C is for Cookbooks (as promised)

When I wrote C is for Cooking, I promised I’d also write about my cookbook collection, so here it is, in no particular order than what it is on my bookcase in front of me and no, I’m not going to find the cover photo and link every single book, there’s way too many of them, if you’re interested in a particular book, well you know how Amazon works.

• Great Gluten Free Baking by Louise Blair – a few months ago Boy Lacer had a bad tummy bug, of the disgusting nappy kind, which just didn’t get better. We tried him on the normal dairy free route (he’s already off cows milk (casein) due to chest problems and a possible link to his developmental delay), but that wasn’t making any difference in the disgusting nappies, so we took him off gluten and wham bang thank you mam, the disgusting nappies which had been at least 3 a day (often more) stopped, normal nappies resumed. So we kept him on a gluten free diet for a month, which considering he’s already on a casein free diet, was pretty crippling for my cooking. We discovered that gluten free products, particularly the commercially available bread was absolutely disgusting (accept for the pitta bread, which was actually ok, if exorbiantly expensive), so I brought the cookbook and discovered that whilst commercially made gluten free bread was pretty disgusting, home made gluten free bread was even worse, more closely resembling a badly made cake than anything you’d want to put in a sandwich, so we switched back to the commercial gluten free bread, which is just about bearable if you toast it lightly first. However did make a passable lemon cake from it.
• Innocent little book of drinks – I think I’ve made smoothies from this book but they were obviously very memorable not, as I can’t remember. I think I came to the conclusion that buying a bottle of Innocent smoothie was probably quickie, more convienent and I suspect (might be wrong) cheaper due to the economics of scale, it might work out all cheaper if it was more than just me drinking the smoothies but at the time it was just me drinking them.
• Tana Ramsay’s Family Kitchen - I love this book, so much so because I went on about it so much, most people I know ended up buying a copy, so Tana Ramsay owes me a small share of her royalties (I wish). My favourite recipe from the book has to be the bolgnaise, I probably have countless bolognaise recipes in my collection but whereas most probably take about half an hour or so and end up tasting pretty much like a bog standard bolognaise, Tana Ramsay’s bolgnaise takes about 2 1/2 hours to cook (although I assure you most of that time it’s just sitting bubbling unattended on the stove) and I think it’s that length of time, along with the addition of pancetta that does the trick. The beef melts into a lovely rich sauce and the pancetta gives a lovely baconey saltiness. Another major plus point, is that you can hide loads of vegs in the sauce, rendering them pretty indistinguishable which is ideal for my veg-phobic preschoolers. There are many other excellent recipes in the book; cheese and ham muffins, a pizza twirly thing which doesn’t look a bit like the photos but is still delicious and a chicken and lentil dish, to name but a few.
• Peggy Porschen’s Pretty Party Cakes – now I really wish I could proudly say I’ve made at least one of the cakes in this book because they look gorgeous, but this really is a book for someone with at least a little skill in cake decorating. I have made the gingerbread recipe in this book but forgot to add the bicarb, resulting in stuff that could have been used for roofing material.
• How to Eat by Nigella Lawson – a cooking classic, the recipes I cook from this one have been committed to memory, so I don’t really refer to this one anymore.
• Desserts by James Martin – I watched the TV series but wasn’t too impressed with it to be honest (so little cookery programmes on TV these days, I’ll watch anything, even if I don’t like it), I’m not really that into desserts, however the apple and blueberry pie looked amazing, which is why I brought the book, I’m ashamed to say I’ve had this book for a while and haven’t actually made the apple and blueberry pie yet.
• How to Cook (Book 1) by Delia Smith – why, why, why have I got this book? In what fit of madness did I buy it? It goes to show you that I really have got a cookbook addiction, as I’m obviously buying books I don’t even like and what’s worse know I won’t like. I’m proud to say Jamie Oliver taught me to cook, not ‘her’, she’s so patronising, she makes me spit teeth whenever I see her on TV. This is one book I’m proud to say, I actually haven’t cooked anything from this one.
• The Complete Sophie Grigson Cookbook – brought because it was cheap in Tescos, many years ago when I was just starting out cooking. It does have a really nice rataouille recipe in, which I used to make quite a lot but I’m afraid I’m quite shallow and prefer cookbooks with pretty pictures in these days, something this book is lacking.
• Breakfast.Lunch.Tea by Rose Carrarini from the Rose Bakery - I brought this because I thought it looked pretty. It goes into some depth and has some great pictures about the Rose Bakery which is in Paris, reading it makes me drool and makes me promise myself that I’ll visit it in person next time I’m in Paris. I think I’ve probably made about one dish from this but it’s one of the cookbooks I definitely want to cook more from, the recipes are of the lovely breakfasty – light lunch variety.
