Friday Favourites - Cookbooks

With a weekend of dinner parties ahead of us, what better way to spend an early evening than flicking through a plethora of new cookbooks for some heavenly inspiration. Here at The Amazing Blog, we want to share with you some of the most mouth watering  new cookbooks that have just launched.

Honey & Co  is a tiny restaurant hidden in the backstreets of Central London. It lures you in with their talent of baked goodies. Bringing food from the Middle East, husband and wife team Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich founded Honey & Co. which specialises in the most yummy selection cakes and desserts.

However, now you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your home to get these delicious desserts, as Sarit and Itamar have launched Honey & Co cookbook. With recipes such a spiced carrot and walnut cake, raspberry and rose kadaif nests and apricot and elderflower jam just to name a few. Our favourite has to be cranberry, orange and almond caramel cookies. A simple and easy recipe and which had everyones taste buds going as soon as we opened the oven. Honey & Co: The Baking Book by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich is published by Saltyard Books in £25 hardback. Alternatively you can buy online here from The Book People. Also available as an eBook. 

As fruit goes with seasons so does cheese and reading through the pages of A Year in Cheese cookbook by Alex and Leo Guarneri we discovered so many things we didn’t know about this amazing source of calcium, we were left amazed! Alex and Leo take us on a journey through the seasons, explaining little gems like why you can’t have a proper goat’s curd in the Winter.

Their eye catching pictures will help you to spring from this damp February into a lustrous Summer with the freshness of their mozzarella and ricotta recipes.  And when it gets colder and all you want is to stay at home having dinner with your closest friends, the gruyere and reblochon menu suggestions will be the perfect choice. The recipes are so easy to follow that once you finished you just can't wait to start cooking again! If you want to explore the world of cheese then look no further. The book is available on White Stuff here for £20.

The finalist contestant Luis Troyano from The Great British Bake Off in 2014, decided to share his culinary knowledge publishing his very own book; Bake it Great. It is not a random collection of recipes but a proper baking course that guided us from the fundamentals. Starting from fillings like jam and custard, Luis teaches us how to cook the perfect bases for our little gastronomic accomplishments.

Here there is a recipe for every palate, we only had to open the book and whatever creation came up, we were only too happy to wear our aprons and start baking. We particularly liked the Butterscotch meringue tart and the traditional Empanadas. What we really liked was that at the very end of the book Luis listed few of the best shops where to find some of the harder to find ingredients. Buy your copy here a £13.60 for the hardcover and £10.79 for the Kindle edition.

Hosting a party and need a little inspiration for canapes? Look no further as the Clink Canape Cookbook has got it covered. Behind this cookbook is a heart-warming story, as it is created by Alberto Crisci founder of Clink Charity. This charity aims to reduce re-offending of prisoners through training and rehabilitation giving them new found culinary skills. These are then put into use at the Clink Restaurants in London, Wales, Cheshire and Surrey.

Alberto has compiled a collection of over 100 different canapé recipes from the friends, ambassadors and also from the prisoners at the Clink. With delicious recipes like mushroom and stilton tartlets, peach with cured ham bruschetta and smoked eel and beef terrine with horseradish; this cookbook is sure to get your taste buds tingling with delight. Grab the Clink Canapé Cookbook here for £14.99

Sally Clarke founded her legendary Notting Hill restaurant in 1984, pioneering seasonal fine dining and British cuisine. Now she celebrates it's thirty year anniversary by writing her own cookbook, 30 Ingredients. This book captures Sally’s love and passion for simple cooking.

The recipes are surrounded by Sally’s favourite thirty ingredients that she loves to cook with. There are so many delicious recipes with salad of duck breast with balsamic-roasted peaches and shallots to baked tomatoes with garlic and herb crumbs, you honestly wont know where to start! For more cooking inspiration, click here to get your copy at only £19.99.

Laundry Special – Dryerballs, Senses, Fairliving

Here at The Amazing Blog we love finding totally natural, organic and environmentally-friendly beauty products, whether that’s skincare, makeup or body care. We’re now taking this level of care to our wardrobe, clothes are worn every day and spend hours in contact with our skin, we have picked our favourite laundry products that cater to different needs.

As winter comes closer, the outdoor washing line is swapped for the tumble dryer. Dryerballs can rid you of the additional task of ironing and give you back an evening of relaxation.

These products are all natural softeners made only from wool. The Dryerballs negate the use of chemical softeners, reduce drying time, reduce creasing and reduce static. We found them so easy to use, simply put both balls in the tumble dryer along with your clothes and start the machine on the usual settings. What’s more, if you want to add a natural fragrance to your laundry, simply add a few drops of essential oils to the Dryerballs and run for a further 10 minutes on no heat. They are reusable and will undoubtedly save you both time and money by reducing drying time. Get yours here for £8.25.

For those of you who would rather stick to a classic softener, we have found one that can be used even by those with the most sensitive skin. Senses have created a new hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested fabric conditioner that rivals brand leaders on performance and price.

The fabric softener uses microcapsule fragrance technology; it’s available in three scents, Blue Breeze, Orange Zest and Tropical Burst, each scent is rich, fresh and long lasting. The ingredients are all naturally sourced, allowing the product to be hypoallergenic as well as intensely fragrant. We found the conditioner of excellent quality and highly effective, our clothed felt soft but our pockets didn’t feel empty. Get yours here for only £1.00.

Lastly we have found a stain remover for today’s conscious consumer. Fairliving has created a Planet Pure Organic Stain Remover Spray with the power to eliminate stubborn stains cause by red wine, fruit, jam and even grease.

