And I Brought Some Corn For Popping...

Christmas cake, mince pies, candy canes, chocolate... food is endless at this time of year, what with work functions and family gatherings and drinks and nibbles with friends.  

I'm kind of glad that I don't cook and that I'm very fortunate to have such lovely people around me who do all the hard work.  

Thanks Mum.

If you're struggling for inspiration for yet another Christmas get-together then why not check out some - if not all - of the books above and below.  There's pretty much something for everyone, be you a vegan, a paleo or raw lover.

And if you more of a traditionalist then we've got you covered too.

There's books on cakes and desserts, both large and decadent; and vegetables from artichokes to zucchinis.

And last but not least books on how to make every kind of cocktail imaginable.

G & T anyone?

Can't Cook Won't Cook

I love food.

Unfortunately for me I am the world's worst cook.  Trust me. You don't want me anywhere near your kitchen or your oven or any kitchen appliance that makes beeping noises.  If it can be burnt, flattened or fall apart I'm your man... well woman really.

So as you can imagine cooking is pretty much off my agenda.  Occasionally though I am filled with the sudden yearning to make something, anything really, as long as it tastes yummy and requires very little cooking.

You can guess then how thrilled I am that there are now a plethora of cookbooks made for someone just like me.  Books that require very little, if any, cooking.  Books that are filled with yummy delicious easy recipes that even a bad cook like me can fail at... *cross fingers*

And don't get me started on mug cookbooks. Because yes there is a God and she's a woman who hates to cook as much as me.  Mug cookbooks are the best.  Seriously.  You just have to try them out. Because once you do you won't want to cook any other way.

Mmm do I smell something burning....

The Elixir of Life

I love a good cup of tea.

Something I entirely blame my parents for, who were and are, tea drinkers and nothing else.  Glass of water?  Nope.  A mug of coffee? No way.   Tea was the elixir of them all.  And in our household it was drunk morning, day and night ... and pretty much everywhere in between.

So it's probably not that surprising that I am a tea drinker myself... even if it did take awhile.  Because yes like the Gemini that I am I flirted with other drinks before hand.  Milo as a kid, then coffee in my 20's, followed by hot chocolate - which I still love - and then finally tea.  And not just tea with milk the way my parents have always drunk it.  But tea in all its forms.  Black tea, milky tea, green tea, herbal tea, fruit tea.... you name it, I drink it.  And like any addiction I've got to have the accessories too which probably explains my ever growing collection of tea cups and mugs.  Because yes you've got to have more than one.

And now I have discovered that there's books about tea and that we have a whole collection of them at our library.

Now that is awesome

Books to sink your teeth into – check out 2014’s best cookbooks for inspiration

Do you want to improve your culinary skills in the kitchen? Looking for some delicious recipes for your next summer party? 2014 served up some impressive cookbooks for faster cooking and plan-ahead meal ideas, while also giving you more reasons to be reaching for that extra slice of cake again and again.

So many of New Zealand’s favourite chefs, from across the globe, have released cookbooks this past year; the haul just might even break your coffee table. From vegetarian and vegan recipes to beautiful baked goodies, there’s something for everyone in this mix.

I’ve picked a few of my favourites from last year’s crop, to bring you inspiration by the gallon and the ladleful.

River Cottage Light & Easy By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Fearnley-Whittingstall’s latest offering is filled with a bevy of healthy everyday recipes at your fingertips. Steering clear of both wheat and dairy, vegetables are the alternative stars of these dishes. These nourishing, wholesome and healthy crowd-pleasers will satisfy keen harvesters and the grow-your-own type of cooks.

Josh's Backyard BBQ by Josh Emmett 
This book is one for the blokes and takes outdoor cooking to the next level. Masterchef judge Josh Emett proves there are family-friendly and ‘no-fuss’ ideas to spice up the tradition meat and three veg meal. If your man is a hungry meat-loving carnivore, these recipes will lead you to exhaust the BBQ over this summer season.

