Review: One Pot Cooking by Richard Till [Jan]

There are over 60 easy recipes for busy people to throw together quickly after a busy day.  They use the minimum of pots and pans to cut down on mess and the dishes are easy to make with minimal effort while being tasty and nutritious.  The recipes are only base starting points to creating dishes; you are urged to add your own ingredients and touches to the dish.

The recipes are divided into sections, soup, beef, seafood, etc....., with most accompanied by stunning photos of the dish.  The layout of the recipes is attractively pleasing, with step by step instructions given.  I was confused by a word or two; I’m not sure if it was a mistake in proof-reading or because I’m a novice cook.  It’s an easy guide to follow though and I have tried quite a few already.

Instructions are given on how to make your own dough and dumplings instead of buying it, which may be handy for those with dietary requirements.  To make the Crayfish Cabbage Rolls though, instructions are given on how to properly kill a crayfish.  I’m sure there are many out there who wouldn’t turn a hair but I’m not one and I felt a little queasy.

It is a handy guide of quick, simple dishes and useful for anyone to have in their kitchen.  I recommend it for students or anyone who has just gone flatting.  It will build up cooking skills as it increases confidence in the kitchen.


Title: One Pot Cooking
Author: Richard Till
Published: HarperCollins, 2013
Reviewer: Jan

Christmas Wishes From Us To You

Wishing You All A Merry Christmas
And A Happy New Year

 

Best of 2013

It's hard to believe that it's been a full year since I last wrote one of these blog posts, it feels like it's only been a few months! Once again this isn't a blog post about my favourite things released in 2013 it's a blog post about my favourite things that I discovered in 2013.

Songs
This was so hard! In a week I will have changed my mind but for now, here are my favourite songs of this year.

I Want Crazy - Hunter Hayes
Aint it fun - Paramore
Dust to Dust - The Civil Wars
Drive Darling - Boy
Glory and Gore - Lorde
I Choose You - Sara Bareilles
Young volcanoes - Fall Out Boy
Grown Woman/ Flawless - Beyoncé
Aria - Giovani Allevi
Highway Don't Care - Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban
Done - The Band Perry

Albums


Beyonce, Kacey and The Civil Wars are hands down the best albums of the year. No question. The other 2 are pretty good too though.

Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer, Different Park
The Civil Wars -self titled
Lorde - Pure Heroine
Beyoncé - Beyoncé
Haim - Days are Gone

Books

This year I read a lot of autobiographies by comedians which were really interesting and funny. I particularly enjoyed Mindy Kahling's book. It was awesome to read Brad Paisley's book this year too. He's one of my musical heroes so it was really cool to read how he started in the music business.

Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg
Bet Me - Jennifer Crusie 
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without me? - Mindy Kahling
Born Standing Up - Steve Martin
Diary of a Player - Brad Paisley

TV Shows

My fellow bloggers finally talked me into watching Supernatural and they were right, it's awesome. I looooooooove Pretty Little Liars which I wasn't expecting and re watching Outrageous Fortune and McLeod's Daughters has been awesome. Not as awesome as Parks and Rec which has replaced 30 Rock as my weekly obsession.

Pretty Little Liars
Supernatural
McLeod's Daughters
Parks and Recreation
Outrageous Fortune

Movies

One chance was one of the sweetest, happiest movies I've ever seen and I absolutely loved it! Plus James Cordon is in at and he is one of my favourite actors. Django was super violent and disturbing but wonderful and don't even get me started on Catfish one of the craziest documentaries I've ever seen!

One Chance
Django Unchained
Never Let me go
Catfish
The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

Review: NZ Rugby Kitchen by New Zealand Rugby Foundation [Jan]

A collection of recipes of the favourite dishes from some of New Zealand’s top rugby talent both present and past, this book is full of yummy goodness.  The players donated their cooking skills with royalties going to the NZ Rugby Foundation. The New Zealand Rugby Foundation is a charity that supports catastrophically injured rugby players, both financially and emotionally; and works with the New Zealand Rugby Union to communicate the message of safety first.

The recipes are simple and uncomplicated to make, while tasting great!  Easy to prepare, they are good for busy people who don’t have a lot of free time to prepare meals but enjoy food.  This book may inspire rugby mad kids to do the cooking, giving their parents a break!  The recipes are illustrated with stunning photographs of mouth watering food and there are candid shots of the rugby talent relaxing, preparing the dishes and enjoying them.

Some recipes are distinctly kiwi, like Buck Shelford’s Titi with Watercress and Kumara – Titi are muttonbirds, found in the lower South Island.  Other’s have a more international flavour, such as Adam Thomson’s Beef Fajitas and Smashed Guacamole.  Then there are the traditional staples, such as Victor Vito’s Beef Wellington or amole.  Then there are the traditional staples, such as Victor Vito’s Beef Wellington or Jason Emery’s Shepherd’s Pie.

NZ Rugby Kitchen has been chosen as a finalist in the Charity Fundraising category of the Gourmand World Cookbook awards.  The Gourmand awards are extremely prestigious and 154 countries participated in last year’s awards, entering books in 53 categories. All countries, authors and publishers — big and small — are given equal opportunity to enter.

