Cookbookmaniac
  • Beef Bourguignon
    Beef Bourguignon
    European Recipes

    One personality flaw that I admit to without any hint of shame is that my eyes are bigger than my tummy (I think I am safe admitting it here). I almost always order more food than I can stomach and therefore doggy-bags are a common occurrence when dining out. I cannot be trusted without a measuring spoon as eye-balling ingredients will always lead to too much salt, spice and all things nice. I am also guilty of going to the supermarket for milk and bread and coming back with an entire trolley full of goodies. I almost eat an entire meal whilst "taste-testing" whatever is on the stove-top and always get caught red-handed because I am constantly hovering over the pot with a spoon. This is what happened when I was making this delicious Beef Bourguignon. I instantly blamed the recipe for smelling so good that I couldn't resist the…

  • Roasted Eggplant with Saffron Yoghurt by Ottolenghi
    Roasted Eggplant with Saffron Yoghurt by Ottolenghi
    European Recipes

    "Oh my goodness. You have so many cookbooks. Do you cook from them all?" This is the question asked by most people who are perplexed by the size of my collection. In fact the IKEA shelf that I purchased specifically to house them is now full and there are books overflowing onto the floor. Most of the books that end up on the floor are far too obese for the lean wooden shelves Ripailles - yes, I am talking about you. Quite often I purchase a cookbook for its potential. This is the possibility of creating something that will satisfy my greedy appetite. If I only get one 'great recipe' out of a cookbook, then I consider it worth its value, at the very least. I recently purchased Ottolenghi - The Cookbook and was flabbergasted by the quality and diversity of the recipes. I could not flick pass one page…

  • Mushroom Risotto from Valvona & Crolla by Mary Contini
    Cheap Eats Recipes

    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 risotto for ages. There is something about the stirring that brings me joy and comfort. However, time is not the kind of corner that I am writing about. It's the expense of ingredients. I try my best to stay faithful to a recipe when I am cooking. However, I am not opposed to substituting, adding or eliminating ingredients if I find them unnecessary, difficult to find, or ridiculously expensive. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I approached the cheese counter at the local delicatessen only to find that the fontina cheese that this recipe called for was $65.99 per kilogram. Good golly! Although…