Saturday 3 September 2011

Cookbooks on my bookshelf (part 1)

Wpis w wersji polskiej



For the Love Of Food_7415b copy

Hello everyone!!! There's no recipe today, instead I'd like to tell you about the cookbooks I've purchased lately. I rarely buy books in a bookstore, unless they're on sale. Usually after flipping through a few interesting books in a bookstore, I order the ones that I find the most interesting on Amazon. Sometimes they're even half cheaper! The last two books I bought are: For the Love of Food by Denis Cotter and Vegetables from an Italian Garden. While I love both of them, let me focus mainly on the first one.

Even though I don't eat meat, I don't often buy cookbooks which are strictly vegetarian. Reason? Most of them offer staples instead of introducing anything new. This book is different. The author, who is a chef in one of the best British vegetarian restaurants, has an innovative approach to vegetarianism. In this book, you certainly won't find recipes for any dish that you had already eaten before. The combinations of flavors are very unique and original, e.g. Asparagus & raspberry tartlets with strawberry champagne salsa. And since I've mention salsa, this is actually another great thing about the book. Almost all the presented dishes come with accompaniments (salsas, sauces, salads etc.) which complement the main dishes perfectly.
This is a book for those who love cooking and don't mind spending lots of time in the kitchen. Preparing most of the dishes requires effort and majority of recipes asks for lots of ingredients, but, believe me it's worth it. Most of dishes would be excellent to serve your guest- both the veggie ones and the ones who are skeptical about vegetarianism. The dishes are so flavorful that I'm pretty sure that the last ones won't even notice they're having a meatless meal.
The book is divided into nine chapters: Breakfast, Salad, Risotto, Soup, Mash, All Wrapped up, Bowls, Oven, and Sweetness. Each recipe is preceded by a short introduction written with lively language and a pinch of humor. Also the photos are really lovely. Sadly, not every recipe comes with a picture.

Unlike the first book, the recipes in Vegetables from an Italian Garden are quite straightforward. The book is divided into season and then by vegetables within season. The majority of recipes are vegetarian, however there are also recipes featuring meat and fish. The book is full of information about vegetables i.e. varieties, storage, preparation and growing. Great for both beginners and a little more advanced cooks.
I have already tried some recipes from the first of the books and they turned out delicious. You can expect to see the results on my blog anytime soon. Have a nice weekend everyone!!!
Karo
For the Love Of Food_7492 copy

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