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SlowCook - Sara Burford
by deesum ~*~The Product, Slow Cook - Sara Burford New slow cooker crockpot cookbook ~ 'Slow-coach'!~*~ This 96 paged spiral bound hard cover slow cooker recipe book was published in 2008 by L&K Designs. All the recipes are in metric and practical cup & spoon measurements. This Australian publication begins with an Introduction ... that contains information on 'using slow cookers and adapting recipes' with neat protruding labels on Beef, Chicken, Fish, Lamb, Pork, Vegetables and Desserts.Many of the pictures show meals being prepared in a crock pot as opposed to a slow cooker, but as the author states on page three of the book, 'There actually isn't any difference' between a slow cooker and a crockpot. 'A crockpot' being a 'brand name borne in the' 70's, 'which slow cookers generically adapted as their namesake...the name crock-pot is still popular as a 'fits-all' term'! The method, whether in an actual crock-pot or slow cooker are still regarded as a slow method of cooking meals, though I only use my slow cooker these days. But, just as a warning tip, some of the recipes use Ramekins, Soufflé dishes, cake tins, square & rectangular baking tins, Dariole moulds, pudding bowls, Terrines and loaf tins! But I found this a great way of encouraging me to widen my experience and adopt new methods of cooking! The back cover has an interesting and empathetic note on why this book can be a very practical way of getting the 'most out' of our slow cookers. Sara states that "With the rising tide of health concerns raised by poor nutrition and unhealthy eating habits, we're starting to move away from the novelty that the fast-food and pre-packaged industries has had us buying into over the past few decades. Slow cooking takes us back to using more wholesome foods in a traditional way. Whether you're a busy parent running yourself ragged at home, working a full-time career, juggling bringing up kids alongside a job, or just plain old tired of feeling like an eternal slave to your kitchen, slow cookers are a great way of providing a no-hassle, economical meal in the evening. Simply 'throw it all in' and leave the slow cooker to do its stuff! With a collection of delicious hearty recipes divided into chapters by base ingredient, plus a selection of vegetable recipes and desserts, this fantastic book will help you get the most out of your slow cooker". I was interested to find out whether this recipe book really could provide me with sumptuous 'heart' recipes, for our particularly bad winters in the UK! ~*~My Usage Experience ~ 'Slow but steady wins the race'!~*~ I purchased this book to add to my collection of slow cooker cookbooks. I am a great fan of this range of books as I find using a slow cooker provides me with a practical and effortless way of preparing meals early, and be greeted later in the day with the gorgeous aromas of cooked food. I must admit that I certainly wasn't impressed by the cover picture when first perusing the book! The crock pot looks old and messy, and the contents of a chicken casserole look burnt and congealed! I'm very glad that I wasn't turned off by this picture before looking inside at the contents of the book! Another disconcerting feature of the book is on the reverse page of the content's list where it has a Publisher's disclaimer note. The statement reads "The recipes contained in this book are passed on in good faith but the publisher cannot be held responsible for any adverse results"! But, the formatting and design of the book gave me the impression that this is a professionally written cook book. Research on the author also put my mind at rest that the book contains material that should provide me with beneficial and tasty results. Each chapter begins with a titled card with a colourful photograph of one of the recipes. There is a protruding 2" in length titled ledge to promote ease of turning to chosen chapter. *Introduction* Plenty of tips are noted in the introduction of which, even at my age, I found constructive. For example, the note concerning 'before serving' I found very beneficial. On page five of the introductory notes, it states, 'slow cooking is fantastic at drawing out the succulent taste of meat and chicken - it's also very good at drawing out fats, so it's a good idea to skim the surface of your dishes before serving'. I do not always remove the skin of chicken portions when I cook them in the slow cooker, and the fats tend to gather on the surface so I found this little reminder a good tip in making the meal less greasy and more nutritious too. Another very important tip that I found most helpful is where the author explains that 'salt will draw the moisture from' the contents in the pot 'so add it at the end of cooking - unless otherwise specified'. *Beef* There are fourteen pages under this chapter. I really like the formatting to each recipe. The title to each recipe is in bold lettering making it easy to select. Next to each heading there is an approximate serving quantity in brackets which helps me to discern whether it is enough or that I may need to double the amount etc., each recipe has concise and simple directions on how to prepare the meal. Measurements are given in both metric and utensil weights which are practical and make quick work in calculating and weighing. One of my favourite no nonsense recipes are on page fourteen, 'Chilli Beef'. The servings indicate that this will supply 6-8 people, but I feel it serves around four people! The recipe indicates that this can be served with tacos which fit the recipe perfectly. I also serve the meal on a bed of basmati and wild rice to give it more of a filling meal. This meal literally takes