LAMB AND KIDNEY HOTPOT

Comfort food at its best. This dish is a treat and not so far from a lancashire hot pot as one would think. There are so many recipes for lancashire hot pot, that one would become confused and muddled just trying to find an authentic version. This is my version that can serve as a complete meal or part of a larger meal with vegetables or even pickled cabbage.

Recipe;

900g lamb

4-6 lamb kidneys(cleaned)

600 ml lamb stock

1 lge onion(roughly chopped)

1.2 kg potatoes -Maris piper preferably

2 bay leafs

1 tbsp of tomato puree

3 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp of fresh thyme

1 tbsp of fresh rosemary

small glass of port

olive oil

unsalted butter

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

plain flour

1 medium carrot

4" piece of celery

1/3 of a leek(white)

Method;

First prepare the carrot,leek and celery. Chop as finely as possible and reserve. Peel the potatoes and reserve in clean water.

Clean the kidneys and cut, along with the lamb into bite sized pieces. Coat in seasoned flour, heat a large skillet or saute pan with a little olive oil, brown the lamb and kidneys then remove and reserve till needed. Add a dash of oil to the pan and saute the onion and garlic(being careful not too let the garlic brown) then add the carrot,celery and leek cook for a further 2
minutes, pour on a glass of port and deglaze the pan. Once deglazed return the lamb and kidneys, add the tomato puree and combine. Pour on the stock and add the finely chopped herbs and bay leaf.
In a suitable oven proof dish grease the bottom with a little butter and line with potatoes that have been cut into thin rounds. Now add the lamb and kidney filling adjust the seasoning and top with the rest of the potatoes. Brush the potatoes with melted butter and place in a pre-heated oven 200c/gas6 for approximately 1 hour.

Note; Frequent brushing of the potatoes during cooking will give a better crisp finish,but will prolong the cooking time.

CREME ANGLAISE- POURING CUSTARD

Given a french name this still oozes Britain, British to the core me old son!
I can not really think of many dishes or preparations from the sweet world that i absolutely adore, but a well made custard has to be there right at the top, combine this with a treacle tart or lovely homemade crumble and you experience the kind of sensation that chocolate lovers so fondly describe- heaven!

The recipe;
For roughly 1 pint of custard,

300 ml whole milk
300 ml double cream
6 eggs yolks
1 vanilla pod
50g vanilla sugar

The method;
Cut the vanilla pod length ways and remove the seeds with the tip of a small knife(flattening the pod first with the back of a knife will loosen the seeds).
Add the milk,cream and vanilla(seeds and pod)to a decent saucepan and bring to the boil!
Mean while separate the eggs and whisk with 50g vanilla sugar to a creamy texture has been achieved and a slight change of colour(2 Min's).
As the liquid comes to the boil pour half onto the eggs and sugar and whisk then add the other half and whisk again.
Return this to the pan on a very low heat. Continue to stir until the custard thickens, but be very careful of the temperature as the eggs are liable to curdle!!!!!!!
As soon as the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon and leaves an impression, if a clean finger is drawn through - the custard is ready.
Strain through a sieve into a clean bowl, allow to cool and refrigerate. Once chilled enjoy!

Notes;
Plain caster sugar can be used and will give an exceptional custard, adding vanilla sugar is my own twist on a great classic. This custard can be made successfully with 5 eggs, and quantities can be doubled.
Once the custard has been sieved you can discard the vanilla pod but better still, dry with a kitchen towel and add to a pot of caster sugar.

ESSENCE- RECIPES FROM LE CHAMPIGNON SAUVAGE BY DAVID EVERITT MATTHIAS

• Biased about this book - no chance. What is there to be biased about i've only eaten there 4 times, bought the book from the restaurant, went to school down the road , had the book signed from the chef, got invited into the kitchen to make bread which i declined, silly now but fear was the reason. So of course I'm biased, this is the best damn restaurant in the world in my eyes.
  
  It was on our first visit to this establishment that i saw the book for sale. Not only was it amazing to be eating in our first 2 Michelin starred restaurant, but a chance to purchase the man's book was somewhat exciting, making the whole experience that little more special.
  
  
  When Essence was first published it was widely claimed to be the English equivalent of The French Laundry Cookbook, and rightly so. David Everitt Matthias is not a celebrity chef, although very well known and respected in culinary circles, David is a chef who has not missed a service for 17 years in his restaurant, a distinction not many could surpass. The food he produces is excellent while his wife Helen runs a faultless front of house. Why the Michelin guide still has them down at two stars is beyond many, and belief.
  
