Cookbookmaniac
  • Wild Barramundi with Black Olive Salsa by Sophie Dahl
    Wild Barramundi with Black Olive Salsa by Sophie Dahl
    European Recipes

    There are days when I really want to indulge. These are times when only chocolate and red frogs will do. Then there are days when I want something light and good for me. One Sunday afternoon I was feeling like eating for my health and so I flipped through some of my more healthier cookbooks. Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights has an exciting range of meals based around the seasons and breakfast, lunch and dinner. Whenever I want to make something quick and healthy I often reach for this book. I will often find something or feel inspired by it. She doesn't eat red meat or chicken, however there a couple of lamb and chicken recipes (strange...). Vegetables and grains are predominate throughout the book. I also find that I am adding ingredients to her list. Whether it be a squidge of butter, an extra clove of garlic or some dried…

  • Doughnut French Toast by Nigella Lawson
    Doughnut French Toast by Nigella Lawson
    Cheap Eats Recipes

    Midnight munchies. Has there been any research into whether midnight owl syndrome is genetically hereditary? It seems that everyone in my family, with the exception of my dear father, are at their most active when the sun has set and clock hands are hitting the 12. There use to be all 6 girls living under one roof. Imagine this... One sister has gone downstairs to make herself a sandwich, she opens the fridge and another one hears the gush of the door. She also heads downstairs and starts cooking some instant noodles. Another sister is on her way to the bathroom and the scent of the instant noodles is dancing in the air, she heads downstairs and re-heats last nights dinner. Another sister hears the beeping of the microwave and decides to have breakfast for supper, so she fries up some eggs and bacon. I wonder what all the murmuring…

  • Indian-style Salmon Curry with Tomato & Lime – Bill Granger
    Indian-style Salmon Curry with Tomato & Lime – Bill Granger
    Asian Recipes

    Buying herbs. I am a wannabe frugal foodie. It frustrates me when I approach the herb section of the greengrocer to find that bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, sage, basil and parsley are packed in amounts that will never see full use in my kitchen. Fresh bay leaves are often sold in quantities of 20 but a recipe will only specify the use of two or three. I often only use parsley as a garnish for most of my dishes, but it is only sold in bunches. I am fraught with worry as to how I can best utilise these herbs before they deteriorate past being edible. I have dreamed of having my own potted garden, perhaps a very cute one that hangs outside my kitchen window. It would excite my poor little heart to simply open a window and pick off the necessary leaves. It would not only be a…