Hey good lookin', whatcha got cookin'?

Are any of you making or are going to make a Amy Butler's Sophia Bag?  If so Jo has made a start on hers and she is recording the process.

I'm busy working on the Sewing World mag bag today.   I'll post the pics later.  Whilst I'm making the bag I'll be thinking about what to get in the supermarket today.  I love cooking from scratch and we rarely eat ready meals or takeaways unless I'm really tired (I do all of the cooking, he does all of the washing up), but the one thing I don't like about cooking is deciding what to make. 

I seem to have a fixed repertoire of meals that only changes very slowly.   I haven't counted all of the dishes that I know how to make, but at the moment it seems quite limited because lately I'm making the same dishes again and again.  I'm in a food rut!  It's not that I can't cook; Mum & Dad (who are both excellent cooks) taught their kids well, and I am trained chef (I never went into it as a career) I'm just not at all imaginative about cooking right now.  Of course it's not the end of the world; it would just be nice to make some foodie changes what with it being the New Year.

Here are most of my cookery books.  As you can see I am a big fan of Nigel Slater, I really rate his Kitchen Diaries and his 30 Minute Cook.  Donna Hay is good for keeping it simple, Gordon Ramsay is great for the reluctant male cook (isn't it Al?), Hot Sour Salty Sweet is full of authentic Asian recipes (and it wouldn't look out of place on a coffee table), I also have a file of recipes that I've collected from the internet and various magazines.

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Some food sites that I like:

• Delia Online - great no-nonsense mainly British food.
• BBC Food - recipes from all of their food programs.
• Jamie Oliver - love him or hate him; his recipes do work well.
• All Recipes - this site is crammed with recipes that have submitted and rated by folks like us.
• Epicurious - well laid out food info and recipe site.
• Guardian Food - good for restaurant reviews.

Actually, looking at my collection of recipe books I can see that it could do with more variety.  There's not much European and no Indian, American, desert, vegetarian etc. books for example.

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Do you folks have any recipe books or internet recipe sites recommendations to share with us?  It would be fabulous to hear which books and sites are your faves especially as we are from all over the world and it would help me out of my food rut :) 

I've made this list easily accessible in the Misc-List-Mania category (in the left hand side bar), so please keep adding to it if you have any suggestions.  Thanks!

Comments

[Zoe]

http://uktv.co.uk/food/homepage/sid/566

this one is pretty good...got a few scrummy recipes from there. Can't wait to get all our cooking books out on display for easy access!

[Joanne]

Thanks for linking :) although progress will be slow since I've got a big writing job with a deadline of tomorrow. ARGH! Anyway, this is mostly to say that I am quite fond of a couple of recipes in 'Nigella Express'. I love both Nigel and Nigella but when time is short I think Nigella can be a bit more real world, like telling you it's fine to use pastry from a packet.

Later I'm making her pollo cacciatore which is fast and delicious, but there's also a recipe database on her site created by users:
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/index.asp

[Anna]

I love cooking from scratch too. Most of my books are vegetarian and aga books. Cooking on an aga is not like cooking on a stove so I always have to adapt recipes anyway.
Have you tried Nigella Lawson? She's annoying on TV but her cookery books read like novels.

[Jen M]

OMG The Cook and The Chef (http://www.abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/). This is our household's most favourite TV show EVAH. Not only is the food to-die-for scrummy, the recipes are interesting, heartwarming and achievable. Maggie and Simon also have a ball together - they enjoy each other's cooking and company... definitely podcast this one for your viewing pleasure (and try their blood orange rice pudding).

[stacysews]

Thanks for the link - I intend on (eventually) making the sophia bag and would love to hear how it's coming along for someone else.

As far a recipe sites, I also love Foodtv.com. Emeril is one of my favorites - his food has lots of flavor and the recipes are generally easy to prepare.

[Lynn]

My favorite cookbooks right now are Apples for Jam and Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros. Falling Cloudberries has recipes from Finland, Cyprus, Greece, South Africa, Italy and a Misc. section for other countries. The books really are beautiful, and the recipes I have made so far are great.

[melissa]

You've described dinnertime at ours perfectly! We're the same - homecooking by me, washingup by the boy.

I've got lots of cookbooks for inspiration but I usually just cook from instinct. I read loads of cooking blogs that help, and I always get inspired when I thumb through one of Jane Grigson's books or my giant 3-ring binder full of collected favourite recipes and family specialities.

[Beth]

I use http://allrecipes.com quite a bit. I also use http://www.recipezaar.com/. Both sites give ratings and reviews so I can tell if something is going to taste good before I make it. But usually I'm stuck in a rut with the food I make.

[Nic]

I highly recommend http://www.smittenkitchen.com/
I've made a couple recipes featured on her blog and they've all been big hits!

and I also like
http://steamykitchen.com/blog/

[amyehodge]

How To Grill by Steven Raichlen. We have been known to grill entire meals (grilled asparagus...yum!!!) and to grill 3 or 4 times a week. I would much rather have a grill than a stovetop or oven (and really dislike microwaved food).