  With the authors cooking firmly rooted to the terroir(land), this shows throughout the book with recipes using foraged wild foods and a quirky little section at the back devoted to identification.
  One of the strong points of this book is the break down of each recipe enabling the user to adapt parts to other ingredients. The author explains throughout that most preparations can and will work with other related ingredient parings, which in turn makes this a very user friendly cookbook at the high end of the market!
  Another surprise is the authors love of cheaper cuts and little used fish. This shows the authors great understanding of cooking and ingredients, and how with the right skills the cheaper fresh ingredients can be turned into the sublime. A section at the front describes some of the pre-starters such as crispy pigs ears,gougeres, and a lovely vichysoisse of alexanders. All of this is supported by good photography and wonderful recipes.
  
  Retailing at £25/$40 - a book that is honest and sincere and lives up to it's title Essence!
  
  191 pages
  isbn- 1-9045735-2-5
  http://www.absolutepress.co.uk/
  
  Le Champignon Sauvage
  24-28 suffolk Road
  Cheltenham
  Gloucestershire
  GL 50 2 AQ
  TEL (44) 01242 573449
  http://www.lechampignonsauvage.co.uk
  

MAZE- THE COOKBOOK BY JASON ATHERTON

Not another cookbook from a Michelin starred chef! Well yes in fact! A little different than your average chef cookbook with recipes actually having three variations rather than the impossible to achieve one recipe!
Having been a keen follower of Jason Atherton's cooking and impeccable credentials, i was rather pleased to find this book amongst the shelves of the local bookstore.
Jason Atherton has worked in some of the finest kitchens in the world el Bulli and Gordon Ramsay being just two of the many. His creativity and genius in the kitchen are quick to shine through in numerous recipes that adorn the pages of this beautiful book.
Mr Atherton is not afraid to say how he chanced upon some of his recipes from mistakes , this alone lets you know that this guy is human and not a culinary machine. A trait that is unfortunately evident in many high end cookbooks. Mistakes lead to excellent discoveries as in the perfect scrambled eggs page 69. Innovative recipes stand along side classics that have been adjusted to suit the modern times with a little science showing from time to time, but most recipe's relying on the skill and intuition of the chef.
A great touch within this book is the three variants of the principle ingredient. Although the recipes do not necessarily become easier, while you may feel that certain recipes are served in the restaurant while other's are for the table at home they are not impossible to achieve with a little skill. With outstanding photography from Ditte Isager this alone places the book in the 5 star category while complimenting the recipes to provide an excellent cookbook.
If you like innovative cuisine and like the idea of black olive caramel with your strawberry's or chilled pea soup with Parmesan ice cream, this is the book for you. The book has 254 pages with a foreword by the man himself and an introduction by Ferran Adria. With a small section on cocktails at the back of book followed by a comprehensive section on the basics you can't go far wrong! Retailing at £ 25 it is a little on the expensive side but worth every penny.

Isbn 978-184-00-597-0

www.gordonramsay.com/maze

www.ditteisager.dk

CHOCOLATE TART WITH PINE NUT PASTRY

Ahh chocolate, Ohh chocolate or just chocolate, you decide! For a long time now I've been contemplating making a tart! A chocolate tart! You see the thing being, i just love to cook with chocolate, i like the mess- i like messy things, not just any old mess but gooey, sticky high calorie mess, the kind of mess that only chocolate can provide! But the problem being, i don't really like eating chocolate i don't know why but I'm more of a savoury kind of guy. All is not lost though as i seem to be surrounded by an ever increasing supply of chocolate testers, always at the ready with spoons and open mouths.

Admittedly my chocolate making skills are put to good use around valentines day. When brownie points are needed for the coming year to secure the much coveted Beer tokens for the coming months- but beer tokens aside this is really a special tart! With Febuary around the corner i might be making this again! After my small slice i was tempted to pilfer the rest and stash it somewhere safe, somewhere only i knew! Now that is unusal for a savoury toothed guy.

Now the good part i am going to tell you how to make this! But first a little on the pastry, the pastry recipe is from The french laundry cook book, a recipe i have used on several occasions when the need to impress arises. The dessert that this wonderful pastry hails from is a Lemon Sabayon tart with pine nut crust, another of Thomas Keller's delightful treats. Having cooked the lemon tart last week, and with two batches of excess pastry in need of use, a chocolate tart seemed the right choice! An excellent marriage between nutty pastry and dark chocolate, rich with a biscuit base that softens and cuts through the richness - kind of like eating a giant chocolate digestive.

