August, 2011 | Cookbookmaniac

You are here: Home > 2011 > August

Roast Chicken with Sumac, Za’atar and Lemon by Ottolenghi
European Recipes By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

I recently went on a tour of Newtown with some lovely bloggers and was asked how many cookbooks I actually owned. Well, I never really counted them, but I think its safe to say that I have around 200. I regret purchasing quite a few of them, they are usually the ones that are generically strung together by book publishers to raise revenue. Most of the time I only end up buying the junk because I've had a bad day and needed something new to cheer me up or there was one lone recipe that looked very enticing. Needless to say I don't really cook from them. I am often pulled towards cookbooks written by one or two people that are driven by their love for food. It isn't just about the recipe (yes, a good set of recipes is important) but it is also about the produce, technique, history…

8008 34
Pecan Pie from Baking by Dorie Greenspan
American Recipes By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

My very first job was at a sandwich store called Gourmet Fast & Fresh. It wasn't any ordinary sandwich shop, it was like a supermarket of sandwiches and baguettes. It was housed in a two storey building. The top level was where the sandwiches were made and packed, then downstairs was were they were displayed and sold. Customers simply came in and chose their pre-made sandwiches, selected a drink, picked up a sweet dessert and paid for them at the register. The managers were a married couple and they were very charitable and kind. At the end of every night they allowed the employees to take home whatever they did not sell and if there was anything left after that, they gave it to the Salvation Army. It introduced me to combinations of fillings that I had never seen before: Turkey + Cranberry Sauce + Camembert Chicken + Avocado +…

7593 26
Whoopie Pies – Chocolate and Vanilla Buttercream
American Recipes By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

I'll admit it right now. I am not very good at taking orders from people, especially when it comes to food. My eyebrows furrow and my toes curl up when I hear a command. The kitchen is the one place that I want complete control and complete freedom to do what I please. However, when Pizzaboy sent me an email with a picture of something he saw on the internet, my toes started to curl and I pursed my lips. 'What is it that you want now?!' I ask. The attachment was the most enticing picture of a whoopie pie. "Hell yeah! I'll make that!" "Really?" "Yeah!" "Oh... cool!." The things we do for love. I've never eaten these before. I am pleasantly surprised by it's soft cake-like texture and it definitely sinks right into your mouth. My mind is going insane with all the potential flavour combinations ideas. ps.…

6087 40