[Andrea]

I am often too tired to worry about cooking so my hubby does that and I sort out the washing. I was given the Nigella Lawson Fastfood recipe book which has meals/snacks etc to be made from scratch( Is there a hint in that gift?)they look really tastey. It is wieird that i have just posted on your flickr discussion site about the Sophia bag. I won the pattern in Nov and not started it as I am a little unsure about some of the extras needed as I do not recognise the product names such as fusible fleece, Timtex, Dritz etc?? Helppp!!
PS Is it too late to say happy New Year?

[Barbara]

Love Nigella's Domestic Goddess for cakes and puds.
Rose Elliot for Vegetarian recipes.
The Curry Club Indian Restaurant Cookbook by Pat Chapman. My husband cooks curry a lot mostly learnt from this book - the best home cooked curries I have ever tasted - yum!
Have to mention www.mumsrecipes.org. This is the website of a charity cook book put together by a Scottish midwife in aid of mothers and babies in Malawi. Lovely fresh modern everyday recipes and only a fiver. I should point out I have nothing to do with this book. I just have one!

[Andrea]

Sorry, I meant Nigella Express book not fast food. It linked with her TV series. There, see too tired to think about cooking!

[Christine]

I adore http://chocolateandzucchini.com/
Her recipes are so simple but they are amazing. One of my favorites is the Tomato Tart, which you can find here (complete with video): http://www.elasticwaist.com/elastic_waist/2007/07/elasticpiece-th.html

[Kristine]

Sophia bag is TOTALLY on my list of to-makes this year. It's such a cute bag.

I loooove Allrecipes. Great site. Use it all the time.

I also recently discovered the Cupcake Bake Shop (http://cupcakeblog.com/index.php)...tons of cupcake tips and recipes. I do have a weak spot for sweets :)

[Cathy]

I agree with many of the sites and also like Nigella's recipes. But most often I go to www.foodnetwork.com when looking for recipes. Even if I didn't watch the shows I know which cooks' work I like.

[Helen]

I love Nigel Slater's books too. Especially 'Real Food'. Another cookbook I love is Bill Granger's 'Bill's Open Kitchen; lovely photography and delicious food! I find the BBC food website great for quick ideas as you can search by ingredient - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food

[Kathryn]

Well, owning 700 cookbooks makes it a tough decision to pick just one, but the one I keep recommending (and buying for new brides) is Barbara Kafka's Microwave Gourmet. Barbara is the queen of testing. She is just as liable to tell you what won't work as what will. I also have her books on Soups and Roasting. I use Alton Brown's cookbooks as they are about technique and not just recipes. As an American I grew up with Betty Crocker cookbooks and Joy of Cooking, but fall back on The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. It is a more up-to-date general cookbook with lots of recipes for casual parties and everyday meals. But if I have specific ingredients in mind, but no recipe, I'll probably fall back on allrecipes.com and epicurious.com.

[Vanessa]

Well, being French and thus having french references and sites may not help you much but I have a quick and tasty recipe for those days when you long for summer or are too bothered to think about something new and inspiring...
Take a jar of your favourite ratatouille (but is there anything resembling ratatouille in the UK??? It's stewed summer vegetables, you could describe it like that). Well, take your favourite ratatouille then, mix it with a pot of ricotta, add 3 eggs and popo in the oven for 30 minutes. You could be highly imaginative and put it in a pastry shell and/or add some tuna but believe ma, there's nothing like this recipe when you're lazy! Hope you enjoy it!
And if you need more French inspiration, try this:
http://www.marmiton.org/general/home.cfm
They've got an English version!!
Or you could try this (only in French, I'm afraid...)
http://tambouille.fr/
Cartoony and funny! Have fun!

[Lisa]

I love Nigel Slater too. Here's another fave of mine, Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/

Her own cookbooks are good too & the photograpy & food styling is fantastic.

[kathi]

I will be following this with MUCH interest! I have the Sophia pattern and will be making it when I have some free time, and I like to cook too, but I can never think of what to cook. I have cooked so many meals that everything seems like the same old thing.

[Claire (not Bahrain)]

Hi Lisa
While I was in Bahrain I used to use this website...
http://www.nestle-family.com/
As it is difficult to get good cook books that are in English. They use stock cubes called Maggi. Which are Halal, as Oxo isn't. Though they do sell oxo over there. I can buy more English food in Bahrain than my mum can in northern France. She has to come over here for a shopping spree every so often to stock up on stuff. Or visitors have to take a shopping list over for them. I also like Rachel Ray...
http://www.rachaelray.com/
And of course Martha Stewart, not just for cooking either...
http://www.marthastewart.com/
But if I think of a good ole' british dish I will google it and go from there. I normally end up on BBC food site.

[Simone]

I'm the same way, I always seem to be in the same three to five meal rut a year or so at a time. Right now it's the assortment of Weight Watchers online recipes. I also have the Donna Hay cookbook and for a while the balsamic and tomato roast chicken was one of my staples (come to think of it, haven't done that one in a while). My workhorses are my college favorites: The Joy of Cooking and just about anything by Molly Katzen.

[Jennie]

I like Nigella & Jamie Oliver, I also have a few others I watch but they are swedish so that won't help you.
I have a channel called BBC Food, I watch that alot to get inspired.

[Kristy]

One of my favourite books is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apples-Jam-Recipes-Tessa-Kiros/dp/174045748X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200047715&sr=8-1 in fact any of the Tessa Kiros books are wonderful.Plenty of inspiring eye-candy and beautiful words.The recipes are simple and effective.