THE RECIPE;

Pine nut pastry;

2 cups 10 oz pine nuts

1/3 cup of sugar(approx 75g)

3 cups of plain flour

8 oz/250g of unsalted butter at room temperature

1 large egg

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Butter and flour for greasing the tin

Pulse the pine nuts in a food processor, then add the sugar and flour, Pulse again until the nuts are finely ground. Place this mixture into a mixing bowl, add the softened butter, egg and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate all ingredients. Divide the pastry into three parts and wrap in cling film. Place one quantity of pastry into the refrigerator and freeze the other two for future use, if not using within the next 24 hours. Using a 9" tart tin with a removable bottom, grease with butter and a light dusting of plain flour then place in the fridge until needed(approximately 10 minutes). Pre-heat the oven to 180c, when the oven is ready remove the pastry and the tin from the fridge. Mould the pastry into the tart tin with your fingers making a uniform thickness throughout, trim the pastry from the edges with a knife and place into the oven for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the tart tin 180 degrees to allow for uniform cooking. Remove after allotted cooking time and allow to cool while you make the chocolate filling. Turn the oven down to 100c.

THE CHOCOLATE;

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

55g vanilla sugar(caster sugar is fine to use)

250g dark chocolate(55% cocoa solids is used in my recipe)

200g unsalted butter

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl over a saucepan of boiling water(take care not let the bowl touch the water), once melted reserve. Starting again with cold water, place a large heatproof bowl over the saucepan and add the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla sugar and whisk till light and fluffy(approx 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and pour the egg mixture into the melted chocolate and butter. Fold this mixture in from the edges to return to a deep brown colour. Once the mixture is completely folded into itself, pour into the reserved tart tin and return to the oven for ten minutes. Remove and allow to cool, once cool place into the refrigerator until fully set. Eat and Enjoy, without trying to think about the coronary inducing amounts of butter!

WHAT BETTER TIME TO INDULGE IN AN IRRESISTIBLY CHOCOLATY TARTY ! JUST SAY NO, " OH GO ON JUST ONE SLICE" NO NO NO! I SHALL NOT SUCCUMB TO TEMPTATION, OH JUST ONE SMALL SLICE THEN"

VANILLA SUGAR

A method rather than a recipe. Place caster sugar into a kilner jar or screw top jar, and add Vanilla pods after using, rather than throw them away. Over time the sugar will infuse with a Vanilla flavour which is great to use in desserts. The jar will keep for ever and only needs to be topped up when running low on sugar. You can also keep adding Vanilla pods, when ever available. This is a great method to use, as Vanilla pods are not cheap. I have even used this instead of normal caster suger and omitted Vanilla essence, when essence was called for with good results.

AMERICAN CUP MEASURES

• 1 cup of flour = 5 oz = 150g
• 1 cup sugar(caster/granu) = 8 oz = 225g
• 1 cup brown sugar = 6 oz = 175g
• 1 cup butter/marg/lard/dripping = 8 oz = 225g
• 1 cup ground almonds = 4 oz = 110g
• 1 cup currants = 5 oz = 150g
• 1 cup sultanas/raisins = 7 oz =200g
• 1 cup uncooked rice = 7oz = 200g
• 1 cup grated cheese = 4 oz = 110g
• 1 cup syrup = 12 oz = 350g
• 1 stick butter = 4 oz = 110g

CONVERSIONS - LENGTH

METRIC IMPERIAL
3mm 1/8 in
5mm 1/4 in
1 cm 1/2 in
2 cm 3/4 in
2.5 cm 1 in
3 cm 1 1/4 in
4 cm 1 1/2 in
4.5 cm 1 3/4 in
5 cm 2 in
6 cm 2 1/2 in
7.5 cm 3 in
9 cm 3 1/2 in
10 cm 4 in
13 cm 5 in
15 cm 6 in
18 cm 7 in
20 cm 8 in

CONVERSIONS DRY MEASURES - PART 2

METRIC IMPERIAL
550G 1 1/4 lb
750G 1 1/2 lb
1 KG 2 1/4 lb
1.25 KG 2 1/2 lb
1.5 KG 3 lb
1.75 KG 4 lb
2 KG 4 1/2 lb
2.25 KG 5 lb
2.5 KG 5 1/2 lb
2.75 KG 6 lb
3 KG 7 lb
3.5 KG 8 lb
4 kg 9 lb
4.5 kg 10 lb
5 kg 11 lb
5.5 kg 12 lb
6 kg 13 lb
6.5 kg 14lb
6.75 kg 15 lb

