I’ve always had stacks of cookbooks. Although I use them for inspiration, I rarely follow recipes – especially when they involve long lists of ingredients I can’t pronounce. When Cook first came out in early 2013, I dutifully saved them, admired the photographs, enjoyed reading the 10 best recipes, themed food stories, and contributions from non-celebrity chefs. But cook from Cook? Unlikely. Because, because ... Eventually I couldn’t think of a reason and I decided to try 100 recipes. How hard could it be?
I organised the Cooks in date order and made an index. I kept a diary to record comments on what I made. I tried to choose at least one recipe from each issue and varied the dishes between meals, salads, snacks, desserts and drinks. I devised a simple rating system: would I cook it again? A star for yes; a grumpy face for no.
I started in my comfort zone with a chai tea loaf and a spring greens risotto, then warily moved on to butternut squash burrito and a peanut and black rice salad with mango – worth the long search for black basmati and the time to nurture a mango to ripeness. My diary shows stars for a deep, dark, squidgy honey cake, pappardelle with spiced butter and a seafood paella. I soon gained confidence with ingredients I had limited experience of. Kale, cooked every which way, became a firm favourite, and is still dropped into just about every pot going. Fennel was finding its way into more and more dishes, and star anise was used readily, even if I’d barely heard of it before.
Summer brought a garden full of fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables, so lots of recipes were chosen to make use of our gluts. I earned brownie points at a bake sale with a brownie raspberry recipe (above) from the splendid 10 best chocolate recipes. I cooked my first clafoutis (tomato and basil): a great success. We had pumpkin everything throughout autumn and I have since cooked just about all the pear and plum recipes to good effect.
Disasters: there were a few. Some of this was my fault. Though I tried to stick to the spirit of the recipes, I couldn’t always stick to the letter of them. I know fresh herbs are usually better than dried, but where to find lemon thyme in January?
Also, patience is a virtue in cooking but the end result has to be worth the time, and some just weren’t. Some recipes were too much trouble and not tasty enough to justify the effort.
By the end of 2013, I was buying ingredients I’d never owned before: guava nectar, saffron, smoked paprika, lime leaves, mirin, sumac, harissa and cardamom – I don’t know how I ever lived without cardamom. I’ve since discovered a whole new world of heavenly spiced cakes, curries and sauteed fruit.
Tarte tatins were another revelation and something I thought I’d never make. Quick, easy and adaptable, they have provided many a delicious meal. Using ready-to-roll pastry, I’ve made gorgeous pastries and tatins, both savoury and sweet.
I am well past the 100 recipes now and still cooking strong from my well-splattered issues of Cook. I have come a long way on this adventure, but there is plenty more to learn. I cannot yet take off my culinary L-plates, because I still don’t do bread, pastry or anything that needs kneading. I haven’t bought lavender honey, white miso paste, neri goma, dashi or pomegranate molasses. I don’t own a sugar thermometer. I don’t do recipes with large amounts of butter, cream or eggs, or anything that involves either suet or long periods of steaming. But every week I look forward to choosing something new and exciting to try. If it involves cardamom, so much the better.
Shelley’s diary: the best ...
• Sauteed plums with cardamom (27 September 2014). Quick, easy, very exciting. Made with agave nectar. Deep, fruity caramel and warm spice. Cointreau is fabulous. Exciting dinner party dessert and looks gorgeous in a glass dish. Delicious cold, room temperature or slightly warm with Greek yoghurt. (Another time): Took to campsite for party. Easy to transport and serve in the campervan. Much enjoyed by all. Eaten many times with different flavourings (orange flower water, raspberry liqueur, sherry). Magic every time!
• East African spiced lentils (11 January 2014, above). Really fun, easy and quick lentil dish, all done on the stovetop. Berbere spice mix was brilliant for using up spices, all done in the mortar. Other ingredients ordinary and easily to hand. I cut down paprika to 1 tbsp and cayenne to 1 tbsp as well; just hot enough for me. Served with Greek yoghurt, fresh coriander and salad on a cold winter day. Very warming. Inspired us to try all the rest of the dhal recipes. Masur dhal (12 April 2014) is also excellent.
• Bay-infused salmon and spinach lasagne (1 February 2014). Made for a 71st birthday party and transported cold, then cooked at the party. Delicious! Fun making the infusion and a proper bechamel sauce. Done in stages, very easy. Used fresh dill from the garden. Made enough for eight smallish portions. (Another time): Feeling thrifty and didn’t have enough smoked salmon so used 500g instead of 800g and two leeks rather than one, and only half the cheese. Less rich, but still very good. (Another time): Made again with half prawns and half salmon – flavour OK, but doesn’t work, because prawns are too chewy and it loses its creamy smoothness.
• Peanut and black rice salad with mango (15 February 2014) Worth the trip into town to find Thai black basmati rice. Found at Sainsbury’s – quite expensive. Have been nurturing a mango to perfection, so wanted something special for salad lunch with friends. Looked like too much sesame oil so cut amount in half, otherwise made according to recipe. Added peanuts at the last minute. Fabulous contrasting textures of crunchy rice and peanuts with fruity, creamy mango. A real “wow” at lunch.
• Cardamom labneh with mango and rosewater (4 May 2013). I love rosewater and couldn’t wait to try this. Not disappointed! A riot of flavours – honey, cardamom, lime and rosewater syrup over mango slices. First time making labneh. Easy to make, although a bit messy and you have to plan ahead about eight hours for the cheese. A tub of Greek yoghurt doesn’t make very much – enough for wedding anniversary party so had to be assembled in small portions. Fresh pistachios are brilliant. Dazzling flavours; something new and exciting and show-offy.
And the rest ...
• Bay and honey rice pudding (1 November 2014). I’ve made all the rice puddings and they’ve been brilliant or at least good enough. This one looked too good to be true, and it was. Very quick and easy to make, but dull as any plain rice pudding; bay leaves added nothing even though I used fresh ones from our tree. The honey works well for sweetness. Always looking for simple but it still has to be worth it for taste; this wasn’t.
• Orange crisp biscuits (27 July 2013). I’m a sucker for orange anything. This looked like it might work, but was dusty and tasteless. No hint of orange whatsoever. Ruby’s orange and lemon coconut biscuits (1 February 2014) do the business and are almost as easy.
• Carrot cake with bananas and dates (9 November 2013). Made for singing weekend away – large group who love cake but are health-conscious so I can’t just do something gooey and delicious ... Cooked up nicely but it wasn’t sweet, although pleasant cinnamon spice. Somewhat heavy and a bit greasy... Not a hit at the weekend. A good friend told me it’s the kind of cake that gives healthy food a bad name.
• Spiced courgette loaf (6 September 2014). Still using up courgettes from the garden so tried this, exact to recipe. Very mild, slightly spicy, not sweet. Fine warm with butter, but just no wow factor. Didn’t eat most of it and the pheasants didn’t like it either.
