28 December 2010

SIX COOKBOOKS I AM LOVING

In recent weeks we’ve seen that to make a cook book a best seller, the author probably needs to be on TV and plaster the cover of the book with their very recognisable face. Jamie, Rick, Nigella and now our own Annabel have done exactly that with stunning results. But that’s left a large number of very good books sitting on the shelves when they should be in our kitchens, propped on the bench as we cook from them. So here’s a few of my recent acquisitions that I am loving cooking from.

• Saraban by Greg and Lucy Malouf (Hardie Grant)

I have been a long term fan of Greg Malouf’s spicy Middle Eastern cuisine since he did a guest chef star stint at Soul Bar. I already have a reservation to eat at his Melbourne Momo restaurant when I am over there in March for Masterclass. So this gorgeous book which is the tale, with recipes of Malouf’s journey through ancient Persia and modern Iran has already become a favourite of mine. I love the use of saffron, of rice, the fragrant herbs and the array of vegetables that bring inspiration to my table. And above all I get to take a peek through this wonderful chef’s eyes, at a land I will probably never get to visit. The photography is stunning.

• Curry Easy by Madhur Jaffrey (Random House)

If there’s a more elegant cook than the fascinating and stylish Madhur Jaffrey on this planet I would be amazed. Born in India and first and foremost known for her acting ability, Madhur has documented the cuisines of India in her books and BBC television shows. (And she’s coming to Auckland for the Writer’s festival in May.) Her newest book Curry Easy is a superb collection of recipes made easily, yet without the slightest ‘dumbing down.’ What she has done is make the curries more approachable with a smaller array of spices, so this is a book to motivate any cook to produce curries from the entire Indian subcontinent with ease and style.

• ‘The Cook’s Herb Garden’ and ‘The Cook’s Salad Garden’ – both revisited and extensively rewritten by sisters Mary Browne, Helen Leach and Nancy Tichborne (Craig Potton)

Three talented South Island sisters have spent hours working on revamping their lovely garden books. With useful notes and stories on how to grow, harvest and cook all the plants (and more) that are possible to nurture in a New Zealand garden, this pair of well produced books are a must in a country where almost 60% of the population is now making some effort to grow their own veggies and herbs. A delight to have in my kitchen.

• The New Zealand Vegetable Cookbook by Lauraine Jacobs, Ginny Grant & Kathy Paterson (Random House)

No apologies for recommending my own books! Kathy, Ginny and I worked hard to put this book together and had a lot of fun along the way. It seems there haven’t been many definitive veggie cook books since the days of Digby Law in the 70’s and early 80’s when cream and butter ruled, and olive oil was bought at the chemist, so this is a new take on our diet, We have put together some stunningly simple ideas to jazz up the veggies on our plates. And it's all arranged seasonally so there’s no excuse for not eating the food that is in abundance when it is fresh from the soil.

• Comfort; Food for Sharing. Recipes from the New Zealand Guild of Food Writers (Random House)

In November this fabulously useful book almost slipped under the radar when it was published. The generous food writers of NZ shared their favourite recipes, all written with friends in mind, who might need a little tender loving care. It’s all food that is easily transported and can be prepared a head for a friend or family in need. But it doesn’t stop there, as these are such good recipes they will quickly become favourites for your own family. And the entire royalties are being donated to the Starship Children’s Hospital Foundation. That’s reason enough to buy this excellent book.