |
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| tahir |
Foolproof French Cookery by Raymond Blanc £2.99
Foolproof Italian Cookery by Aldo Zilli £2.99 |
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| tahir |
They've also got Grow Your Own Vegetables by Joy Larkcom for £3.99, a total bargain, she's absolutely excellent | ||||||||||||
| Nanny |
cook booksi have the meat book and the river cottage cook book bothe of which i use a lot and although i don't like watching him, i do use the gary rhodes great british classics book quite a bit...........always do his recipe for fish and chips batter because it worksi have a tendency to flick from book to book as the fancy takes me toi be honest and then juggle some recipes to suit what i have available in the cupboard |
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| Bugs |
I'm looking for an excuse to buy myself that...love the Book People 
Hmm, I must say that Ainsley and Rhodes both make me want to kill, ooh, actually, AWT as well, I just find all three of them share a patronising, "well, you may know perfectly well what I'm going to say but I still know it better and you can never hope to reach my level, now go and buy the book, little person" type attitude. Pity as AWT seems to be vaguely interested in the provenance of his food...don't mind Nigel Slater though. I agree some of his attitudes to junk food aren't my thing, but he's an entertaining enough writer and sounds truly enthusiastic. Nigella is a bit over generous with the adjectives as well as the sugar, but I class her with Nigel, don't agree with everything she says but there is stuff to learn from her...don't trust a cook who smokes though 
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| monkey1973 |
I like (and cook from often) "The return of the naked chef" by JO. I also got Jamies Dinners for Christmas although I haven't explored that much of that one yet.
I was surprised that nobody (so far) had mentioned his books. |
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| dougal |
His attitude towards *cooking* has always struck me as being not a lot different to Nigella's - lets make it taste great and not worry too much about presentation. IMHO his recipes are accurate, while Nigella's are famously iffy, and for example in "Nigella Bites", rarely her own. He may be gay, but he doesn't pout at the camera, umm, unlike her. Generally, he seems to encourage minimal "mucking about" with good quality ingredients. But he does like his chips, and reckons that deli's and patisseries are there to be used. I don't have a problem with that, and I doubt Nigella would. He strikes me as quiet and shy - I didn't think he had much 'attitude' to object to. He couldn't possibly be as offensive as the in-your-face Ainsley or the ubiquitous AWT. Both books I suggested are aimed at "impatient" time-poor people, with the intention of demonstrating the great variety of interesting, nutritious foodstuffs that can be prepared in less time than some "ready meals". I have to admit that I've thought of him as a *writer*, of books, newspaper columns and magazine articles - NOT as a "tv chef". He's won or been shortlisted for the Glenfiffich, Andre Simon and Julia Childs awards for food *writing*. I gather he did have a series to go with "Real Food", but if it was on terrestrial, I missed it. I've seen him interviewed, probably demonstrate something, but he's hardly a big-time meeja star, or even a rentaquote. Are we talking about the same bloke? If we are, it just goes to demonstrate that different people have different, umm, tastes! 
I haven't read Real Fast Puddings, so I can't know exactly what could rouse you to such vitriol, but if it helps you to give him another chance... he likes his KitchenAid too! (I'm sure we all know about Nigella's...)
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| jema |
Not seen Slater much on TV. But I am a big fan of his writing, he comes across as having a real love of his craft
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| Jonnyboy |
I've heard a lot of people rate his books, and I don't doubt his love of good food, or his skill. But he's done too many hypocritical things for cash to deserve my respect. Sorry, but that's how it is. |
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| bagpuss |
I have to say I can't explain why I like Nigella but don't like Nigel I think it is more that slightly irrational but it was statements in real fast desserts like you musn't put choclate with strawberries which really irriated me. I suspect had my initial reading of nigella met similar statements I would of found her equally irritating I tend to find cooks who believe in a one true way annoying but not as annoying as cooks who for somethings profess you can do this any which way you fancy but for others follow a one true way for other things even worse. I have an impression of him as a tv cook rather than a food writer is mostly because that was where I encountered him first I have to say the chefs I see on UKTV Food who impress me most are Simon Rimmer and Mike Robinson. Both of them seem to geniuiely enjoy food and want to help to be to learn how to cook without laying down a one true way |
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| jema |
I hate the "my way the only way" chefs as well. For example I like Rhodes recipes in general but think he has no idea on gravy! | ||||||||||||
| cab |
Oh, I can think of rude words for certain of the telly chefs, although Nigella just occasionally irritates me with her complete disregard for seasonality. Why can't you stand Nigella? And Rhodes... Well, he seems harmless enough. Spiky Saddo? I didn't like Worral Thompson till I saw him on Ready Steady Cook a couple of times. His capacity to turn anything from a tin of tomatoes and a sardine through to a wet lettuce and a lump of cheese into something that invariably looks like a bacon sandwich is quite interesting. After foolishly watching a whole program about eggs by Delia I was ready to swear. |
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| Behemoth |
I don't think I'd mind Nigella giving me a hand in the kitchen.
