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Favourite Cook Book/Recipe/Food-related Site?

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Susie_Q


    I have this Good Housekeeping book and I swear by it.

    good-housekeeping-step-by-cookbook-various-hardcover-cover-art.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,051 ✭✭✭mollybird


    well when i was with my partner a year i got him the silver spoon. it's pet name in his family would be "the bible" since his fathers family are italian. my OH can cook really well as can i and i thought it would be a great first cookbook to get him. we use it quite a bit. i got him also for christmas was maudder jaffery's simple indian cookbook. he had never cooked an indian dish from scratch really and it had all the best ingredients that you should have in your pantry to make the dishes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    I just use the internet (www.allrecipes.com and www.whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com are great for ideas).

    For physical books though I use Jamie's 30 Minute Meals, and The Ultimate Potato Cook Book.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 greenet


    Jamies 30 minute meals! take a bit of practice to get it in the 30 mins but good food!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 593 ✭✭✭Zuiderzee


    Catalan Cuisine by Colman Andrews


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  • Registered Users Posts: 665 ✭✭✭sponge_bob


    anyone able to recomend me a good book on deserts and baking?


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,248 ✭✭✭Gloomtastic!


    Another vote for Jamies 30 minute dinners. Really tasty food.

    However, a couple of things bother me. You can tell Jamie doesn't have to do the washing up. The state of the kitchen after using every pot/pan/bowl in the kitchen!

    Also they're not cheap. I'm going to have to start growing serious amounts of herbs to keep the bills down. He does like his herbs! :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,069 ✭✭✭✭duploelabs


    sponge_bob wrote: »
    anyone able to recomend me a good book on deserts and baking?

    Lorraine Pascale has style and substance, her book Baking Made Easy is very very good


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,844 ✭✭✭Honey-ec


    Flicked through Jamie's 30 Minute Meals in Easons and loathed it. Far too dictatorial for my liking, I tend to use recipes as guidelines and adapt them freely. I even hated the layout & typesetting of that book. Which is a shame, cause I'm generally a big fan of Jamie's food. I just much prefer him in his "a lug of this, a splash of that" incarnation.

    Spongebob, I have a book called simply "Baking" by Martha Day and have found it excellent.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6 miriamc


    love vegetarian cooking and am looking for a really easy one to use day to day with no unusual ingredients
    Any suggestions ? also love jamie oliver cookbooks - want to buy them all but sadly recession on so which is the most practical one to get ;)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 649 ✭✭✭K09


    Hi,

    I am looking for beginners cookbook. I am looking to be able to cook great but simple dinners, soups, starters and desserts.
    Is The Cook's Book: Techniques and Tips from the World's Master Chefs the best book for this?

    Thanks!


  • Registered Users Posts: 33,519 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    You really can't go wrong with a basic cookbook when starting out - the Conran Cookbook, Simon Hopkinson or Delia Smith.


  • Registered Users Posts: 206 ✭✭xxxkarenxxx


    Jamies 30 minute meals is by far the best cookbook I ever bought! Everything turns out sooo delicious though not always quite within the 30 minutes ha ;)


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 18,173 CMod ✭✭✭✭The Black Oil


    Honey-ec wrote: »
    Flicked through Jamie's 30 Minute Meals in Easons and loathed it. Far too dictatorial for my liking, I tend to use recipes as guidelines and adapt them freely. I even hated the layout & typesetting of that book. Which is a shame, cause I'm generally a big fan of Jamie's food. I just much prefer him in his "a lug of this, a splash of that" incarnation.

    Yep. I got this as a present a few months ago and I loathe the layout and typesetting, too. Haven't really touched it, tbh. Prefer his MoF book.


  • Registered Users Posts: 221 ✭✭TTWNF


    miriamc wrote: »
    love vegetarian cooking and am looking for a really easy one to use day to day with no unusual ingredients
    Any suggestions ? also love jamie oliver cookbooks - want to buy them all but sadly recession on so which is the most practical one to get ;)

    Hey Miriamc, i have most of Jamie Olivers cookbooks & i am selling them as i am moving abroad soon. all are in good condition & i'm not looking for a huge amount for them.. give me a shout if you are interested in buying some or all of them!
    Thanks,
    Tom


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,104 ✭✭✭Swampy


    The Silver Spoon is an excellent Italian cook book.


  • Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭Bella mamma


    Am hosting for 10 and would like to make from scratch - no jars!

    Was thinking of Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Bhuna. Have been browsing a number of sites, but very confused with all the variations. Anyone have a 'tried and tested' recipe site pls? Much appreciated!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,512 ✭✭✭Ellis Dee


    Try this Indian site::)

    http://www.tasteandflavours.in/


  • Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭Bella mamma


    No, never!

    Am far from a 'chef'. Trying to do a meal that people
    - will enjoy (obviously!)
    - is all homemade (not sure about the garlic/union naan :confused::eek:)
    - can linger over

    It's in 2 weeks, will check later if have time to get the DVDs - don't mind the investment - would like to do a mini 'trial run' next week.

    Many thanks.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 695 ✭✭✭Darkginger


    This is the best site I've ever found for curry recipes (and I'm a curry nut). http://www.secretcurryrecipes.com/

    There are free sections, but subscribing (£6 a year) gives you access to everything. They concentrate on reproducing the taste you get in an Indian restaurant (as opposed to authentic Indian food).

    There are several stages to making a restaurant-style curry:

    1. getting the correct ingredients
    2. making a spice mix
    3. making a base gravy
    4. pre-cooking the meat and/or vegetables
    5. bringing it all together, and using the correct cooking techniques

    Check out this YouTube channel for help with all the above http://www.youtube.com/user/leviteish?blend=3&ob=5#p/a - brilliant videos that explain it all very clearly and which have made a real difference to my curry cooking!

    Hope that helps, but do ask if you have specific questions :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 569 ✭✭✭boodlesdoodles


    I use this site a lot for authentic Indian dishes www.mamtaskitchen.com
    Dishes from it have never let me down.


  • Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭Bella mamma


    Darkginger wrote: »
    This is the best site I've ever found for curry recipes (and I'm a curry nut). http://www.secretcurryrecipes.com/

    There are free sections, but subscribing (£6 a year) gives you access to everything. They concentrate on reproducing the taste you get in an Indian restaurant (as opposed to authentic Indian food).

    There are several stages to making a restaurant-style curry:

    1. getting the correct ingredients
    2. making a spice mix
    3. making a base gravy
    4. pre-cooking the meat and/or vegetables
    5. bringing it all together, and using the correct cooking techniques

    Check out this YouTube channel for help with all the above http://www.youtube.com/user/leviteish?blend=3&ob=5#p/a - brilliant videos that explain it all very clearly and which have made a real difference to my curry cooking!

    Hope that helps, but do ask if you have specific questions :)

    Thanks so much for taking the time to explain above - very helpful.

    Hadn't thought of a curry, the gang coming 'eat anything'!

    Your secret site is v good, and the technique vid most welcome. There's one for Bombay Potatoes there too which I was planning. Tried once before and ended up with a mushy mess in the bin.

    What curry do you think? What's your favourite - the one you always get even thou you say you'll "try something different this time"?! Lamb?

    What do you think of the 2nd dish being Chicken Tikka Masala?


  • Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭Bella mamma


    I use this site a lot for authentic Indian dishes www.mamtaskitchen.com
    Dishes from it have never let me down.

    Thanks also, a very simple site.

    Could I kindly have your favoutite/s too pls?!


  • Registered Users Posts: 695 ✭✭✭Darkginger


    Thanks so much for taking the time to explain above - very helpful.

    Hadn't thought of a curry, the gang coming 'eat anything'!

    Your secret site is v good, and the technique vid most welcome. There's one for Bombay Potatoes there too which I was planning. Tried once before and ended up with a mushy mess in the bin.

    What curry do you think? What's your favourite - the one you always get even thou you say you'll "try something different this time"?! Lamb?

    What do you think of the 2nd dish being Chicken Tikka Masala?