Movida Solera By Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish
You may not be able to pronounce its name, but this cookbook offers you the next best thing to taking a journey through the Spanish region of Andalusia. It is filled with vivid photography, Moorish food and majestic travel stories. If you’re searching for simple food with top quality ingredients then look no further.

Everyday Delicious By Chelsea Winter
This book is a personal favourite in my household, where we often refer to Chelsea as our most cherished and valued flatmate. Chelsea's debut cookbook ‘At my table’ is loved by many for its tasty and hearty recipes. Her second book contains the same relaxed and accessible style of Kiwi cooking, but focuses more on 'week-night' meals that are quick and easy to whip up. Two of my favourite recipes are the shortbread and peppermint slice; straight-forward, delicious and no-fuss.

Through the seasons: the free range cook By Annabel Langbein
Every Mum in New Zealand is surely equipped with one of the many cookbooks created by this matriarch of hearty Kiwi cooking. Audiences once again see why Langbein has solidified a permanent place in the New Zealand food scene, returning with an essential kitchen handbook for today’s busy bodies. Inspired by a year of fresh seasonal harvests, she has created even more simple and alluring recipes, many of which are gluten-free or vegetarian.

Healthy every day: 120 delicious and nourishing recipes for energy and good health By Pete Evans.
Pete Evans, Celebrity chef and one-half of the My Kitchen Rules Australia judging duo, shares his favourite recipes for good health and vitality. Inspired by the ‘paleo lifestyle’, these everyday meals feature loads of nutritious ingredients, and are free of gluten, sugar and dairy. The recipes are fairly easy, assuming you have many of the ingredients already stocked in your pantry, but are delicious and achievable after a long day at work. Sadly for many, sauce is sparingly added to the mix, however with striking photography, and a range of recipes from different cuisines, this book is great for the health conscious foodie.

- our thanks to Sophie Buchan for the guest post!

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Eat Until You Can't Or O I Feel Sick

Trying to stick to a diet or at the very least eat healthy is just about impossible at this time of year. Everywhere you go there is food.  It's almost like  everything yummy and bad for you has leapt off the shelves and is following you around, tempting you with seductive words.

Or maybe that's just me.

Still Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without at least having one it-taste-so-good-even-though-it's-bad-for-you morsel or two

In the meantime I'm avoiding all supermarket aisles, shops, cinemas... mmm maybe I should just stay at home.

Christmas on a plate

Edible gifts.

Who ever invented this should be shot.

Because seriously it's hard enough to avoid temptation without someone giving you a gift of food.

Then again...

Creative cookie swap cookbook: recipes and holiday inspiration

I've been looking for Christmas cookies.

Not for myself you understand.

No my search as been a purely gift giving idea.

The only problem is now I want to try each one.  All in the name of research of course

Primrose Bakery Christmas

I have no idea where Primrose Bakery is but if I did you would probably find me there...

... a lot.

I might even move in...

...if they let me

Gluten-free Christmas: delicious cookies, cakes, pies, stuffings and sauces for the perfect festive table
Of course if you're trying to be good this festive season then going gluten-free may just be the answer.

So it's certainly nice to know that there are heaps of recipes to choose from if you do decide to go that way.

Summer food: new summer classics

I just love this time of year.  And not just because of all the Christmas type food.  But because of all the even yummier summer food... like cherries.

Mmm cherries

They are my absolute favourite.  But I also love strawberries and blackberries and water melon and plums and...

Chocolate, chocolate & more chocolate!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a choc-alcoholic.

So as much as I'm going to try to be good and live on all the wonderful summer fruits and vegetables I will, more than likely - okay make that definitely - be having some chocolate at some stage.

Because chocolate is the answer to everything.

Cocktails for the holidays: festive drinks to celebrate the season

If you've had enough of the Christmas season and all the food and the shopping and all the other things that you just have to do at this time of year then you might just be tempted to have a drink or two.