only ten minutes to prepare, then cooked in a crock pot or slow cooker for approximately 7-9 hours. Unfortunately, there are no indications on what apparatus to cook this meal in. I chose my slow cooker, checked the manufacturer's guidelines for such ingredients and cooked between four to five hours on the low setting. I find that I have to rely on previous experience when discerning serving amounts, timings and apparatus in the recipes within this book. Although I'm not too perturbed about this I would have preferred this recipe to be more accurate and detailed. Although I have been preparing meals for over forty years, I favour more specific recipe books to take the added time and trouble out of cooking. Negatives aside, the ingredients did result in a rather spicy tasty fare. *Chicken* There are eighteen pages under this heading and a very good selection of recipes. One particular meal that I love to prepare for its few but delicious ingredients is the 'Flavour-Rich Slow-cooker Chicken' which is noted as serving six but in fact serves four! The recipe includes sherry and honey which give the meal a really rich and flavoursome taste. The timing of 6 to 7 hours on a low setting is accurate though. There are only four instructions that leave this recipe a quick and simple meal to prepare. I found this meal to be succulent and well worthy to serve to guest. I wouldn't say it was hearty but serving alongside brown or basmati rice affords a more filling effect. Some of the recipes overlap on pages but are so clearly sectioned off that this does not pose a problem. There are plenty of choices under this chapter heading for varied taste, from mild to hot, less distinctive to very flavoursome meals. *Fish* Unfortunately, there are only eight pages under this section. But I still found a couple of favourites I come back to time and again. One of the recipes I love to prepare is 'Salmon Risotto' which is noted as serving 8 but in fact, in my experience served 4 to 6 people! Not the cheapest meal, as it uses 900g of salmon fillet. But I like to prepare this when salmon is on offer, which it presently is at Sainsbury's; half price, £5 instead of £10! This recipe uses white wine, but no indication is provided on which type to choose. Therefore, I have tried some and found two particular ones that go a treat with these ingredients, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc will go really well. Now, this isn't an all in one and leaves unfortunately. All prepared on the hob in a pan or wok. But all the effort in the preparation is well worth it. The meal is absolutely delicious. There are plenty of diverse textures and taste that leave you wanting more from this aromatic colourful dish. *Lamb* Again, only eight pages to this portion of the book but still some pretty worthwhile recipes to enjoy. I love the 'Sweet Lamb Curry' on page 54 of the book. The combination of lemongrass, ginger and coconut lifts what could have been a rather mediocre meal to one that is even a hit with folk not overly keen on curries! Because the meal is cooked over 9 to 10 hours, the lamb comes out so soft and succulent. The spices and herbs amalgamate to infuse the most delicious aromatic delectable flavours. There are only three simple steps to prepare this meal in a matter of moments. This recipe remains one of my all-time favourites due to its quick and effortless preparation and the most appetizing results. *Pork* Fourteen pages of varied recipes furnish this portion of the book with some really lovely meal ideas. The 'Pork and Potato Hot-Pot' is a very hearty meal that serves four as opposed to the six portions the author states. Although it doesn't use vegetables other than mushrooms, potatoes and onions in the ingredient's list, I do add mixed pre-chopped vegetables and layer these on the base of the slow cooker to ensure they are cooked throughout. Root vegetables do need the extra time and base layering to ensure thorough cooking. The liquid comes out too thin for my personal taste so I tend to add some prepared corn flour mix near the end of the cooking time to thicken the casserole. Apart from a couple of added ingredients/preparations of my own, the meal is substantial and great for those cold evenings we get far too often! *Vegetables* A whole fourteen pages are devoted to these important ingredients. There are some lovely filling soups within this section that are well worth the effort in preparation. I was a little unsure of trying out the recipe entitled 'Moroccan-style Spice soup' but I'm thrilled I did. The recipe uses chickpeas as its staple with root ginger and turmeric to give it a little kick. It took me under ten minutes to prepare the ingredients, and then I just left it in the slow cooker to cook for five hours. The lovely thing about this soup is that even when there have been times when we couldn't sit down to eat until a couple of hours after the recommend time of cooking it still tasted amazing. I think cooking the meal on low, giving it plenty of time to blend all the varied herbs and spices, furnishes the meal with the most savoury taste. I like to serve the soup with warm crusty buttered rolls to dip into the scrumptious fare. *Desserts* A rather disappointing eight pages to this section, but lovely recipes nevertheless. The straightforward 'Chocolate-Dream Dessert' tastes anything but simple! The recipe only uses five ingredients but Wow the taste is so gorgeous. The double cream and toasted almonds are so tantalizingly sweet. I never thought about 'cooking' this dessert in a slow cooker but it comes out so mouth-wateringly scrummy. Such a simple quick recipe to prepare that will be a great sweet treat to serve as a family pudding or to set before guest with