CONVERSIONS- DRY MEASURES - PART 1

METRIC IMPERIAL
5g 1/8 oz
10g 1/4 oz
15g 1/2 oz
20g 3/4 oz
25g 1 oz
40g 1 1/2 oz
50g 2 oz
65g 2 1/2 oz
75g 3 oz
90g 3 1/2 oz
100g 1/4 lb (4 oz)
120g 4 1/2 oz
135g 4 3/4 oz
150g 5 oz
165g 5 1/2 oz

175g 6 oz

185g 6 1/2 oz

200g 7 oz

215g 7 1/2 oz

225g 1/2 lb (8 oz)

250g 9 oz

275g 10 oz

300g 11 oz

350g 12 oz

375g 13 oz

400g 14 oz

425g 15 oz

450g 1 lb (16oz)

ROOT VEGETABLE BROTH

A very simple yet tasty root vegetable broth. It is amazing how a dish so simple and cheap can be so Delicious. Very rustic in appearance, almost a stew, but more a soup with chunky veg.
Recipe;
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 onion
1000ml good vegetable stock or decent stock cube
120g leek(white)
1 tbsp of fresh Thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Root vegetables;
200g swede/turnip
1 large parsnip
2 medium potatoes
5 carrots
1 medium sweet potato
METHOD;
Peel and cut your root veg into bite size chunks. Roughly chop the onion and leek, and finely chop the garlic. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute or sauce pan(large enough to hold all of the ingredients comfortably), add the onion and leek and cook until soft, now add the garlic, and cook for a further minute without browning. Lightly season with sea salt and pepper, and add the bay and thyme. Now add the carrot and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the other root vegetables, pour on stock and simmer untill all veg are cooked to your liking. Adjust seasoning whilst cooking. This will serve 4.

LIQUID MEASURES

METRIC / IMPERIAL
15ml 1/2 fl oz
20ml 3/4 fl oz
25ml 1 fl oz
35ml 1 1/4 fl oz
40ml 1 1/2 fl oz
50ml 2 fl oz
60ml 2 1/4 fl oz
65ml 2 1/2 fl oz
85ml 3 fl oz
100ml 3 1/2 fl oz
120ml 4 fl oz
150ml 5 fl oz(1/4 pint/1 gill)
175ml 6 fl oz
200ml 7 fl oz(1/3 pint)
250ml 8 fl oz
275ml 9 fl oz
300ml 10 fl oz(1/2 pint)
325ml 11 fl oz
350ml 12 fl oz
375ml 13 fl oz
400ml 14 fl oz
450ml 15 fl oz(3/4 pint)
500ml 17 fl oz
600ml 20 fl oz(1 pint) approx
750ml 1 1/4 pints
900ml 1 1/2 pints
1000ml 1 3/4 pints(1 litre)
1.2 litres 2 pints
1.25 litres 2 1/4 pints
1.5 litres 2 1/2 pints
1.75 litres 3 pints
2 litres 3 1/2 pints
2.75 litres 5 pints
5 litres 9 pints

1x1.25ml spoon = 1/4 teaspoon(roughly a pinch) tsp - teaspoon
1x 2.5ml spoon = 1/2 teaspoon
1x5ml spoon = 1 teaspoon
2x5ml spoon = 2 teaspoons
1 x15ml spoon = 1 tablespoon tbsp- tablespoon

OVEN TEMPERATURES

OVEN TEMPERATURES

These are only a guide for conventional ovens;

• VERY LOW 120 C =250 F =GAS MARK 1/2
• LOW 150 C-275/300 F = GAS MARK 1-2
• MODERATELY LOW 170 C = 325 F =GAS MARK 3
• MODERATE 180 C = 350/375 F = GAS MARK 4-5
• MODERATELY HOT 200 C = 400 F = GAS MARK 6
• HOT 220 C = 425/450 F = GAS MARK 7-8
• VERY HOT 240 C = 475 F = GAS MARK 9

For Fan-assisted ovens check the manufacturer's manual.