Cocktails are the answer.

Bright and pretty and they'll make you feel happy too.

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

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."

Guilty pleasures

Matt Tebbutt's guilty pleasures : your favourite indulgences in 130 easy recipes

I wasn't that interested in this book until I flicked through and saw a recipe for Marmite potatoes. MARMITE POTATOES! Oh my gosh, even typing the words makes me hungry. After that I had to know what other genius ideas this guy had come up with. Each chapter has a different 'guilty pleasure' theme including:

Peanut butter

Cream cheese

Cola and lemonade

Marmite

White bread

 Booze

Personally I find the idea of guilty pleasures kind of pathetic. Unless your guilty pleasure is secretly filming women in bathrooms I think you're okay. Particularly if your guilty pleasure is liking the new Katy Perry song or eating bread. You should never feel guilty about bread.

I can't wait to make and devour those Marmite potatoes and try out some of the other delicious recipes too. 

Tennessee, I love you: The Loveless Cafe

I just got back from the US and I have fallen right into the post holiday blues. I miss Tennessee so much. I miss the long, hot summer days. I miss the southern charm and that fact that being from New Zealand makes you really exotic in that part of the world. I miss hearing country music everywhere you go. I miss drinking sweet tea constantly. I just miss it all.

One of my favourite parts of my trip was when we had a free afternoon we decided to go to The Loveless Cafe. The Loveless has been running for over 60 years and it one of the most famous restaurants in Tennessee. Serving delicious southern food to more than 450,000 guests a year.

Coming back to work was a bit depressing I must admit but I was really excited when I saw we had the dessert cookbook from the Loveless! I never actually got to have any of the desserts from the Loveless as I was too full of chicken and biscuits so I can't wait to try some of these out!

"This long-awaited cookbook offers recipes for all of the famous cakes, pies, puddings and crisps that the Loveless Cafe serves daily to throngs of hungry diners. The recipes highlight traditional Southern flavours such as peaches, pecans, bourbon, buttermilk, and sorghum. Including fruit, nut, and custard pies, layer and pound cakes, cheesecakes, pudding, bars, and cookies, the recipes are easy to follow, but the updated flavour combinations make them suitable for even more experienced bakers. Derived from southern traditions, the recipes come with interesting stories, which are conveyed in chapter introductions and recipe head notes. Essays extolling the virtues of Southern ingredients and food customs are scattered throughout the book. The down-to-earth charm of the Loveless Cafe is reflected in the full-colour photos and the design of the book."

Oh, I love a bit of cake.

Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake! High in calories? Low in calories? Cake. Oh, I love a bit of cake! (Little Britain reference. I'm not crazy).

This week the team at Auckland Libraries have received some delicious looking cookbooks featuring a few of my favourite things (namely cake). I thought you guys might be interested as cake is delicious and tastes like happiness.

One of my personal favourite cookbook writers Delia Smith has bought out this lovely new book called Delia's Cakes. It looks very British and amazing. I can't wait to make the cherry cake and then eat the whole thing, probably by myself.

From timeless classics like coffee and walnut sponge and old-fashioned cherry cake, to exciting new recipes such as iced hidden strawberry cup cakes and chunky marmalade muffins, Delia brings her touch of baking magic to your kitchen.

The Caker 
I really like the look of this one because Jordan Rondel has really tried to write a cookbook that isn't like very other one on the shelf; it sounds like her company has tried to do that too! Full of beautiful, colourful pictures and beautiful, colourful cakes this book is even a treat to look at. Plus she's a Kiwi so we've got to show her some love! Check out her website here.