Slater's recipes in the Guardian/Observer are usually good - his parsinip, sausage and black pudding bake is a triumph. Watched some sort of cookery programme on BBC2 with AWT the other saturday morning and he was trying to get people to phone in for their favourite out of three recipes and it would actually be cooked at the end of the show. Wow! Calls cost 30p. He sounded like he was pleading for his life. |
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| cab |
I've occasionally seen that prog. It's a good indicator of trendy cooking, they all seem to immediately jump on whatevers fashionable. This year, sorrel seems to be in. Once again, one of my favourite vegetables becomes all trendy, and then EVERYONE pretends that they've been eating it for years 
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| twoscoops |
That Trudy Styler tome went onto the charity pile after about five minutes. I’m so glad I didn’t part with money for it.
I find that I get enthusiastic about different cookbooks in winter and summer. Winter is for Delia, Nigella, Nigel, the Meat Book, Thai, Indian and Chinese. Rick Stein’s Food Heroes is good at any time of year. Spring and summer are for everything quick and in a Mediterrainean style; Jamie Oliver, Hugh’s RC Year, Antonio Carluccio’s books are just full of inspiration and Rick Stein’s seafood books get an airing if I can manage to get hold of some decent fish in this godforsaken culinary desert. A neighbour bought me Paradiso Seasons by Dennis Cotter which is bursting with good vegetarian recipes. An armchair, a cup of tea and a cookbook for half an hour every couple of days is a real treat. I have difficulty watching Gary Rhodes on the telly, but his books are always crammed with good recipes, and they are usually seasonally sympathetic. Ainsley annoys the hell out of me, and Slater can be a little grating, and also sometimes moving, but his recipes are utterly foolproof. Nigella is love, leave her alone. |
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| cab |
Antonio Carluccio does write good books; Antonio Carluccio Goes Wild had some tremendous recepies. His passion for mushrooming is fun, but I do tend to see a lot more people picking and staring at potentially dangerous mushrooms after he (or that survivalist bloke... What's his name again?), or even Jamie Oliver, has been on telly talking about mushrooms.
There's a great big field that's sometimes covered in yellow stainer mushrooms (Agaricus xanthoderma, if memory serves) near here. It's quite amazing, but it's always the day after there's been some celebrity chef waxing on about mushrooms if I find someone picking them and considering poisoning themselves. A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing
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| judith |
No votes for Marcella Hazan or Claudia Roden, then? They are my summer food gurus.
People keep buying me Nigella "I have my eggs flown in from Bologna and the bread just has to be Poilâne, daahling" Lawson books - I certainly wouldn't bother if it was my cash I was shelling out. The veg stew for serving with meatballs and couscous in Feast is fabbo, but I'm not a fan of chocolate cakes, so that's at least half of every book wasted. |
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| tahir |
Seen the ads this has brought up?
http://www.anupamspice.co.uk/recipes/chicken-curry.htm |
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| Lozzie |
Mushroom-hunting is like a national sport in Italy and France. Many rural chemists and pharmacia in those countries offer an identification service, but even these are never 100% guaranteed. I love Rick Stein's Food Heroes book and another I have on North African food, but the recepies I use the most are those that come on the little leaflet with me veggies every week (at least until I start to harvest my own) |
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| dougal |
Bagpuss, is that what you meant by "for somethings profess you can do this any which way you fancy but for others follow a one true way for other things" being even more irritating?
Is that "how his attitude comes across in writing I find really irritating"?
Perhaps that is what you were referring to when you said "his attitude towards food and how it should be handled always really winds me up"? This is not someone that says his way is "the one true way". To suggest that the man is anything other than 'laid-back' would be a travesty. Personally, its his guidance towards what you can be relaxed about, and his sheer enjoyment of food that I enjoy about his writing. And I think the epithet "Complete w****r" is undeserved. At least by Nigel Slater. I might have recommended gastroporn (The French Laundry Cookbook), cheap peasant cookery (Recipes from the French Wine Harvest), Californian foodie gospel (anything by Alice Waters), classics (David, Roden, Larousse, Childs...), beautiful text devoid of illustrations (The Greens Cookbook), the Robert Carrier's that first taught me about food, restaurant books (Harvey Nichols!), Bread books (The Breadmaker's Apprentice) or... But because Bagpuss described herself as an "impatient" cook, I suggested Nigel Slater's books on quick cooking. Perhaps just a little more patience, and a lot more relaxation, would be a good thing!
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| Jonnyboy |
Not forgetting Fergus Henderson of course, I can read Nose to tail eating just for his style.