We were lucky enough to try this and loved the zesty orange fragrance. It came to the rescue of a white dress from an attack of red wine, while also giving it a fresh, crisp scent. The spray is versatile and extremely useful as it can be used on any type of fabric and surface. This is a product that everybody needs in their laundry kit and thankfully won’t break the budget. Make sure you get your hands on one here for £2.99.
And if a spray remover is not enough and your laundry definitely needs something stronger, which can go deep in the stains, Fairliving also offers a wide range of Laundry Liquids and Softners. 

All the scents are very pleasant and natural, with Lavender, Orange, Chamomile and Rose and there is a product specific for every fabric.
The entire range is available here starting from £1.99.

Queen of the Hive Face Cream

No doubt everyone has heard of, or participated in, the contour craze that recently took over the beauty world. Just when we thought that contouring was reserved purely for our make-up kits, here at The Amazing Blog we discovered that Wedderspoon have created a Face Contour Cream as part of their Queen of the Hive Organic Skincare range. The cream is designed to firm and plump your skin to accentuate the natural contours of the face, highlighting these natural contours without the need for make-up.

The essential components of the cream are Manuka Honey for nourishment and intense hydration of the skin, and Bee Venom, which is extracted humanely, to increase blood flow and stimulate collagen production to keep skin firm. Wedderspoon make the quality of their ingredients a top priority, ensuring that they are from either organic or natural sources. 

The packaging fits with their natural theme, the lid being made from wood, with the stylish glass pot displaying the neutral / natural coloured cream. It looks clean, chic and high quality. We loved the sweet, fragrant scent (vaguely reminiscent of Turkish delight) and how the cream soaked into the skin quickly and left it extremely soft to the touch. We experienced no skin irritation, but obviously those with bee venom allergies should not use this product.

Become the Queen of natural contour by getting your hands on the Face Contour Cream here for £52. 

Festival of Heat

Here at The Amazing Blog, we have come across an event to spice up your weekend. The Festival of Heat is London’s leading Chilli Festival for the past 3 years, the work of Mercadito Productions. Heat-seekers everywhere join to celebrate various cultural uses for chilli, including the different eating, growing and cooking methods.

The Festival is attracting both aspiring and established talent; there will be producers, market traders and chefs from all over the UK. A few names you may recognise are hot pepper sauce brand Encona, Mushemi Fire, Zambian Chilli Products and Grim Reaper Foods Ltd. Encona will be this year’s sole sponsor of The Festival Kitchen, a fun and educational area with cooking demonstrations, food workshops and tasting activities for the whole family to enjoy. Whether its sweet and mild you’re after, or hot and fiery, Encona will have the sauce for you. They will also offer a range of delicious marinades to put life back into dull meal times; these are available in Korean BBQ, Jamaican Jerk BBQ and Moroccan Harissa. The exotic names are enough to make the mouth water.

Flavour Gurus from The World of Zing and Made in Hackney share their tips in master classes, workshops and demonstrations in the Festival Kitchen. In which you can learn ‘How to make a good curry’ and ‘Cooking with chilli to achieve the perfect heat’. For budding spice sellers, you can even pick up top tips on marketing your own hot sauce.

The Festival Kitchen Debate will hold several special guests, whom are to be announced. This is a hub of discussion around issues that affect us as consumers. You can have your own say on why we should buy from local producers and ask where it is our food comes from. If you want a break from all of this information, there will be DJs and bands providing music from across the world. There will surely be something to suit everyone as the music follows the multi-cultural theme, expect anything from live folk music to Bangladeshi dancing. In an ever growing multi-ethnic community it’s important to learn about different cultures, food and music are the social centres for most, making it the perfect place to start.

If you want a fun-filled and informative day out, make sure you attend the Festival of Heat  for just £7.50 per person, children under 16 go free if accompanied by an adult. The festival takes place on the 27th September 2015 in Red Market, London.​ 

Environ Body Pamper Packs

Here at The Amazing Blog, we understand how important it is to relax and de-stress after a long day at work. With the new Body Pamper Packs from Environ, we can kick back and treat ourselves with ease. Each pamper pack comes with the Environ Hydrating Lotion and Body Oil, designed to moisturise and nourish skin in need of a little TLC.

The AVST Body Oil contains firming and antioxidant properties designed to keep your skin looking fabulous. With high doses of Vitamins A, C and E, you’ll be able to fight sun damage and anti-ageing. It even works to heal stretch marks and scars with natural ingredients that target dry and sun-damaged skin. At the office, we appreciated how the oil made our skin feel luxurious and nourished instantly. It works best when applied after showering and when used in combination with the AVST Body Lotion.

While the body oil works to nourish all areas of skin, the AVST Body Lotion works to target rougher areas of skin such as elbows, feet and knees in need of a little extra moisture. Its ingredients are gentle, non-toxic and safe for use on sensitive skin. It gives skin a smooth surface, which can keep your tan looking even and fresh as the summer approaches. When you combine the lotion with the body oil, the two products will work together to treat skin affected by sun damage. We loved the lightweight feel of the lotion and the subtle scent.

Full-sized versions of both products (£39 each) are available from select beauty salons and aesthetics clinics nationwide, as well as at Harvey Nichols.

**GIVEAWAY** We have TEN Pamper Packs, filled with a trial-sized version of the oil and lotion to give to you. Please enter our giveaway by emailing us with your name and address here at Info@theamazingblog.co.uk *Giveaway is one pack per entry and the offer is open until 21st May 2015. Good Luck!