VINAIGRETTE

Vinegar-Oh what a wonderful ingredient. Versatile yet on it's own sharp, mix with other ingredients you can balance the taste to suit your needs, add oil you have a vinaigrette. A dressing that is wonderful with all manner of foods, and a lot more healthy than shop brought dressings that harbour all sorts of unsavoury ingredients. Most recipes for vinaigrette will have quite substantial volumes of oil and vinegar, which is not really practical in the domestic kitchen. With these recipes you can cut down on the amount and still achieve a wonderful dressing that is at home with a salad as it is used as a sauce.



HOUSE VINAIGRETTE;

This is our standard vinaigrette we use during the summer months, which is made every couple of days!

3 tbsp of extra virgin oil

1 tbsp of white/red wine vinegar(best you can afford)

Half teaspoon of Dijon mustard

pinch of salt

pepper optional

Method;

Put the vinegar into a dish,shaker or squeeze bottle and add the salt(salt dissolves quicker in vinegar than oil). Dissolve the salt, then add the oil, whisk or shake to make an emulsion, then add the Dijon mustard shake again. Vinaigrette will last for at least 1 week maybe longer if refrigerated. The emulsion will split when stored, but not to worry, a quick shake and the dressing will emulsify again.

LEMON VINAIGRETTE;

2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

season to taste with salt,pepper and a pinch of sugar

Optional ingredients mint,Dijon mustard.

HORSERADISH VINAIGRETTE;

1 tbsp of white wine vinegar

3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Half a tsp of Dijon mustard

1/3 tsp horseradish sauce/cream

Sea Salt

Method;

As for house vinaigrette above, but add horseradish at the same time as the Dijon mustard.

BALSAMIC AND OLIVE OIL DRESSING;

1 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar

t tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Incorporate to form an emulsion and season if desired.

A simple salad using Balsamic dressing;

Rocket leaves

Shaved Parmesan

Sea salt(small pinch)

Balsamic dressing

Very simple, not even a recipe. Season the rocket leaves with salt, add shaved Parmesan and toss, then dress with Balsamic dressing. Serve!

A standard vinaigrette has many possibilities with the addition of garlic and fresh herbs. Different oils can be used, flavoured vinegars with the exception being malt vinegar which we would not use. They can be changed according to what you cook and prepare. The key to good dressings start with the ingredients, good ingredients = good dressings!

PLYMOUTH AND THE CHINESE BUFFET

Now let me tell you a bit about my home town, being situated at the start of a peninsula and being the last city of any size, although small, by most standards, we are the last big population of the south of England. Due to our geographic location we always seem to be the last place that branded businesses set up shop. With this in mind we also seem to be the last or at least a few years behind other cities in culinary concepts.

If i remember rightly it took a long time for the fast food chains to set up shop, first one then lots throughout the city. We only got Starbucks 2 years ago, now we have two maybe three along with the other coffee brands. Now we come to the point of the post- The Chinese buffet.

Back in 2005 we had a small Chinese buffet in a dank basement in the student area of the city, although the food was certainly not of any note, it was a new concept in Chinese dining at the time, a chance for people to taste the different dishes on offer with out breaking the wallet. This place was eventually superseded by another small buffet in Cornwall street which appeared for a time to have the monopoly on buffet dining, until 2008 when two super size buffets opened within the city - Water dragon and Buffet city.
Water dragon easily has the edge of the two but is certainly not serving much in the way of great food.
What is the point of the Chinese buffet i ask? Is it so that you can try lots of dishes of a different cuisine or a chance to be a glutton of mammoth proportions.
Seeing how the Chinese food that we eat in this country, or should i say the food that is cooked for the westerner, bears little resemblance to the food of china or the depth of skill that Chinese cooks reach. Then why are these places full, is it so that people feel they are receiving a bargain or is that we have gone the way of most of the western world and need to eat as much food as possible in one sitting. Quantity over quality appears to be the order of the day.
Plymouth has always had it's share of Chinese restaurants, some not so good, and others serving slightly better, but this not London or any of the other size able cities,but a small city with a reasonable Chinese population. It would be nice to see a Chinese open one day that went a little more authentic than dishes that all taste the same with liberal use of MSG. If the buffet restaurants are making a claim what hope is there for that special little Chinese restaurant to open where you have to actually pay a reasonable amount for good quality well cooked food with a little imagination behind the stove and plate.
For those that have tasted high end Chinese it is in a completely different league to what is served as the normal British Chinese restaurant fare. Maybe it's me or maybe I'm wrong, but the chance to go out in this city and eat real Chinese food would be as welcome as a big win on the lottery. Chances are neither will happen!