• Very Simple Food by Jill Dupleix – a few years ago about a third of my cookbook collection was lost in the Great Boiler Flood of 2005, teaches me to store my cookbooks under the boiler, alot of them I replaced over time but some I weren’t too bothered about and this was one of them, although it does have a nice crossaint recipe. I got another copy by a kind of mistake, I signed up to a subscription for the food magazine Delicious, as an incentive they were promising a book, but they must of run out of whichever book it was, as I ironically got this one instead.
• Bringing Italy Home by Ursula Ferrigno – a christmas present from my dad which I have tried unsuccessfully quite a few times to get rid of on Amazon marketplace, it was a good try from my dad as I do love Italian food, I just don’t like this book, however . . .
• Truely Madly Pasta also by Ursula Ferrigno – I do like, I suspect because the dishes are simpler and less fussy.
• Recipes from the kitchen of Pizza Express – the pizza recipes are ok, although I think Jamie Oliver’s pizza bases are better, there are some really gorgeous pasta dishes in here though, specially their base tomato pasta sauce.
• Cooking like Mummyjii by Vicky Bhogal – brought during one of my phases where I wished I cooked more Indian food but always brought foul by the fact that I’m really the only one who eats it, a book I promise myself I’ll cook more from in the future.
• Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros – my dad’s been buying me Tessa Kiros books for the last two Christmas’s (so he’ll be alright for another Christmas, there’s a Tuscan one of her’s I don’t have yet) and it’s been a nice part of Christmas for the last two years having a nice chunky, beautifully written and photographed book to dip into during those rare quiet moments on Christmas day. Tessa Kiros has obviously had an enviable life, travelling the globe and her writing reflects that. In this book she divides her chapters into colours, which is a nice spin on the average cookbook chapter headings. She’s a mother as well and I tend to find I appreciate cookbooks written by mothers as they understand the unique needs of cooking for children.
• Falling cloudberries by Tessa Kiros – see above really, although she divides her chapters into locations for this one.
• Korean Cooking Made Easy – a birthday present from my sister and sorry to any Koreans reading but oh my goodness no, your cuisine is not one I like!
• Food Doctor, Food Doctor for babies and children by Vicki Edgson and Food Doctor in the City by Ian Marber - I went through a phase of buying Food Doctor books back when I didn’t have such pressing things as children to think and worry about so was more concerned about myself (the babies and children book was the last Food Doctor book I brought when I was pregnant with my first). These three books are the last ones remaining in my collection that I haven’t managed to flog on Amazon Marketplace.
• Annabel Karmel’s New Comple Baby and Toddler Meal Planner – which mother hasn’t got this book? Comparing this one to the Food Doctor Baby and Children book, the Food Doctor book hasn’t got a chance. Easy, most eatable recipes with invaluable information at the front.
• Annabel Karmel’s After School Meal Planner – more likely to cook from this one than from one of her baby books these days, it has some lovely recipes, but even better is
• Annabel Karmel’s Favourite Family Recipes – if you’re trying to decide between the After School Meal Planner and the Favourite Family Recipes, I’d recommend the Favourite Family Recipes, it has all the basic recipes you’ll ever need, I get complaints from Mr. Lacer if I cook any macaroni or lasagne recipe other than the ones in this book and I haven’t found a nicer raison and oatmeal recipe either.
• Annabel Karmel’s Superfoods for Babies and Children – another good weaning book.
• Gina Ford Baby and Toddler Cookbook – another one who doesn’t stand a chance compared to Annabel Karmel.
• Healthy Baby and Toddler Foods by Amanda Grant – ditto.
• Gimme Five! by Nicola Graimes – mmm, I can’t even remember reading this one!
• Finger Foods for Babies and Toddlers by Jennie Maizels – this one is lovely for the finger food stage.
• Feed me! The Fresh Daisy Cookbook for Babies and Toddlers by Gerrie Hawes – an ok weaning book.
• Yummy! by Jane Clarke – I feel like I should like Jane Clarke, but in reality she’s just a little bit too earnest for me.
• Baby and Toddler Meal Planner – I got this from Marks and Spencer and I was thinking what?
• Cooking for Coco by Sian Blunos – oh I love this one, posh baby food, but delicious and why shouldn’t little ones have some more ‘adult’ dishes?
• The Dinner Lady and Second Helpings both by Jeanette Orrey – part the Jamie Oliver inspired wave a few years back, that ‘old school’ school dinner ladies really knew how to cook, they are great cookbooks and I do cook from them (I wouldn’t recommend the macaroni cheese though) but not often, I feel like I should cook from them more.
• Wonderfoods for Kids by Natalie Savona – some nice healthy kiddy recipes in here, the aubergine and mozzarella recipe is gorgeous, shame my kids don’t actually like these recipes though.
• Cooking with Daisy by Josie Klafkowska - published in memory of the author’s daughter, this cookbook has incredibly sad origins but it is such a positive way of remembering the little girl. The recipes are from the public and some of them are a little so so but others are gorgeous, I particularly like the sweet stuff in this book.
