Friday Favourites - Cookbooks

It’s that time of year, where we’re all thinking about what we want to improve on for the months ahead. Here at The Amazing Blog, we always start off with good intentions, but struggle to see it through. As we’ve decided to dedicate more time to the kitchen in 2015, we’ve decided to make the task a little less daunting with a collection of great cook books. So if you’re looking to transform yourself from a cooking novice to a bona fide chef, have a look at our list of our fabulous recipe books. You’re sure to find some inspiration to help you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions.

Tired of ramen noodles and frozen food? Cook Now Eat Later by Mary Berry has recipes that are delicious, straightforward and make your life a hell of a lot easier. Whether you are preparing a three-course meal or supper for one, you have over 100 foolproof and easy-to-follow recipes that allow you to prepare in advance, such as the Pork, Leek and Sage Burgers or the Quinoa and Rocket Salad with Garlic Dressing. The recipes include clear instructions on how to get one (or two or three) steps ahead. With some dishes you can prepare everything ahead of time and with others you can prepare both ahead of time and assemble the day you plan on eating it.

Mary Berry is the much-loved judge on The Great British Bake Off and an author of more than 70 cookbooks. Take the stress out of cooking by purchasing her cookbook for £9.99 here.

Ever wonder what Australian food tastes like? Us too, which is why we were so intrigued by Shelagh Ryan’s cookbook, Café Kitchen. The Australian-born foodie and owner of London’s three Lantana cafes has given us a repertoire of recipes for any time of the day in her new cookbook. You can make Toasted Muesli with Baked Rhubarb and Bubble for brunch or nibble on some Thai Fish Cakes with Nahm Jim Dipping Sauce for a mid-afternoon snack. Ryan makes it easy for us to experience Australia’s thriving cafe culture at home for a mere £14.88 here instead of paying for those pricey airline tickets.

Meat eaters, rejoice! Charcuterie by Miranda Ballard teaches you about the history and types of charcuterie and salami, as well as providing tips about how to match different meats and what food to accompany them with. Some of the recipes, such as Grilled Chorizo and Scallops On Sticks are perfect to serve with drinks. You can find other recipes to put the delicious cured meat in like the Smoked Sausage Casserole. There are even recipes that show you how to cure your own pork belly or duck breast.

Ballard and her husband have their own food company called Muddy Boots and have also opened a butchery and charcuterie shop and café called The Modern Meat Shop in London. All you meat lovers out there can purchase Charcuterie here for £16.99.

No matter what kind of dinner party you are invited to, it’s always a safe idea to bring a dessert. Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can by Miranda Gore Browne provides over 100 delicious and quick cakes, tray bakes and cupcakes for all occasions. Whether you are preparing for afternoon tea or a family members birthday party, these desserts are perfect for anyone who needs something homemade but doesn’t have time to waste in the kitchen. The book is suitable for both beginner bakers and those who are more experienced. The Coffee and Walnut Cake and the Daisy Chain Angel Cakes sound absolutely delicious, plus, the recipes are simple to follow and don’t require any special equipment!

Miranda Gore Browne achieved widespread claim as a finalist on the first series of BBC2’s The Great British Bake Off. She now runs a successful blog full of recipes and baking ideas. Go here to purchase Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can for £11.99 so you no longer have to show up somewhere pretending you actually made that dessert.

If you’re looking to brush up on your Eastern cooking skills, then have a look at The Yunnan Cookbook by Annabel Jackson & Linda Chia. The Chinese cook book is inspired by the relationship between food and culture, and so it offers some fascinating insight into the Chinese way of life, as well as helping you to knock up some of their delicious recipes without having to put a call in to the local takeaway! From Egg Rolls to Fried Yunnan Goats Cheese With Tomato Salsa, the book is chock full of amazing and tasty treats to experiment with in the New Year. Buy the book here for £17.25 and transform yourself into an Eastern chef.

Food channels ain’t got nothing on us thanks to these cookbooks. We hope you enjoy them too!

Edwina's Christmas Wish List

With a week to go until Christmas Day, it’s time to put some pep in your step and get that Christmas shopping done! If you're still looking for good ideas, here are a few products that have made my wish list this Christmas.

As anyone here in The Amazing Blog office will tell you, I’m always on the lookout for tan enhancing products. So it’s no surprise that first on my wish list this year is Prtty Peaushun’s Skin Tight Body Lotion. Not your conventional tanning product, the potion gives a beautiful golden sheen, and is far better than a lot of other products I’ve tried. The brand offers a few shades, dark being great for those who already indulge in a little fake tanning, and medium being a wonderful way to give a fabulous sheen to a paler complexion. It would be the perfect addition to any tan lover’s Christmas list. Prtty Peaushun is available to buy here for £30.