Absolutely not your ordinary baking book: 50 outstanding and delicious recipes for cakes, cookies and cupcakes to bake at home, presented by the talented Jordan Rondel aka The Caker. The cakes are specialty treats not usually seen in cake shops. Some are gluten free, dairy free or vegan and Jordan uses as many organic ingredients as possible. The flavours are surprising combinations that will thrill your taste buds. From fig and raspberry cake, brown butter spice cake and earl grey tea cookies, to flourless black forest cupcakes, chai latte cake with condensed milk icing and black pepper, and peanut butter and jelly cake. Includes 15 gorgeous icings and toppings, and top baking tips from The Caker herself.

Last but not least is girl who I had never heard of until today but the cake on the cover of her book Stacie Bakes caught my attention. Apparently Stacie Stewart was on Masterfchef and now she's a judge on a show that involves Simon Cowell. Okay, so I don't know much about her but her book looks scrumptious!

Since reaching the finals in Masterchef in 2010, Stacie Stewart has launched her Beehive Bakery to critical acclaim. Her bakes and cakes have proved enormously popular at festivals and events around the country- and now she has been named judge in the sweet baking category on Simon Cowell's new show, Food.glorious.Food, to be aired in 9 hour-long parts on prime time ITV1. This book includes all of Stacie's most well-loved recipes, from Beehive bars to Cheesecake brownies. She gives a modern twist on traditional bakes, so there's a lemon meringue pie cake, a coconut baked Alaska and a ginger parkin. There are gluten-free recipes too, including Old school bakewell tart and an orange and almond cake. You will find tarts, cakes, biscuits, bars, puddings, breads, sweets and savoury pies. There's something to suit every occasion, with chapters ranging from Hello summer and Mother's Day & vintage tea to The homemade valentine and New year, new you and new baking rules. 

5 book titles to make you laugh (and then request them)

I'm pretty sure I'm a nice person. What's more, I think I'm a nice person who is capable of great philosophical thought. You just have to dig down deep. Like WAY down deep. When you hit the cold lump of coal that should be my heart, keep going. In fact, bring a shovel and a miner's hat. (Leave the canary at home, that's just cruel). I am all about the laughs because, as most people who know me know, I not-so-secretly possess a juvenile sense of humour. I forever watch terrible movies that are overladen with toilet humour and the worst puns ever. What's worse is I then con other people into watching them with me. And I'm that way about books, too. I'm forever making lists when I come across book titles that amuse me. What is the point of such titles if you cannot hold them up to people and say "THIS! THIS!" And so, here's my list of "THIS! THIS!" for today: 5 book titles to make you laugh (and then request them).

All Blacks in the kitchen.

NZ Rugby Kitchen : celebrating the love of food, family and rugby 
by the New Zealand Rugby Foundation. 

Take several All blacks, add over 150 recipes, combine with a charitable foundation. Mix well.

Featuring recipes from the likes of Richie McCaw, Piri Weepu, Dan Carter, Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Colin Meads, Andy Leslie and Graham Henry this book is sure to please a whole bunch of Kiwis. 

All the girls in the office have just agreed that an All Black cooking is extremely attractive so you should get this book out even if it's just to look at the pictures.

 I should probably point out the food looks really good too.

Good food, great All Blacks and it's for charity. I smell a best seller.

A Feast of Food

I love looking at cookbooks.  Which will come as a surprise to those that know me as cooking is not something that is my forte..

Not that I can't cook.   

My Moroccan soup always comes out good (well 99.9 % of the time) and I have a couple of other recipes that never seem to fail me but that is about my limit.

It's fortunate then that I have a partner who is more than happy to undertake the cooking for the two of us.  Something that he is pretty damn good at.  Just between you and me, he makes the best omelette, filled with smoked chicken and Camembert .  It is in a word (make that three), to die for.

It's kind of surprising that I'm not much of a cook as my mum is the best cook.  As a kid I was treated to an array of delicious food that just made your mouth water and going home to my mum's cooking is something that I still look forward today.  Somehow the cooking gene bi-passed me along with being able to sew (in word I can't - not even a straight line, which just about caused my high school Home Economics teacher to cry in despair).