confidence. The alphabetically arranged 'Index' section completes this versatile cook book. It is a clear listing of all the book's contents. The text is a little small on a 9 Ariel font, but formatted well nonetheless. *Pros* Protruding chapter titles to promote easy location and turning to chosen chapter. Spiral bound for ease of use. Accurate ingredient measurements. Lovely variety in meals. Plenty of variation on apparatus methods to cook meals. Uses a variety of everyday groceries to more elaborate foods to add interest. *Cons* No pictures of finished recipes other than initial chapter title cover to each section. There are only faded mono images of vegetables, groceries, utensils and meals to show excerpts of recipe contents. Not accurate serving quotas. No hints and tips. Some timings are not detailed enough to include heat settings! ~*~Would I recommend? ~ '"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."!~*~ Yes I would recommend this cook book. It is fairly difficult for me to ascertain whether this recipe book is suited to beginners, intermediate or expert cooks. The recipes are very user friendly when it comes to formatting, measurements and instructions. But due to inadequate details such as heat settings and cooking apparatus to use, I feel this book is more suitable for moderate to experienced cooks. Some chapters have far less recipes than others but still retain enough interesting and tasty meals to be worthy of time and effort. This recipe book has some noteworthy negatives but overall is well worthy purchasing. The recipes use a wide variety of cooking methods that help to keep the task of preparing meals interesting and appealing. The Slow cook book by Sara Burford has the recommended price of £9.99 but can be purchased at a variety of places, both online and in charity shops, also available at some libraries. Beware, some online outlets charge as much as £15.95}http://judyoz.com/ccp0-prodshow/slowcook-slow-cooker-recipes But places like Amazon will furnish consumers with the great price of 1p upwards! Thank you for taking the time to read me 'cooking the books'! :~) xXx Read the complete review |
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Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook 200 Pasta Dishes: Over 200 Delicious Recipes and Ideas - Marina Filippelli
by xxfoxyredxx Just recently I have moved into a new flat. This flat has a massive kitchen to which I thoroughly love and with a nice dining room table in there with chairs and my family and friends finally back around me I have decided to take advantage of the fact I have so much space and to learn to cook! I, at 38 years old have mastered ... the basics of cooking and have my local takeaways on speedial though the way I eat is expensive. I came across a Hamlyn cookery book on Amazon a while ago with cupcake recipes in it and as I really have always wanted to turn out decent cakes and the likes I treated myself to it so when I saw that Hamlyn actually have oodles and oodles of books dedicated to certain things (I.E Slow Cooking, Curries, Salads, Spanish and so on) I decided to start collecting them as my first purchase had been so helpful to me and really had broadened my cooking skills! I love pasta and its something that I eat often whether it be a pasta bake or a tuna bake however the only other way I do it is in a cheese sauce and that can get real boring so this little gem really did appeal to me! These books from this range all contain 200 recipes. All the recipes are on the left page and the colour photograph shows you how it should look on the right page. My book has 240 pages and a lovely photograph of plate of pasta and what to me looks like watercress is on the front and we are told of course that it is Hamlyn All Colour 200 Pasta Dishes and that it is by Maria Ricci. This is not a hard backed book but paper back and its a quite thick but not overly heavy. The book is split into sections which are Soups & Salads, Meat & Poultry, Fish & Seafood, Vegetarian and Homemade then at the back of the book there is an index to find what your looking for easier. Before we get into all that though there is alot of informative and well laid out information about pasta, about how to cook it whether it be dried or fresh and pros and cons of each, we're told about creamy sauces and oil based ones and so on and even about how to make your own pasta, the differences of cheeses and the most common ingredients used with pasta. Another thing that is handy is telling us about the equipment we will need for the recipes and exactly what it is and what it does. You actually don't need very much equipment at all thankfully, in fact I needed nothing new considering I don't want to make pasta lol! What I really appreciate about each recipe is that it tells us how many we can feed from following the recipe to the letter, how long prepping it all should take and the cooking time involved. The steps of the recipe on every single recipe given is simple to follow and well explained and there are usually alternatives on each about how you can change some of the ingredients to taste and to change the recipe so I find really you get more recipes than the 200 it says on the front of the book lol. I have used loads of the recipes in this book since owning it. I have made the Autumn Minestrone soup, Chorizo Carbonara, Classic Meat Lasagne, King Prawn & Courgette Linguine, Macaroni Cheese, Pasta With Garlic, Oil & Chilli, Spaghetti & Courgette Frittata (A big fav of mine!), Spaghetti With Thai Flavours and Pasta With Fresh Tomato & Basil (As a side dish this is brill and really simple to make!). All of the recipes took me much less than an hour to make and the majority of the recipes (like