I love Christmas food, but there are some dishes that are a little too much. A serving of Christmas Pudding at the end of the meal, although delicious, is a little too rich for my liking. If you want something a little lighter, and slightly unconventional, then I’d definitely recommend looking at Patisserie Maison by Richard Bertinet. The recipe book is filled with the most delicate cakes and snacks, great for entertaining all year round. With a particularly delicious looking Lemon Trifle recipe that’s sure to impress this Christmas, it’s the ideal gift for any culinary fans, and has made its way on to my wish list. You can buy the book here for £13.60.

Whilst on the topic of food, one of the things I associate with Christmas is the beautiful citrusy scent of oranges. So when I got a sniff of the Nourish Protect Duo, I knew it would make a fabulous gift for Christmas time. Organic and cruelty free, the gift set contains an Uplifting Shower Gel, as well as a Nutri-Rich Body Butter. As dry skin is a common problem during the festive season, the inclusion of omega rich Shea Butter, Hyaluronic Acid and collagen enriched Vitamin C make this lovely gift set a godsend to see nestled under the tree. The set is available to buy here for £25.

After all of the excitement of a hectic day, I always struggle to doze off come Christmas Eve, so Kiss The Moon's Love After Dark Gift Set is a welcome addition to my wish list. A combination of Rose, Frankincense and Ylang Ylang, the soothing ingredients help you to drift off into a peaceful night’s sleep. The beautifully packaged products also promote cell renewal, so I can wake up on Christmas Day looking young, fresh and ready to greet the festivities. ‘Sleep Beautifully’ and buy the gift set here for £82.

Of course, despite a restful night’s sleep, Christmas Day is no excuse to not look bronzed and glowing, so Crazy Angel is also making an appearance on my Christmas list this year. The brand’s Bronze Desire Instant Airbrush Self-Tan is perfect for giving a quick and easy glow, which develops as the day goes on, so by the time Christmas Dinner is served, you’ll be looking as angelic as Christmas expects. The 360 spray can prove a little messy, so I tend to spray it onto a mitt to apply, giving me moisturising and even coverage for the holiday season. Get the Self-Tan here for £14.99.

We hope this has inspired a few gift ideas that might have been lacking. Merry Christmas and good luck with all of your last minute shopping.

Bilton Basics Cookery Book

If there is one thing I have learned from working with the lovely ladies here at The Amazing Blog it is that women admire a man who can cook. Personally, I think cooking can be a bit overwhelming. And with all those wordy and dull recipe books out there, I have never had a desire to learn more. But with my recent discovery of Timothy Bilton’s new Bilton Basics cookery book, there is a change in the air. From the opening pages, Bilton claims that he has designed this book as a simple and straightforward guide to learning the skills of cooking. The words ‘simple’ and ‘straightforward’ grabbed my attention immediately and after thumbing through the first few recipes I couldn’t seem to put the book down.

While this book is indeed simple, Bilton takes a rather wholesome approach to the skills of cooking. Starting from the beginning, Bilton explains various cooking techniques including boiling, poaching, stewing, braising, roasting, frying, baking, and steaming. I was familiar with these terms but never fully understood them. His instructions make learning these techniques quite easy. This cook book covers a large range of foods from Baked Scallops and Scottish Salmon to Venison and Lamb. If you are not too fond of the seafood or game dishes, he has also included some sweets such as Puddings, Yorkshire Ice Cream and Rhubarb. Being a big steak fan myself, I would love to master Bilton’s Yorkshire Flat Iron Steak. It seems like a fairly simple recipe and hopefully with a few tries I should be able to make it at least somewhat appetising. And for dessert, I definitely want to experiment with Bilton’s Rhubarb creations. Although I will say, the chocolate tart looks equally delicious. With just a quick glance through this book you’ll see why all his dishes are enticing. Each recipe is complimented with a beautiful photograph courtesy of David Walker that is sure to get your taste buds tingling.

Bilton Basics captures the true cooking choreography that all recipe books should, one of delicious dishes, clear recipes, beautiful images, and a little bit of story and wit. Timothy Bilton has turned complexity into simplicity - making it easy to learn some luxurious recipes and cooking skills. For £25 you can began to surprise the women in your life with your new-found cookery. It’s a purchase you won’t regret. Available direct from Butchers Arms at 014 8468 2361 or info@thebutchersarmshepworth.co.uk and also on amazon.

