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...

The Mediterranean Kitchen – That ain’t paella!

First thing Friday morning I am happy. I am happy to go to work because I know that the weekend is just peaking around the corner and Pizzaboy and I are going out for our ritual Friday night dinner… or as one of my workmates likes to call it:...

Mushroom Risotto from Valvona & Crolla by Mary Contini

Cutting corners. If you have read my previous post about patience you’ll know that I have very little of it… except when it comes to cooking. I will not tolerate waiting in line for a sandwich but I can stand over a pot and stir a...

Hot Cross Buns by Nigella Lawson – Happy Easter!

House hunting. Patience is not a virtue of mine. If things aren’t happening fast enough, a little voice inside my head starts panicking. I go into anxiety mode and either drop the whole thing altogether or scramble to try harder to get what I...

Doughnut French Toast by Nigella Lawson

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...

Plan B by Becasse – Wagyu Burgers

I have a growing desire to work closer to home. I currently live approximately an hour away from Sydney CBD and use to happily travel the distance everyday for many years. I no longer have the patience to be going back and forth for such long...

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

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....

Ichi Ban Boshi – Return of the old favourite

It’s a Friday night and two days before Pizzaboy’s birthday. We always eat out on Friday evenings, it’s our favourite method of winding down from our mundane 9to5 jobs. “It’s my birthday weekend, does that mean I can...

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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.