the ones I have made) do use dried pasta. There are no puddings or desserts in this book but quite a few homemade pasta dishes you can try should you want to and I do like the way that there are lots of recipes to choose from whether it be with or without meat or seafood and some recipes you may be surprised about like having Thai Styled Spaghetti however it has to be tried to be believed and some of the recipes I have made that I have listed I have now adapted to what I like! Whether it be fancy cooking like Tagliatelle With Spicy Tuna Steak, Smoked Trout With Herb Butter Linguine or Fettuccine With Gorgonzola Sauce to impress with or simply just some comfort food like a Quick Carbonara this really does not only cover the basics of making some pasta dishes but some really interesting and more out there pasta dish making ideas and all of them seem to be very simple to do and that's coming from me who seriously is no master chef in the making! I wouldn't be without this little pasta bible now and I highly recommend this series of books to anyone at all no matter the age. I bought my copy from Amazon and it cost me £3.74 for a new copy of it which I think is a fantastic price to pay for a book such as this! Read the complete review |
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Home Cooking - Rachel Allen
by katyc I have an addiction luckily it isn't too damaging to my health , my addiction is cook books , I love cooking and indeed am a cook so it really is something that aids my career ! My most recent addition to my collection is Rachel Allen's Home cooking bought for 50p at our band jumble sale see I had no hope of resisting!! What ... is it? Home cooking is written by the Irish TV chef Rachel Allen who studied at Ballymaloe Cookery School and also teaches there. This is her 6th book but her first for me I decided to buy it after having a quick flick because this covered every meal as well as having lovely sounding recipes which were well laid out and didn't seem to be over the top something Hubby could pick up and easily follow without having over the top terms and unnecessary preparation. The chapters are Breakfast, Lunch, Sunday Lunch, Supper, Desert, snacks and sweets, Baby Purees and basics: Breakfast: This chapter contains both what I would term special breakfasts as well as the basic such as porridge and boiled eggs. I have yet to try any of her breakfast recipes but her Rhubarb muffins sound divine and a nice breakfast for when we are off on holiday and eat on route as well as for a lazy brunch. I am also impressed by her scrambled egg recipe which gives the basic and then 4 alternative such a Mexican which I think would be a delicious Sunday supper. Lunch: From soup to poached salmon with hollandaise this chapter has every lunch option covered my favourite is nettle soup with smoked mackerel crostini a very cheap soup with a lovely flavour . Sunday Lunch Ok I can cook a great joint and serve with all the trimmings but occasionally I want to jazz it up a little and make it more exciting and minted broad beans and celeriac and sweet potato mash are firm favourites with my girls and tastes great with any roast meat: Supper: This chapter again caters for all tastes from Basic jacket potatoes to Butternut squash Ravioli with sage and pine nut butter (delicious) My family love the Beef burgers and gherkin relish and Hubby thinks the blue cheese burgers with rocket and onion jam are immense! Deserts Well if you have room for a desert then my recommendation has to be the strawberry and white chocolate tiramisu is simple to make and tastes divine yet after a big meal isn't too heavy, we also love Joshua's ice cream extravaganza really ice cream, melted mars bars and crushed crunchie bars what isn't too love. Snacks, treats and sweets Another fantastic chapter filed with a wide variety of recipes the Millionaires shortbread had my husband in raptures he is a millionaires shortbread fan and best of all my little sister can eat it too as the recipe uses rice flour so is gluten free yet it still tastes fantastic no mean feat with gluten free. I also like the Thai sticky chicken this is perfect for parties or picnics. Baby purees Sadly I do not need this chapter but having flicked through I was impressed with the flavour combinations and would have made these for mine and will be making them in the future for my Godson I think plaice with spinach and pea sounds very good. Basics: This chapter covers all those things that a lot of cook books think you already know such a stock, white sauce and also has the recipes to make Horseradish, tartare sauce it also tells you how to cook dried beans or peas it also tells you how to stock a larder a well stocked larder means you can always rustle up a meal. Cost and stockist: I was extremely lucky to get this at our Band Jumble sale for the silly price of 50p (even more ridiculous it should have been 10p!) unless you are lucky to get one cheap it will cost you £16.00 on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk and even at that price I would still recommend this as it is a good book for experienced cooks as well as beginners and indeed contains recipes for every occasion so would be a great gift for someone starting out. Recommendation I cannot recommend this book highly enough I think it is brilliant it contains very simple basic meals such as the scrambled egg, shepherd's pie and macaroni alongside more exciting recipes such as the salmon, chicken and coconut curry and there are simple family suppers as well as more dinner with friends recipes all well laid out , easy to follow and achievable I cannot wait to get more of her books. Read the complete review |
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