Celia Lindsell Lavender Honey

There's been a definite drop in the temperature this week which has left the gang at The Amazing Blog hankering after all things warm and cosy. Gone is the air conditioning and open windows, to be quickly replaced with radiators and mugs of sweet hot chocolate. And with all the extra layers we're currently donning, the lunch time-salads and afternoon apples have been forgoed in favour of a plethora of carbs and hot soups.

And our new favourite afternoon indulgence comes in the form of hot buttered toast and our fabulous new find - Lavender Honey. Created by Celia Lindsell, a specialist in French Lavender, the finest Lavender Honey from the slopes of Mont Ventoux is now available on our cold British shores. Unlike normal honey, this mouth-watering Lavender variety is sourced from hives located in the hectares of the world's finest lavender fields. The honey is harvested immediately after the lavender flowering season to ensure its purity and being a monoflora it has distinct and intense flavours, is opaque in colour and deliciously runny in texture.

Known for its plethora of benefits that go well beyond taste, honey is a great natural source of carbohydrates that gives an immediate energy boost and can help prevent fatigue during exercise. It is also well known for its ability to help sore throats and can even be used as an effective treatment for burns (handy if you happen to be lingering slightly too close to the office radiator!).

And for any foodies out there, why not take inspiration from French farmers who graze their lambs in fields of organic lavender to give the meat a superb, fresh, floral flavour and use it to marinade your favourite meat? Or if you're after a sweeter treat, why not try the fabulous Lavender and Honey Cupcakes that Celia suggests? Celia Lindsell Lavender Honey is available online here.

The aromatic sharpness of lavender combined with soft honey flavours and toasted almonds give these cupcakes an intensity of flavour that is luxuriously decadent and festive.

Ingredients

280g plain flour, sifted pinch salt 110g unsalted butter, softened 250g caster sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 125ml full fat milk 1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract 50g soft butter 450g icing sugar (approx – depending on the consistency you want to achieve) 80ml lavender milk (see footnote below) 2 tablespoons double cream 1 tsp of our Lavender Honey some flaked almonds, lavender and edible silver glitter to decorate

Preparation method

Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add caster sugar and beat for 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, beginning and ending with the flour. Be careful not to over mix.

Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the batter into cupcake liners - about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Toast flaked almonds on a baking tray in a hot oven for approx 5 mins – until lightly browned - and allow to cool.

Whisk butter in a metal bowl until smooth, then add 300g icing sugar, milk, honey and double cream. Blend until smooth and slowly add remaining icing sugar until you have the consistency you want.

Ice cupcakes and dust with a sprinkling of lavender buds, cooled toasted almonds and silver glitter.

For the lavender milk:

Measure out around 1.5 times the milk your recipe requires (to allow for evaporation) and add lavender buds at a ratio of 2tbsp buds to 1 cup milk to a small pan. Heat ingredients to a scald stage (just before boiling), then turn off heat and leave to cool completely. Strain the flowers with a sieve and re-measure milk before adding to your recipe.

Great British Grub!

We all hear about the history and events in the England but we never look at an in depth look on the important part of every life present and past, food. Finally there is a well written book that takes history and food and puts them together for a wonderful description of our counties past and present favourite meals and how they came to be.

A History of English Food by Clarissa Dickson Wright is a detailed historic description of how and why our country decided to eat certain meals beginning in the 12^th century. Have you ever wondered what caused our ancestor’s to eat Preserved Quince or Pease-Porridge? Or wonder how Indian curry came to our country? Or maybe simply how they fixed such extravagant meals without microwaves and electricity? Well then you need to grab a copy and learn the history behind one of the most overlooked parts of our culture.

Wright has a wonderfully amusing way of telling these stories about English history while also drawing from her unique personal experiences so you never feel like your reading a factual book. She keeps every story in her own voice so it stays upbeat and interesting. Wright never misses a beat as she describes the delicious food that goes hand and hand with English history. Her passion for food is a vital part of this informative yet enthralling tale of English food. It will forever be a classic must read for every English food enthusiast.

My favourite part of the book is that after you learn about the food and the history and why everything is so delectable, you get to try making them yourself. She has listed numerous recipes that are mentioned in the book that you can try for your own. It brings a whole new method to reading! Read a chapter then cook a recipe to try it! What could be better than that?!