    Chicken Tikka Masala from scratch is quite involved, since it means making chicken tikka first, as opposed to just plain pre-cooked chicken - but having said that, it's very popular. My personal favourite is a chicken dhansak - which is also slightly more complex than a plain chicken bhuna, madras or similar, because you have to pre-cook the lentils. Not difficult, just one more step on the way!

    If it was me, I'd do something like a chicken bhuna, bombay potatoes and perhaps a lamb jalfrezi or dopiaza (I tend not to cook lamb curries much though, because I find it difficult to get the lamb to be tender enough). I do like prawn curries, but they need to be cooked and then served immediately, else the prawns go woody if kept warm for too long.

    I'd serve the above with pilau rice (now this may be heresy, but I find basmati rice, boiled with Schwarz Pilau Rice seasoning, perfectly satisfactory). Cook in loads of boiling water (with spices added) until just done (about 10 mins max), drain well, tip into an ovenproof dish, put a blob of red food colouring (a very small one) at one end of the dish, and another of yellow at the other. Do NOT stir in! Pop into a cool (100-120 degree) oven for about 10 -15 mins to dry the rice out, remove, and now mix - you should get impressively multi-coloured pilau rice :)

    I make naan bread too - I think one of the videos in the link in my previous post shows you how (not in an oven!) - but if you can get hold of some nigella (black onion) seeds, add a spoonful of those to the mix - adds to the restaurant taste.


  • Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭jimfinoc


    We did this Lamb Jalfrezi the other night and it was great. We allways get the cheep cuts of lamb and cook for at least 2 hours. If it tends to catch or stick to the bottom of the pot just add some warm water. The water will boil off, reduce, later on.
    This is the link to the lamb Jalfrezi:= http://projectspice.co.uk/2010/02/28/lamb-jalfrezi/


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭Washout


    there is an app for phone called sweet'n'spicy whic is pretty cool


  • Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭jimfinoc


    My suggestions for your meal.
    1) Start off with some popadoms and some dips. All of which can be prepaired well in advance.
    2) I would set out 2 meat dishes and a veg dish. You could do the Lamb Jalfrezi and a Chicken Dopiaza. The lamb will be a bit on the warm side, If you want it a little milder leave out 1 chilli. Remember It's not all about the heat!!
    3) For the veg dish, do a lental Taka Dhle and add some standard curry paste with some mushrooms and collie florets.
    4) With the above you can serve boiled rice, ( If you want to cheet a bit just add some Tumeric to the rice, not too much, just to colour it. There will be so much other spices around they will not miss the spices in the rice) and Naan bread.
    5) Try and get all your spices in an indian store. Tesco and Supervalue will not have all you want and will be expencive for what they have.
    What part of the country are you in? I'm sure someone can point you to a good indian shop.


  • Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭Bella mamma


    Thankyou.

    Looked up Chicken Dhansak on mamtaskitcken.com (will join secretcurryrecipes.com), and like this BUT there are 2 very different recipes, traditional and a quick version. The former is lentil based (as Darkginger mentioned) with potato; the latter has tomatoes/aubergines/pumkin/lentils/potato.........sounds nice. Time isn't an issue, will make dishes the day before, this is a New Year's Eve party.

    http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=13097
    http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=12812

    ******************************************************
    Had been considering Chicken Tikka Massala so they'd be 2 very different dishes, and cos I like the almond sprinkles! Are the spices (i.e. taste) sufficiently different in Dhansak and Jalfrezi? Sadly, I find I'm never sure which is which with (Lamb) Bhuna and Roghan Gosh. If they are not too similar, will go with this.

    ******************************************************
    Yes, the naan bread technique is on your youtube link smile.gif

    *******************************************************
    Jimfinoc, do you mean to make pompodoms?? eek.gif What dips do you use pls?

    *******************************************************
    Darkginger, will go with your rice, may as well totally dazzle them cool.gif. What spices do you add?

    *******************************************************
    Am in Dublin - city center/Dublin 2, 6, 8, 12 convenient.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭Bella mamma


    Washout wrote: »
    there is an app for phone called sweet'n'spicy whic is pretty cool

    Sounds like a porn site


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