Cookbookmaniac

Glorious Butter Cake

I was recently given a set of Jamie Oliver DVD’s as a housewarming gift. It took me a while to get around to them but I finally watched the Ministry of Food the other day and was really surprised that someone could feed their toddler doner kebabs every night. It was also frustrating to see that almost an entire town of people were at risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity because they...

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

It’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been busy re-designing my blog layout and house-hunting. Both tasks are proving to be a big challenge, but I will soldier on and not give up. I am too determined to have the blog layout of my dreams and a humble abode. One thing is for sure I have a bad habit of diving into the deep end of things without a crash helmet. There are some...

Roast Chicken with Sumac, Za’atar and Lemon by Ottolenghi

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...

Whoopie Pies – Chocolate and Vanilla Buttercream

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...

Chinese Five Spice Duck with Bitter Salad by Karen Martini

This recipe was the easiest thing to put together and photograph. I didn’t prep, nor expect it to turn out quite like it did. It’s funny how the harder I try, the less successful the outcome. No matter how often this happens I still love that little surprise at the end when I am astonished by my own cooking. This is my first attempt at five-spice anything. It must seem silly that...

Chocolate Pear Pudding by Nigella Lawson

I love corner shops, they have always been there for me. I could always count on them to have enough lollies, chips and ice cream to make me grin like a spoilt child. They were perfect for the after school snack of pies and sausage rolls in my teenage years. They were the place to get the newspaper and magazine for the bus/train ride to work as a young adult. I also love the corner shop because...

Banh Mi Thit – Vietnamese Pork Rolls – Miniature version

I grew up in a small suburb in Sydney called Cabramatta. It is a thriving, family-oriented Vietnamese metropolis. Taking a stroll through the shopping centre can be best described as, “a cleaned up version of Saigon.” The streets are lined with bakeries, sweet shops, tiny restaurants, grocery shops and many other places touting to make the best vietnamese products outside of the...

Mini Croquembouche – Not for the Faint-Hearted

Inspiration taken from Delicious Magazine Dec/Jan Issue Recipe for Pate a Choux adapted from Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard Recipe for Caramel Sugar from Delicious Magazine Dec/Jan Issue Pate a choux 1 cup of bread flour or plain flour 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup of full-fat milk 85g unsalted butter 4 large eggs 1 large egg for egg wash Caramel Sugar 250g caster...

Dae Jang Kum – Korean BBQ without the smokey bits

I always know what I want. Ask me what I like and you will more often than not get a quick straight answer. However, give me a menu with more than 150 items and watch me crumble with indecision. Throw in colourful photos for each item and a hungry...

Ramen Kan in Bondi – Errrr… What’s all the noise about?

A Funny Red-headed Guy once told me that his favourite restaurant is McDonalds. He wasn’t a child. He is 29 years old, skinny, tall, handsome, prefers never to wear shoes and never shuts up. You see, I am the kind of person who always asks...

Homemade Udon Noodles by Harumi Kurihara

Regret. There is a popular saying that goes, “Live your life with no regrets.” This saying does not ring true to me. I am not a perfect person. I have made mistakes that I wish I could undo. For example: * I started to learn how to...

Ju Ju at Kings Cross – Best Value Wagyu Steak

It’s Pizzaboy’s birthday and I surprise him with a visit to one of his favourite restaurants, Ju Ju. Ever since I’ve started blogging its been rare that we visit a place twice and even rarer for us to visit our old favourites....

Wild Barramundi with Black Olive Salsa by Sophie Dahl

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...

Efendy in Balmain – Lamb Testicles… to eat or not to eat?

“Efendy means ‘Gentleman’ in old Turkish. It is commonly used to describe people with traditional upbringing adopting modern views” During the Easter break I was invited to attend a food bloggers dinner event at Efendy by...

Ham in Coca Cola by Nigella Lawson

I have a quiet obsession with all things retro-kitsch-trashy. You wouldn’t know it if you saw me. I mostly keep it to myself as I fear the sideways glance when people realise that I collect some of the stuff they tried to get rid of in their...

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About Me

Amy is the cookbookmaniac and a cooking neophyte. She owns far too many cookbooks and doesn’t cook from them enough. Thus, starting this blog to encourage herself to make all these incredibly yummy recipes.