Note;
This is in no way intended to offend or upset anyone, it is just an honest account of how i see things at the moment! If and when things change you can bet i will be the first comment!

CORRIANDER OIL

Flavoured oils are a delight, not only visually, they can also lift a dish beyond the norm.



CORIANDER OIL;

100ml extra virgin olive oil

20g fresh coriander

Grain or two of sea salt

METHOD;

Blanch the fresh coriander in rapidly boiling water for 30 seconds then refresh in an iced water bath to stop the cooking and preserve the colour. Pat dry with a cloth or paper towel.
Add coriander to the liquidiser with a little of the oil. Liquidise till smooth, then gradually add the rest of the oil, into the mixture is smooth,lump free and a vibrant green colour.
Refrigerate till needed. This oil will only keep for 2-3 days maximum.

BASIL,PARSLEY AND MINT OIL

Method;
As above but reduce the blanching time to 15 seconds.

RISSOLES

Rissoles a comfort food not so far from the beef Pattie to be alien, but somewhat different. The beauty of the rissole is that, it can take many forms with ingredients you have to hand or more elaborate preparations. Rissoles are known the world over. Here is a standard from my kitchen.

Cracked potato Rissole

Recipe;

400g beef mince

350g waxy potatoes

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

15g unsalted butter

2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp of sweet pickle

1 tsp lemon

Half a large chilli de-seeded and finely chopped

Dash of Worcester sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Oil for frying

Method;

Peel and dice the potatoes into 5cm cubes.Bring a lightly salted pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes until just cooked but holding there shape, drain and reserve.
Brown the mince with the finely chopped onion and add the butter to the pan, once the onions have softened season with a pinch of salt and a turn of pepper, now add the lemon, parsley and chilli cook for a further minute and add the Worcester sauce. Cook for a further 2 minutes and transfer to a dish large enough to hold all the mixture. Combine with the potatoes and sweet pickle and form into small patties.
Heat a skillet with your choice of oil and fry the patties for 2 minutes a side or till golden brown.

These rissoles are wonderful as a stand alone dish, or could be used as part of a meal or even made into tiny patties they could become part of a buffet.

COOKING THE BOOKS-PART 2

Is this the year i hunt for old copies in charity shops, it certainly will be, but before we head for the old books, several new purchases have been made. In all honesty i headed for the sales armed with my christmas book tokens. Smugness and guilt aside i could buy happily in the knowledge that what i was spending was gifts from people close to myself. So i headed for the sales on the hunt for half price books. Half price books i found,but i was looking for specifics. I harbour a certain fondness for asia, mainly the orient with the food of south east asia and china being my greatest passion with the culture of the far east a close second. Although i cook asian food at least once a week i have never had the inclination to post my recipes,photos and mishaps.There are some wonderful Asian food blogs around written by people in the know, people who have lived or live in Asia, or from Asian descent. How could i compete with these people with my limited knowledge of asian cuisine. Back to the book tokens, with Asian in mind the hunt began with my first purchase being Balance and Harmony by Neil Perry. A wonderful book that shouts passion and knowledge of this wonderful cuisine, second purchase was non Asian but French - Ripailles by stephane reynaud. Third purchase was back to Asian with Sri Owens Indonesian Food. A delight to read with good insight into the food of Indonesia,a food that is often overlooked by the western world in favour of the well known south east Asian nations or china. Next up was a basic chinese cookbook that accompanied a Tv series here in the UK, at half price Chings- chinese made easy, fitted the the bill just perfect. There were other books i wanted, but maximum paper for minimum money was the order of the day.

So why Asian cookbooks? Well i want to take my knowledge to the next level, while using the Wok at home is not without it's problems, there is a lot more to oriental cooking than meets the eye, complex flavours and balance among many. In effect i am starting from scratch with oriental cuisine with a view to develop an in depth knowledge of skills,techniques and tastes. Most people purchase a wok and stir fry till there heart is content, but they are using a technique, rather than a style of cooking, but to many this technique is often abused, ingredients are thrown in the wok, soy sauce is dumped on top then emptied onto the plate only for the clueless eater to pour salt by the tablespoon in the hope of eating a meal that is edible. In my last cooking the books post i followed a recipe, although in the first post i said i look for inspiration rather than a recipe, i feel to achieve an acceptable level of knowledge as a non asian i need to cook the books.