The fact that my cooking is minimal to say the least doesn't mean that I don't appreciate those that can and do well.  As always happens at this time of year, a huge range of cookbooks are being released in time for that perfect Christmas present idea.  The only problem is, is deciding which one...

True blood : eats, drinks, and bites from Bon Temps by Gianna Sobol and Alan Ball.

""True Blood," HBO's blockbuster paranormal drama, enthralls a diverse audience of 13 million viewers (and counting). Here are 85 recipes from unforgettable scenes, each entertainingly introduced by the show's most compelling characters"

Yep, they had to do it, a True Blood cookbook.  Of course it's not the first time a TV show has produced a cookbook.  There's a Downton Abbey cookbook. a Game of Thrones cookbook and even - dare I say it - a Twilight cookbook.  What will they think of next?

Lorraine Pascale's fast, fresh and easy food : 100 fabulous, easy to make recipes.

"In this book you will find more than 100 mouth-watering recipes that are wonderfully quick and easy to make and bursting with flavour."

Quick and easy and bursting with flavour... mmm sounds like my kind of cookbook.

Lorraine Pascale certainly looks please with herself.  Then again if I was on the front cover of a book I'll probably look pretty happy too - either that or looking like a terrified psycho...

Ruth Pretty cooks at home   by Ruth Pretty.

"In Ruth Pretty Cooks at Home, Ruth shares stylish cooking ideas, entertaining secrets and more than 100 delectable recipes so you too can cook to impress at home."

Writer of the food column for the Dominion Post for the past 12 years as well as numerous books, Ruth Petty has a reputation as one of New Zealand's best loved cooks and her latest book reinforces why.

Simple pleasures : the free range cook  by Annabel Langbein.

"In more than 200 delicious recipes,  Annabel draws on a global palette of flavours and her signature FridgeFixings to create dishes that are big on flavour while making the most of fresh seasonal produce."

Having tried some of her recipes from her previous bestselling book 'The Free Range Cook' (courtesy of my Mum) I have to say she knows what she's doing.  This sequel is just as popular - going by the holds list on the library catalogue.

Nigellissima : instant Italian inspiration  by Nigella Lawson.

"Italian food has colonised the world. The author shows us how and why in over 100 delicious dishes - from telephone-cord pasta with Sicilian pesto to the crustless Meatzza, from Sardinian couscous to Venetian stew, from penne to papardelle, from ragu to risotto, from Italian apple pie and no-churn ices to panna cotta and sambuca kisses."

Out of all the celebrity cooks around Nigella is my personal favourite.  Her utter love for food is contagious and it makes watching her cook a joy. 

The book club cookbook : recipes and food for thought from your book club's favorite books and authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp.

"Whether it's Roman punch with The Age of Innocence, Sabzi Challow and lamb with The Kite Runner, or ambrosia with To Kill a Mockingbird, nothing spices up a book club meeting like great eats. Featuring recipes and discussion ideas for one hundred popular club selections, this cookbook guides readers in selecting and preparing culinary masterpieces that blend perfectly with the literary masterpieces their club is reading."

A cookbook that is is also about books!  For a foodie and bookie like me this is my idea of heaven.

Eat more of what you love / by Marlene Koch

"Koch delivers with over 200 brand-new super satisfying guilt-free recipes (under 350 calories!) that everyone will love--from mile high meatloaf and chicken fried steak with cream gravy to stuffed black and blue steak burgers to pizza pasta pie and red velvet cupcake."

Guilt free recipes are my kind of food. My only wish is that someone would come up a recipe for guilt free chocolate, then I could eat as much as I like and never worry about gaining a pound.

Salads : beyond the bowl : extraordinary recipes for everyday eating by Mindy Fox.

"Presents a collection of salad recipes that star ingredients ranging from fruits and vegetables to legumes, meat, and fish, and offers advice on tossing the perfect salad."

