FOOD FILE:We're staying in and entertaining at home more than ever this winter. So curl up with a good cookery book for inspiration. Here are some titles released in 2009.
THE RIVER CAFÉ CLASSIC ITALIAN COOKBOOK
Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Michael Joseph, £34.99)
Remember the excitement generated by the first River Café cookbook? The pared-back elegance and authenticity of the recipes, the hunt for the elusive cavolo nero, and thatChocolate Nemesis that defeated battalions of competent home cooks?
It's more than 20 years since Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers turned a workplace canteen into a shrine to regional, seasonal Italian food, and a spawning ground for some of the UK's most successful chefs including Jamie Oliver, Theo Randall and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Two decades and 10 books later, the pair are still best friends. Their latest offering contains more than 200 new or updated recipes and is, they say, "our personal interpretation of these recipes and a tribute to the people we've met along the way". It's also a joy to read and a visual treat. Must cookPenne with beef braised in Chianti.
FORGOTTEN SKILLS OF COOKING
Darina Allen (Kyle Cathie, £30)
Now that a couple of hens in a five-star hut have replaced water features as the suburban garden must-have, Darina Allen is bang on the money with her new title, which, naturally, has a whole chapter devoted to keeping hens.
Keeping it real, as you just know she would, there is also a chapter on poultry that describes, in detail, “how to kill a chicken”, followed by instructions on plucking, singeing, trimming and gutting. Economy gastronomy.
The chapter on household tips includes the suggestion that neck pain can be cured by dipping a sock in warm olive oil and wrapping it around the affected body part. What's all this got to do with cooking, you might ask? Well, there are also a mind-boggling 700 recipes in this doorstopper, and gorgeous colour photographs by Peter Cassidy. Must cookSeville orange marmalade cake.
FEED ME NOW!
Bill Granger (Quadrille, £20)
The smooth-talking Aussie relocated to the Cotswolds to cook up this very different, cold-climate cookbook that is firmly pitched at busy families who want to eat well without spending hours in the kitchen.
It's a good concept, and Granger brings his trademark fusion-palate to the task, introducing Mediterranean, Indian, Japanese and Thai influences to a tempting, workable selection of recipes. Must cookIndividual raspberry cheesecakes.
IN THE MOOD FOR ENTERTAINING
Jo Pratt (Michael Joseph, £20)
The author described this as “the difficult second album”, but in fact, it’s a treat – an exceptionally pretty book that’s packed with things that you’ll really want to cook.
This is undoubtedly the most inspiring collection of modern, stylish recipes in one volume that has hit the shelves this year. The food styling, and photography by Gareth Morgans, are exceptional, too. Must cook Scallop and avocado tortillas . . . Aromatic monkfish curry with toasted coconut . . . Pistachio and raspberry macaroons . . . too many good things to choose just one.
JAMIE’S AMERICA
Jamie Oliver (Michael Joseph, £26)
I swore I wasn’t going to buy yet another book from the Jamie Oliver conveyor-belt, but with a recipe for “Beer Butt Chicken”, how could I resist? In the absence of beer, we used a can of cider, and yes, you do actually invert the beast on to the half-full can and shove it in the oven, where the alcohol keeps the bird moist as it roasts – and contributes to a most delicious gravy. Must cook Apart from the chicken? Chilli con Jamie.
RICK STEIN’S FAR EASTERN ODYSSEY
Rick Stein (BBC Books, £25)
The book of the TV series . . . so far, so predictable. But Stein is far from his comfort zone in this ambitious journey through the culinary landscape of Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Bali, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and just as it made for compelling viewing, the resulting book is a triumph.
It’s a culinary smorgasbord of the Asian cooking that we’re familiar with – Thai, Malaysian, and perhaps Vietnamese – and an exploration of the lesser known, but equally rich, culinary heritages of Bali, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Bangladesh. Must cook Duck braised in spiced orange juice.
EAT GOOD THINGS EVERY DAY
Carmel Somers (Atrium, €39)
Advance planning, disciplined shopping and an appreciation of local, seasonal ingredients are the main tenets of this book from Carmel Somers, proprietor of the Good Things Café and cookery school in Durrus, Co Cork.
This will appeal greatly to list-makers and those who follow instructions to the T, but even those who prefer a more “off-piste” approach to cooking will find plenty to like here. Snippets of backroom chat, such as how a visit from Darina Allen and a glut of duck wings became a cafe bestseller, are very engaging. Must cook Durrus cheese pizza.
ASIAN DUMPLINGS – MASTERING GYOZA, SPRING ROLLS, SAMOSAS AND MORE
Andrea Nguyen
(Ten Speed Press, $30. From amazon.co.uk)
Californian food writer Andrea Nguyen is widely known from her first cookbook, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, and through her blog and website, www.vietworldkitchen.com. This latest offering demystifies the art of making and shaping all manner of wrapped, rolled, stuffed, steamed, fried or baked morsels of deliciousness.
A brilliantly simple recipe for minced pork pot stickers from Chinese food expert Fuchsia Dunlop (from Sichuan Cookery) hooked me on making these braised dumplings that are partly crispy and partly meltingly soft.
Nguyen’s book provides masses more inspiration, as well as detailed diagrams and instructions for creating the master dumpling shapes such as Half-Moon, Pea Pod, Big Hug, Pleated Crescent, Closed Satchel, Nurse’s Cap, Flower Biu. Is it cooking, or is it crochet? It’s a lesson in practice makes perfect. Must cook Nepalese vegetable and cheese dumplings.
RÔTIS – ROASTS FOR EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK
Stéphane Reynaud (Murdoch Books, £17.99)
The whimsical, quirky approach really works for Stéphane Reynaud. Rôtisdoesn't have the exuberant illustrations or the sheer magnitude of last year's magnum opus, Ripailles, but it's just as strong on photography, and the simple format of a recipe on one page and a snapshot opposite is very effective. Beef, veal, chicken, pork, fish, lamb, game and vegetables all get a good roasting, and it's not all premium cuts that are used – chicken thighs, pork ribs, and lamb shoulder and shank are included. Must cook Roast pork loin with bacon and Comté cheese.
LAROUSSE GASTRONOMIC
Hamlyn, £60
First published in 1938, Larousse Gastronomicis perhaps the world's best known culinary reference book. This updated third edition in English is a thing of beauty and will add instant gravitas to your cookery book shelves.