• Gordon Ramsay makes it easy and Gordon Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch and other recipes from the f word – okay okay, so I brought these books because I think he’s sexy does that mean I have to cook from them? Well ok, there’s a rather interesting recipe involving a pineapple and a shed load of salt in one of these books which I keep meaning to try out but other than that it’s all just a little too fancy.
• Rachel’s Favourite Food and Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home by Rachel Allen – some nice recipes, I have never had such praise heaped on me than when I made a lemonade recipe from one of these books but still I’m umming and ahhing about whether I want her latest one that’s out soon.
• Food on the Move (the Pret Cookbook) – brought because I liked the idea, haven’t actually cooked anything.
• Wagamama Cookbook and Wagamama Ways with Noodles both by Hugo Arnold – I love Wagamama, my favourite dish being chicken chilli men, a dish I particularly loved when pregnant but was rather surprised to find out how spicy it was when I ate it again no longer being pregnant. I’ve tried making the chicken chilli men from the cookbook and discovered that it would be far easier and far more pleasurable to go out to a Wagamama resturant and eat it.
• Bill’s Open Kitchen, Bill’s Food, Bill’s Sydney Food, Simply Bill and Everyday all by Bill Granger – I love Bill Granger and can’t find a single fault with his books, light healthy food, beautifully photographed, books that make me want to jump onto the next plane to Sydney and there’s a new one coming out in October yipee! Feels unfair to them to pick out favourites from Bill Granger’s books but Simply Bill, I probably cook from the most as it has some great kids recipes and Everyday is a bit of a change in format from his other books but (not that there was anything to improve on) is actually an improvement. One day I am definitely going to eat at one of his resturants.
• Modern Classics 1, Off the Shelf and Food Fast all by Donna Hay and Marie Claire Food + Drink by Michele Cranston – all similar formats, lots of very quick, light recipes with small lists of ingredients, nice food photography.
• Marie Claire Luscious by Michele Cranston – just looking at the photos in this one makes me feel like I’m on a tropical island, worth the price of the book alone, I haven’t cooked from this one yet but I will.
• The Hi Lo Cookbook – High Energy Low Fat Recipes by Silvana Franco - brought because I liked some of her other stuff (lost in the Great Boiler Flood) but was not as keen on this one.
• The Family GI Diet by the Gallops – brought in a fit of virtuousness, got it home, realised it meant a life time of eating open sandwiches and just couldn’t face it, would have actually returned it if it wasn’t for Girl Lacer (who also has a thing for cookbooks) getting hold of it and screwing up the cover.
• Cookies, Biscuits and Biscotti and Flavoured Breads both by Linda Coulster – Christmas presents, not actually cooked from yet, but might one day.
• Three Good Food volumes; 101 Pasta and Noodle Dishes, 101 Seasonal Salads, 101 Cakes & Bakes – these books feel like boring, dependendable great aunts but at least they’re not as bad as Delia.
• The Big Ready Steady Cookbook – a very old cookbook which I wish the boiler had got.
• Cooking with Friends by Wilson + Bishop - my first ever cookbook, it’s based on the food the characters from Friends would supposedly eat, it’s actually a good cookbook, the italian roasted potatoes are gorgeous and the blueberry muffin recipe is always asked for.
• Feast, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, Forever Summer and Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson – I love these books, Mr. Lacer nags me to make the bread rolls from Feast, How to be a Domestic Goddess makes me fat from just reading it, Forever Summer is a glorious rebellion against eating seasonally and Nigella Bites has the recipe that over time for me evolved to be my core signature dish if I’m hungry and want to cook something.
• The Naked Chef, The Return of the Naked Chef, Happy Days with the Naked Chef, Jamie’s Kitchen, Jamie’s Dinners, Jamie’s Italy and Cook with Jamie by Jamie Oliver- I love most of these books, however I’m not keen on Jamie’s Kitchen (although there are a few nice recipes such as some mozzarella, ciabatta and bacon skewers) and Cook with Jamie, well I’m sorry Jamie, I just didn’t like.
• Gourmet Express 1 &2, Low Fat Meals in Minutes, Friends and Family Cookbook  and Feel Good Cookbook by Ainsley Harriott – to me now Ainsley feels like a chef from another era for me now, back when I didn’t have kids, but most of the books did me very well in their time and perhaps I should go back to them but the one I can’t stand is the Feel Good Cookbook, ‘feel good’ quite the opposite and has put me off buying anymore Ainsley.
• Real Food and Appetite by Nigel Slater – lovely recipes (but quite grown up) recipes which you can easily adapt to your own or what you’ve got in your cupboard.
• Cook Yourself Thin – brought on the basis of the one episode of this show I watched last week and although I haven’t cooked from it yet, when the Ocado delivery comes tomorrow I will be trying out lots of dishes, specially the chocolate truffles!
• Indian Food made easy – also brought recently and will be trying out the spinach pilaff when the Ocado delivery comes but I suspect other than that will be making the way of my other Indian cookbook, seldom cooked from.