In-depth cookery book reviews.
When my copy of Taste Tibet: Family Recipes from the Himalayas by Julie Kleeman and Yeshi Jampa arrived, I read the whole book from cover to cover that same day! Not just the introduction sections but every chapter and recipe introduction too. Written in Julie’s voice with recipes by Yeshi, the book relates the personal ... Read more »
Cinnamon and Salt: Cicchetti in Venice: Small Bites From the Lagoon City by Emiko Davies is a cookbook reader’s book, a title for those who are as eager to read about the culture, history and stories of a cuisine as they are to make the recipes. Cicchetti (pronounced chi-ke-tee) are small morsels of food served alongside ... Read more »
The title of Olly Smith’s latest book, Home Cocktail Bible, set a whole bunch of expectations for my husband and me, and we’re guessing the same applies to you. We’re reasonably regular home cocktail makers with a handful or two of books in our arsenal, ranging from the simple to the quirky to the complex. ... Read more »
Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich are the husband and wife chef duo behind the very successful Honey & Co in London, sometimes affectionately referred to as the Honeys. Hailing from Israel, their food is full of the vibrant colours and flavours of the Levantine region that encompasses Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey, amongst others. Their ... Read more »
Over the last 10-15 years I’ve developed a real love for and interest in tea, especially Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese teas. Coinciding with my deep love of Japanese food and drink, I’ve researched and learned about the different types of Japanese tea (such as sencha, gyokuro, hojicha, genmaicha, matcha), about their growing and processing, their ... Read more »
Selin Kiazim had an unusual and admirable ambition in mind when writing her enigmatically titled cookbook, Three. She wanted to give an accomplished eater and competent “recipe cook” the tools to have the confidence to play with their cooking, to drop their reliance on the stricture of recipes and feel free to create. The secret, ... Read more »
Our love affair with Middle Eastern food began at Uni with a Manchester Asian sweet shop that inexplicably also sold Lebanese dishes. It was affirmed by Lebanese buffet lunches of amazing quality, freshness and value, discovered at the Phoenicia restaurant just off Kensington High Street. Although now closed, memories of the tantalising fragrance of garlic, ... Read more »
Whether intentional or not, the canvas of Thali by Maunika Gowardhan is an instant evocation of the Hindu Holi Festival of Colours, bright flashes of red, pink, yellow, blue, turquoise and green flung across the book’s cover and through its pages with a sense of joy and abandon. Great book design is a unique art ... Read more »
I’ve been anticipating the publication of Mandy Yin’s Sambal Shiok cookbook for many months, and now the book’s in my hands, it doesn’t disappoint! As Yin explains, Malaysian food reflects the diversity of the Malaysian people and encompasses a glorious range of ingredients, flavours and techniques from the Malay, Chinese, Peranakan, South Indian and indigenous ... Read more »
We fell in love with yakiniku (also known in Japan as Korean barbeque) when visiting Japan, and have loved it ever since. This year, one of my Christmas gifts from Pete was a table-top Korean barbeque grill by Primst, and a big box of bamboo charcoal briquettes. We veered towards Japanese flavours for our first ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]