Plus any and all of Elizabeth David's books. |
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| bagpuss |
Thats is one of those books I would to get hold of but again I never seem to quite get round to it. It sounds very interesting. I would also be great to go to his restaurant and have a look round the smithfield market |
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| jema |
Glad to see a robust defence of Nigel Only tend to read him in the observer so had no evidence to hand, but those quotes summarise how his attitude came across to me. I really don't know where Bagpuss is coming from on this one
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| Jonnyboy |
I like his books, but his TV shows? he looks real *&^%$ on those!
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| Behemoth |
I've got a bulging box file full of his recipes ripped out of the magazine and food monthly. Most are from or find there way into his books so I haven't bothered getting any though I do have a freebie mini paper back from the Obs.
My only gripe is that he occasionally uses ingredients that aren't available in the provinces. |
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| Gertie |
I have loads of cookery books, many of which have been written by people who aren't well-known names and more importantly were probably bought for less than a fiver each.
They contain a number of well written recipes which are easy to follow and fool-proof! |
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| Lisa |
I *love* his books and his writing - I agree, he is so enthusiastic - but just last week saw him on TV for the first time...turned off after less than 2 minutes, was worried if I watched any more I would start to dislike him and be put off his lovely recipes! |
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| alison |
Has no one mentioned the two fat ladies. | ||||||||||||
| otatop |
Re: cook books
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| cab |
Their books tended to be less useful than I'd hoped, but they were always very entertaining. |
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| dougal |
/showing his broadmindedness Well I rather approve of Jennifer Patterson... even if she is sometimes as wayward as Nigella! I particularly like the Paperpack of her Spectator columns (Feast Days?) (but I had been trying - slightly ostentatiously - to avoid "tv chefs") 
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| jema |
I'd go with Cab on this one, entertainment value and not much else. | ||||||||||||
| Bugs |
I really like the TV series, find them very entertaining but they still (or at least their producers) managed to fit in some unusual food and even information. Not even looked at any of the books though, I must be honest. Are they good?
I hope he chips in his fair share of the ice cream budget. And brings his own bucket and spade
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| Goxhill |
I've got 'The Pauper's Cookbook' too, otatop, in a similar condition - mine's falling apart but like you I can't part with it! | ||||||||||||
| Bugs |
Hmm, tis still available, this book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0711222401/qid=1117789511/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/026-3316778-5223634 |
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| wellington womble |
no, no, no, no, no, NO.
I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE COOKBOOKS! On the other hand, if I moved the sofa along a bit, and put up another shelf....... Oh dear - things are getting out of hand again!
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| Jonnyboy |
We just had to modify the kitchen design for our new house, forgot to put bookshelves in...bye bye pointless glass display cabinet! | ||||||||||||
| Bugs |
If we ever build a house it will be based around a library! I do wonder sometimes if the books are insured...after all they'd be terribly vulnerable to fire or flood, and I'd be very sad to lose any of them, yet though they are worth so little, they'd probably cost hundreds or even thousands to replace, not counting the "irreplaceables" either. |
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| cab |
They're worth a flick through, but I don't find that they're all that sueful. If you see them in a cheap book shop, get them. |
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| wellington womble |
Our books are insured seperately or nominated, or whatever it is for the same reason. And I took digital piccies of the them, and store them on my photobucket account, partly because I'll never remember what I've got, and partly to prove to a slimy wriggly insurance company that I really had them all! | ||||||||||||
| dougal |
I think if you liked the shows, you couldn't help but like "Feast Days" some of Jennifer Patterson's 'Spectator' columns - loosely arranged around Saint's days - her method of marking the seasons. By contrast her last work "Seasonal Receipts" is rather colourless - but she was already very ill by that time. The remaindered bookshop turkey though is Clarissa DW's "Food" an anthology of other's writings. A much better eclectic lucky dip is Davidson's "Oxford Companion to Food". Not necessarily useful, but fascinating in its breadth, if not always its depth. And everyone should know about Davidson's "North Atlantic Seafood" - a scholarly work of gastronomy indeed. |
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| dougal |
Re Fat Ladies
Should have explained that "Seasonal Receipts" is a *recipe* book, whereas "Feast Days" *is* the spirit of JP on paper (with recipes)! Also worth noting that "Two Fat Ladies: Full Throttle" contains the *ONLY* recipe (OK Jennnifer, "receipt") that I have for Bull's or Ram's Penis.... (and no, not yet...)
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| Guest |
Probably the sort of recipe one only 'needs' - or should that be wants - one version of
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| Lozzie |
I have been having fun with www.bookcrossing.com - an enormous world-wide network of people's libraries. It is like some kind of humungous Noel Edmond's SwopShop of books (and a good way to be rid of books you don't think you'll ever want to read any more. Just leave them on the bus or train with a post-it on the cover saying "Please Look After This Book", and away it goes on an adventure you can keep track of by reading journal entries on the website) They have an impressive display of cookery books - but I am still figuring out how to get hold of them
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