I love salads.  Yes I know it's kind of weird but what can I say.  Salads are the best, not only are they good for you and taste great but there's no cooking involved.  It's the perfect meal for me, because how can you go wrong with a salad...

2012 Christmas with Southern Living

"Whether you're looking for a show-stopping dessert for your Christmas dinner feast, an easy family-favorite homemade pizza for a busy weeknight, or a comforting side dish to add the perfect touch, you're sure to find the ideal recipe for any occasion throughout the year."

You knew I had to include at least one Christmas cookbook.  After all it's only 2 months today before Christmas is upon us. 

In the meantime all those Christmas chefs and cooks out there will be looking for inspiration.  Hopefully this book (or any of the others listed above) will have something that will appeal.

Bon appetit!

Baking bliss

There's something special about baking. It's a bit like alchemy - making something out of nothing. The individual elements aren't much on their own, but if you mix them together just right you get something pretty special. I could easily spend a whole day baking, the only problem being that I want to eat it all when I'm done. I love to bake for other people, but since I can't bake for you I'm going to share some of my favourite baking books with you, so maybe you can do a bit of magic yourself.

Miette - The cakes in here are beautiful, but the best part of this book is the European Buttercream recipe. It's not too sweet, and the texture is light and smooth and silky. About half of it is butter though, so like everything it's best in moderation. I made a batch of it last night and flavoured half of the batch raspberry and half with coffee. You can store it in the fridge or freeze it, which is great because it makes a lot and you probably won't use it all at once. It's the perfect icing for something a bit special. Honestly, I could go on about this icing all day. I used the raspberry stuff on a batch of white chocolate cupcakes, which got rave reviews around the office. The cupcakes themselves came from 500 cupcakes, a new discovery but so far I'm impressed.

A treasury of New Zealand baking - I'm slowly but surely working my through all of the recipes in this book. It's wonderful to find such a high quality baking book that comes from New Zealand, so I know that a) I can get all of the ingredients, and b) the measurements and temperatures are metric. And I love the pictures.

The bread bible - A recipe for just about every bread you could ever think of, including a good number of bread-maker versions for the time-poor baker. This has my go-to recipe for pizza dough, and a beautiful orange cinnamon-swirl bread. I don't even mind that it doesn't have any pictures (usually a prerequisite for any recipe book for me), because it all works so well. It is American, but there's a handy little conversion chart in the back for people (like me) who can't think in farenheit.

Cakes & bakes from my mother's kitchen - This is another pretty one, and I wish I'd had time to try more of the recipes from it. The Key lime pie in here is devastatingly good.

Happy baking! If you know of any other great recipe books I'm always on the look-out, so please share them in the comments.

Sharing the foodie love

It's always a delight to discover a new cafe with delicious food, and it is even more of a treat to discover that the cafe has been generous enough to share the recipes with its customers in the form of a recipe book. Here's a selection of recent cookbooks to whet your appetite.

Ripe Recipes from Ripe Delicatessan, Richmond, Auckland. The recipes are arranged by months, so you can benefit from whichever fruit & vegetables are in season. Delights include : Rhubarb Butterscotch Layer Cake, Raw Energy salad, Baked Green Olive Chicken, Spiced Eggplant & Peanut salad.

Revive Cafe - City Central, Auckland. I haven't seen the cookbook yet, but the cafe is fabulous!

Floriditas Cafe - Cuba Street, Wellington. Another cafe with a strong commitment to seasonal flavours.

Tin Goose Cafe - 3 cafes across Central Otago. Each cafe is a little different from the others, but the food is consistently good. Check out the ginger & pear gems.

Dunsandel Store - Canterbury. I first discovered this place when I was on the hunt for Camla Farm apple juice, which is made just down the road. I'm so pleased that I made the trip.

Riverstone Kitchen - Oamaru. Named 2011 NZ Restaurant of the Year in the Cuisine awards. Outstanding food & wine. Delicious food, and manageable for the home cook.