Featured players include:
CRUSADERS
Mark Ranby, Management, Tom Donnelley, Ross Kennedy, Robert Fruean, Corey Flynn, Wyatt Crockett, Andrew Ellis

HIGHLANDERS
Jamie Joseph, Coach, Doug Tietjens, Nick Crosswell, Jarrad Hoeata, Jamie Mackintosh

BLUES
Charlie Faumauina, Albert Nikoro, Jerome Kaino, Anthony Boric

FORMER BLACK FERNS
Melodie Robinson, Anna Richards, Farah Palmer

FORMER ALL BLACKS
Sir Graham Henry, coach AB’s, 2011 RWC, BG Williams, Tane Norton, Waka Nathan, David Kirk, Marc Ellis, Buck Shelford, Sir Wilson Whineray, Buck Anderson, Jerry Collins, Chris Laidlaw, John Sturgeon, Sir John Graham, Pita Alatini, Rodney So’oialo

FORMER PROVINCIAL PLAYERS
Ben Castle, Ben Hurst, Jason Emery

REFEREE
Chris Pollock

CURRENT ALL BLACKS
Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Zac Guilford, Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Ben Franks, Israel Dagg, Sam Whitelock, Richard Kahui, Aaron Cruden, Conrad Smith, Victor Vito, Adam Thompson, Andrew Hore, Aaron Smith, Piri Weepu, Keven Mealamu

CHIEFS
Wayne Smith, assistant coach & previous assistant All Blacks coach, Alex Bradley

HURRICANES
Frae Wilson

Title: NZ Rugby Kitchen: Celebrating The Love Of Food, Family And Rugby
Author: New Zealand Rugby Foundation
Publisher: Random House, c2012
Reviewer: Jan

Munch munch munch, crunch crunch crunch, slurp slurp slurp

Food.

At this time of year it's everywhere.  There are work-dos, barbeque's, Christmas parties, Christmas Day lunch.. The list, it seems, is never-ending and of course, as is usual at this time of year, there are a plethora of cookbooks, books on cooks and cooks on books... or something like that.

As a foodie... well someone who loves food anyway, I love looking through cookbooks, especially ones with lots of lovely coloured photos. I mean you just have to see what all the dishes look like, don't you?  I know I do.  I also know that it makes me wish I could have my very own chef.  Someone who'll cook all the lovely recipes as I point them out and say that please.

Sadly I don't yet have the financial means to hire a personal chef but I can still dream...

The pioneer woman cooks : a year of holidays : 140 step-by-step recipes for simple, scrumptious celebrations / Ree Drummond

"The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays is an all-out celebration of the scrumptious, mouthwatering recipes that define our favorite occasions throughout the year."

I'm all for supporting a sassy red head who can cook.  After all, us red heads have to stick together....

Mary Berry's Christmas collection : over 100 of my fabulous recipes and tips for a hassle-free festive season.

"In Mary Berry's Christmas Collection Mary combines all her favourite winter recipes with a selection of new mouthwatering dishes to give us not only the time-honoured traditional roast turkey and classic Victorian Christmas cake, but also a variety of new and exciting food ideas for the festive period."

Nadia Lim's good food cook book : simple, healthy & delicious food for busy people / Nadia Lim.

"Simple, healthy and delicious food for busy people from dietitian Nadia Lim. Well-known for her excellent healthy recipes which always work for the home cook, Nadia presents this new collection of carefully thought-out meals you can cook for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

Bluebell's cakery / Karla Goodwin ; photography by Kate Grewal.

"A truly beautiful book of baking recipes - picture-perfect cupcakes, cakes, biscuits, slices and more - with a special section on high teas. Indulge your inner romantic with these traditional home baking recipes, made with good-quality fresh ingredients and given a vintage look." 

The Revive Cafe cookbook. 3

"Following on from the first two Revive cookbooks, this book features even more healthy and delicious recipes. Inside you will find enlarged sweet and soup sections and a new breakfast section."

The next time your in Auckland pay a visit to Revive Cafe.  Trust me their food is awesome and even better it's good for you.  Just my kind of food really.

Eat in : the best food is made at home / Anna Gare

"As a host on Australian Junior MasterChef and host of Great Australian Bake-Off, Anna Gare knows a thing or two about balancing busy days with eating well. In her new book, Eat In, she brings together her favourite collection of recipes. Anna gives plenty of hints and tips for shopping, meal planning and store cupboard standby."

I don't cook.  But if I did I might just work my way through most of these recipes.

Delicious : love to cook : 140 simply delicious recipes to share / Valli Little 

"Sharing good food with family and friends is one of life's great pleasures, but it's easy to become stuck in the daily routine and lose your passion. LOVE TO COOK is designed to help you discover (or rediscover) the joy of spending time in the kitchen and at the table."

Another book from the people at Delicious magazine and one that's bound to become a favourite.

River Cottage fruit every day! / Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

"With 180 delicious recipes, River Cottage Fruit Every Day! will show you how to enjoy a broader eating experience and make fruit easy, fun and irresistible."

I adore fruit.  Especially at this time of year.  There's strawberries, blackberries, plums and apricots and most importantly - cherries.  Which I love and which I have been known to eat a great many of.  Like a bag.  Every day.     

30 years at Ballymaloe : a celebration of the world-renowned cookery school with over 100 new recipes / Darina Allen.

"30 years at Ballymaloe is a fascinating insight into the cookery school, as well as being a history of food over the past thirty years, from a time when Darina couldn't get anything other than pre-packaged, grated Parmesan cheese to one where a local producer makes his own mozzarella."

And finally, something just a little bit different but still food related...
  
The dirty chef : from big city food critic to foodie farmer / Matthew Evans.

"The funny, heart-warming and at times exhausting behind-the-scenes story of Matthew Evans' transformation from high-profile food critic to television's Gourmet Farmer."
 
Under a mackerel sky : a memoir / Rick Stein.

"From the entrepreneurial days of his mobile disco, the Purple Tiger, to his first, unlikely unlikely nightclub where much of the time was spent breaking up drink-fuelled fights, Rick charts his personal journey in a way that is both wry and perceptive; engaging and witty."