Little & Friday - two locations, Takapuna & Newmarket, Auckland. I still haven't made it to either cafe, despite several recommendations. I figure that the cookbook might be the closest I get for a while.

Cooking up a fragrant feast

I read Janet de Neefe's first book, Fragrant Rice, a few years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed her story about falling in love, moving to Bali and setting up a restaurant in Ubud (this is *way* before Eat, Pray, Love!).

So I was excited to learn that she's finally written a cookbook, Bali : the food of my island home. It's filled with recipes for dishes that she serves in her restaurant as well as shares with her family, including several key spice mixes (e.g. base genep) and sambals. Interspersed with photos of Bali, the recipes are (mostly) straightforward and I'd say that this is definitely one cookbook to be inspired by.

Although some of the ingredients may not always be available here, such as candlenuts, de Neefe gives substitutes that should be easily sourced locally.

So if you've been to Bali and would like to recreate some of the fabulous food you tasted there, then I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of this cookbook.

Update on NY resolutions #1

Well, I've managed to achieve one of my new year's resolutions already - learn to cook a proper curry from scratch. In fact, I managed it twice in the last month.

Using Curry Easy, I started out easy with a mushroom & chickpea curry. I got hold of the spices, followed the recipe, was patient with the cooking time, and voila, it worked! And it was tasty and easy to prepare, so much so that I even prepared it again for friends. And I even managed to cook the basmati rice to perfection - patience is the key.

I've got my eye on a tasty looking potato & pea curry next. Have you got any favourites that you'd recommend I try out?

5 reasons you should check out Bakerella's book/website and make cake pops!

List by Tosca

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie."
- Jim Davis

Angie Dudley. Bakerella. Cake pops! No idea what I'm talking about? Then I'm about to school you. Earlier this week I spotted a mention of cake pops on a friend's Facebook status update, and loved it. Absolutely. Loved. It. You can see a pic of her cake pops to the left :) So, what exactly is a cake pop? It's a little cake that sits on a stick. Doesn't seem like much when I put it like that, does it? Give it to Angie Dudley and my Facebook friend, though, and they turn it into a work of art. If you don't believe me, then check out her hugely popular Bakerella.com site. Initially, I was afraid to even look at the instructions because they look complicated. Reader comments, though, all talk about how simple the process really is. How could you not want to see it/make it/touch it/eat it? I was desperately wanting to get my hands on a copy of her book. Unfortunately for me (fortunately for Bakerella), every copy is out :( So I did the next best thing, and popped on over to Bakerella.com and was blown away by what you can do with a bit of cake and a stick. (No, that's not a euphemism). Don't take my word for it, though. Below the fold you'll be able to find out a bit more about the book.

Vegetarian cookbooks to be inspired by

A friend recently tweeted that she needed some advice as she had unexpected vegetarian dinner guests arriving. I was a little puzzled. Surely cooking vegetarian isn't *that* hard, or indeed that unusual, these days.

Perhaps all she really needed was a little inspiration from some new(ish) vegetarian cookbooks, such as :

Meat free Monday Cookbook by Paul, Stella & Mary McCartney. Following on from the campaign to get people in the UK to not eat meat at least one day per week, this cookbook has a whole year's worth of delicious "meat free Monday" menus (from breakfast to pudding).

Plenty and Ottolenghi: the cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi, based on Ottolenghi's new vegetarian columns in The Guardian as well as loads of recipes from the London Ottolenghi restaurants.

Rowan Bishop's Vegetarian Kitchen by Rowan Bishop, a New Zealander who has been writing about vegetarian cooking for ages, and has filled this new book with fantastic favourites as well as plenty of new dishes.

So next time you need some vegetarian inspiration, or perhaps you want to try something new, or even be prepared for those unexpected dinner guests, take a look at the vegetarian cooking section (start browsing from 641.5636 in the nonfiction section at your nearest library).